Iron Ore

Iron Ore is a common mining resource obtained by breaking Iron Nodes with a pickaxe. An Iron Node normally yields 1 to 3 Iron Ore, and the Miner profession can increase that amount. It is one of the main materials collected while progressing through the mid-game mines, and it is also available from several other sources outside the Mines.

Iron Ore appears most often in the Mines on floors 41–79, with especially abundant Iron Nodes on floors 71–79. It can also be found in the Quarry, the Quarry Mine, and the quarry areas on the Hill-top and Four Corners farm maps. In addition, it can appear on any floor of the Skull Cavern and the Volcano Dungeon. Other sources include tilling soil in the Mines, breakable crates and barrels in the Mines, Fishing Treasure Chests, panning, garbage cans outside the Blacksmith, recycling Trash, and the four kinds of Geode. It can also drop from Metal Heads on floors 81–119 of the Mines, Stone Golems on floors 31–39, and Iron Slimes.

There are a few additional ways to obtain Iron Ore without mining it directly. Clint’s shop at the Desert Festival can sell it for Calico Eggs, an Ice Pip Fish Pond can produce 5 Iron Ore once the pond population reaches 3, and the Traveling Cart may occasionally offer it for sale. It is also available from the Blacksmith in Year 1 and again in Year 2 and later.

Iron Ore is primarily important for smelting. In a Furnace, 5 Iron Ore and 1 Coal are smelted over 2 in-game hours to produce 1 Iron Bar. Since Iron Bars are used in many crafting recipes and upgrades, a steady supply of Iron Ore is valuable during the middle stages of the game.

Iron Ore also has a few other uses:

• It is requested in an Ice Pip Fish Pond quest, where 10 Iron Ore are needed to raise the pond’s capacity from 1 to 3.
• It can be used on the Sewing Machine spool to create the dyeable Turtleneck Sweater.

Because Iron Ore is tied to both mining progression and furnace production, it is worth stockpiling whenever you are clearing the mid-level Mines or exploring areas that can spawn nodes. Collecting extra ore early helps avoid running short when a large batch of Iron Bars is needed later.