In the harsh universe of Dune: Awakening, crafting is not a choice—it’s survival. As you delve deeper into the game, your initial tools and armour just won’t do. That’s when you’ll require Steel, a processed material that opens up heavier gear and increases your crafting potential. However, unlike basic resources such as wood or copper, steel requires some effort to obtain.
Let’s take you through everything you need to know about the efficient farming of steel, from raw material procurement to refining the final product.
Understanding What Steel Is and Why It Matters?
Steel becomes a central resource in mid- to late-game crafting. It’s necessary to create equipment that can survive in more challenging environments, against monsters, and in encounters. Whether you’re crafting better armour, upgraded tools, or building components for buildings, Steel is a foundation resource once you get past the beginning.
But Steel isn’t just going to be hanging out. To obtain it, you’ll need to mix several ingredients, purify them, and establish an effective gathering loop.
Gathering the Ingredients
To craft Steel in Dune: Awakening, you’ll require three primary components:
- Carbon Ore
- Iron Ingot
- Water
Each of them is derived from a different location within the game world or crafting system.
Carbon Ore
You can find this resource in the Eastern Vermillius Gap, a rocky region north of the starting area. The Carbon deposits are easy to recognise—they’re black rock piles with dark crystal-like formations sticking out.
- To mine them, you’ll need the Cutteray Mk2.
- However, not all Carbon needs to be mined.
- Often, you’ll find loose Carbon Ore scattered around these rock formations, and those can be picked up without tools.
- This makes Carbon one of the more accessible resources, now that you know where to find it.
Iron Ingot
You can’t mine this directly—you’ll need to process it yourself. Begin by locating ironstone heaps, which can also be found in the Eastern Vermillius Gap. These rock heaps are lighter in colour and white-veined, distinguishing them from other deposits.
Use a Cutteray Mk1 to break them down and collect the iron ore. Once you’ve got enough, take the ore back to your base and process it using a Small Ore Refinery. The catch? You’ll need Water to complete this refining step.
Water
This is a helpful asset in Dune: Awakening, not only for crafting but also for survival purposes. The most effective early-game way of getting Water is the Blood Purifier. You can scavenge the blood of enemies you’ve defeated, then purify it in the purifier to obtain Water.
It’s helpful and enables you to produce a constant supply if you’re constantly battling mobs. For producing Steel, all you need is 50ml—just be sure you’ve got some left over after consuming what you require.
Crafting the Steel
Once you’ve stocked up on Carbon Ore, processed your Iron Ingot, and acquired enough Water, it’s time to produce steel. Go to your Small Ore Refinery. You won’t need to move Water from the Blood Purifier—the refinery will keep track of it for the recipe.
Open the refinery’s menu and select the Steel Ingot option. Provided you have the necessary ingredients, you can set up the refining process right away. Your first Steel Ingot should be available shortly.
It may seem like a lot of steps at first, but once you’ve done it a few times, the process becomes second nature. You’ll eventually learn how to set up an efficient loop—mine some Carbon, break down Iron, process blood into Water, and let the refinery do the rest.
Tips for Streamlining the Process
To optimise your Steel farming cycle, place your base next to the Eastern Vermillius Gap. That way, you’re equidistant from Carbon and Iron deposits, which saves time. Additionally, have a Blood Purifier chugging in the background while you explore or battle enemies so you can have Water prepared whenever it’s time to produce.
Levelling up your gear will also assist. Cutteray Mk2 is a necessity for Carbon, but levelling up your overall equipment will accelerate the harvesting process and make it more secure to do in more dangerous areas.
Steel Farming in Dune: Awakening is not tricky, but it requires careful planning. You must harvest several components, process raw materials, and establish a routine that enables you to generate it on a regular basis. As soon as you know the drill, you will be able to craft tougher equipment and challenge more dangerous deserts on Arrakis.
