[Coreia]

Just in case you aren't clear, basalt and slate are the novice and amateur levels of quarrying (stone). Copper is novice mining, and once you hit 100 skill and buy a book, you can upgrade to tin.

I haven't been to your area, but I have definitely noticed "intelligent" placement of nodes as well. Stone and metal both seem to appear more often in mountain passes, and in the midst of those clusters of stone we so frequently find.

As a recently un-frustrated reaper, allow me to encourage you to just keep exploring. You will slowly find the places where copper abounds in your area. Once you do, keep looking for the next, and pause at your "secret spot" every time you pass by. I've found four sweet spots for reaping around Martok so far, including one that seems to be a constant respawn.

Oh, and you might want to keep an eye out for tin even before you can harvest it. I've noticed that jute and cotton spawns seem to be interchangeable, at least to a point. If you see tin somewhere, it's likely that copper can be found nearby at some point in time.

And that's the best I can offer - good luck!