Melvor Idle 2 Mining Guide: Ore, Gems and Smithing Feed
Melvor Idle 2 Mining guide: which ore to target, how gems fit in, when to switch from XP to bank, and the mining routine that feeds Smithing.
Mining exists to feed Smithing. That single sentence resolves most decisions: mine the ore your Smithing level can process, bank it, and only sell the surplus after your gear needs are met. Mining for pure XP is fine once the gear chain is stable, but it is not the first job.
The sequel's level cap and reworked mastery change the numbers, not the structure. The structure is ore tier, bar tier, gear tier.
The mining routine
| Step | Action | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Check your Smithing level | Mining ore you cannot process is a bank clog |
| 2 | Mine the matching ore | Bars are the goal, not ore |
| 3 | Bank the ore | Smithing happens at a bank or anvil |
| 4 | Process the bars | Bars beat ore for gear and sale |
| 5 | Sell only the surplus | Keep enough for the next gear tier |
Ore tiers and the processing gap
The common mistake is mining one tier above your Smithing level. The ore stacks up, the bars cannot be made, and the bank fills with material you cannot use. Mine one tier at or below your Smithing level, then push Smithing with the bars you produce.
If you want to mine ahead, do it deliberately: bank the ore in a separate tab and treat it as a future project, not as current progress.
Gems and by-products
Mining produces gems and other by-products alongside ore. Their value depends on your plans:
- Crafting gems feed jewellery, which feeds combat and skilling bonuses.
- Sellable gems are a cash supplement, not a main income.
- Quest gems should be banked until the Codex says otherwise.
Do not sell every gem immediately. Keep one of each type for quests and crafting, and sell the duplicates.
"I need 200 bars for a weapon and body" is a plan. "I need Mining levels" is how you end up with 2,000 ore and no gear.
AFK mining
Mining is one of the best AFK skills because the action loop is simple and the output is stackable. The best spot is the highest ore you can mine reliably that is close to a bank, not the rarest ore on the map.
For long sessions, mine until the bank is full, process the bars, then return. The processing step is what turns AFK time into account progress.
Mining and money
Mining is a steady money method once you can process the bars, because bars sell for more than ore and gear sells for more than bars. It is not the fastest early cash; Thieving is. But it is the most predictable, because the input is time rather than a drop rate.
The money making guide→ ranks it by stage. The short version: mine for gear first, sell the surplus second.
When to stop mining
Stop when your Smithing level is the bottleneck, when your bank is full of unusable ore, or when the next gear tier needs a material you cannot mine yet. In each case, the fix is a different skill, not more Mining.
A few hundred low-tier ore is enough for quests and early bars. The rest is bank space you will want for herbs and seeds.
FAQ
What ore should I mine first? The highest ore your Smithing level can process into bars. Mining ahead of processing is a bank clog.
Is Mining good money? It is steady money once you process the bars. It is not the fastest early cash skill.
Should I keep gems? Keep one of each for quests and Crafting; sell duplicates unless you are saving for jewellery.
Can I mine while AFK? Yes. Mining is one of the most AFK-friendly skills; process the ore when the bank is full.
Official source: Melvor Idle 2 on Steam ↗ Official source: Early Access announcement ↗ Community source: Melvor Idle wiki Mining ↗