Guild Wars 2

While adventuring in Southsun Cove, myself and a friend attempted to mine the Rich Orichalcum Vein using Master Pickaxes; the result was Ruined Ore.

Now, apparently, there’s two versions of the Master Pickaxe, one of which can be used on Orichalcum – but you can’t tell the difference between the two without using them, according to one of the other people on Southsun Cove.

Is this true?

There’s actually a bunch of tiers of Master Picks/Axes/Sickles.
They’re only from a story mission reward, and their strength is basically determined by which mission they were from.
Except there’s no info given about its strength for whatever reason so you have to use it to find out.
Pretty sure that the one from the mission just before Straits of Devastation is Ori strength, the rest are weaker.

I think its strength comes from what level you were when you received it.

gimmethegepgun.1284:

There’s actually a bunch of tiers of Master Picks/Axes/Sickles.

Invisible data? I don’t agree w/ this. Even the wiki has no data that you’re talking about:
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Master_Mining_Pick

OP, the Master gather items are always worse than Ori items. When you meet the lvl req to buy Ori items, stick to Ori items. Master then goes garbage.

There are actually 3 Master Mining Picks (same for axe and sickle) from the story mission reward. The first 1 you get is the same as steel pick, the 2nd is the same as mithril pick, the last one is the same as Orichalcum pick. You have to remember which is which when you get it, otherwise you have to test it out.

p.s. You can actually select a different tool when you get those rewards, so it’s easier to remember. For example, you get a sickle first, then axe, then pick, you know the sickle is steel, axe is mithril, and pick is orichalcum. And the most beneficial tool of these 3 is the sickle, because they all have 125 uses, but from merchant you get 50 uses sickles and 100 uses axes or picks for the same price.