Iron feeds early construction and factory expansion. A steady stock of ore and ingots makes it easier to add miners, belts, and processing capacity as your settlement grows.
PC / Global, Early Access
WHERE & HOW TO FARM
Where to farm
Exposed iron-bearing blocks near your starting area, or iron deposits revealed while excavating. Use the scanner and map to guide later searches.
Build an iron reserve in two stages: hand-mine exposed blocks to start, then automate a deposit once the relevant equipment and power are available. Keep ore and ingots identifiable so construction demand does not quietly consume the material you need for a new production line.
A smelter and its required input supply for processing
A matching miner, power, and conveyor for automated extraction
Mine an accessible patch of iron-bearing blocks and put the output in a dedicated iron container.
Feed a small batch into the smelter and inspect the result so you know the current build's output.
Keep a portion of the first ingots aside for machinery and transport rather than spending the entire batch.
Use the scanner or map when the nearby exposed blocks no longer meet demand, then excavate toward a marked deposit.
Clear the deposit face and check the miner's placement preview before installing it.
Connect power and a conveyor, initially sending the output to an iron buffer.
Once the buffer fills reliably, extend the line to the smelter and route ingots to their consumers.
Farming tips
Keep ore and ingot storage separate; it helps reveal whether extraction or processing is the bottleneck.
Reserve construction materials before directing surplus iron to other uses.
Repeat, collect and use
Hand mining and automated extraction can be repeated while accessible iron remains. Recheck the deposit and miner when the buffer stops receiving ore.
Common mistakes
Sending iron straight to several consumers can hide a shortage; add a visible buffer and prioritize essential construction.
Placing a miner before clearing its face can leave it unable to attach; expose the deposit and verify the placement indicator.
Scaling smelting before checking its output can create a backed-up line; test one input path and observe the result first.
When to stop or switch
Stop expanding iron extraction when your buffer meets current construction and production needs. Return to prospecting if it drains faster than the line can refill.
