While Dilithium Mining is by no means a new feature in the Legacy of Romulus expansion to Star Trek Online, I felt it was a worthwhile topic to cover. Dilithium Mining may not be the quickest way to earn dilithium, but I feel like it is one of the best returns on time investment. It also has the advantage of being available to lower level Captains (I believe you can start around level 10).

To get started, you’ll need to travel to the Vlugta Asteroid Field near Bajor in the Beta Ursae Sector Block. Once you reach the Vlugta Asteroid Field, and board the mining station, make contact with the Ferengi, Isihl to pick up the mission (you can also pick it up by contacting Star Fleet or the KDF before you even arrive at the Asteroid Field). Mission in hand, you need to don your EV Suit, and exit the airlock. If you haven’t picked up an EV Suit through questing, you can buy one from one of the other Ferengi on the mining station for 100 Refined Dilithium.

Once out in the vacuum of the asteroid’s surface, just go to the waypoints marked on the map (I usually pick the end I’m closest to and work my way around), pick a dilithium node, and start mining. Try to avoid the big chasm between the northern fields and the southern fields; it’s a time killer getting out of it if you end up in there. The mini game is pretty straight forward, very similar to the mini games for collecting crafting materials or radiation samples. I find that using the arrow keys on my keyboard, rather than clicking the controls with my mouse, is much more responsive and intuitive.

For about an eight minute investment (no counting travel time to the asteroid field) I generally net about 800 dilithium. You can complete this mission once daily. For me it’s a decent way of gaining some dilithium without having to sit in a queue, and it’s short enough that its repetitiveness is not tough to sit through. If you haven’t tried it, run out and give it a whirl. If nothing else, it’s a good use of the EV Suit training your Doffs keep doing.