Stardew Valley creator ConcernedApe has teased that an Iridium Scythe is coming to the popular life simulation game as part of Update 1.6, but it remains to be seen exactly how useful it will be. Stardew Valley traditionally has five primary tools that players can collect and upgrade to Iridium tier: an axe, a fishing rod, a hoe, a pickaxe, and a watering can.
The tools in Stardew Valley all have specific uses that are amplified by upgrading them to the iridium tier. For example, if Stardew Valley players manage to upgrade the pickaxe all the way to the iridium tier, they can smash most rocks in the mines and Skull Cavern in a single hit. This in turn makes it so Stardew Valley players can explore these areas much more efficiently, greatly increasing the number of treasures they can leave with.
Upgrading the five primary tools in Stardew Valley requires a bunch of iridium to turn into iridium bars and a lot of money. However, it's definitely worth the investment, as getting iridium tools in Stardew Valley will make everything in the game go a lot faster, allowing players to maximize the profits on their farms and achieve any of the other goals that they have in the life simulation game. Even so, it remains to be seen if getting an Iridium Scythe in Stardew Valley will truly be worth it.
What Will the Iridium Scythe Do in Stardew Valley?
At the time of this writing, scythes in Stardew Valley come in two forms: the basic version and the Golden Scythe. The basic scythe lets Stardew Valley players cut grass into hay for their silos, which makes it much easier to keep animals fed. The Golden Scythe in Stardew Valley is simply a better version of the base scythe, so it stands to reason that the Iridium Scythe will be an even more efficient version of the scythe, though that seems somewhat pointless.
Stardew Valley players that have gotten far enough to get the Golden Scythe, obtained by getting all the way to the end of the Quarry Mine, should have no problem amassing a ton of hay for their animals or killing enemies in the mines, which is the Golden Scythe's other purpose. Presumably, getting the Iridium Scythe is going to require players to complete some sort of difficult task, but it's hard to see how it will be worth it. One possibility is that an Iridium Scythe will also have significantly enhanced combat capabilities to make it more worthwhile, but that's just speculation at this time.
Getting an Iridium Scythe in Stardew Valley could be as simple as getting more iridium like the other tools, but since unlocking the Golden Scythe was a bit more involved, it's possible that the Iridium Scythe will be as well. At this stage, fans don't even know for sure that an Iridium Scythe is coming to Stardew Valley, though, so they should keep their expectations in check. ConcernedApe's tweet certainly seems to point in that direction, but fans should hang tight for more information about Stardew Valley Update 1.6 and what exactly the Iridium Scythe will do.
Stardew Valley is available for PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and legacy platforms.
