Pickaxes

== Spending (or Not Spending) ==
Main article: Strategy 
=== Playing for Free ===
It is very hard to play for free, but possible. Patience is key.
* You can gain pickaxes by downloading free games sponsored by Rockyou (a couple of Rockyou games give the most for the least amount of work) and free Tapjoy games.
* If you download games, remember that they are trying to get you addicted to more games.
* If you use Tapjoy, please read the page first for information and warnings.
* Use the Daily Bonus Wheel. It pays limited gold and pickaxes, but the spins are free.
* You will probably need to avoid Limited Edition Series (LE) by not planting the crop in their first quest.
** Every LE starts with planting a crop. Tap the series icon to see what crop.
** As long as you don't plant it, you don't do the LE.
* Avoid playing mini-games, planting gold seeds, paying to open crates, and jackpots, even if they promise big pickaxe winnings. If you ever heard the saying "The house always wins," you should know it applies here. The odds heavily favor Rockyou in all mini-games.
=== Paying to Play ===
If you use your money on the game, use it on Pickaxes, Gold, or Energy. Silver and Tonic can be obtained for free with some work.
* Decide how much to spend and how often. Look at the Resources page for the regular prices. You can hope for a sale, but most sales lately have been bundle sales, which don't increase the pickaxes or gold you get.
* Pickaxes get you through the game. Gold gets you extras. In a few circumstances, 2 Gold are required to get through the game. This is a small amount easily obtained through Tapjoy.
* Allocate an amount (Some people spend $3 to $20 periodically) for Regular Quest Series. They get you through the story and get you Regular Quest Series Buildings, including the Specialized Structures. These will require almost no gold. Many require pickaxes, usually no more than 15 but rarely as many as 17. Some don't require gold or pickaxes, enjoy!
**If you run out if pickaxes mid-series, you can come back to it later. Regular Quest Series do not expire.
* Allocate an amount for Limited Edition Series (LE's). Choose an amount you can afford.
** Raeyin recommends avoiding all but your favorite LE's. Based on the number released and what it costs to play, it would cost about $60 a month to play each LE and buy its house. This would be excessive for most players.
** Since LE's do provide buildings you will never see again, choose some based on your budget and the buildings you want most. When you do them, only buy the house if it is a house you particularly want.
** Avoid any LE by not planting the crop in its first quest.
** If two LE's require the same starting crop, you can do one and skip the other. The easiest way is to pay 2 gold to start the one you want.
** If you run out of pickaxes mid-LE, you will have a half-finished structure and wasted pickaxes. You can sell the half-finished structure when the LE expires, but this situation can be avoided by planning ahead. You can also extend the LE when it expires for 4 or 6 gold, giving you infinite time to gain the needed pickaxes.
** You usually don't have to spend gold on an LE. It often says to buy the house, but really, you can skip it (2 gold) or ignore it (annoying). Please see How To Play an LE Without Spending Gold. Note that occasionally, an LE is set up differently and ignoring the house doesn't work. Skipping it is still an option. 
== Prices ==
Regular Prices
Item Name 	Quantity	Price
Stack of Pickaxes	15 	$2.99
Pile of Pickaxes 	28 	$4.99
Pot of Pickaxes 	60 	$9.99
Box of Pickaxes 	130 	$19.99
Crate of Pickaxes	375 	$49.99
Chest of Pickaxes	1,000 	$99.99
=== Sale Prices ===
Bundle sales include multilple resources for a discounted price. They may include pickaxes, gold, and a lesser resource for $9.99. If you would buy the pickaxes or gold anyway, this is a worthwhile option.
Another hard-to-find sale is the Buy More Save More special on pickaxes. The prices are the same as the regular prices in the chart above, but you get slightly more pickaxes for each purchase. The % improvement is higher if you spend more, but don't spend more than you can afford.
== Tapjoy ==
Tapjoy offers are a way to get a few free pickaxes. You won't get a lot unless you spend money or do offers that you will regret.
=== Do's and Don'ts ===
* Don't do credit checks or insurance quotes. They will sell your personal information.
* Don't do surveys with large rewards. They go round and round and never pay out.
* Do download apps & games then uninstall them after completing the offer.
* Do free trials if you are organized and very sure you can cancel them on time.
* Don't spend a ton of money to get a handful of pickaxes. Weigh the actual benefits.
* Do read the requirements for each offer you plan to complete.
=== How To ===
# Tap the spot on your game screen where it shows how many pickaxes you have.
# Select "free."
# Choose an offer from the list and tap it.
# If it shows extra details on the offer, read them carefully. You may even want to take notes.
# If you have other Rockyou games, when you do the offer, make sure the next game you open is the one where you want the reward.
# When you open the game, watch carefully for the notice that you got your pickaxes.
=== Problems? ===
Please see the following:
Tapjoy: Your Internet Connection Matters
Tapjoy: Your Antivirus and Popup Blockers
Tapjoy: If Your Reward Doesn't Arrive
Category:Resources
Category:Tips/Strategy