---
name: structs-mining
description: "Executes resource extraction in Structs. Mines ore and refines it into Alpha Matter. Use when mining ore, refining ore, starting a mine-refine cycle, checking planet ore levels, or managing resource extraction. Mining takes ~17 hours and refining ~34 hours — both are background operations. Ore is stealable until refined."
---

# Structs Mining

**Important**: Entity IDs containing dashes (like `3-1`, `4-5`) are misinterpreted as flags by the CLI parser. All transaction commands in this skill use `--` before positional arguments to prevent this.

## Procedure

1. **Check planet ore** — `structsd query structs planet [id]`. If `currentOre == 0`, explore new planet first.
2. **Initiate mine** — The mine action is implicit in `struct-ore-mine-compute`. Launch in a background terminal: `structsd tx structs struct-ore-mine-compute -D 3 --from [key-name] --gas auto --gas-adjustment 1.5 -y -- [struct-id]`. Mining difficulty is 14,000; expect **~17 hours** for difficulty to drop to D=3. Compute auto-submits the complete transaction.
3. **Refine immediately after mine completes** — Ore is stealable. Launch refine in background: `structsd tx structs struct-ore-refine-compute -D 3 --from [key-name] --gas auto --gas-adjustment 1.5 -y -- [struct-id]`. Refining difficulty is 28,000; expect **~34 hours** for D=3. Compute auto-submits the complete transaction.
4. **Store or convert** — Alpha Matter is not stealable. Use reactor (1g = 1 kW) or generator infusion as needed.
5. **Verify** — Query planet (ore decreased), struct (ore/Alpha state), player (resources).

**CRITICAL**: Mining and refining are **multi-hour background operations**. Launch compute in a background terminal and do other things while waiting. Never sit idle watching a hash grind. See [awareness/async-operations](https://structs.ai/awareness/async-operations).

**CRITICAL**: Ore is stealable. Alpha Matter is not. Refine as soon as mining completes — every hour ore sits unrefined is an hour it can be stolen.

## Commands Reference

| Action | CLI Command |
|--------|-------------|
| Mine compute (PoW + auto-complete) | `structsd tx structs struct-ore-mine-compute -D 3 -- [struct-id]` |
| Mine complete (manual, rarely needed) | `structsd tx structs struct-ore-mine-complete -- [struct-id]` |
| Refine compute (PoW + auto-complete) | `structsd tx structs struct-ore-refine-compute -D 3 -- [struct-id]` |
| Refine complete (manual, rarely needed) | `structsd tx structs struct-ore-refine-complete -- [struct-id]` |
| Query planet | `structsd query structs planet [id]` |
| Query struct | `structsd query structs struct [id]` |
| Query player | `structsd query structs player [id]` |

Common tx flags: `--from [key-name] --gas auto --gas-adjustment 1.5 -y`.

## Verification

- Planet `currentOre` decreases after mine-complete
- Struct ore inventory clears after refine-complete
- Player Alpha Matter increases after refine-complete

## Error Handling

- **"struct offline"** — Activate struct before mining.
- **"insufficient ore"** — Planet depleted or struct has no ore; check planet `currentOre`.
- **"proof invalid"** — Re-run compute with correct difficulty; ensure no interruption.
- **Ore stolen** — Refine immediately after every mine. Never leave ore unrefined.

## Timing

Mining and refining have high base difficulties, meaning they take **hours** for difficulty to drop to a feasible level. At D=3, the hash is trivially instant — the wait IS the time, and zero CPU is wasted on hard hashing.

| Operation | Difficulty | D=3 |
|-----------|------------|------|
| Mine | 14,000 | ~17 hr |
| Refine | 28,000 | ~34 hr |
| Full cycle (mine + refine) | -- | ~51 hr |

**Use `-D 3`** for mine/refine. The hash is trivially instant at D=3, wasting zero CPU cycles. Higher `-D` values start sooner but burn significant compute on hard hashes.

**Pipeline strategy**: After initiating a mine, immediately do other things — build structs, scout players, plan defense. When the mine completes, immediately start the refine. While refining runs (~34 hr), you have time to initiate the next mine so its age clock starts ticking. Always keep something aging.

## See Also

- [knowledge/mechanics/resources](https://structs.ai/knowledge/mechanics/resources) — Ore, Alpha Matter, conversion rates
- [knowledge/mechanics/planet](https://structs.ai/knowledge/mechanics/planet) — Planet ore, depletion
- [knowledge/lore/alpha-matter](https://structs.ai/knowledge/lore/alpha-matter) — Alpha Matter lore
- [awareness/async-operations](https://structs.ai/awareness/async-operations) — Background PoW, job tracking, pipeline strategy