Dwarf Experience System
In Dwarf Mine Colony, your dwarves improve over time through an experience system that reflects their skill development. Understanding this system is essential to maximize your colony's efficiency.
Important: Experience (XP) is attributed individually to each dwarf, not to the colony as a whole. Each dwarf must acquire their own experience.
Gaining Experience
Your dwarves can gain experience in several ways:
Mining Activities
- Mining dirt: 1 XP
- Mining stone: 2 XP
- Extracting coal: 3 XP
- Extracting iron: 4 XP
- Extracting gold: 6 XP
- Extracting diamond: 8 XP
Combat
- Killing a spider: 5 XP
- Killing a slime: 8 XP
- Killing a golem: 15 XP
Construction
- Placing a wall: 2 XP
- Building a structure: XP based on size (1 XP per tile)
Levels and Experience Points
Each dwarf starts at level 1 and can level up by accumulating enough XP. Here are the XP thresholds required for each level:
| Level |
XP Required |
Total XP Needed |
Benefits |
| 1 |
- |
0 |
Starting level |
| 2 |
50 |
50 |
+1 max AP |
| 3 |
100 |
150 |
+25% mining speed |
| 4 |
200 |
350 |
+1 max HP |
| 5 |
300 |
650 |
+1 max AP |
| 6 |
400 |
1050 |
+50% mining speed |
| 7 |
500 |
1550 |
+1 combat damage |
| 8 |
600 |
2150 |
+1 max HP |
| 9 |
700 |
2850 |
+1 max AP |
| 10 |
1000 |
3850 |
All abilities maximized |
Tip: Initially focus your experience on a single dwarf to quickly reach higher levels, then balance the development of your team.
Skills Improved by Experience
As your dwarves gain levels, they develop several key skills:
Mining Efficiency
Improves the speed at which a dwarf can extract resources.
- Level 3: +25% mining speed (reduction in time needed)
- Level 6: +50% mining speed (cumulative, for a total of +75%)
Action Capacity
Increases the maximum number of action points (AP) a dwarf can have.
- Level 2: 6 maximum AP (instead of 5)
- Level 5: 7 maximum AP
- Level 9: 8 maximum AP
Resistance
Increases a dwarf's maximum hit points (HP), allowing them to survive longer in combat.
- Level 4: 2 maximum HP (instead of 1)
- Level 8: 3 maximum HP
Combat Power
Increases the damage dealt by the dwarf during combat.
- Level 7: +1 damage per attack (2 instead of 1)
Experience Optimization Strategies
To maximize the efficiency of your dwarves' development:
Dwarf Specialization
It can be useful to specialize your dwarves in specific roles:
- Miners: Focus on levels that increase mining speed (3 and 6)
- Fighters: Prioritize levels that increase HP (4 and 8) and damage (7)
- Explorers: Balance between action capacity (levels 2, 5, 9) and resistance (levels 4, 8)
Efficient XP Missions
Some activities are more profitable than others in terms of XP per action point spent:
- Mining gold and diamond offers the best XP/AP ratio for mining activities
- Fighting golems provides the largest amount of XP per creature defeated (requires a team of dwarves)
- Building complex structures like the Brewery can give a good amount of XP in a short time
Important reminder: If all your dwarves die, it's Game Over! Make sure not to risk all your experienced dwarves in dangerous situations.
Balance Between Safety and Progression
Finding the right balance between taking risks to gain XP quickly and maintaining the safety of your dwarves is crucial:
- Use your most experienced dwarves to fight and explore dangerous areas
- Always keep at least one dwarf in a safe area to avoid Game Over
- Alternate between periods of risky exploration and periods of consolidation to develop your colony sustainably
Final tip: The experience of your dwarves is one of the most valuable assets of your colony. Investing time in their development early in the game will make things much easier for you later on.