If you’ve been cruising through Hytale‘s early game with Copper and Iron gear, you’ve probably hit that point where you need something stronger. Enter Thorium—the glowing green ore that marks your transition into mid-game content. Thorium equipment is a significant step up from basic metals, offering better stats and durability for tackling tougher zones and enemies.
The catch? Thorium doesn’t spawn in your cozy starting meadows. You’ll need to venture into dangerous desert biomes and brave underground caves filled with hostile creatures. But don’t worry—this guide will show you exactly where to find Thorium, how to mine it safely, and what you can craft with it.
Where to Find Thorium in Hytale
Thorium spawns exclusively in desert biomes, specifically in underground caves beneath the sandy surface. Since every Hytale world is procedurally generated, the exact location will vary, but desert biomes are usually pretty easy to spot on your map—just look for large sandy regions, often colored in tan or yellow tones.
Finding Desert Biomes
Open your map and scan for desert areas. In many seeds, there’s a large desert biome south of the starting zone, though your world might have it in a different direction. Once you’ve located a desert on your map, it’s time to head there and start exploring.
Important note: Savannah biomes (grassy, yellowish areas with scattered trees) do not count as desert biomes for Thorium spawning. Make sure you’re in a proper sandy desert with cacti and dunes, not just a dry grassland area.
Finding Cave Entrances
Once you’re in the desert, look for cave openings that lead underground. Some caves are shallow and only go down a few levels, while others plunge straight into the earth’s depths. Thorium veins appear throughout underground desert caves, similar to how Copper and Iron spawn in meadow caves.
You’ll recognize Thorium by its distinctive green glow—it’s hard to miss once you spot it.
Mining Thorium Safely
Here’s the thing: underground desert caves are significantly more dangerous than the starting zone caves. You’ll encounter tougher enemies and more environmental hazards, so preparation is key.
Enemies You’ll Face
Expect to run into:
- Goblins – Fast, aggressive melee fighters
- Desert Skeletons – Tougher versions of regular skeletons with better gear
- Skaraks – Large subterranean insects that can ambush you and knock you off ledges
Skaraks are particularly nasty. They blend into the cave environment and can hit hard enough to send you flying off a cliff. Always watch your surroundings and don’t sprint blindly through caves.
Essential Mining Gear
Before heading underground, make sure you’re properly equipped:
- Full Iron armor (minimum) – You’ll take a beating down there
- Good pickaxe – Iron or better for efficient mining
- Weapon and shield – For dealing with cave enemies
- Healing items – Potions and food to keep your health up
- Light source – Torches are essential for visibility and preventing mob spawns
Underground Exploration & Mining Tips
Mining in desert caves requires more than just hacking away at ore veins. Here are some pro tips to make your expeditions safer and more efficient:
Navigation Essentials
Bring a big stack of torches – Lighting up caves prevents enemy spawns and helps you see where you’ve been. Place torches consistently (like always on the right wall) so you can follow them back to the surface.
Carry ladders – These are lifesavers for climbing out of deep pits and creating quick escape routes.
Use signboards – Place signs at major intersections with notes like “Exit this way” or “Deep cave → Thorium.” Your future self will thank you.
Water Bucket Tricks
Bring at least two water buckets. Water is incredibly useful underground:
- Create water elevators by placing water at the top and bottom of vertical shafts—swim up or down instantly
- Put out lava safely from a distance
- Create emergency water cushions to survive long falls
Seriously, water buckets are game-changers in Hytale’s caves.
Safe Ledge Navigation
Crouch to prevent falling – When you’re crouched, you can’t walk off edges accidentally. Use this to carefully build bridges across large gaps or mine near dangerous drop-offs.
If you’re building a bridge over a chasm, crouch, face the edge, and place blocks while backing up. It’s slow but way safer than plummeting to your death.
Mark Your Path
Underground caves in Hytale can be labyrinthine. Always mark your route with torches or signs so you don’t get lost. Nothing’s worse than finding tons of Thorium but having no idea how to get back to the surface.
What to Do With Thorium in Hytale
Alright, you’ve mined a bunch of glowing green ore. Now what? Let’s talk about what Thorium is actually used for.
Crafting Thorium Equipment
Thorium is primarily used to craft mid-game weapons, armor, and tools. This gear is a significant upgrade over Iron equipment, offering:
- Higher defense values on armor pieces
- Better damage output on weapons
- Increased durability and mining speed on tools
You’ll typically need to combine Thorium Ingots (smelted from Thorium Ore) with other materials like Venom Sacs—a material that drops from poisonous creatures like snakes, spiders, and large flying insects found around desert biomes.
Upgrading Workbenches
Thorium is also essential for upgrading your workbenches to higher tiers. Specifically, you’ll need 10 Thorium Ingots (along with Linen Scraps and Essence of the Void) to craft the Arcanist’s Workbench—the magical crafting station required for making teleporters, magic staffs, and other advanced items.
If you’re planning to use magic or set up fast travel, Thorium is non-negotiable.
Ancient Gateway Keys
Thorium Ingots are used to craft keys for the Ancient Gateway, which opens portals to different areas in Orbis. As of the early access release, these portals aren’t fully implemented yet, but keep your Thorium stockpiled—this feature will likely be expanded in future updates.
Thorium Farming Strategy
If you need a lot of Thorium (and you probably will), here’s an efficient farming approach:
- Set up a forward base near a desert biome with a bedroll and storage chest
- Use teleporters to quickly travel between your main base and the desert
- Map out productive caves with signs and consistent torch placement
- Bring a backpack upgrade to carry more ore per trip
- Stock up on repair kits since your pickaxe will wear down fast
If you’re playing with friends, split up to cover more ground—one person mines while others handle combat and defense.
Thorium vs. Other Ores
Here’s how Thorium fits into Hytale’s progression:
- Copper – Early-game ore, starter equipment
- Iron – Mid-early game upgrade, solid all-around gear
- Thorium – Mid-game ore, significant power spike
- Cobalt – Late-game ore found in snow biomes; requires Shadoweave Scraps for crafting
Thorium bridges the gap between basic Iron gear and endgame Cobalt equipment. Don’t skip it—you’ll need Thorium gear to survive long enough to reach Cobalt zones.
Additional Tips
- Smelt your ore quickly – Set up multiple furnaces to process Thorium Ore into ingots faster
- Farm Venom Sacs simultaneously – While you’re in the desert, hunt flying insects and snakes for Venom Sacs since you’ll need them for Thorium recipes
- Watch for lava – Desert caves often have lava pockets; bring water buckets to deal with them safely
- Light up everything – More torches = fewer surprise enemy spawns
- Build safe rooms – If a cave is particularly dangerous, wall off a small area with a door where you can retreat and heal
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I find Thorium anywhere besides desert caves?
Nope, Thorium only spawns in underground caves beneath desert biomes. You won’t find it in meadows, forests, snow biomes, or anywhere else. If you’re not seeing Thorium, make sure you’re actually in a proper desert (not a savannah) and that you’ve gone deep enough underground.
What pickaxe do I need to mine Thorium?
An Iron Pickaxe or better will work. You can technically use lower-tier picks, but they’ll be painfully slow and break quickly. Invest in Iron tools before you start serious Thorium farming.
How much Thorium do I need?
For a full set of Thorium armor plus weapons and tools, expect to need several dozen ingots at minimum. If you’re also crafting an Arcanist’s Workbench (which requires 10 Thorium Ingots), you’ll need even more. Plan to spend a good amount of time mining—it’s worth stocking up while you’re down there.
Do I need Thorium gear before moving to snow biomes?
It’s highly recommended. Snow biome enemies like Outlanders are significantly tougher than desert creatures. Going in with just Iron gear will make life very difficult. Thorium armor and weapons give you the defensive and offensive boost you need to survive and farm Shadoweave Scraps efficiently.
Thorium is your gateway to mid-game progression in Hytale. It unlocks better equipment, essential crafting stations like the Arcanist’s Workbench, and eventually keys to explore new areas through the Ancient Gateway.
Sure, mining in desert caves is more dangerous than your early-game meadow spelunking, but with proper preparation—good gear, plenty of supplies, and smart navigation—you’ll have stacks of Thorium in no time. Just watch out for those Skaraks. Seriously, they’re jerks.
Now grab your pickaxe, light some torches, and start hunting for that green glow. Thorium gear is waiting, and trust me—it makes a world of difference.
Happy mining!
Looking for more material guides? Check out our articles on getting Charcoal, making Copper Ingots, crafting Iron Ingots, and obtaining Essence of the Void.
