Stonewards Mining & Resources Guide: Essential Tips
Mining drives every run in Stonewards. Learn how procedural caves work, which resources matter most, and how to return before the horn sounds.
Last verified: September 24, 2026 — Game version: Stonewards Early Access 0.2.2 hotfix on top of 0.2.0 “Later Summer” (current). Facts come from official Steam sources and verified player reports.
Mining is the heartbeat of Stonewards. Every wall repair, arrow, and upgrade comes from resources pulled out of procedural caves. If your team mines too little, you will run out of ammunition and defenses. If you mine too long, the horn will strand you underground while monsters attack. This guide explains the mining loop and the resources you will use most.
Patch note (0.1.7): digging now rewards noticeably more Gold — the economy path was rebalanced to feel fairer versus combat. Artificer bomb block destruction also rolls for Gold Coin drops since this patch.
How Mining Works
After each defense wave, the mine opens for a limited time. The tunnels are procedurally generated, so ore placement and cave shape change between runs. You explore with your pickaxe, break ore nodes, and carry resources back to the surface. The official description warns that your friends will complain if you take too long, because the next wave starts whether you are back or not.
Key Resources
| Resource | Known use |
|---|---|
| Common metals | Basic arrows, repairs, and low-tier upgrades |
| Rare materials | Higher-tier forge upgrades and better gear |
| Gold coins | Shop purchases and some mission rewards |
| Platinum Ore | A higher-tier ore whose missing icon was fixed in an early hotfix |
The full resource tree has not been published by the developer. We list only what has been confirmed through patch notes and in-game observations.
Mining Strategy
- Mine in pairs when possible. One dwarf gathers while another watches for the horn.
- Mark your path. Procedural caves can be disorienting, and getting lost means missing a wave.
- Leave early. It is better to bring back 80% of possible loot than to miss the defense entirely.
- Upgrade mining speed on your Miner first so future waves are more productive.
Gold and Economy
Gold coins are gained from kills, mission rewards, and some ore. Hotfix 0.1.4 rebalanced Gold Coin missions, and 0.1.5 adjusted Gold Coin drops from Artificer bombs. If you are struggling to afford upgrades, focus on completing coin missions and letting the Miner bring back high-value ore. The rules changed again after that: 0.2.0 turned Gold Bonus into a multiplier on Gold earned instead of the chance for Gold to appear, 0.2.1 made the permanent Gold upgrade and the Gold Ring multiplicative, and 0.2.2 capped the total Gold multiplier at 200x. Kills by Mercenaries, Ballistas and companions now drop Gold too (0.2.2).
Cave Hazards
The caves themselves are not listed as a major hazard, but the timer is. Taking too long is the real danger. Some community feedback also mentions that items can fall through the ground when dropped on certain surfaces, so avoid tossing resources down slopes. 0.2.0 added extra ground-detection checks aimed at stopping players from falling through terrain or being teleported into nearby cave rooms while mining, and items can be dropped in the Hub now.
For more on turning ore into upgrades, read our forge upgrades guide.
Mining Changes Since Hotfix 0.1.5
- Digging pays better than it did at launch. 0.1.7 rebalanced Gold from digging upward, and 0.2.0 added the Digging Speed ring plus the Compass Range tome, so a dedicated miner covers more ground per trip.
- You can signpost your tunnels now (0.2.0). The Crafter can make craftable wooden direction signs that you place in caves, which is far more reliable than memorizing junctions in a procedural layout.
- Underground terrain is less treacherous (0.2.0). Extra ground-detection checks target falling through terrain and being teleported into nearby cave rooms while mining.
- Items can be dropped in the Hub (0.2.0), so spare gear and resources no longer have to travel back underground with you.
- Recycling in the Dungeon gives the correct resources again (0.1.7), which matters if your loop is mine, recycle, re-forge.
From Community Gameplay
Community streams confirm a few practical mining details that the in-game tutorial does not emphasize:
- Procedural cave layouts vary each run, but streamers noticed the entrance room tends to stay in the same spot while deeper rooms and side chambers shift around (The Boys are Dwarves, 46:07).
- Don’t dig straight down at the start; branching side tunnels makes it much easier to walk in and out before the horn sounds (The Boys are Dwarves, 00:46 & 08:02).
- Treasure rooms and gold emit a shimmering or jingling sound; “I hear something glittering” can reveal nearby loot through walls (The Boys are Dwarves, 06:51 & 48:52).
- The recycling camp lets you trade unused tools and weapons for extra resources, so carrying spare gear back can be worthwhile (The Boys are Dwarves, 02:04 & 13:24).
- Stack sizes appear class-dependent; one streamer noted the Miner held only three arrows while another class carried a stack of 45 (The Boys are Dwarves, 05:09).
- Gold and iron are high-value hauls; iron was specifically called out as “worth three degrees a pop” for progression (The Boys are Dwarves, 06:31 & 08:28).
- Some upgrades change how you mine: one character can turn explosives into mining tools, and perks like “cave resource bonus” and “item stack multiplier” speed up gathering (The Boys are Dwarves, 00:19 & 02:22).
Sources
- The Boys are Dwarves (community gameplay): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-XuIMMYeW8
- Official Steam store page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4502710/
- Official Steam announcements hub: https://steamcommunity.com/games/4502710/announcements/
- Steam Community discussions: https://steamcommunity.com/app/4502710/discussions/
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