What Pickaxe Can Mine Cobalt in Terraria?

Why Cobalt Matters in Terraria

After defeating the Wall of Flesh and transitioning into hardmode, the game world changes significantly. New ores such as cobalt, mythril, and adamantite are generated, which allow you to craft stronger armor and weapons. Cobalt is essential because it’s one of the first hardmode ores you will encounter, making it the gateway to better gear. However, it requires a specific level of pickaxe power to mine it, and knowing this is key to advancing efficiently in the game.

What You Need to Mine Cobalt

To mine cobalt, you’ll need a pickaxe with at least 110% pickaxe power. In pre-hardmode, no pickaxe meets this requirement. After entering hardmode, however, the necessary pickaxes become available. Here's a list of pickaxes that can mine cobalt:

1. Molten Pickaxe

• Pickaxe Power: 100%
• Crafted From: 20 Hellstone Bars
• Where to Get It: Pre-hardmode, by mining Hellstone in the Underworld.

Though the Molten Pickaxe falls just short of being able to mine cobalt directly, it is essential in crafting a tool that can.

2. Cobalt Pickaxe

• Pickaxe Power: 110%
• Crafted From: 15 Cobalt Bars (which requires 45 Cobalt Ore)

The Cobalt Pickaxe is your go-to tool once you've gathered enough cobalt ore. If you don't have a pickaxe powerful enough to mine cobalt yet, you'll need to break demon altars to generate cobalt ore, mine palladium ore, and create a palladium pickaxe.

3. Palladium Pickaxe

• Pickaxe Power: 130%
• Crafted From: 18 Palladium Bars (which requires 54 Palladium Ore)

If cobalt is not generated in your world, palladium may be the ore substitute. It can mine cobalt and is a more powerful option, allowing quicker mining speed and versatility.

4. Reaver Shark (Special Mention)

• Pickaxe Power: 100%
• How to Get: Fished from the Ocean biome.

While it doesn’t have enough power to mine cobalt, the Reaver Shark is a noteworthy pre-hardmode pickaxe for those trying to fast-track their progression.

Steps to Mine Cobalt Effectively

• Step 1: Defeat the Wall of Flesh and trigger hardmode.
• Step 2: Break Demon or Crimson Altars using a Pwnhammer (dropped by the Wall of Flesh).
• Step 3: Mine Palladium if cobalt is unavailable or craft a molten pickaxe in pre-hardmode.
• Step 4: Craft a pickaxe that can mine cobalt and start mining!

Cobalt Mining Tips

• Use Spelunker Potions: These make it easier to see cobalt deposits by illuminating ore veins.
• Upgrade Gear First: Before diving into hardmode, ensure your armor and health are sufficiently upgraded to handle the tougher enemies.
• Break Altars Cautiously: Every altar you break spreads corruption or hallow, making the game world progressively harder.

Upgrading From Cobalt

Once you have enough cobalt, you can craft cobalt armor or a cobalt drill to speed up mining. This will make it easier to collect the next tier of ore, Mythril or Orichalcum, allowing for even better gear.

In conclusion, cobalt is the stepping stone to powerful endgame materials, and knowing which pickaxes can mine it will help you progress faster and more efficiently in Terraria's hardmode. Now that you know what tools you need, it's time to mine cobalt and ascend to the next tier of progression!