Iron is one of the mid-game metals that you can obtain in Valheim, and it usually comes after the Bronze-tier and is part of progression in the game.
You will gain access to Iron once you have defeated the third boss, The Elder, who will drop a Swamp Key to access Sunken Crypts.
You can start mining for Iron through the Sunken Crypts, but this does come with challenges as you will be facing enemies from the Swamp biome.
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How to Farm Iron?
You will mostly farm Iron from the Swamp biome, and this can come in the form of Scrap Iron from Sunken Crypts or as Iron Ore which you can find buried in the Swamp biome itself.
You will mainly be able to obtain Scrap Iron first, and only after defeating Bonemass, the third boss, will you be able to use a wishbone to get Iron in the Swamp biome.
Muddy Scrap Piles in Sunken Crypt
Once you have defeated The Elder, you should obtain its Swamp Keys and use them to open up Sunken Crypts found in the Swamp biome.
These keys can be used an unlimited number of times and remain in your inventory no matter how many times they are used.
You will not be able to open a Sunken Crypt if you do not have the Swamp Key in your inventory, and losing it may require you to find more.
As you find yourself inside the Sunken Crypt after accessing it, you will find that the passages are blocked with Muddy Scrap Piles.
You can use your pickaxe to break these, providing you with Scrap Iron and other minor resources you can use later on.
One of the other resources you can find is the Withered Bone used to summon Bonemass for its boss fight.
For more information about the Swamp Key, check out our guide on How To Get Swamp Key in Valheim.
Hidden Muddy Scrap Piles in Swamp Biome
After defeating Bonemass, an item known as a Wishbone will be dropped, and every player around can get one to use it to find hidden items.
The Wishbone will allow you to find hidden items that are not visible to the naked eye, and these are mostly found underground.
Using the Wishbone, you can find hidden Muddy Scrap Piles in the Swamp biome and sometimes may even find them in the Plains biomes.
For more information on the Wishbone item, check out our How to Use Wishbone Guide in Valheim Guide.
How To Find Sunken Crypt?
Sunken Crypts can easily be found by wandering around the Swamp biome, but you should be careful as there will be many enemies such as Skeletons, Draugr, Blobs, and annoying Leeches.
Leeches, Blobs, and Oozers are known to deal a lot of poison damage, making it important to stay out of the water, away from Blobs and Oozers, and even bring Poison Resistance Mead.
The Sunken Crypts are distinguishable by an underground structure with a gate blocking its path and two Green Torches on each side.
Simply use your Swamp Key to open this gate, and you may then explore the insides of this dungeon to farm a limited amount of Scrap Irons.
How To Get Swamp Key?
The Swamp Key can be obtained by defeating The Elder, the second boss, which is important for progressing to the Swamp biome.
Without the Swamp Key, you will not gain access to the Sunken Crypts, and searching for Iron in the Swamp biome without a Wishbone is also futile.
It is important to get your Swamp Key by defeating The Elder and using it to unlock Sunken Crypts and farm the resources inside it.
Best Way to Farm Iron Ore
You are pretty much stuck with farming Sunken Crypts until you defeat Bonemass, and you can pretty much only do this with a good amount of gear and poison resistance.
Once you defeat Bonemass, you might already have a full set of Iron equipment and will no longer need to further upgrade your items unless you plan to max all their levels.
Farming is easier with the Wishbone, but your best bet is to farm inside the Sunken Crypts as there are enemies, chests, and Muddy Scrap Piles that offer plenty of Scrap Iron.
Iron Uses
Iron is used for more than just its weapons and armor, it is also used for other building requirements and other higher-tier equipment that have Iron recipes involved.
The Following are the uses for Iron:
Armor
- Banded Shield
- Iron Greaves
- Iron Helmet
- Iron Scale mail
- Iron Tower shield
- Padded Cuirass
- Padded Greaves
- Padded Helmet
- Serpent Scale Shield
Weapons
- Ancient Bark Spear
- Battleaxe
- Huntsman Bow
- Iron Atgeir
- Iron Axe
- Iron Mace
- Iron Pickaxe
- Iron Sledge
- Iron Sword
- Porcupine
- Silver Sword
Misc
- Iron Nails
- Ironhead Arrow
Crafting Upgrade
- Forge Toolrack
- Smith’s Anvil
- Tool Shelf
Building
- Blast Furnace
- Iron Gate
- Personal Chest
- Reinforced Chest
- Standing Green-Burning Iron Torch
- Standing Iron Torch
- Stonecutter
- Wood Iron Beam
- Wood Iron Pole
Verdict
Transitioning from Bronze to Iron can be hard for some players because of the difficulty of the Swamp biome’s enemies.
It is important that you steadily farm the resources within Sunken Crypts before trying to further avoid dying a lot and losing your items.
Once you gain your Swamp Key, you will be able to farm Iron and start crafting all of the Iron-tier equipment you need.
The Wishbone is also needed for farming Silver which is also hidden, but you can still use it to mine Iron if there are items you need to craft or other structures you need to build.
