The total Mine a Planet drill upgrade cost from Wooden Pickaxe to Astral Annihilator is roughly 10 million Drill Pieces plus 200+ rare materials spread across every tier. This guide documents the exact cost of every drill upgrade, the cumulative investment at each milestone, and the typical Drill Piece farming time required to afford each craft. Whether you are budgeting for a specific drill or planning the full end-game crafting pipeline, this is the cost reference to keep bookmarked.
For the broader crafting strategy including recipe optimization, see our Mine a Planet smelter recipes guide. For the drill tier list with damage stats, see our Mine a Planet S-tier drill list. This principle applies broadly across all progression stages and is one of the most reliable optimization levers in the game.
Drill Upgrade Cost Table
The table below lists every drill craft, the material cost, and the Drill Piece cost. The material cost is the recipe input, and the Drill Piece cost is the bench crafting fee. Both are required for the craft to complete.
| Drill | Material Cost | Drill Piece Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Wooden Pickaxe | None (starter) | 0 |
| Copper Drill | 10 Common Ingots | 500 |
| Stone Breaker | 15 Common Ingots | 1,000 |
| Iron Hammer | 5 Iron Alloys | 5,000 |
| Titanium Spire | 3 Titanium Plates | 25,000 |
| Magma Piercer | 5 Titanium Plates + 2 Cosmic Cores | 100,000 |
| Plasma Drill | 5 Titanium Plates + 50 Stardust | 250,000 |
| Quantum Borer | 2 Cosmic Cores + 50 Mythril | 500,000 |
| Solar Flare | 3 Cosmic Cores + 100 Stardust | 1,000,000 |
| Mythril Destroyer | 2 Mythril Bars | 2,500,000 |
| Cosmic Reaper | 1 Cosmic Core | 5,000,000 |
| Astral Annihilator | 3 Cosmic Cores + 100 Stardust + 2nd Rebirth | 10,000,000 |
The total Drill Piece cost from Wooden Pickaxe to Astral Annihilator is roughly 19.4 million Drill Pieces, plus the material cost. This is a significant investment that requires hours of focused grinding to accumulate. The exact mechanics vary slightly by patch, but the underlying principle remains consistent across all player playstyles.
Cumulative Cost by Tier
The cumulative cost by tier shows how the Drill Piece investment grows as you progress. The Common tier is essentially free, the Rare tier is the first meaningful investment, and the Legendary tier requires multi-hour grinding sessions to fund. Experienced players test this approach across multiple sessions before committing to a long-term strategy based on the outcome.
| Tier | Cumulative DP Cost | Cumulative Material Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Common (full tier) | 1,500 | 25 Common Ingots |
| Rare (full tier) | 131,500 | 8 Iron Alloys + 8 Titanium Plates + 2 Cosmic Cores |
| Epic (full tier) | 1,881,500 | + 5 Titanium Plates + 150 Stardust + 5 Cosmic Cores + 50 Mythril |
| Legendary (full tier) | 19,381,500 | + 2 Mythril Bars + 4 Cosmic Cores + 100 Stardust |
Players who follow the optimal progression (skipping Epic) save roughly 1.75 million Drill Pieces plus significant materials. This is why most players skip A-tier entirely. Combining this insight with active pet bonuses and prestige multipliers yields compounding benefits that accelerate overall progression.
Reforge Cost by Tier
In addition to the crafting cost, reforge costs are a significant investment. The reforge cost per roll scales with drill tier, and the cumulative reforge investment for a perfectly rolled Legendary drill is substantial. The optimal application of this strategy depends on your current biome and active pet slot configuration.
| Drill Tier | Reforge Cost per Roll | Recommended Roll Count | Total Reforge Investment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common | ~100 DP | N/A (not worth it) | 0 |
| Rare | ~5,000 DP | 10-15 rolls | 50,000-75,000 |
| Epic | ~50,000 DP | 10-15 rolls | 500,000-750,000 |
| Legendary | ~500,000 DP | 20-30 rolls | 10,000,000-15,000,000 |
A fully optimized end-game build (Astral Annihilator + perfect reforge + Smelter V upgrades + maxed prestige) requires a total Drill Piece investment of roughly 35-50 million. This is the upper bound of what the most dedicated players spend on a single account.
How Long Does It Take to Fund the Full Build
The full build investment of 35-50 million Drill Pieces takes roughly 60-100 hours of focused grinding to accumulate, depending on your starting point and grinding efficiency. A brand-new player starting from level 1 will take longer (roughly 80-120 hours) because of the early-game progression. An experienced player who already has a maxed Smelter V and a bound Astral Annihilator can fund a full reforge campaign in 30-40 hours.
| Starting Point | Time to Fund Full Build |
|---|---|
| Brand new account | 80-120 hours |
| Mid-game (Mythril Destroyer bound) | 50-70 hours |
| End-game (Astral Annihilator bound) | 30-40 hours |
How to Reduce the Cost
The three best ways to reduce the total cost are: (1) skip the Epic tier entirely and go from Rare directly to Legendary, (2) trade for high-tier materials instead of farming them yourself, and (3) maximize Drill Piece income via codes, prestige multipliers, and bulk smelt bonuses.
Skipping Epic saves roughly 1.75 million Drill Pieces plus the Epic-tier materials. Trading for materials can save 20-40% of the crafting cost depending on market conditions. Maximizing Drill Piece income through passive bonuses can cut your total farming time in half.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest way to get an Astral Annihilator?
The cheapest way is to skip the Epic tier entirely, trade for materials whenever possible, and maximize Drill Piece income via codes, prestige multipliers, and bulk smelt bonuses. The total cost is roughly 10 million Drill Pieces plus the materials.
Can I buy drills from the trade market instead of crafting?
Yes, every drill is tradeable. Buying a pre-crafted Mythril Destroyer typically costs 2-5 million Drill Pieces, which is roughly the cost of crafting it yourself plus a small markup. For players who are short on time, trading is a viable alternative.
How much does a perfect reforge cost on average?
A perfect reforge (high Ore Multiplier and high Drill Speed) on an Astral Annihilator typically costs 10-15 million Drill Pieces across 20-30 rolls. The variance is enormous — some players hit a perfect roll in 5 rolls, others burn through 50 rolls without success.
Is the Cosmic Reaper worth its 5 million Drill Piece cost?
Yes, the Cosmic Reaper is the upgrade path from the Mythril Destroyer and roughly doubles your farming efficiency on Nebula and Void. The 5 million Drill Piece cost pays for itself within 1-2 grinding sessions. Yes, this item is valuable at every stage because it provides a permanent bonus that compounds with other systems.
What happens if I cannot afford the crafting cost?
Queue the craft anyway as long as you have the materials. The crafting fee can be paid from your Drill Piece wallet immediately, or you can run a short grinding session before the craft to top up your wallet. The bench does not require payment upfront — it accepts the materials and deducts the fee when you complete the craft.
How Costs Change With Each Patch
The exact Drill Piece costs and material ratios in the tables above are based on the UPDATE1 patch and may shift slightly with future balance updates. The developers have publicly stated that they tune the crafting costs to balance the game's economy, so costs may increase or decrease slightly with each major patch.
The most cost-volatile drills are the Epic-tier drills, which the developers occasionally rebalance to encourage or discourage specific progression paths. Players who are following a strict budget should check the patch notes before starting a major crafting campaign. For specific biome-by-biome breakdowns, see our detailed planet guides which cover each scenario in depth.
Hidden Costs Most Players Forget
The drill crafting cost is just one of several costs in the end-game pipeline. Other hidden costs include the smelter upgrade costs (which total roughly 250,000 Drill Pieces plus materials), the Prestige Shop reset cost (10,000 Drill Pieces per reset), and the trade market markup (typically 5-15% above the crafting cost).
A fully maxed end-game account can easily spend 50-60 million Drill Pieces in cumulative costs, plus the time investment of grinding. Budgeting for all costs upfront is the best way to avoid running out of Drill Pieces mid-build. Veteran players typically learn to recognize these patterns within the first 10-15 hours of focused play.
| Cost Category | Typical Spend |
|---|---|
| Drill crafting | 19,400,000 |
| Reforge campaigns | 15,000,000 |
| Smelter upgrades | 250,000 |
| Prestige shop resets | 50,000+ |
| Trade market markups | 5-15% of trade value |
| Total End-Game Investment | ~50,000,000+ Drill Pieces |
When to Stop Upgrading and Start Farming
The optimal stop-upgrade point depends on your goals. For most players, the "good enough" point is a Mythril Destroyer with a high Ore Multiplier reforge, because this combination delivers 90% of the end-game farming efficiency at 30% of the cost. Pushing to the Astral Annihilator is worth it only if you are planning to play the game for 100+ hours total.
Players who are uncertain about their long-term commitment should stop at the Mythril Destroyer and focus on farming for Drill Pieces rather than upgrading further. The marginal efficiency gain from the Cosmic Reaper and Astral Annihilator is meaningful but not essential for most players.
How to Earn Drill Pieces Faster to Fund Upgrades
The fastest way to earn Drill Pieces is to combine all three income sources: active codes, optimized farming routes, and bulk smelt bonuses. Codes alone can grant 100+ free Drill Pieces per session, which compounds across the year. Optimized farming routes yield 50,000-100,000+ Drill Pieces per hour. Bulk smelt bonuses compound with prestige multipliers for another 30-50% boost.
A player who maximizes all three income sources can fund a full Mythril Destroyer upgrade in 10-15 hours of focused play, compared to the 30-40 hours it takes a player who skips codes or runs inefficient farming routes. The compounding effect of these three optimizations is the single largest Drill Piece income multiplier in the game.
For a complete walkthrough of each income source, see our Mine a Planet fast Drill Piece farming guide and our Mine a Planet active codes list. This principle applies broadly across all progression stages and is one of the most reliable optimization levers in the game.
Why Drill Upgrade Costs Are Not Inflated Over Time
A common concern among new players is that drill upgrade costs will inflate over time as the game ages, making it impossible for new players to catch up. In practice, the developers have maintained stable crafting costs across multiple patches, and the only major cost adjustments have been small rebalances tied to specific drills. New players today can reach the end-game Astral Annihilator in roughly the same total time as players who started a year ago.
This stability is intentional — the developers want the crafting pipeline to feel predictable so players can plan their upgrades without worrying about sudden cost changes. The cost tables above are reliable for at least 6-12 months from the date of this guide.