SteamWorld Build: Best Miner Bots

There are four types of Miner Bots with specific jobs that help you progress into the Mines. Each is important, but some responsibilities outweigh others. When excavating, it’s important to know which to use. Here are the best Miner Bots in SteamWorld Build.

The Best Miner Bots to Focus on in SteamWorld Build

Succeeding in SteamWorld Build comes down to your bots. But it’s not just about which ones fulfill each role. While that’s important, and you don’t want to overuse one type over the other, you’ll also need to know which workers should have bigger quarters than others. Below, I break down the best bots and tell you which need big quarters — and when.

Miners

Miners are the first Miner Bot type you’ll receive once you’ve unlocked the mines. Their job is to clear the rubble in the mines to expand it. By digging, they’ll find resources, such as gold nuggets and Rubies. However, don’t let that fool you. They serve a very important role, as without them, it wouldn’t be possible to uncover hidden materials, such as rocket ship parts. Having big Miners Quarters is key throughout every level of the Mines. 

Prospectors

Prospectors are unlocked after hitting Milestone 6. Their job is to extract resources from veins and unload resource extractors so they can take materials back up to the city. Without them, the entire operation stops, citizens will become unhappy, and buildings won’t produce efficiently.

Though their role is vital, you should know when to build a large Prospector Quarter. Every mine level has a different number of resources, so I suggest having a big Prospector Quarter when there’s an abundance of resources that need to be taken back to the city. For example, the Crackling Depths section of the mines has many resources, so having a large Prospector Quarter is beneficial.

I wouldn’t overinvest in massive Prospector Quarters once you’ve unlocked different types of extractors, as these specific buildings make the Prospector role redundant. Further, you won’t need a very big quarter once you’ve unlocked the conveyor belt, which delivers resources toward to mine shaft.

Mechanics

You’ll unlock Mechanics once you’ve reached Milestone 7. Their job is to build and repair machines accessible through your armory. They also revive Miner bots if they’ve been damaged by enemies. You can never have enough mechanics, as they are very useful for every floor of the mines and they have multiple purposes.

Enemies will start appearing in the second level of the Mines, and you’ll want to build as many machines as possible. Having a big Mechanics Quarter means machines are installed at a faster rate. Guards are likely to get hurt in combat when up against enemies, so having a lot of mechanics means they’ll be able to repair Guards quickly. Enemies will also destroy machinery, so having mechanics fix them will prevent enemies from spreading around the mines and hurting other Miner bots. 

Guards

Guards become available once you’ve reached Milestone 11. Their job is to defeat enemies while protecting the other miner bots. Their role becomes more vital as you delve deeper into the Mines. I recommend having a big Guards Quarter at the lowest level of the mines, known as the Crackling Depths, as the enemies on that level are quite challenging.

However, on the first level of the mines, they aren’t necessary, and on the second level, you won’t need a big Guards Quarter since the machinery from the armory is very powerful. The flame turret is more powerful than the guards, so having a lot of them will defeat many enemies. 

Altogether, the miner bots all have very vital roles in order to conquer the mines> However, I’d say the Mechanics are the best miner bots in SteamWorld Build. This is due to them helping revive miners, plus the benefits from these miner bots cannot be taken away by any type of machinery. If you want more SteamWorld Build tips, here are some other guides on the city-building management game from Thunderful.