Resources guide: the six resources and deposits
What each of the six resources is for, where it comes from, and how to keep it flowing.
What are the six resources?
Echoes of the Moon runs on six resources: Regolith (build material), Water (air and food), Metals (advanced builds and upkeep), Helium-3 (fusion fuel), Energy (power), and Supplies (people). Balance them and the colony thrives.
| Resource | What it's for | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
 Regolith | The base material for almost every building. | Regolith Miners on open ground (or Strip Mines with the Industrial doctrine). |
 Water | Split into breathable air; also feeds farms and fabricators. (The game calls it Water.) | Ice Harvesters, built on blue ❄ ice deposits. |
 Metals | Advanced buildings — and the upkeep that keeps everything running. | Metal Mines on silver ⚙ deposits, or Refineries that bake regolith into metal. |
 Helium-3 | Fuel for fusion power and alien-hybrid wonders. | Deep Drill Rigs on purple ✦ Helium-3 veins. |
 Energy | Powers every active building — and drops to almost nothing at night. | Solar Arrays by day, Batteries for the night, Fission and Fusion plants. |
 Supplies | Feeds and equips colonists; steadily consumed as the colony grows. | Earth rockets, and Supply Fabricators once you can build them. |
How do resource deposits work?
Water, metal, and Helium-3 come from deposits on the map, and their extractor must be built directly on the matching deposit to reach full output. Regolith is the exception — you can mine it anywhere.
- Blue ❄ ice → Ice Harvester → Water
- Silver ⚙ metal → Metal Mine → Metals
- Purple ✦ Helium-3 → Deep Drill Rig (needs Orbital Scanning) → Helium-3
Scout with rovers and flyers to reveal deposits — and research Orbital Scanning to mark headings toward the richest veins. Short on a deposit type? Your landing site decides what's plentiful.
What do deposits and terrain look like?
Here's how each deposit and ground type appears in-game, so you can spot them on the map at a glance.
Water ice ❄Ice Harvester
Metal ⚙Metal Mine
Helium-3 ✦Deep Drill Rig
RegolithBuild anywhere
MareDark plains
HighlandRocky ground
CraterImpact basinStorage and caps
Every resource has a storage cap — you can't hoard infinitely. Build Storage Depots, Cargo Depots, and Battery Banks to raise those caps, especially before the late wonders that deliberately cost more than the base cap allows.
| Resource | Base cap |
|---|---|
| Regolith | 380 |
| Water | 300 |
| Metals | 300 |
| Helium-3 | 55 |
| Energy | 220 |
| Supplies | 260 |
How do you fix a shortage?
- Energy dropping at night? Add Battery Banks, then Fission or Fusion for round-the-clock power.
- Out of Water/air? Build Ice Harvesters on ice deposits and more Oxygen Extractors before population outgrows them.
- Metal-starved? Add Metal Mines, or a Refinery to convert regolith. Watch upkeep on a big colony.
- Need Helium-3? Research Orbital Scanning and drill the purple veins; the Aristarchus and Daedalus sites have more.
- Supplies running low? Build a Landing Pad for bigger, more frequent Earth rockets, and a Supply Fabricator.
Ready to build your own?
Everything in this guide is one click away — play free in your browser, no download.