Doloc Town Tool Upgrades Guide
Pickaxe, axe, hoe, watering, and harvest tiers for manual work between drone battery cycles.
Doloc Town sells the dream of drone-assisted farming, but your hands still matter. Pickaxes break ore nodes, axes chew through logging routes, hoes prep soil on new platforms, watering cans bridge gaps before sprinklers exist, and harvest tools determine how many trips you take down the elevator. Tool upgrades reduce stamina cost, swing count, and tier gates on resources—directly feeding crafting, materials farms, and Tech Tree unlock pace.
Combat belongs to your drone—see drone combat and module tiers—but when battery hits zero mid-cave, you swing manual tools. Plan both tracks.
Upgrade system overview
Tools upgrade through:
- Tech Tree nodes — Blueprint unlocks at the Guildmaster branch.
- Crafted replacements — Built at workbench with ingots, wood, and sometimes quest items.
- Vendor stock — Occasional shop upgrades after story flags.
Each tier raises effective damage to nodes/trees/soil and lowers stamina per action. Higher tiers also gate resource nodes—trying to mine late iron with an early pickaxe wastes time and food buffs from stamina foods.
Pickaxe line
Role: Copper and iron ore, cave walls, embedded relic nodes.
Priority: High. Community priority unlocks lists place pickaxe II before deep map pushes.
Upgrade rhythm: Upgrade whenever your target biome shows “weak tool” feedback or excessive swing counts. Pair pickaxe runs with drone modules that handle wildlife while you mine.
Late game: Automation reduces manual mining but Old City relic farming still expects top pickaxe tier for side rooms off the Old City Ruins route.
Axe line
Role: Wood for platforms, barns, and bus stations (large wood sinks in faction projects).
Priority: Medium-high in first two seasons. Vertical expansion consumes planks faster than expected.
Tip: Batch logging during safe weather windows from the daily checklist; acid rain does not stop trees but hurts you on exposed ladders.
Hoe and soil tools
Role: Till new planter strips, prep greenhouse beds, recover plots after storms.
Priority: Medium until gene lab demands consistent crop rotation—then hoe tier helps you replant fast after crop gene experiments fail.
Link: Gene system and farming hub for seasonal crop planning.
Watering can line
Role: Manual water before sprinklers and agricultural drones; upper platforms without pipe routing.
Priority: High early, tapering mid-game when automation handles irrigation.
Vertical farm note: Watering top terraces without upgraded can stamina drains you before you finish half the farm—upgrade before stacking a third platform row.
Harvest tools ( scythe / sickle / gatherers )
Role: Multi-tile harvest, berry bushes, bulk crop collection.
Priority: Medium; spikes when bulletin orders demand dozens of the same good.
Synergy: Faster harvests stack with yield genes from the community tier list—more fruit per plant means less time, not just more gold.
Suggested upgrade order (community)
| Order | Tool | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Watering can I→II | Early crop survival |
| 2 | Pickaxe I→II | Copper for hangar and wires |
| 3 | Axe I→II | Platform wood costs |
| 4 | Hoe upgrade | Replant speed for genes |
| 5 | Pickaxe III+ | Iron and Old City nodes |
| 6 | Harvest tool | Bulletin bulk orders |
| 7 | Endgame polish | Achievement cleanup |
Adjust if you combat-rush story chapters before farming width.
Stamina coupling
Every tool swing shares a stamina pool with sprinting and climbing. Eat cooked buffs before long mining loops; see farming cooking. Heatwaves and acid storms increase drain—carry portable water and shelter under built roofs.
When tools stop mattering
1.0 automation handles seeding, watering, fertilizing, mulch, and some harvesting via drone stations. Tools never fully retire—you still break new node types and perform quest interactions—but playtime shifts from hourly maintenance to weekly tune-ups. Upgrade through mid-game at minimum so the transition feels earned, not painful.
Maintenance checklist
- Pickaxe tier matches target cave biome
- Axe tier matches nearest forest tier
- Watering can covers highest platform without empty stamina
- Backup tools in storage (quests sometimes consume gear)
- Drone battery full before relying solely on tools in ruins
Related pages
- Crafting guide — how tools are built
- Materials guide — what tools farm
- Getting Started — first-week tool pacing
- Walkthrough — story tools and one-offs
- Review — tool grind vs cozy promise in 1.0
Upgrade the pickaxe before the wallpaper. Doloc Town rewards boring decisions on vertical farms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions.
Which tool should I upgrade first?
Most saves upgrade the watering can and pickaxe early—crops die without water, and copper gates drone and wire crafting.
Can I fight with tools instead of a drone?
You can swing tools in emergencies, but combat is designed around the drone. Upgrade tools for mining and farming, not as primary weapons.
Do tools break permanently?
Tools degrade or need replacement depending on tier systems in your save version. Keep spare crafted tools in storage for quest spikes.
When do tools become obsolete?
Automation reduces daily watering and harvesting, but mining, story interactions, and some ruin nodes still expect upgraded manual tools through late game.
Where are tool blueprints unlocked?
Primarily the Tech Tree and Guildmaster progression. Some tiers appear after story chapters or NPC friendship rewards.