Mono

Mono is an autonomous mining unit that automatically harvests copper and lead and deposits the mined resources directly into the Core. It was introduced as a rework of the Draug Miner Drone and is manufactured from its factory using lead and silicon as inputs rather than requiring only power. Monos are focused solely on mining tasks and are the first in a line of numerically themed units; their name derives from the Greek prefix mono- and reflects their single-minded mining role.

Monos mine at +250% mine speed, which translates to about 2.33 items per second when working with no travel time. At that rate a single Mono roughly matches the output of six regular Mechanical Drills while avoiding the need to layout drill arrays and conveyor coverage; this makes Monos a compact alternative for feeding a Core directly or freeing ore tiles for other production. Monos have had their health increased from earlier incarnations and now sit at 100 health, move at 11.25 tiles/second, and have a mining range of 8.7 tiles (as per build updates). They can be issued direct commands and can be selected in command mode; earlier command limits have been removed.

Use Monos to simplify early- and mid-game ore logistics by keeping at least one free tile of copper and one free tile of lead adjacent to the Core so Monos do not spend time traveling; this preserves their maximum efficiency. With enough unit cap, Monos can fully replace conveyor-fed drill lines into the Core, freeing veins for higher-tier production like surge alloy or other lead products. When player control or logic command permits, Monos can also be directed to mine sand and scrap, enabling production of metaglass or phase fabric without unloading the Core.

• Monos deposit mined items straight into the Core; they do not require conveyors to transfer ore.
• A single Mono yields ~2.33 items/sec assuming no travel time; this is slightly faster than six Mechanical Drills in total output.
• Keep ore tiles uncovered and close to the Core to avoid travel delays and maximize income.
• Monos can be controlled by the player or logic to mine sand and scrap if options allow, expanding their utility beyond copper and lead.
• They are more durable and carry more items than the Flare, but are slower and costlier; they are therefore not recommended as expendable kamikaze units.
• Built from a factory using lead and silicon rather than from power-only production (rework from Draug Miner Drone).

Additional notes: Monos first appeared in Build 105 as the successor to the Draug Miner Drone, with increases to health and the ability to mine sand/scrap under control. They also appear as a playable character in Animdustry with a movement-related ability. Use Monos when you prefer compact, Core-fed mining without conveyor complexity, and reserve drills when tile-specific, scalable mining arrays are more appropriate.