Planning a Bucket Progression Path

Start cheap, upgrade later

You do not need to chase the top tier immediately. Begin with a Copper Bucket, Tin Bucket, or Aluminum Bucket, since those metals are easy to obtain. Use it while you gather better materials. Every bucket uses the same crafting_shaped recipe, so upgrading is only a matter of swapping the ingot type — no special station required.

Order the mid tiers

After your starter bucket, aim for Silver Bucket, Bronze Bucket, or Steel Bucket as your materials allow. These sit comfortably between the cheap metals and the gem tiers. Keep your old bucket; there is no reason to throw it away, and having spares lets you carry different fluids at once.

Reach the top tiers

When you have gems, craft a Diamond Bucket, Emerald Bucket, Quartz Bucket, or Obsidian Bucket using the same five-slot layout. Rubber Bucket fits wherever you have rubber available. For long-term farming goals, climb the tiered line: Imperium Bucket, Prudentium Bucket, Tertium Bucket, Supremium Bucket, Inferium Bucket, and finally Insanium Bucket. Each one crafts from its matching material in the identical pattern, so once you understand the recipe you can produce any of the 18 buckets without relearning anything. Plan your material gathering around the tier you want next, and craft in batches when you have surplus.