Guild Wars 2

I’ve been using Master gathering tools on my alt, since I have so many of them piled up. I just tried mining from a platinum ore vein in Mount Maelstrom, only to get clumps of ruined ore. Just before that, I tried using a Master Axe on a pine sapling in Timberline Falls only to get ruined logs. At first I thought maybe I wasn’t using the masters tools, then I thought it was something special attributed to the winters day update, but once I tried it on the platinum I knew it was just a regular bug.

Thanks for your time, any more info you need I’ll do what I can to give it to you.

edited to add screenshot of me mining and chopping

Do you still remember the personal story quest that gave you those Master gathering tools? (I guess not, since you mentioned them piling up, but still…)
Unfortunately there seem to be many – optically indistinguishable – “versions” of Master gathering tools, each of them more efficient for gathering than normal tools you would use on the level of the quest you got them from. So, while one stack of Master gathering tools might be excellent for Mithril and Orichalcum the other, older stack might just be suitable for the same materials that Copper tools could harvest and give ruined materials for anything above that.
So, you might want to try those tools on lower level nodes until you hit gold – figuratively speaking.

That makes sense, thanks for letting me know. It’s kind of frustrating, but I’ve gotten over it. Thanks again!

You are welcome. Happened to me, too, on my first character. Cheers!