Despite being heavily action-oriented, Crimson Desert has many RPG mechanics that are not only additional to the gameplay experience—they’re essential for optimal progression.
One of such key features is the ability to upgrade your equipment, often exploring the world of Pywel in search of resources that allow you to craft items and weaponry that will give you an edge. This is particularly useful on early encounters, such as Hornsplitter, the goblin, and other bosses.
And no other resource is more fundamental for this than iron ore; it serves as the fundamental silver-gray metal required for early-game refinement at the blacksmith, allowing you to strengthen weapons, metal shields, and plate armor. Finding it, however, will be a chore—one that we hope to help you with on the guide below.
Best Iron Ore Locations and Farming Routes
Iron Ore is not that rare a resource in the world of Crimson Desert, but it still requires some attention when you’re out and about seeking it. It is often found along cliff faces, mountain walls, and within rock crevices. And its location will be marked on your map permanently, with nodes and veins periodically respawning.
All in all, it’s a reliable component that you’ll see yourself leaning heavily on during your farming endeavors. Below are some of the areas you can find this precious material;
- The Hernand Region: This is the most lucrative area for early-game players. You can find several deposits clustered around the cliffs and rivers.
- Anvil Hill: Located southeast of Hernand City, this area features multiple nodes spawning along the base of the hill. Anvil Hill is considered one of the best early-game spots for amassing ores quickly.
- Unicorn Cliffs to Quarry Route: A highly efficient route involves sweeping the path along the north side of the Unicorn Cliffs and following it east toward the quarry. This path is lined with veins and occasionally rewards you with Copper Ore as a bonus.
- Howling Hill & Steel Mountains: South of Hernand, look for metallic dark-gray rocks in the Howling Hill area or head southeast toward the Steel Mountains for additional clusters.
- Extended Exploration: For those venturing further, Iron Ore can be found around Tashkalp town in the desert or at Mount Benus in the Delesyia region.
How to Start Farming Iron Ore
Knowing where to find iron ore in Crimson Desert is only part of the process, as resource gathering in this game requires a little more than “go to place > grab contents”. Oh, no. To begin your mining career, you must acquire a Pickaxe. Luckily, Crimson Desert has three primary ways to secure this tool early in your journey:
- Rhett’s Request Quest: This is the most recommended method. Check the Information Board in the center of Hernand for a poster regarding Rhett’s Request (unlocked after “Turnali’s Request”). Rhett, the equipment shopkeeper, will provide a pickaxe for free to help you mine two ores. Completing this faction quest not only lets you keep the tool but also grants an inventory expansion slot.
- The Provisioner’s Shop: If you prefer to skip the quest, visit the provisioner in Hernand, located east of the large tree on the map. You can purchase a pickaxe here for 31 copper coins.
- World Scavenging: Occasionally, tools are left behind by former owners in the wild. While you can find a pickaxe through exploration, this method is unreliable compared to questing or buying one.
How to Make the Most of Iron Ore Mining
Understanding the mechanics of extraction can save you time and maximize your yield per node. Unlike games like Skyrim or others, Iron Ore mining in Crimson Desert is not a matter of hitting rocks really hard. While the process is straightforward and not difficult at all, there are some aspects to care for:
- Visual Cues: Look for metallic, silver-colored, or dark rocks jutting out from the landscape to identify Iron Veins.
- Precision Targeting: Use the equipment wheel (F2 on keyboard or Left D-pad on controller) to select your pickaxe. For more precise strikes, hold the focus button: if the targeting circle turns blue, you are at the correct distance to swing.
- Yield Expectations: Each vein typically shatters into 2 to 6 pieces of Iron Ore. Be prepared to pick these up quickly, as the smaller rocks can sometimes roll away down sloped terrain.
- The Force Palm Shortcut: If you are caught without a pickaxe, you can use the Force Palm Attack to break deposits, though it is less efficient than using the proper tool.
- Alternative Rewards: You can also stockpile Iron Ore by completing specific side quests. For example, “Commotion in the Spire” rewards 10 Iron Ore, while “The End of Greed” provides 7.
Final Thoughts
As we said, you will need to master ore mining if you wanna get ahead in Crimson Desert. The game has an expansive map presentation, and finding every iron ore location in the game can be somewhat demanding.
However, the other option is to fight and repeatedly fail major boss encounters and some other high-level enemies that may cross your path while you’re underdeveloped. While they’re not impossible to defeat without it, upgrading your gear will certainly make things easier and stop Crimson Desert from reaching Elden Ring levels of difficulty.
