mining Tech Comparison
Antimatter Extraction vs Gas Giant Skimmers
Comparing the Antimatter Extraction (Tier 3) and Gas Giant Skimmers (Tier 4), both mining technologies in Starforge MMO. Use this to decide which to queue first when your research lab can only run one project at a time.
Research Comparison
| Attribute | Antimatter Extraction | Gas Giant Skimmers |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | T3 | T4 |
| Research time | 12▼ | 20 |
| metal cost | 20,000▼ | 40,000 |
| crystal cost | 10,000▼ | 20,000 |
| gas cost | 5,000▼ | — |
| antimatter cost | — | 200▼ |
| Effect | unlocks resource: antimatter | +30% gas production |
▼ marks the lower resource / time cost. Cheaper isn't always better — weigh it against the effect each tech unlocks.
Antimatter Extraction
Unlocks antimatter mining from gas giants. Required for T3 ships.
Unlocks buildings: antimatter collector
Requires: mining 2
Gas Giant Skimmers
Atmospheric skimmer platforms harvest gas from gas giants. +30% gas output.
Unlocks buildings: gas skimmer
Requires: mining 3
Which Should You Research First?
The Antimatter Extraction is the lower-tier prerequisite step and typically comes first in the mining branch, opening the path toward Gas Giant Skimmers.