Wood Types

Overview

Wood is one of the most essential resources in Starsand Island. It is used to craft tools, build furniture, construct buildings, process into planks, and fuel many crafting recipes. There are three main raw wood types (Softwood, Hardwood, and Premium Wood), each obtained from different tree species using progressively better tools. Bamboo is an additional wood-adjacent material for certain recipes.

Wood Types at a Glance

Softwood

Softwood is the most abundant and accessible wood type. It drops from small trees, shrubs, bushes, and palm trees found everywhere across the island. You can begin harvesting it immediately with the basic Stone Axe, which is crafted during the tutorial. Chopping shrubs also yields Fiber and sometimes Pasture Grass seeds alongside Softwood.

Softwood is used in nearly every early-game recipe. The Stone Axe itself requires 2 Softwood. The Impact Axe needs 5 Softwood. Bug Nets, Slingshots, Wooden Rods, and the first backpack upgrade all call for Softwood. It also processes into Softwood Planks at the Cutter, which are used for bus stop construction, Storage Boxes, and furniture.

Key Softwood Recipes

Hardwood

Hardwood comes from Banyan trees, the large, dark-barked trees found near your starting home and throughout the island. They are visually distinct from regular small trees. You cannot chop them with the basic Stone Axe; you need the Impact Axe, which unlocks at Junior Crafter rank. Banyan trees are also abundant in the Moonlit Forest. Note that trees near shops, public areas, and landmarks cannot be chopped.

Hardwood is a mid-tier material used for crafting the Machete (via Hardwood Planks), the Ore Analyzer, and various furniture pieces. Hardwood Planks are needed for Storage Box III, the Ukelele, the Geocalligraphy Brush, and several building upgrades. The Plume Bow (5 Hardwood) and the Realm Summoner also require raw Hardwood.

Key Hardwood Recipes

Premium Wood

Premium Wood is the highest-tier raw wood material. It comes exclusively from White Fig trees, which require a Machete or better to chop. White Fig trees are not especially large, so they can be easy to miss when you first explore. The key advantage of White Fig trees is that each one drops all three wood types (Softwood, Hardwood, and Premium Wood) from a single tree, making them the most efficient wood source in the game.

Premium Wood is used in advanced recipes including the Sharp Machete, the Blast Hammer, and the Crossbow. Premium Wood Planks are required for the Fishing Net, late-game backpack upgrades, and various high-tier building projects. Premium Wood can also be purchased from Zerine's General Store for 25 coins each after reaching Senior Crafter rank and unlocking the Supply Boost skill.

White Fig Tree Locations

White Fig trees are found in specific clusters across the island. The best farming locations are:

Key Premium Wood Recipes

Bamboo

Bamboo grows in groves around Cloudrest Lake on the northern side of the island, particularly near the Panda House. Fresh Bamboo Shoots can be picked up from the ground in this area as a separate forageable item (useful as a loved gift for Youfang). Bamboo is processed into Bamboo Board and Bamboo Strip at the Cutter.

Bamboo has fewer crafting uses than the three main wood types. The Cloudrest Lake bus stop uniquely requires 10 Bamboo Board instead of Softwood Plank. Bamboo Strip is used in specific furniture recipes like the Bamboo Cat Ear Pet Bed (1 Bamboo Strip + 3 Flannel). Bamboo Leaf is a separate item sometimes obtained alongside Bamboo that is a gift item.

Chopping Tools

Each wood tier requires a specific minimum tool. Tools are crafted at Worktables and their blueprints are purchased from Zerine's General Store as you advance through Crafter profession ranks.

Note that the Machete consumes the Impact Axe as a crafting component, and the Sharp Machete consumes the Machete. Plan your upgrades accordingly. The Machete also has a wider swing arc that can hit multiple objects, making it more efficient than the Impact Axe for clearing areas.

Wood Processing

Raw wood is processed into planks at the Cutter, a passive crafting station. Load your materials, and the Cutter processes them over time. You can build multiple Cutters to process materials in parallel.

The Cutter also processes metal sheets (Copper Sheet at Cutter I, Iron Sheet at Cutter II). Upgrading from Cutter I to Cutter II requires Iron Ingots, Radiant Core, and Copper Sheet. Building two or three Cutters early in the game is strongly recommended to keep up with plank demand.

Meteor Plank

Meteor Plank is the endgame wood material, crafted from Premium Wood and Lunar Crystals at the Cutter III. It is required for the most powerful tools in the game.

Tree Respawn

All trees in Starsand Island regrow after being chopped down. Small trees and shrubs respawn in 2 to 3 in-game days. White Fig trees reportedly respawn daily. Removing the stump after chopping does not prevent the tree from growing back. This makes wood a fully renewable resource. Plan your farming routes around multiple areas so you always have fresh trees to harvest while others regrow.

Buying and Selling Wood

Buying: Premium Wood can be purchased from Zerine's General Store for 25 coins per piece, but only after reaching Senior Crafter rank and unlocking the Supply Boost skill in the Workpedia. This is useful when you need large quantities without farming.

Selling: Wood can be sold at any shop or through the Quick Shipping Box on your home lot. The Sales Boat (accessible after repairing the dock near your farm) buys items at double price and restocks every Monday. Premium Wood and processed planks sell well through the Sales Boat, especially when combined with Logging Robot automation.

Endgame: Logging Robots

At Expert Crafter rank, you can build a Robot Terminal (55,000 coins + rare materials including Eternal Alloy and Spirit Cubes) and deploy Logging Robots to automatically gather wood. Each robot is crafted from 3 Eternal Alloy, 2 Chip, 1 Lunar Crystal, 5 High-Performance Wire Set, 3 Spring, and 1 Spirit Cube III. The terminal can host up to 12 robots. Logging Robots generate a steady stream of all wood types without manual harvesting, making them the ultimate late-game wood solution.

Tips for Efficient Wood Farming

• White Fig trees are the best value in the game. Each tree drops Softwood, Hardwood, and Premium Wood in one session, so prioritize farming them once you have a Machete.

• The Explorer's Club loop (shooting range area through the quest giver zone) is the most concentrated cluster of White Fig trees and the preferred farming route.

• Build 2 to 3 Cutters early to process planks in parallel. Waiting for a single Cutter to finish is a common bottleneck.

• Rotate between farming areas while trees respawn. Harvest the Explorer's Club, move to Cloudrest Lake, then swing back.

• Craft the Machete as soon as possible. It unlocks Premium Wood and has a wider swing arc, making it strictly better than the Impact Axe for all tree types.

• Once at Senior Crafter rank, buy Premium Wood from Zerine for 25 coins when you need quick supplies without farming.

• Sell excess wood via the Sales Boat for double price. Combined with Logging Robot automation at endgame, wood becomes a reliable passive income source.