Crimson Desert Resource Gathering Guide: Where to Find Iron, Copper, and Timber
Swinging a rusty blade at a mountain troll is a fantastic way to end up dead, which is exactly why you need to start hoarding raw materials.
Pywel is a harsh continent that demands constant preparation. You cannot rely on looting dead bandits forever if you want to survive the mid game. To keep your armor thick and your weapons lethal, you are going to need a massive stockpile of Iron Ore, Copper Ore, and Timber. The game barely explains how to acquire the tools needed to harvest these materials, let alone where to find them in the wild. I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to chop down a tree with a broadsword before I realized the actual mechanics. Here is exactly how to strip the land of its natural resources and keep your gear fully refined.
Acquiring the Right Tools
Before you go running into the woods, you need the proper equipment. Your standard weapons will not cut it for resource gathering, and punching rocks is heavily frowned upon.
The Pickaxe and Logging Axe
You need to purchase dedicated gathering tools. The easiest place to do this is in Hernand, the major starting city. Look for the Provisioner's Shop, which is located just down the road from the tavern where you participate in the arm wrestling competition.
The vendor here sells a Pickaxe for 31 copper coins and a Logging Axe for 29 copper coins. If you are entirely broke and cannot even afford that, take a quick detour and read my guide on how to make money fast. Alternatively, you can get a free logging axe just by talking to the Hernand blacksmith, and you can acquire a pickaxe by completing Rhett's Request, an early side quest in the city.
Once you own the tools, you have to equip them. Open your equipment menu and look at the top left slot where your weapons and lantern go. Cycle through until your desired tool is selected.
Sourcing Iron Ore
Iron is the absolute backbone of your armory. You need it for almost every meaningful weapon and heavy armor upgrade in the game.
Mining the Mountains
The primary way to gather Iron Ore is by mining veins along the rocky cliffs and mountainsides. You will find plenty of these deposits around the Hernand City starting area. They are very distinct. You are looking for rock formations with an onyx black color.
When you approach an iron deposit, equip your pickaxe and hold the aim button to bring up a targeting reticle. You want the circle to turn blue, indicating a solid lock on the ore. Hit the attack button to swing the pickaxe. A few solid strikes will break the rock, dropping Iron Ores directly onto the ground for you to collect. Be careful on steep inclines, as the ore chunks can physically roll down the mountain away from you.
Buying Iron with Silver
If you hate mining, you can just buy the metal. Rhett, the equipment vendor in Hernand, usually carries a stock of three Iron Ores for 18 coins apiece.
For a larger supply, you need to find specialized Mineral Shops. You gain access to these by liberating Cairn House and the Karin Quarry, which are located north and northeast of Hernand. Mineral Shops carry a higher stock of six Iron Ores, also priced at 18 coins each. Both Rhett and the Mineral Shops restock their inventory after two or three in-game days. You can sleep at a campfire or a bed to fast forward the clock and force a restock.
Tracking Down Copper Ore
Copper is slightly more elusive than iron but just as vital for mixing alloys and upgrading specific weapon tiers.
Spotting the Green Tint
Copper Ore veins are also located on the sides of cliffs, but they blend in a bit more than iron. You need to keep your eyes peeled for rocks with a distinct greenish tint. They share the base color of the mountain they are embedded into, but that green hue is your giveaway.
If you are struggling to find a solid farming spot early on, head directly south of Hernand to the Goldenfist Arena. If you walk along the northern side of the river located just south-west of the arena, you will spot a reliable copper vein sitting about halfway up the cliff face. It is easy to reach and relatively safe to mine.
Once you have a healthy supply of copper and iron, you need to actually put it to use. My guide on weapon and armor upgrades explains the exact refinement process at the smithy.
Deforesting Pywel for Timber
Shields and bows require a ridiculous amount of wood to maintain, so you will need to get comfortable playing lumberjack.
The Chopping Process
Finding trees is obviously not a problem. Finding out how to harvest them correctly is the real trick. Equip your Logging Axe and approach a tree. Use the same targeting controls you use for mining. Hold the aim button until the reticle turns blue. If the reticle is red, your positioning is wrong and Kliff will just swing at empty air.
It takes exactly three swings to fell a standard tree. Make sure you step back when it drops, because the physics engine will absolutely punish you if a massive oak lands on your head. Once the tree is on the ground, you need to chop the trunk again to break it into smaller segments. Finally, chop those individual segments to yield Timber and Fine Timber.
Wood is incredibly heavy and stacks up fast. If you are constantly hitting your carrying capacity while logging, check my inventory space guide to learn how to expand your pockets.
The Magic Shortcut
If manually swinging an axe or a pickaxe feels too tedious, the game offers a highly destructive alternative once you progress the main story.
Force Palm and Force Current
You do not actually need tools if you have raw magical energy. You can use your Force Palm ability, or the ranged Force Current explosion, to instantly blow up ore deposits and shatter trees.
This is a massive time saver. Instead of going through the three step chopping animation for a tree, you just blast it with energy and collect the timber. Using these abilities drains your stamina and spirit, but it is infinitely more satisfying than manual labor. These combat abilities are essential for survival anyway. Read my breakdown of the best early skills to unlock to see exactly why you should be investing in them immediately.
