Iron Ore is one of the first crafting materials you will need in Crimson Desert, and the game does not go out of its way to explain where to find it or how mining works. If you are trying to upgrade your weapons and armour at the Blacksmith and keep hitting a wall because you are short on materials, this guide covers exactly where to find Iron Ore, how to mine it, and the fastest farming routes available in the early game.
What Is Iron Ore Used For in Crimson Desert?
Iron Ore is a crafting material used at the Blacksmith for refinement. It goes into upgrading weapons, plate armour, and metal shields. Since Crimson Desert does not use a traditional XP system, gear upgrades through materials like Iron Ore are one of the primary ways you scale your character’s effectiveness in combat.
What You Need Before You Start Mining
You need a Pickaxe to mine Iron Ore. There are three ways to get one:
| Method | Details |
| Rhett’s Request Quest | The best early option. Pick up this commission from the notice board in the centre of Hernand after completing Turnali’s Request. Speak to Rhett outside Turnali’s Blacksmithing shop and he gives you a Pickaxe directly. When you return with the mined ore, deliver it to Rhett’s assistant at Equinsher Saddlery south of town, not to Rhett himself. Completing the quest also expands your inventory by one slot |
| Provisioner’s Shop | You can purchase a Pickaxe directly from the Provisioner’s Shop in Hernand for 31 Copper Coins, no quest required |
| Found in the World | Pickaxes occasionally appear as loot while exploring, however searching specifically for one this way takes far longer than the other two methods and is not worth prioritising |
Alternative to a Pickaxe: Force Palm
If you do not have a Pickaxe on hand, you can break Iron Ore deposits using the Force Palm skill, which unlocks during Chapter 1 of the main quest in the mission called Traces. Force Palm works particularly well for deposits on high or vertical cliff faces where swinging a Pickaxe cleanly is difficult. You can climb up to the deposit and punch it directly instead.
However, Force Palm consumes Spirit, and mistiming it on a steep surface can send your character off the edge. Always position yourself on a stable ledge before using it rather than attempting it mid-climb. For ground-level deposits, the Pickaxe remains the more reliable and efficient tool.
Later in the game, the Focused Force Palm upgrade, unlocked through spirit observation, improves this technique further. There is also a mid-game tool called the Mining Knuckledrill, obtained by defeating the Marni’s Excavatron boss in Karin Quarry through the Stolen Quarry side quest in Chapter 2. This tool offers noticeably better mining efficiency than a standard Pickaxe, however it is a mid-game upgrade and the basic Pickaxe handles everything you need in the early hours comfortably.
How to Mine Iron Ore
Once you have your Pickaxe, follow these steps:
- Open your quick access menu (press F2 on keyboard) and equip the Pickaxe. It must be in your inventory for it to appear in the menu
- Locate an Iron Ore deposit on a cliffside or mountain wall
- Hold the observation key and aim at the deposit. A blue marking confirms you can mine it. A red marking means it is not currently mineable
- With the blue marking confirmed, press the attack key to swing the Pickaxe and break the rock
- Each deposit takes one hit to break. Iron Ore chunks drop to the ground immediately, so pick them up quickly before they roll away
- Each deposit yields up to 6 Iron Ore. Once mined, a permanent marker appears on your map for that location
- Deposits respawn after approximately 7 in-game days. When a deposit respawns, its map marker reactivates, making it easy to track which nodes are ready for another run
How to Spot an Iron Ore Deposit
Iron Ore veins appear as bulging, dark grey or near-black rocks with a noticeable metallic or silver sheen that catches the light differently from surrounding stone. In direct sunlight or shadowed areas, this reflective glint makes them stand out clearly against the warmer brown, tan, and reddish rock around them. Deposits often appear in small clusters of two to four veins close together, so spotting one usually means more are nearby.
Riding along cliff lines on horseback is one of the most efficient ways to scan for deposits across a large area quickly. If you have unlocked the Crow Wings ability, gliding along cliff faces gives you an even cleaner view of deposit locations from above.
Best Early Iron Ore Locations
The majority of Iron Ore deposits in Crimson Desert sit within the Hernand region, so you do not need to travel far from the starting area to stock up.
| Location | Notes |
| Anvil Hill, Hernand | The best early farming spot. Deposits run along the lower edges of the hill and riverbed directly next to Hernand City. Follow the hill line all the way around to hit every deposit |
| Howling Hill, Hernand Highlands | Dense Iron Ore deposits along the river-facing cliff walls south of Hernand. Copper Ore veins also appear here, making this an efficient combined farming loop for both materials |
| Cliffside east of Kilnden Workshop | A reliable early vein just east of Kilnden Workshop, west of Hernand. A second deposit sits further south down the same path |
| North side of Unicorn Cliffs path | A strong farming route leading into the quarry east of Unicorn Cliffs, where up to 14 close-together deposits have been reported. Copper Ore also appears along this route |
| South-east Hernand and Steel Mountains | Additional deposit clusters for players who have cleared the immediate Hernand area |
| Demeniss, Anvil Hill | Further deposits available once you progress beyond the Hernand starting region |
| Mount Benus, Delesyia | Later-game deposits for players who have moved into new regions |
| Around Tashkalp Town | Additional Iron Ore deposits in the southern areas of the map |
Advanced Farming Tips
A few habits that make Iron Ore farming significantly more efficient:
- Use the time skip to manage respawns: Sleep at campfires or beds, or use the Wait function to advance approximately 7 in-game days after a full mining run. This lets you loop back to the same deposits in the same session rather than waiting in real time
- Run the Howling Hill to Anvil Hill loop: Start at the Howling Hill cliffs along the river-facing walls south of Hernand, circle the hill base collecting Iron and Copper deposits together, then head east to Anvil Hill’s lower edges and riverbed. From there, extend north to the Unicorn Cliffs path and follow it through to the quarry for the largest cluster of nodes on the route. A full loop regularly yields 10 to 20 or more deposits
- Let your Dog companion help: If you have unlocked the Dog companion through early side quests or exploration, it automatically picks up fallen ore chunks, which removes the risk of losing pieces that roll away after a deposit breaks
- Watch your map markers: Mined deposits receive permanent markers on your map. When a deposit respawns after roughly 7 in-game days, its marker reactivates. Checking your map before a farming run tells you immediately which nodes are ready
Buying Iron Ore as a Supplement
Mining is the primary way to gather Iron Ore, however you can also purchase small amounts from vendors when deposits are on cooldown or you need to bridge a gap quickly.
| Vendor | Stock | Price | Availability |
| Rhett’s Equipment Shop, Hernand | Around 3 Iron Ore | 18 Coins each | Restocks every 2 to 3 in-game days |
| Mineral Vendors | Around 6 Iron Ore each | 18 Coins each | Unlock after liberating Cairn House (north of Hernand) and Karin Quarry (northeast, tied to the Stolen Quarry side quest in Chapter 2) |
Vendor stock is not infinite, so purchasing works best as an emergency top-up rather than a primary farming method. However, once Cairn House and Karin Quarry become accessible, the Mineral Vendors there provide a meaningful supplement alongside your regular mining runs.
What to Do With Iron Ore After Mining
Once you have collected Iron Ore, take it to a Blacksmith to begin upgrading your weapons and armour. The Blacksmith in Hernand is one of the earliest accessible crafting NPCs in the game and covers all the basic refinement options you need in the opening hours. Iron Ore feeds directly into weapon and armour upgrades, and the stronger the gear you want to build, the more ore you will need to keep on hand.
Leave a Reply