What to know
- Coal is mined from pitch-black, tar-textured rock nodes in the Moonlit Forest area.
- You need an Impulse Pickaxe to break the key boulder block and to mine coal nodes.
- You also need a Slingshot to clear crystal-blocking gates on the route.
- The first consistent coal cluster appears after you open the Gate of Life and cross the bubble bridge.
In Starsand Island, you’ll start needing coal as soon as crafting and smelting ramp up, and the game funnels you toward a specific Moonlit Forest route before coal becomes easy to farm. The good news is that once you open the way the first time, you can come back and mine a solid amount in one trip.
| Topic | Quick details |
|---|---|
| Resource | Coal |
| Main area | Moonlit Forest (Dreamfall Garden path) |
| Tools needed | Impulse Pickaxe, Slingshot |
| Key obstacles | Crystal gate blocks, Gate of Life, boulder block, bubble bridge |
| What coal looks like | Deep black nodes with a tar-like texture |
| Common use | Fuel for smelting |
Tools and unlocks you must have first
Before you head out, make sure you have these ready:
- Impulse Pickaxe: required to break the boulder blocking the route and to mine coal.
- Slingshot: used to clear specific gate blockades by shooting the lit-up crystal stones.
- Basic supplies: stamina food if you plan a long mining run, and enough stone if you still need to build a small bridge on the way.
How to get coal in Moonlit Forest
Step 1: Prepare the right gear
Bring your Impulse Pickaxe and Slingshot with you, and clear some inventory space so you don’t have to throw things away mid-run.
Step 2: Enter Moonlit Forest from behind your house
Head into the Moonlit Forest using the path behind your house. You’re aiming for the deeper section that leads toward Dreamfall Garden.
Step 3: Clear the crystal gate blocks with the slingshot
If you run into a gate-like blockade with lit-up stones, swap to your slingshot and shoot the glowing stones to open the way.
Step 4: Cross the early bridge (build it if needed)
Follow the main path forward. If a bridge is missing in your world state, gather the required stones and build it so you can continue.
Step 5: Open the Gate of Life by breaking nearby grave crystals
When you reach the closed gate, look around for three grave crystals nearby and destroy them.
Doing this triggers the gate to open so you can push deeper.
Step 6: Break the boulder blocking the path
Past the gate, you’ll hit a large boulder walling off the route. Use your Impulse Pickaxe to break it and access the next section.
Step 7: Cross the bubble bridge and mine coal
Cross over the bubble bridge.
Once you do, and you’ll start seeing coal nodes. Walk up to the black coal rocks and mine them with your pickaxe until your stamina (or bag space) runs low.
Locations involved
This coal run is entirely inside Moonlit Forest, starting from the back-of-house entrance and pushing toward the Dreamfall Garden route. You’ll pass a crystal-blocked gate area, a repairable bridge spot, the Gate of Life (opened via three grave crystals), a boulder you must break with the Impulse Pickaxe, and finally the bubble bridge where coal starts appearing reliably.
Rewards and what you gain
| Activity | Reward |
|---|---|
| Mining coal nodes | Coal |
| General mining in this zone | Occasional bonus drops depending on your mining results (varies by node/roll) |
A practical coal farming route that saves time
Do short loops: run straight to the bubble bridge area, mine every visible coal node, then head out before your stamina fully crashes. If you’re consistently short on coal, prioritize expanding inventory space and bringing stamina food so each trip nets more coal per day.
Once you’ve cleared the gates and opened the route the first time, coal becomes a straightforward farm: grab your tools, sprint to the bubble bridge section, and mine until you’re done. If you keep a routine loop, you’ll stop getting bottlenecked by coal when your crafting queue grows.
