SteamWorld Build – How to Use Workshops And Extractors

SteamWorld Build Workshops and Extractors allow you to gather and collect a lot of resources. Once you’ve got your mine up and running, you’ll have various tools and devices to farm more materials. Our guide discusses how to use Workshops and Extractors in SteamWorld Build.

How to build and use Workshops and Extractors in SteamWorld Build

The SteamWorld Build Workshops and Extractors can only be built in underground mine areas. Generally speaking, they’re quite different from how you’d construct buildings and residences in the overworld section. You’ll find these structure options in the Facilities tab when you switch to the mines overview.

Workshop construction mechanics

Workshops in SteamWorld Build follow the same mechanic as Quarters (i.e. the main method of recruiting units in the mines). Here’s what you need to know:

• Instead of a single building, you need to place several Workshop tiles instead. A single Workshop tile requires 300x Money, 1x Tools, and 1x Boards.
• Workshops require nine tiles, at minimum, just to have the initial Extractor function.
• If you need additional Extractors, you have to place down more Workshop tiles. To see this value, select the Workshop tool and hold the left mouse button and drag your mouse. You’ll notice a +1 value (or higher) the more tiles you include.
• Similar to other objects, you can use the Destroy tool (i.e. bulldozer icon) if you want to refund the materials. Note that materials aren’t refunded if you select the Difficult setting upon starting a playthrough.

Look at the number of Extractor slots when plopping down Workshop tiles.

Extractor construction mechanics

There are several variants of Extractors in SteamWorld Build. However, they tend to follow a general concept:

• You must first discover a particular resource node in the mines.
• The node must be connected to the general area, which means you might need to build the Bridge infrastructure to cross chasms.
• You should have enough Workshop tiles to make additional Extractor slots function. The Workshop tiles themselves don’t need to be connected or placed next to Extractors themselves.
• You should have enough Prospector units for each Extractor that you build. Prospector Quarters (and all other Quarters) function the same way as Workshops in that you need more tiles to increase the number of recruited units.
• Lastly, you should have the required materials to complete construction.

Dirty Water Extractors are needed to make the Water resource, which satisfies the needs of citizens.

Extractor variants in SteamWorld Build

Here are some examples of early-game Workshop Extractors in SteamWorld Build:

• Scrap Extractor – Requires 1,000x Money, 5x Tools, and 8x Boards.
• Dirty Water Extractor – Requires 6,000x Money, 6x Tools, and 8x Sheet Metal.
• Ironium Extractor – Requires 4,000x Money, 10x Tools, and 6x Sheet Metal.

Once you have Extractors, the resources themselves are automatically sent back to the overworld area. These are then processed by way of certain production buildings, and are used to satisfy citizen needs. For instance, Engineers want Spare Parts, which come from Ironium and Scrap. Water, meanwhile, is needed by both Aristobots and Engineers.

Well, that does it for our guide on how to use Workshops and Extractors in SteamWorld Build. Now that you’re checking out resources in the mines, you might want to learn about how to trade and buy items, where to find Old World tech, and how to unlock doors and mineshafts.