They say “all that glitters is not golden”, but in the case of Stardew Valley, it usually is gold. This is absolutely the case with the Golden Scythe, a tool introduced in version 1.4 of the game that is a big improvement on the original Scythe. Unlike most other tools in the game (e.g. the Watering Can and Axe), the Scythe cannot be upgraded by the Blacksmith, meaning its radius and power were quite inferior until the Golden Scythe’s addition.

This is a great item to obtain: it has a wider cutting/harvesting radius and does 13 damage as a weapon, compared to the normal Scythe’s 1-3 points of damage. It’s especially good to unlock since obtaining it involves a new dungeon the player must navigate. We’ll go through everything necessary to get your own Golden Scythe.

Unlocking the Quarry Mine

In order to reach the Quarry in the first place (which is east of the Adventurer’s Guild), the bridge will have to be repaired. This is accomplished by completing all the bundles in the Crafts Room of the Community Center (or purchasing the “Bridge” from the Joja Community Development Form). After this, you’ll be able to walk across and access both the Quarry and the Quarry Mine, as well as use the mine cart to get there if you’ve unlocked that as well.

The Quarry itself consists of various rocks, ore, and trees that spawn and grow consistently. Every single ore and gem can be found in the Quarry, though such nodes like Iridium can be quite rare to find. Using Bombs to clear everything out is a simple and helpful process to allow possible rarer nodes to spawn in the Quarry. You can also use the space for Kegs, Crystalariums, or whatever machine/structure you so desire. The Quarry Mine’s entrance can be found right after crossing the bridge and to the north. You’ll climb down a ladder and into the one-floor dungeon that respawns every day and can have Copper and Iron Nodes within it, as well as a few different enemies to fight.

Enemies to Watch Out For

There are three different enemies that dwell in the Quarry Mine: Copper Slimes, Iron Slimes, and Haunted Skulls.

  • Copper Slimes are brown in color and have an HP of 102. They deal 16 damage per attack and have the highest Speed of all Slime variations, so it’s best to defeat them as quickly as possible to avoid getting overwhelmed by them. Iron Slimes, on the other hand, are a dark shade of grey and have 205 HP. They also deal 16 damage but are much slower than Copper Slimes. Both Slimes have a decent chance of dropping either Copper Ore or Iron Ore respectively, as well as regular Slime items like Algae, Sap, and…well, Slime. Haunted Skulls are exactly what they sound like, and can fly wherever they please. This can make them a real nuisance to deal with, especially when they swoop in to attack. They have a maximum Health of 160 and do around 15 damage with each attack. If you can time your attacks to parry them (similar to Bats and Serpents), you won’t find them too difficult, though players early in the game may have trouble.

Getting the Scythe

The Scythe can be found at the end of the twisting and perilous path, being held by a grim reaper statue. Interacting with the statue will add the Scythe to your inventory and then warp you to the entrance of the mine. Interacting with the statue after this will always warp you to the entrance. Now you can enjoy your new tool and “cut down” on your harvest time.