The Excavation Lathe is a ship component that performs terraforming operations.

Each lathe will terraform the closest terraforming marker in range and requires no energy to function.

The Excavation Lathe is arguably the most powerful tool you have available in Creeper World IXE; the ability to terraform the map allows you to control the where and when of what you fight. The number of advanced tactics this opens up is insane; they are an integral part of the bulk of the strategies listed on the tips and tricks page.

Lathes require no energy to run once they have been built; there is no downside to having them performing some operation to manipulate the map. This also allows them to be used in remove operations including those without connection to an Apex ship.

Early game Excavation Lathes are most useful in gathering kirkium and gaining access to upgrade gems. Mid-game Lathes can create shields to buy time for your reactors to power up and your combat ships to come online. And late game Lathes are typically necessary to open up areas that contain required objectives.