Best Mining Pals in Palworld

How mining works in Palworld

Every minable node in Palworld has a tier requirement. Palworld 1.0 expanded Work Suitability to 10 levels and rebalanced every Pal's values, so the old 1-4 scale no longer describes the game — mining values now run from Lv 1 starters like Cattiva and Fuddler up to Lv 7 (Astegon, Blazamut, Blazamut Ryu, Knocklem, Knocklem Ignis), with Aegidron alone at Lv 8. A Pal with work_suitability.mining ≥ the node tier will mine it; below the threshold, the Pal will stand next to the rock and refuse the job. Mining speed scales with the Pal's Work Speed stat, but the tier gate is binary — a Pal below a node's threshold will never break that vein no matter how fast it works.

Want the full work-suitability matrix for any specific Pal? Open the per-species page — the full Paldex indexes everything by element, tier, and work suitability.

How tier was assigned

Three signals, with Mining Lv as the dominant gate:

• Mining Lv (primary). Pulled directly from pal-stats.json. Lv 7 = S, Lv 5-6 = A, Lv 2-4 = B, Lv 1 = C.
• Catch accessibility. Used as the tie-breaker inside a tier. A rarity-5 Digtoise outranks a rarity-7 Cryolinx Terra for "best A-tier pick" because most players catch the cheaper one first.
• Secondary work suitability. Mentioned in the per-Pal blurb but not weighted into the tier itself — that data still lives on each species page where it belongs.

The full tier table

Tier	Pal	Mining	Element	Partner Skill	Where
S	Astegon	Lv 7	Dragon · Dark	Black Ankylosaur	The World Tree (21 spawn points; nocturnal)
S	Blazamut	Lv 7	Fire	Magma Kaiser	Mount Obsidian + volcanic biomes (level 50 area)
A	Anubis	Lv 6	Ground	Guardian of the Desert	Anubis Desert (single-spawn boss point)
A	Menasting	Lv 5	Dark · Ground	Steel Scorpion	Anubis Desert at night (nocturnal spawn)
B	Digtoise	Lv 4	Ground	Drill Crusher	Central biomes (~level 20)
A	Bastigor	Lv 5	Ice	Blizzard Crash	Feybreak expansion region
A	Cryolinx Terra	Lv 5	Ground	Explosive Strength	Astral Mountains caves
A	Reptyro Cryst	Lv 5	Ice · Ground	Ice-Loving Beast	Astral Mountains (Ice biome subset)
A	Reptyro (base)	Lv 5	Fire · Ground	Ore-Loving Beast	Mount Obsidian volcanic caves
A	Paladius	Lv 6	Neutral	Holy Knight of the Firmament	World boss spawn (level 50)
A	Necromus	Lv 6	Dark	Dark Knight of the Abyss	World boss spawn (level 50)
B	Mammorest Cryst	Lv 4	Ice · Ground	Ice Crusher	Eastern Wild snow biome variant
B	Mammorest	Lv 4	Grass · Ground	Gaia Crusher	Eastern Wild (Grassy Behemoth Hills variant)
B	Quivern	Lv 4	Dragon	Sky Dragon Affection	Dessicated Desert (level 30+ spawns)
B	Penking	Lv 3	Water · Ice	Brave Sailor	Sea Breeze + Twilight Dunes coastal regions
B	Sootseer	Lv 3	Dark · Fire	Grave Robber	Sakurajima expansion region
B	Tombat	Lv 3	Dark	Ultrasonic Sensor	Isle of Silence caves + cemeteries
B	Dumud	Lv 2	Ground · Water	Soil Improver	Bamboo Groves + central biomes
C	Cattiva	Lv 1	Neutral	Cat Helper	Starter biome (Windswept Hills)
C	Fuddler	Lv 1	Ground	Mining Assistance	Starter biome (early-game caves)
C	Depresso	Lv 1	Dark	Caffeine Inoculation	Isle of Silence + Marsh Island (cave spawns)
C	Rushoar	Lv 1	Ground	Hard Head	Windswept Hills + Hill of Beginnings

Best Pal per resource

Most guides rank Pals by Mining Lv and stop there. In practice, you choose a miner per resource: the cheapest Pal that clears the node first, then the optimum you switch to once you can field an S/A-tier roster. The table below cascades both — early pick (works on day one) and the optimum once you've unlocked higher tiers.

Two 1.0 ores sit outside this matrix. Soralite can only be mined in Sunreach, and Paloxite only at the World Tree; both are required for the new 1.0 crafting and building content. Sunreach's ores can only be mined using specialized equipment, so a Mining Lv alone does not unlock them.

Passive skills that stack with mining

Passive skills roll on capture or breeding. These five stack their effect with the Pal's base Mining Lv — roll any of them on your S/A-tier miner and the same Pal mines 10-50% faster. Stack up to four passives per Pal via breeding pass-through. Passives are no longer the only lever: since 1.0, each time a Pal ranks up one of its Work Suitability Levels increases, and reaching maximum rank increases all of them — so condensing a miner can raise its Mining Lv itself, not just its speed. 1.0 also cut the Pals needed for maximum rank from 116 to 48, which makes that route far cheaper than it used to be.

Source: passive-skill effects cross-checked against palworld.wiki.gg/wiki/Passive_Skills. Lucky-variant rolls are Pal-wide, not mining-specific.

Dedicated mining structures

Beyond field-rock breaking, several base structures generate a continuous ore supply when a miner Pal is assigned to them. Once placed, a base-bound miner with Artisan or Work Slave passives will run them 24/7 without player intervention.

• Stone Pit (Technology Lv 7) — Stone output. Any Mining Lv 1 Pal staffs it; a higher Mining level only shortens the cycle. Build cost 50 Stone + 20 Wood + 10 Paldium Fragment.
• Ore Mining Site (Technology Lv 24) — Ore output. Any Mining Lv 1 Pal staffs it; a higher Mining level only shortens the cycle. Build cost 50 Stone + 25 Ingot + 20 Paldium Fragment + 5 Ancient Civilization Parts.
• Coal Mine (Technology Lv 37) — Coal output. Any Mining Lv 1 Pal staffs it; a higher Mining level only shortens the cycle. Build cost 70 Stone + 100 Coal + 30 Paldium Fragment + 10 Ancient Civilization Parts.
• Sulfur Mine (Technology Lv 46) — Sulfur output. Any Mining Lv 1 Pal staffs it; a higher Mining level only shortens the cycle. Build cost 70 Stone + 100 Sulfur + 30 Paldium Fragment + 10 Ancient Civilization Parts.

That is the whole list. There is no Pure Quartz Mine and no Pal Metal Mine — both were on this page for months, and neither exists in the game.

Tier-by-tier breakdown

S

S-Tier (2 Pals)

Mining Lv 7 — breaks every node tier in the game, Soralite included. Only Aegidron (Lv 8) is higher

Astegon

Mining Lv 7 · Dragon/Dark · The World Tree (21 spawn points; nocturnal)

Astegon is the strongest practical miner at Mining Lv 7 — only the raid boss Aegidron mines higher (Lv 8), so among catchable base workers Astegon shares the top with Blazamut, Blazamut Ryu and the Knocklem line (all Lv 7). The Dragon/Dark typing means it doubles as a top-tier combat partner. It is a World Tree catch, not a Palpagos one — our habitat data records 21 spawn points there and none on Palpagos.

→ Stats, spawn map, and breeding parents for Astegon

Blazamut

Mining Lv 7 · Fire · Mount Obsidian + volcanic biomes (level 50 area)

The Fire-element answer to Astegon. Same Mining Lv 7, same node coverage, but Blazamut also passively Kindles attached crafting stations — pair it with an ore farm and the smelter chain runs on a single creature. Late-game catch but worth the wait.

→ Stats, spawn map, and breeding parents for Blazamut

A

A-Tier (8 Pals)

Mining Lv 5-6 — strong all-round miners, one step below the Lv 7 ceiling

Anubis

Mining Lv 6 · Ground · Anubis Desert (single-spawn boss point)

The mid-game miner most players reach first. Mining Lv 6 covers everything up to Pure Quartz, and Anubis brings Handcraft Lv 6 as a side benefit — so the same Pal mines AND speeds up your assembly lines. Single-target catch (one fixed boss spawn) but reliable.

→ Stats, spawn map, and breeding parents for Anubis

Menasting

Mining Lv 5 · Dark/Ground · Anubis Desert at night (nocturnal spawn)

Roams the same biome as Anubis but only at night — Mining Lv 5, one below Anubis, with Dark typing. Useful if you want a Pal that mines by day and counter-attacks Dark-weak enemies in the field. Nocturnal capture = bring a flashlight or wait for night cycles.

→ Stats, spawn map, and breeding parents for Menasting

Bastigor

Mining Lv 5 · Ice · Feybreak expansion region

Mining Lv 5 from the expansion roster. Bastigor's Ice element makes him useful in mixed-element bases (Watering substitute if you cool the Cooler). expansion-gated — skip if you're on the base game.

→ Stats, spawn map, and breeding parents for Bastigor

Cryolinx Terra

Mining Lv 5 · Ground · Astral Mountains caves

Terra variant of Cryolinx — the Ice typing flips to Ground, and Cryolinx Terra gains Mining Lv 5. Decent late-game catch if you've already cleared the Astral Mountains for Astegon scouting.

→ Stats, spawn map, and breeding parents for Cryolinx Terra

Reptyro Cryst

Mining Lv 5 · Ice/Ground · Astral Mountains (Ice biome subset)

Cryst variant of Reptyro — Ice + Ground. Mining Lv 5 plus a passive Cooling effect that keeps adjacent stations from overheating in fire-heavy bases. Niche, but the only Pal that combines miner + cooler.

→ Stats, spawn map, and breeding parents for Reptyro Cryst

Reptyro (base)

Mining Lv 5 · Fire/Ground · Mount Obsidian volcanic caves

Base Reptyro — Fire + Ground at Mining Lv 5. Same mining output as Reptyro Cryst but the Fire typing kindles instead of cools, which is the right call if your base is built around a campfire. One of the most reliable A-tier picks.

→ Stats, spawn map, and breeding parents for Reptyro (base)

Paladius

Mining Lv 6 · Neutral · World boss spawn (level 50)

World boss Pal with Mining Lv 6 — overqualified for the role but lands here because you don't catch a Paladius for mining specifically. Slot him in if he's already in your roster from the boss fight.

→ Stats, spawn map, and breeding parents for Paladius

Necromus

Mining Lv 6 · Dark · World boss spawn (level 50)

Same boss-tier story as Paladius — Mining Lv 6 is the bonus, not the reason to catch him. Use as a fallback miner when your A-tier picks are out on the field.

→ Stats, spawn map, and breeding parents for Necromus

B

B-Tier (8 Pals)

Mining Lv 2-4 — early and mid miners; Digtoise at Lv 4 is the cheap bridge

Digtoise

Mining Lv 4 · Ground · Central biomes (~level 20)

The early-A-tier favourite. Digtoise reaches Mining Lv 4 at rarity 5 — meaning you can catch him long before Anubis or Astegon. He's the bridge Pal: starter rocks at Lv 1, then upgrade-in-place to Digtoise for everything up to Pure Quartz nodes.

→ Stats, spawn map, and breeding parents for Digtoise

Mammorest Cryst

Mining Lv 4 · Ice/Ground · Eastern Wild snow biome variant

Mining Lv 4 with Lumberjack Lv 5 — best dual-role Pal in the B-tier band. If your base has both stone and wood stations, Mammorest Cryst covers both jobs single-handed.

→ Stats, spawn map, and breeding parents for Mammorest Cryst

Mammorest

Mining Lv 4 · Grass/Ground · Eastern Wild (Grassy Behemoth Hills variant)

Base Mammorest at Mining Lv 4 — same dual-role profile as the Cryst variant. Easier catch but no Cooling effect.

→ Stats, spawn map, and breeding parents for Mammorest

Quivern

Mining Lv 4 · Dragon · Dessicated Desert (level 30+ spawns)

Mining Lv 4 plus a usable flying mount. The only reason to catch a Quivern for mining is if you're already using him as your mount — otherwise pick a higher-tier ground miner.

→ Stats, spawn map, and breeding parents for Quivern

Penking

Mining Lv 3 · Water/Ice · Sea Breeze + Twilight Dunes coastal regions

Mining Lv 3 plus Lv 2 Watering and Lv 2 Cooling — Penking is the swiss-army-knife mid-tier Pal. Won't out-mine an Astegon but covers more base roles per slot than anything else in B-tier.

→ Stats, spawn map, and breeding parents for Penking

Sootseer

Mining Lv 3 · Dark/Fire · Sakurajima expansion region

Sakurajima-update addition with a unique partner skill (Grave Robber — sometimes digs up extra items while in the team). Mining Lv 3 is its day-job, but the bonus loot makes Sootseer the pick if you're farming with the team mechanic rather than the base-bound one. expansion-gated.

→ Stats, spawn map, and breeding parents for Sootseer

Tombat

Mining Lv 3 · Dark · Isle of Silence caves + cemeteries

Mid-rarity Dark-typed Pal with a useful Ultrasonic Sensor partner skill — surfaces nearby wild Pal positions when active. Mining Lv 3 makes Tombat the right pick when you want a B-tier miner that doubles as a scout on field trips.

→ Stats, spawn map, and breeding parents for Tombat

Dumud

Mining Lv 2 · Ground/Water · Bamboo Groves + central biomes

The cheapest B-tier catch on this list at rarity 4. Dumud's Soil Improver partner skill boosts Ground-Pal attack power — pair with Anubis on a desert expedition and your team mines AND fights harder. Good early bridge into the Lv 2 tier.

→ Stats, spawn map, and breeding parents for Dumud

C

C-Tier (4 Pals)

Mining Lv 1 — starter-tier miners (Stone outcrops)

Cattiva

Mining Lv 1 · Neutral · Starter biome (Windswept Hills)

Cattiva is the first mining Pal almost every player ends up with — Mining Lv 1 breaks starter rock nodes only, but at rarity 1 she's catchable in the first 20 minutes of the game. Replace her the moment you can catch a Digtoise.

→ Stats, spawn map, and breeding parents for Cattiva

Fuddler

Mining Lv 1 · Ground · Starter biome (early-game caves)

Same Mining Lv 1 as Cattiva but Ground-typed and considerably faster work animation. The right pick if you want a starter miner that also contributes to Terra-line breeding combos (Robinquill Terra = Robinquill + Fuddler).

→ Stats, spawn map, and breeding parents for Fuddler

Depresso

Mining Lv 1 · Dark · Isle of Silence + Marsh Island (cave spawns)

Rarity-1 Dark-typed Lv 1 miner — the same starter-bracket as Cattiva, useful when you're farming on the Isle of Silence side of the map and don't want to fly home for a different C-tier slot. Keep on light Stone duty until Digtoise unlocks.

→ Stats, spawn map, and breeding parents for Depresso

Rushoar

Mining Lv 1 · Ground · Windswept Hills + Hill of Beginnings

Rarity-1 Ground starter at Mining Lv 1 with a partner skill that lets you ride it as a mount in the very first hour. Treat Rushoar as a transitional miner only — it pulls double duty as your first transport while you work toward Digtoise.

→ Stats, spawn map, and breeding parents for Rushoar

Related Pindrop guides

• Where to get coal — full node map →
• How to get sulfur — gunpowder routes →
• Where to get Pure Quartz — circuit-board nodes →
• Best base locations — set your miner up next to nodes →
• Live Mining work-suitability tier list →
• Interactive ore-node map (every node mapped) →