Dome Keeper Elevator Upgrade and Resource Hauling Guide

In Dome Keeper, the Elevator automates resource hauling by projecting a vertical transport beam straight down from the dome into your central mine shaft. Any loose iron, cobalt, or water pushed into this beam is captured by anti-gravity orbs and carried directly to your dome inventory, eliminating the movement penalties incurred by carrying resources by hand.

To get the most value from the Elevator, prioritize upward lift speed after your primary dome defenses are stable, then route all horizontal mining tunnels directly into the central shaft.

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Elevator Upgrade Stages and Priorities

Investing in the Elevator requires balancing transport speed against dome defense costs. Upgrading the beam's lift speed prevents resource backlogs in deep mines, while capacity and keeper speed upgrades optimize late-game mining cycles.

Upgrade Stage	Primary Function	Priority Level
Base Installation	Projects a vertical lift beam below the dome to carry loose ore	Immediate upon gadget recovery
Lift Speed	Increases the upward travel speed of carrying orbs	High (clears deep mine bottlenecks)
Orb Capacity / Density	Allows more loose items to travel up the beam simultaneously	Medium (needed once mining large veins)
Keeper Boost	Dramatically accelerates keeper movement speed inside the beam	Late-game efficiency upgrade

Investment Order

Secure Dome Defenses First: Never spend iron on Elevator upgrades if your primary weapon cannot clear standard monster waves or if your dome is taking hull damage.
Upgrade Lift Speed: As you dig deeper, baseline transport orbs take too long to reach the dome. Faster lift speeds ensure that mined iron arrives in time to buy combat upgrades before the next wave starts.
Expand Orb Capacity: When you begin clearing dense clusters of iron or multi-tile resource veins, upgrade capacity so items do not sit waiting at the bottom of the shaft.
Acquire Keeper Boost: Purchase movement speed boosts once your mine extends deep into the map. This lets you ascend almost instantly when the wave warning sounds, maximizing your active mining time underground.

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How to Route Tunnels for Maximum Hauling Speed

The Elevator only operates within its vertical column. To eliminate manual hauling, structure your mining grid around the central shaft:

Dig lateral tunnels toward the shaft: Carve horizontal mining routes that connect directly to the central drop column. When clearing a vein, toss or bump loose resources down the hallway toward the shaft opening rather than carrying them.
Drop ore directly into the beam: Once resources touch the elevator beam, the gadget captures them automatically. You do not need to escort materials upward.
Ride the beam for surface transit: Enter the beam column to return to the dome quickly before an attack wave. The Elevator's speed boost also helps move heavy objects, such as relic pieces or tech cores, that cannot be carried by standard transport orbs.
Prevent shaft blockages: Avoid leaving large piles of ore stacked just outside the beam's grab radius. Nudge items directly into the center of the column so the orbs pick them up immediately.

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Gadget Limitations

No Horizontal Reach: The beam provides no assistance in lateral tunnels. You must still transport ore from side pockets to the central column.
Shaft Alignment Requirements: If hard rock layers or irregular digging create an uneven vertical drop, resources may snag on ledges before hitting the beam. Keep the central shaft clear and straight from the dome down to your lowest dig level.