How To Farm Aluminum In Dune: Awakening
As is the case with any survival game, grinding is part of the experience. You won’t feel that for a while in Arrakis, especially if you play in a group. Resources are available everywhere and don’t weigh much, so even if you need to farm, you can do so quickly.
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But there comes a time when the grind begins, and that’s when you start to build your first Ornithopter. You need a ton of Aluminum Ingots and water for it, which can be a hassle to accrue. With that in mind, here’s how to farm Aluminum in Dune: Awakening, and how you can make the best of it.
Where To Find Aluminum Ore
Image Via Funcom. Screenshot Captured By Blast.The best spot to find Aluminum Ore reliably and with vehicle access is in Eastern Shield Wall, right above the border to Mysa Tarill, Northeast of The Crossroads Trading Post. This area is accessible even with a buggy, and allows you to slowly progress into the Shield Wall without needing to climb or fly.
Alongside the roads you’ll find a lot of Aluminum Ore to find. We can’t give you specific locations as they will slightly change with each weekly reset following the Apex of the Coriolis Storm. Pay attention to the edges of the roads and you’ll find a ton of them.
How To Farm Aluminum Ore In Dune: Awakening
Image Via Funcom. Screenshot Captured By Blast.The hardest part of getting Aluminum Ore isn’t finding it, but efficiently farming it. Aluminum Ore is exceptionally heavy (300v per 500 unit stack, 3x heavier than Carbon) and, with most players having their bases in Vermillius Gap, requires quite a trek just to reach. So you want to minimize the amount of trips you need to make between the farming area and your base. For this we have three possible solutions:
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- Buggy- if you are a solo-player or on a duo party, the best thing you can do is craft a full MK3 buggy with a MK4 Mining Cutter. If you can’t get your hands on the MK4 cutter, craft a MK3 handheld one and just exit the vehicle to farm the Aluminum. Groups of 3 or more should craft two MK3 buggies with MK4 Cutters and not return until they have their inventory full of nothing but Aluminum Ore.
- Sandbike- If you don’t mind a lot of trips and have a ton of Small Vehicle Fuelcells on your hands, you can farm Aluminum Ore using a Sandbike. We recommend crafting the biggest Sandbike inventory you can, and also the highest level booster available. Use the booster for your trip towards the Eastern Shield Wall, swap the Inventory in when you arrive, and just return once it's full.
- Refinery Base- If you have a lot of Steel and want to maximize your efficiency, you can build a small secondary base close to the farming area we highlighted above. This base is a refinery, so you only need a Medium Ore Refinery, Power, and Water. Aluminum Ingots are considerably lighter than Ore, so you can carry a lot with each trip (7 ores make 1 Ingot, but 500 Ingots weigh 50v more than 500 ore). You’ll ideally use one or two buggies and only travel to your main base when they are fully packed with Ingots.
As mentioned previously, Aluminum Ore can only be refined in a Medium refinery. It doesn’t require previous minerals (like Steel requires Iron), but it does require a ton of water. You’ll want to be stockpiling water before initiating the bulk of your Aluminum Ore farming, be it through Windtraps, Deathstills, or both.
The main secret in how to farm Aluminum in Dune: Awakening is preparation. Do not rush it just because you want a shiny new vehicle, or you’ll burn yourself out. Expand and improve your base to accommodate the new necessities you’ll have and take your time, Aluminum will be your bridge to Dune’s endgame, so you’ll be farming it for a while.
