Gab Hernandez 
Stardew Valley 1.6 offers many new locations, and the Mastery Cave grants awesome rewards to skilled and experienced players.
With the 1.6 update, Stardew Valley players enjoyed loads of new content, reinvigorating the fandom. After 1.6 launched, the average number of concurrent players on Steam rose to over 120,000. That’s roughly four times the average player count Stardew Valley boasted in 2023. The 1.6 update for Stardew Valley provided more than just new items, maps, and NPCs.
Some of the most exciting changes brought new mechanics and boons to the players themselves. The addition of mastery gave new Stardew Valley players a goal to aspire to. Of course, mastering skills grants more than just stat bonuses, as the Mastery Cave showcases.
How to unlock the Mastery Cave in Stardew Valley 1.6
Players must hit level 10 in all five core skills to unlock the Mastery Cave.
This makes opening the Mastery Cave one of the tougher things to do. Despite some shortcuts being available, players are looking at a long journey before raising all these skills to their maximum. Doing so will most certainly take the player into the mid-late game, so prepare for a lot of grinding.
The five skills that need to be raised to level 10 are:
- Farming
- Mining
- Foraging
- Fishing
- Combat
The easiest skill to reach level 10 with is either farming or fishing. This may vary based on the player’s farm type and approach to the game. Both are available early into the game and are relatively easy to do. It’s best to leave combat for last, as being well-stocked from leveling all the other skills will make dungeon crawls much easier.
This is quite punishing for players who hate Stardew Valley’s fishing. Traditionally, players have been able to advance through the game by rummaging through garbage or visiting the traveling cart to get rare fish without casting a line. That’s not an option when it comes to accessing the Mastery Cave.
The good news is players can purchase skill books from the bookseller to get XP fast. Once you achieve level 10, it’s time to find the cave.
Where is the Mastery Cave?
The Mastery Cave is located in the southeast corner of Cindersap Forest.
Players will likely pass by this cave many times as they play the game. However, the door will remain closed until its requirements are met.
Once inside, the player will find pillar shrines dedicated to each skill. After level 10, players gain Mastery Points on top of XP. Claiming a mastery will reset your MP progress, and increase the MP cost of your next mastery, as detailed in the table below:
| Level | MP Level Requirement |
| 1 | 10,000 |
| 2 | 15,000 |
| 3 | 20,000 |
| 4 | 25,000 |
| 5 | 30,000 |
All Mastery Cave rewards
Players are rewarded for maxing out skills with new recipes, upgraded items, and adjustments to RNG-based loot.
Mastering each skill rewards the player with unique items and even perks. Here’s the full lineup of rewards available:
| Mastery | Item rewards | Perk reward |
| Farming | Iridium Scythe, Statue of Blessings recipe | Golden Animal Crackers can now be found in the world, which doubles farm animal produce (except pigs) |
| Mining | Heavy Furnace Recipe, Statue of the Dwarf King recipe | Gem nodes have double the amount of gems when mined |
| Foraging | Mystic Tree Seed recipe, Treasure Totem recipe | Golden Mystery Boxes with superior items now spawn in the world |
| Fishing | Advanced Iridium Rod, Challenge Bait recipe | Golden Fishing Treasure Chests spawn in the world |
| Combat | Anvil recipe, Mini-forge recipe | New equipment slot for trinkets |
The best mastery to pick up first is farming. The Iridium Scythe shaves a great deal of time off the farming process, and it’s the primary source of income for most players regardless. Plus, the Statue of Blessings can grant early blessings which make MP grinding go by much faster.
Overall, the Mastery Cave provides even veteran players with a new challenge, yet another feature that makes 1.6 a fantastic patch for Stardew Valley.
