How to get Aluminum Rods in Lightyear Frontier

You need lots of them.

A Mech standing by some Aluminum Rods in Lightyear Frontier.
Screenshot by Dot Esports

Lightyear Frontier takes you to an alien planet rich with resources for you to collect. Some materials are more important than others, but Aluminum Rods are easily one of the most essential resources of all.

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If you want to progress at all, you need as many Aluminum Rods as you can collect and store in your Mech which means you need to know how to get Aluminum Rods in Lightyear Frontier.

How do you get Aluminum Rods in Lightyear Frontier?

A Mech mining some Aluminum Rods in Lightyear Frontier.
Gather as many as you can. Screenshot by Dot Esports

To get Aluminum Rods in Lightyear Frontier, you have to mine them from Aluminum Deposits around the world. This can be done by either using your P.I.C.K-axe while outside of the Mech or using the Spike Saw while in your Mech.

Either method works, but I recommend only mining Aluminum Rods while you’re in your Mech. All of your Mech’s tools are way more powerful, and you also cannot pick up anything unless you’re in your Mech, so it’s most efficient to use your Spike Saw.

Each Aluminum Deposit you mine grants a varying amount of Aluminum Rods. You tend to get between three and five from each one you mine, so even though you need lots of them, it’s generally pretty easy to stock up on them once you know where to check for them.

Where to find Aluminum Rods in Lightyear Frontier

Aluminum Rods can be found all around the vast alien world at Aluminum Deposit spots in Lightyear Frontier. They’re usually easy to spot from afar as long as you know what you’re looking for.

Aluminum Deposits are dirt mounds in the ground with large shiny grey rocks sticking up out of them. Anytime you find one, you always find a collection of them to mine. Some deposits are bigger than others, but you can generally find around four to eight Aluminum Deposits grouped together in the same area.

The overall best spots to visit regularly for Aluminum Rods are as follows. These spots are pretty central to the overall map which makes accessing them easy no matter where you choose to set up your base.

Three spots to visit for Aluminum Rods marked.
I visit these three spots frequently. Screenshot by Dot Esports. Remix by Kacee Fay

You need Aluminum Rods to create just about everything in Lightyear Frontier, but they’re especially important for unlocking the Upgrade Depot so you can upgrade your tools and Mech. Because of this, be sure to regularly mine some and keep a solid amount in a chest at your base.

Author
Image of Kacee Fay
Kacee Fay
Staff Writer at Dot Esports covering new releases and a wide array of topics including Minecraft, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Phasmophobia, general gaming, streaming, and more. She has been avidly writing and gaming her whole life and now spends her time combining the two. Kacee graduated from San Diego State University in 2021 with a Bachelor’s Degree in English and a Certificate in Creative Editing and Publishing. She then joined Dot Esports as a Freelance Writer in 2022 before transitioning to a Staff Writer in 2023. In her spare time, she enjoys buying more books than she can read, gaming alone or with friends, drinking too much tea, attending concerts, fangirling over movies and television, listening to music, and spending time with her family, friends, and pets, who are the most important parts of her world.