Elliott, the charming writer who resides by the beach in Stardew Valley, can seem a bit aloof at first. But beneath his solitary exterior lies a heart easily won over with the right gifts. If your goal is to quickly befriend Elliott, perhaps even in time to ask him to the Flower Dance, focusing on his love for lobster is a highly effective strategy. This guide will show you how to leverage Elliott’s favorite food to boost your friendship with him in the early game, ensuring you’re not left partnerless at the annual Flower Dance festival.
Why Lobsters are Key to Elliott’s Heart
Lobsters are Elliott’s loved gift, meaning they provide a significant boost to your friendship points with him. Conveniently, you can catch lobsters right outside his beachside cabin, making them an accessible and renewable resource. While rainy days might limit your initial interactions, establishing a reliable lobster supply is the most efficient way to consistently shower Elliott with gifts he adores.
Crab Pots: Your Lobster Harvesting Powerhouse
To consistently catch lobsters, crab pots are essential. While purchasing crab pots from Willy’s shop at 1500g each is an option, it quickly becomes expensive and delays your lobster production. Relying on the Community Center’s Crab Pot Bundle is also unreliable due to its dependence on random number generation (RNG) and the limited reward of only three crab pots. Crafting your own crab pots is the superior approach for timely and cost-effective lobster acquisition.
Gearing Up for Crab Pot Crafting
By the time you’re considering befriending villagers for events like the Flower Dance, reaching Fishing level 5 should be easily achievable, typically around day 4 in Stardew Valley. Upon reaching level 5, choose the Trapper profession. This halves the crafting materials required for crab pots, bringing the cost down to a manageable 25 wood and 2 copper bars per pot.
The Efficient Crab Pot Strategy
Crafting approximately 20 crab pots is an ideal number to ensure a steady supply of lobsters. This quantity provides a greater than 99% chance of catching at least one lobster per week. To craft 20 crab pots with the Trapper profession, you’ll need 40 copper bars (requiring 200 copper ore) and an additional 40 copper ore for two furnaces to smelt the ore efficiently. Gathering 240 copper ore is easily done by the end of day 7 if you begin mining around day 5. You can then dedicate day 8 to chopping wood and placing your crab pots that evening.
Over the subsequent two weeks, you’ll likely gather more than enough lobsters to gift Elliott twice a week with loved gifts. The surplus shellfish can be sold for a valuable early-game income boost. Since you’ll naturally visit the beach to interact with Elliott, checking your crab pots becomes a seamless part of your routine, maximizing efficiency in your friendship-building efforts and potentially securing a dance partner for the Flower Dance.
Conclusion
Befriending Elliott in Stardew Valley is greatly simplified by understanding his love for lobsters. By strategically utilizing crab pots and the Trapper profession, you can establish a consistent lobster supply. This method not only provides Elliott with gifts he loves but also offers a reliable source of income. Focusing on this strategy will significantly accelerate your friendship with Elliott, making him a readily available partner for the Flower Dance and a cherished friend in your Stardew Valley journey.
