Basalt is mined from dark volcanic terrain in Cinder's Cradle with a pickaxe. It is a raw stone resource, not the same item as Basalt Dust or Basalt Farm Soil. If your recipe asks for dust, take the stone to a Mill; if you need the farming soil, process the dust further at the Farmer.
You must first be able to reach Cinder's Cradle. A higher-tier pickaxe is a useful mining upgrade, but the available location guide does not establish a specific pickaxe as a mandatory unlock. Check the material name in the loot notification rather than assuming every dark rock is Basalt.
Locate the volcanic deposits
Head toward Cinder's Cradle beyond the Ancient Gate. Once in the volcanic region, look for dense, dark stone formations. The current Basalt listing confirms that it is dug out of the terrain in Cinder's Cradle.
The 1.0 mining walkthrough shows a route heading northeast beyond the gate. Use the regional map to orient yourself, then inspect the rock face at ground level. Basalt can be found both outside and inside the Shroud; entering fog is not a universal requirement for collecting the stone.
Use the Ancient Gate label to orient the route into the volcanic area.
The deposit's appearance is a useful first clue: Basalt is a solid dark stone, described in-game as harder than ordinary Cinder Rock. That description helps distinguish the target material, but the pickup name is the final check.
Check the dark stone face, then confirm the material name after a strike.
Mine and confirm the pickup
- Equip your pickaxe and approach the dark formation.
- Aim at the mineable surface and strike it.
- Check for a Basalt + loot notification and confirm the material in your backpack.
- Continue along the formation only after confirming that it gives the resource you need.
Raw Basalt stacks to 1,000, so it is practical to collect extra during a trip. If you choose a deposit inside the Shroud, keep enough time to leave safely; do not plan to fast-travel out from within the fog.
The Basalt pickup notification confirms the targeted resource.
Mining yields can vary between strikes. A screenshot showing a particular pickup amount does not mean every hit gives that amount, and no fixed yield per swing is needed for this route.
Turn Basalt into Basalt Dust
Return to your base and use the Mill. Select its Basalt Dust recipe, add raw Basalt, then collect the processed material when production finishes. The current crafting entry lists 1 Basalt for 1 Basalt Dust.
Do not look for a second deposit called Basalt Dust. The stone is the mined resource; the dust is the processed ingredient. Keep some raw Basalt if you also intend to craft building pieces, furniture or equipment, because those recipes can consume the stone directly.
| Material | How you obtain it | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Basalt | Mine terrain in Cinder's Cradle. | The pickup should say Basalt. |
| Basalt Dust | Process Basalt at the Mill. | Select the dust recipe rather than another Mill product. |
| Basalt Farm Soil | Craft at the Farmer using dust and Fertilised Farm Soil. | This is prepared soil, not raw terrain stone. |
Make Basalt Farm Soil for Cinder's Cradle crops
The Farmer's recipe produces 10 Basalt Farm Soil from:
- 5 Fertilised Farm Soil
- 10 Basalt Dust
These quantities are listed in the Basalt Farm Soil recipe. Plan the dust production before making the trip to the Farmer: raw stone cannot replace dust in this recipe.
The soil is intended for Cinder's Cradle plants. When a seedling requires this soil, putting it in ordinary ground does not satisfy that condition. For the recipe above, first process at least ten raw Basalt into dust, then combine it with the five Fertilised Farm Soil.
Basalt also appears in ancient building pieces and higher-tier crafting. Before grinding your entire stack, open the recipe you actually intend to make and check whether it asks for Basalt, Basalt Dust or Basalt Farm Soil. That single distinction prevents the most avoidable extra mining trip.
Related guides
- Read the map and find your route before heading into the volcanic region.
- Understand Flame Altar progression while opening later areas.
- Collect Mycelium when another recipe calls for a different terrain material.