How it works
Establish molten metal and tungsten production on the Space Age volcanic world. Each stage in the walkthrough below has a distinct practical objective; complete the current supply or control loop before expanding it.
Practical advice
On arrival, identify safe buildable ground, local mining opportunities and the infrastructure needed to work near lava.
Mistakes to avoid
Never assume an unrelated blueprint or another version of Factorio has identical recipes, technology unlocks or machine ratios. Use the checkpoints in this guide to diagnose your own save.
Vulcanus starter factory: complete walkthrough
Survey local constraints
On arrival, identify safe buildable ground, local mining opportunities and the infrastructure needed to work near lava.
Use lava-based metallurgy
Design the fluid and casting chains around lava and molten iron/copper. They differ substantially from Nauvis-style ore-to-furnace layouts.
Target key unlocks
Develop foundry and big-mining-drill production where available, then support metallurgic science and other technologies.
Prepare export routes
Manufacture and dispatch high-value outputs through functioning planetary cargo and platform logistics; avoid shipping large amounts of trivial intermediates.