Digging Ma Guide for Pokémon Sword & Shield: Isle of Armor Expansion

In the Isle of Armor expansion for Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, Digging Ma is a helpful NPC. She gives you valuable Armorite Ore. This rare material is used to upgrade your Pokémon’s moves. Digging Ma plays an important role in the island’s post-game exploration. Here’s everything you need to know about her: where to find her, what she does, and if she’s worth visiting daily.

What Does Digging Ma Do?

Digging Ma offers to dig for Armorite Ore when you find her. Each day, she appears at one of several locations on the Isle of Armor. When you speak to her, she’ll offer to dig for Armorite Ore. If she succeeds, you’ll receive a quantity of Armorite Ore. This ore can be used to teach your Pokémon exclusive moves or enhance their abilities.

How Does Digging Ma’s Digging Work?

When you ask Digging Ma to dig, there’s a chance that she’ll successfully find some Armorite Ore. However, there’s also a risk that her shovel will break, in which case you won’t receive any ore. That said, if her shovel breaks, there’s a rare occurrence where she may offer you a second chance to dig, which is a nice bonus.

Armorite Ore is essential for upgrading your Pokémon in Sword and Shield, and Digging Ma is one of the primary ways to obtain it aside from completing Max Raid Battles. So while there’s a bit of randomness, it’s still worth checking in with her every day.

Where to Find Digging Ma

Digging Ma appears at a random location on the Isle of Armor each real-life day. Below are the 15 known possible spawn locations where you can find her, each of which she might appear at on any given day:

1. Warm-Up Tunnel: The left road.
2. Potbottom Desert: On the far left side.
3. Challenge Road: In the cliffside (visible from the upper path).
4. Training Lowlands: Alongside Challenge Road cliff.
5. Master Dojo: Towards the sea to the left.
6. Courageous Cavern: On an inlet.
7. Loop Lagoon: On the small beach, to the furthest wall.
8. Workout Sea: In the hidden beach.
9. Stepping Stone Sea: Behind the largest island, in an alcove.
10. Insular Sea: On the beach in the largest island.
11. Honeycalm Sea: On a little area in the main island, next to a Raid Den.
12. Challenge Beach: Hidden between a large rock and the forest wall, next to the river.
13. Forest of Focus: By the bridge next to Soothing Wetlands Entrance.
14. Brawler’s Cave: Behind the pillar.
15. Workout Sea (Ditto Island): On Ditto Island.

Each of these locations can be tricky to find at first, especially since Digging Ma only appears in one of them per day. Be sure to explore different parts of the Isle of Armor and check back each day for a chance to find her.

Is Digging Ma Worth It?

The short answer is: Yes, Digging Ma is definitely worth seeking out every day. Armorite Ore is a valuable resource, and getting it from Digging Ma can save you the trouble of grinding through other activities to collect it. Plus, the random nature of her digging means that you’ll be able to collect different amounts of Armorite Ore on different days.

Here’s why you should make the effort to track her down:

• Armorite Ore is key for move upgrades: You can use the ore to teach your Pokémon powerful moves, some of which are exclusive to the Isle of Armor DLC.
• Free daily bonus: Since Digging Ma appears once every real-life day, it’s a simple, low-effort way to collect Armorite Ore consistently without having to spend too much time hunting for it in other areas.
• Adds to the completionist experience: If you’re a completionist, finding Digging Ma every day and collecting Armorite Ore will be an enjoyable challenge. It’s an easy task to incorporate into your regular gameplay routine.

Digging Ma is a helpful NPC in the Isle of Armor, offering Armorite Ore for upgrading your Pokémon. Find her daily at random locations!

Check out our detailed guides on how to get Porygon, unlock all the Dojo features, and have your Pokémon follow you on the Isle of Armor for an even richer experience in Pokémon Sword & Shield!

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