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Material profile · MAT-02Mid–Late

Lava

A hot liquid that refuses ordinary transport. Freeze it, break it into Cinder, move the solid, then reignite it where heat is needed.

heatcinderscoriasteam
Field ratingAField verified
Overview

Field profile: Lava

ArchetypeMaterial
DifficultyMid–Late
TransportConvert to Cinder
Reading time5 min
Process mapLava · operating sequence
01Freeze Lava with Snow
02Break Scoria
03Transport Cinder
04Ignite to restore Lava
Conceptual field diagram. Confirm dimensions and timing against the current build.

The transport loop

Do not try to engineer around Lava's refusal to travel. Change its state instead.

  1. Apply Snow with the Cryoblaster until the pool becomes Scoria.
  2. Break the Scoria with a weapon or digging tool.
  3. Collect the resulting Cinder with belts, launchers, drones or the Grabber.
  4. Drop Cinder into a sealed heat chamber and ignite it to recreate Lava.

This loop turns a dangerous liquid logistics problem into an ordinary solid-material route.

Heat applications

Water falling onto Lava becomes Steam without reducing the Lava. A shallow pool therefore works as a compact boiler surface. It can also ignite flammable materials that pass close enough to the heat or rising sparks.

Lava touching a Thermal Buffer is different: the buffer slowly consumes the Lava while receiving heat. Keep a visible Cinder reserve beside any production system that depends on this contact.

Filter burners

Lava can be held inside a Filter above a solid block. Configure the Filter for Cinder, fill it, then ignite the Cinder in place. Material passing over the Filter can burn without sharing the same open chamber.

This is useful for Residue and Flower lines because it places the ignition point inside the transport surface. Add a bypass for anything that should not burn and a clearing route for output that changes density.

Failure modes

  • Raw Lava does not become belt-compatible because it is shallow or slow.
  • One missing corner pixel can drain a storage chamber into lower machinery.
  • Thermal Buffers consume their adjacent heat stock over time.
  • Igniting Cinder in an unsealed bay can create a permanent hot leak below the factory.
Sources & verification

What this guide is based on

Game versionEarly Access
Last verified2026-08-26
EvidenceOfficial reference + field interpretation

Official references establish documented mechanics. Layout advice and troubleshooting may add clearly labelled field interpretation. Read the editorial and corrections policy.