I made this The Forge pickaxe tier list after wasting 200,000 coins buying pickaxes in the wrong order. Your pickaxe is the most important item in the game. It determines which ores you can mine, how fast you mine them, and what rune bonuses you can stack.
Every pickaxe ranked from S to D tier based on value, power, and when you should actually buy them. Tested all of these across 100+ hours.
Quick Reference
| Tier | Pickaxes |
|---|---|
| S | Arcane, Lightite, Demonic |
| A | Mythril, Magma, Frostcore |
| B | Stonewake’s, Gold |
| C | Iron, Bronze |
| D | Stone, Wooden |
S-Tier Pickaxes
These are endgame. Worth every coin.
Arcane Pickaxe
- Mining Power: 160
- Rune Slots: 3
- Cost: 750,000 coins
- Special: +50% Luck bonus
Best pickaxe in the game. That 50% luck bonus is absolutely broken for rare ore farming. Three rune slots let you stack even more bonuses on top. This is your endgame goal. I’m still grinding for it.
Lightite Pickaxe
- Mining Power: 175
- Rune Slots: 3
- Cost: 1,000,000 coins
- Location: Frostspire Expanse only
Added in the Island 3 update. Highest raw mining power in the game. No special bonus but pure stats make it competitive with Arcane. If you don’t care about luck farming, this is technically stronger.
Demonic Pickaxe
- Mining Power: 150
- Rune Slots: 3
- Cost: 500,000 coins
- Special: Lifesteal on mining
Slightly cheaper than Arcane with similar power. The lifesteal helps in dangerous deep caves where enemies spawn constantly. Great option if you can’t afford Arcane yet. This is what I’m currently running.
A-Tier Pickaxes
Excellent mid-to-late game options. Don’t skip these.
Mythril Pickaxe
- Mining Power: 80
- Rune Slots: 2
- Cost: 75,000 coins
The first major power spike. Two rune slots open up serious customization. This pickaxe carried me through most of Forgotten Kingdom. Probably used it for 30+ hours before upgrading.
Magma Pickaxe
- Mining Power: 110
- Rune Slots: 2
- Cost: 200,000 coins
- Special: +10% fire ore bonus
Decent stepping stone to Demonic/Arcane. The fire ore bonus is nice in volcanic areas. Honestly though? I’d skip this and save for Demonic. The jump isn’t worth 200k.
Frostcore Pickaxe
- Mining Power: 130
- Rune Slots: 2
- Cost: 350,000 coins
- Location: Frostspire Expanse only
New Island 3 pickaxe. Good power for the price. Consider this if you want to skip Magma but can’t afford Demonic yet.
B-Tier Pickaxes
Good value. Buy these during progression.
Gold Pickaxe
- Mining Power: 40
- Rune Slots: 0
- Cost: 8,000 coins
- Special: Unlocks gem deposits
Essential upgrade. Gems are your main money maker in mid-game. I bought this at hour 5 and it changed everything. The jump from Iron to Gold is massive.
Stonewake’s Pickaxe
- Mining Power: 55
- Rune Slots: 1
- Cost: 25,000 coins
Your first rune slot. Even one rune makes a noticeable difference. Worth buying before Mythril if you have a good Luck Rune sitting around.
C-Tier Pickaxes
Functional but you’ll replace them fast.
Iron Pickaxe
- Mining Power: 15
- Rune Slots: 0
- Cost: 500 coins
Your first real upgrade. Buy immediately after the tutorial. Makes early mining way faster. I used this for maybe 2 hours before saving for Gold.
Bronze Pickaxe
- Mining Power: 25
- Rune Slots: 0
- Cost: 2,000 coins
Skip this. Seriously. The jump from Iron to Gold is more efficient than Iron → Bronze → Gold. I bought Bronze and regretted it immediately. Save those 2,000 coins.
D-Tier Pickaxes
Tutorial tier. Replace ASAP.
Stone Pickaxe
- Mining Power: 5
- Rune Slots: 0
- Cost: Free (tutorial)
You get this from Sensei Moro. It works for the first 10 minutes. Replace with Iron immediately. Don’t be like me and try to “save coins” by using Stone longer.
Wooden Pickaxe
- Mining Power: 3
- Rune Slots: 0
- Cost: N/A
Literally the worst pickaxe. You should never have this. If you do, something went very wrong.
Optimal Upgrade Path
Here’s what I wish I did:
- Stone (Free) → Tutorial only, replace immediately
- Iron (500) → First real pickaxe
- Gold (8,000) → Skip Bronze, save for this
- Stonewake’s (25,000) → First rune slot
- Mythril (75,000) → Major power spike
- Demonic (500,000) → Skip Magma if possible
- Arcane (750,000) → Endgame goal
Total cost following this path: ~859,000 coins
What I actually did: Bought every single pickaxe in order. Wasted probably 200,000+ coins on Bronze and Magma. Learn from my mistakes.
Best Runes for Each Tier
Once you have rune slots, prioritize these:
1 Slot (Stonewake’s)
- Luck Rune. Always Luck Rune.
2 Slots (Mythril, Magma, Frostcore)
- Luck Rune + Speed Rune
3 Slots (Demonic, Arcane, Lightite)
- Luck Rune + Speed Rune + Fortune Rune
I ran Power Rune for way too long. Don’t do that. Luck is better in almost every situation. Most players in the Discord agree that Luck Rune should be your first priority.
Stats Comparison
| Pickaxe | Power | Runes | Cost | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arcane | 160 | 3 | 750K | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Lightite | 175 | 3 | 1M | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Demonic | 150 | 3 | 500K | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Frostcore | 130 | 2 | 350K | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Magma | 110 | 2 | 200K | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Mythril | 80 | 2 | 75K | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Stonewake’s | 55 | 1 | 25K | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Gold | 40 | 0 | 8K | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Bronze | 25 | 0 | 2K | ⭐⭐ |
| Iron | 15 | 0 | 500 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Stone | 5 | 0 | Free | ⭐ |
Notice how Bronze and Magma have low value ratings. Those are the trap purchases.
Related Content
- The Forge Codes - Free rerolls and luck totems
- The Forge Frostspire Expanse Guide - Island 3 Winter Expansion guide
- The Forge Crafting Guide - Best weapon recipes
- The Forge Race Tier List - Best races ranked
- The Forge Ore Tier List - All ores ranked
- The Forge Beginner Guide - Complete progression guide
Join the official Discord for code drops and community strategies.
