mining Drone Comparison
Crystal Harvester vs Gas Siphon Drone
Comparing the Crystal Harvester (Tier 2) and Gas Siphon Drone (Tier 3), both mining drones in Starforge MMO. Both deploy from carrier hulls and fill the same wing slot, so they compete directly for your drone bay.
Stat Comparison
| Attribute | Crystal Harvester | Gas Siphon Drone |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | T2 | T3 |
| Max per carrier | 15★ | 8 |
| production Boost | 0.35 | 0.4★ |
| crystal Boost | 0.5 | — |
| gas Boost | — | 0.6 |
★ marks the higher raw value for each attribute. Higher is not always better — match the stat to your carrier doctrine.
Crystal Harvester
Specialized mining drone with crystal-tuned extraction lasers. More efficient than Ore Pickers on crystal deposits. Its frequency-matched laser array resonates at the exact lattice frequency of crystalline formations for maximum yield.
Carriers: base
Unlock tech: mining 2
Gas Siphon Drone
Atmospheric extraction drone for gas giant operations. Equipped with pressure-hardened collection tanks. Its thermo-resistant hull allows it to descend into the upper cloud layers of gas giants where conventional drones would be crushed.
Carriers: base
Unlock tech: mining 3
Which Drone Should You Build?
The Gas Siphon Drone sits a tier higher, giving it the stronger stat ceiling and making it the upgrade target once its unlock tech is researched. The lower-tier drone stays viable as an early-game filler while you tech up.