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Where To Find Iron In Dwarf Fortress

Where To Find Iron In Dwarf Fortress

Dwarf Fortress features plenty of resources and items for players to upgrade their gear but what becomes tedious is finding the right resources to revamp your armor and weapons. To be specific, we’re talking about Iron.

Go through the Magnetite, Limonite, and Hematite Ores to extract Iron in Dwarf Fortress. Alternatively, you can revamp the Parameters to find more Iron Ore. Go through the different Sedimentary Layers until you’re prompted with Iron Ore at the bottom of the screen, and then extract Iron Bars at the Mealsmith’s Forge.

What’s so special about Iron is the fact that it can be traded or used to craft weapons, armor, furniture, and even goods. You could go the route of upgrading it to steel which can be used for various other purposes too and there are alloys. 

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How to Get Iron in Dwarf Fortress?

Mining Iron Dwarf Fortress

So, there’s a lot that you can do with Iron in Dwarf Fortress but how on Earth do you get your hands on this precious commodity in the game world?

Find it in Different Ores

Getting your hands on Iron is not as direct and simple as one would expect. The only way you can get your hands on Iron is to extract it from different types of Ores found around in Dwarf Fortress. A few Ores that are rich in Iron are listed below:

  • Magnetite
  • Hematite
  • Limonite

Sift Through the Sedimentary Layers

To get your hands on these Ores, you’ll have to go through the Sedimentary Layers found within the game. The Sedimentary Layer is the first layer found under the soil. But going deeper, you might wind up finding Hematite Ores in the Igneous Extrusive Layers. These are many including the Obsidian, Andesite, Dacite, Basalt, and Rhyolite Layers.

So, how do you know you’ve come across Iron? Well once you come across Iron in Dwarf Fortress, you’ll be prompted that you’ve hit upon Iron Ore.

Change up The Parameters

Changing Parameters in Dwarf Fortress

You can also change up your parameters to possibly increase your chances of striking Iron in the game. You’ll have to select the Find Desirable Location Option for this. The following parameters might help you increase your chances of finding this precious resource.

  • Shallow Metal: Multiple
  • Drainage: Multiple or High
  • Flux Stone Layer: Yes
  • Elevation: Medium

Go Through the Different Sedimentary Layers

Still, there’s no guarantee you’ll increase your chances of hitting upon Iron by changing up these Parameters. But you can still navigate through the different layers in Dwarf Fortress to come across Iron. Here’s a compiled list of all the different Sedimentary Layers where you might find Iron:

  • Rock Salt
  • Conglomerate
  • Claystone
  • Sandstone
  • Siltstone
  • Mudstone
  • Shale
  • Chert
  • Chalk
  • Dolomite

Head Over to the Mealsmith’s Forge

Getting Items at the Mealsmith's Forge

Going through all the steps mentioned above, you’ll increase your chances of coming across Iron Ore in Dwarf Fortress. Once it’s all said and done, and you find enough Iron Ore for your escapades, you can smelter Iron Ore by heading over to the Mealsmith’s Forge.

By smelting a single Iron Ore, you’ll get your hands on a total of Four Iron Bars. Now comes the easy part. You can use these Iron Bars to craft different weapons and armor pieces to improve your Dwarf Fortress experience.


Conclusion

And that’s pretty much all you need to know to start looking for Iron Ore in Dwarf Fortress. But that’s not all, we’ve got more interesting guides to enhance your gaming experience. So, stay tuned for more!