If you’re trying to figure out where to get a Pickaxe in Welcome to Elderfield, you’ll need one sooner rather than later. The Pickaxe is an important early-game tool that lets you break rocks blocking your path, mine valuable resources, and destroy old Totem Statues you find around the map.
In this post, we’ll show you exactly how to unlock the Pickaxe, where you need to go, and what you need to do after getting it. We’ll also explain where to find Copper Ore, how the mines work, and where you can get your first Pickaxe upgrade.
The good news is that you don’t need to buy your first Pickaxe. If you’ve reached the end of your first day without finding one, there’s a good chance you either missed an important event or haven’t progressed far enough through the early farming introduction yet.
How to Unlock the Pickaxe in Welcome to Elderfield
You can unlock your first Pickaxe during the early part of the game.
On your first full day, you’ll be directed toward the farm west of your home. Head there and speak with Farmer Hans to unlock farming.
There is no major rush to get your Pickaxe immediately, but once you’ve finished looking around the farm, you can continue with the next part of the early-game progression.
When you’re ready, leave the farm.
Meet Tanner and Molly
After leaving the farm, you’ll run into Tanner again on the road between the farm and the town.
Tanner will unlock a gate leading toward the south and mention that there is someone nearby that you should speak with.
Head through the newly opened path and go south until you find Molly.
Talk to her, and she will give you your first Pickaxe.
Your starting tool is a Rusty Pickaxe, but Molly doesn’t give it away without asking for something in return.
She wants you to head into the nearby mine and collect some Copper Ore for her.
Where to Find Copper Ore in Welcome to Elderfield
Fortunately, the mine is located very close to Molly.
From her location, cut through the trees toward the east and enter the cave. After entering, follow the path toward the right, then head north to properly enter the mine.
The first time you go downstairs, the game introduces you to some of the basics of mining.
Mining Can Be Dangerous
Mining isn’t completely safe in Welcome to Elderfield.
When you break rocks and collect resources, you may disturb something unpleasant. While mining, you can potentially:
- Get hit by falling debris
- Trigger dangerous encounters
- Become cursed or affected by negative status effects
- End up fighting enemies
So, while the mines are a great place to collect resources and make money, don’t assume you can safely smash every rock without consequences.
How Mine Resets Work
One important thing to remember is that mines don’t constantly reset.
The mines in Welcome to Elderfield reset once per week after you bathe, unless a specific event causes them to reset earlier.
This means you should pay attention to how much you have explored before expecting resources and layouts to refresh.
Mine Layouts Can Be Different
Not every mine has the same layout.
Larger mines can have unpredictable layouts, meaning your experience may change when exploring them.
Smaller mines, however, generally keep the same layout, making them easier to learn and navigate.
This becomes useful once you start spending more time mining because you can become familiar with smaller areas and know where to go.
Where Is Copper Ore?
You can find Copper Ore on the first level of the mine.
That means you don’t need to travel deep underground to complete Molly’s early request.
Simply explore the first level, mine the Copper Ore you find, and collect enough for her.
You won’t be able to progress much further at this point anyway, so focus on the first floor and getting the resources you need.
Once you complete Molly’s request, make sure to speak with her again.
Get a Furnace From Molly
As you progress through Molly’s early quest, she will eventually give you access to another important piece of equipment: a Furnace.
The Furnace is important because you need it to process ores.
After completing Molly’s first quest, talk to her in her Forge, and she will give you a Furnace.
I would recommend getting this sorted out as soon as possible if you plan to spend a lot of time mining. Collecting ores is useful, but eventually, you’ll want to process those materials for crafting and upgrades.
How to Upgrade Your Pickaxe in Welcome to Elderfield
Your Rusty Pickaxe is useful for getting started, but it won’t be enough forever.
The first major upgrade is the Basic Pickaxe.
You can buy it from the Mall Rat inside the mine located on F1 of the Mall.
Where to Find the Mall Rat
The Mall Rat can be found in the first area of the Mall mine.
Look toward the top-left corner of the area.
When you speak with him, you’ll need to go through the dialogue options to access his shop.
Choose the dialogue option questioning why you’re in a mine rather than his home, then continue by saying that you’d like to mine as well.
This will open his shop.
How Much Does the Basic Pickaxe Cost?
The Basic Pickaxe costs 150 Gold.
So, once your Rusty Pickaxe starts feeling limiting, you’ll need to save up some money before purchasing your first proper upgrade.
Mining can actually help you earn some of that money, especially if you collect resources that you don’t immediately need for crafting.
How to Get Further Pickaxe Upgrades
The Basic Pickaxe is only the beginning.
For additional Pickaxe upgrades, you’ll need to use the Forge in Molly’s Workshop.
The Forge allows you to combine different items and materials to create better tools.
This means Molly becomes an important character to remember once you start progressing further into mining and crafting.
Keep collecting useful resources, complete her quests, and check what materials you need for future upgrades.
What Can You Use the Pickaxe For?
The Pickaxe has several important uses in Welcome to Elderfield.
You can use it to:
- Break rocks blocking your path
- Mine rocks and ore for resources
- Explore the mines
- Break old Totem Statues around the map
- Collect materials needed for crafting and upgrades
There are even two Totem Statues on the farm, so the Pickaxe becomes useful outside of the mines as well.
Because of this, getting your first Pickaxe is an important step in opening up more of the game’s activities.
Getting your first Pickaxe in Welcome to Elderfield is part of the natural early-game progression, so you don’t need to spend Gold to unlock it.
Head to the farm, unlock farming through Farmer Hans, leave the area, and follow the path that Tanner opens to the south. Speak with Molly, and she’ll give you the Rusty Pickaxe before asking you to collect Copper Ore from the nearby mine.
From there, mining becomes an important part of your adventure. You can collect resources, earn Gold, process ores using Molly’s Furnace, and eventually upgrade your Rusty Pickaxe into the Basic Pickaxe for 150 Gold.
If you’re just getting started, my advice is simple: get the Pickaxe, complete Molly’s Copper Ore request, and take some time to learn how the mines work. You’ll be spending plenty of time underground as you continue exploring Elderfield.