Overview
Ore is one of the most important raw materials in Crimson Desert, used to Craft weapons, plate armor, metal shields, and jewelry. This guide covers how to get your first pickaxe, how to use it, and alternative methods for breaking ore deposits that are hard to reach.
Getting a Pickaxe
There are several ways to get your hands on a pickaxe:
Method | Details |
|---|---|
Rhett's Quest (free) | Check the notice board in central Hernand for Rhett's Request. Complete the quest and receive a pickaxe as a reward. The quest asks you to bring 2 Iron Ores. |
Provisioner's Shop | Buy one from the Provisioner's Shop in Hernand for 31 Copper. The shop is marked on the map with a bottle icon. |
Found in the world | Abandoned pickaxes can be found at random camps and locations throughout Pywel. |
Defeat the Marni's Excavation boss in Karin Quarry to obtain this premium mining tool. |
How to Equip the Pickaxe
Open your inventory and transfer the pickaxe to your hotbar by pressing A (Xbox) or Square (PlayStation).
In the field, hold Left on the D-Pad to open the equipment radial wheel.
Select the pickaxe with L1/LB and R1/RB to cycle through your tools.
The pickaxe is now in your hands and ready to use.
Mining Ore Deposits
Ore deposits look like distinctly colored or glowing rock formations attached to cliff faces, cave walls, and mountainsides. Walk up to a deposit and you will see a light blue highlight appear on the rock when you are in range.
Aim at the highlighted rock by pressing and holding L1/LB (controller) or the aim key (keyboard).
Swing the pickaxe with R1/RB (controller) or the attack key.
Each deposit typically yields up to 2 ores of that mineral type.
Different colored rocks yield different materials. Iron Ore comes from dark grey deposits, Copper Ore from reddish-brown deposits, and rarer minerals from deposits found deeper in caves and higher up on mountain faces.
Alternative: Force Palm
Some ore deposits sit high up on walls where a pickaxe cannot reach. For these, you have two options:
Force Palm (R3 on controller, Mouse Wheel on PC): Climb up to the deposit and use Force Palm to shatter it. You can also use Force Palm three times consecutively mid-air to reach high spots.
Charged Shot (hold R2/RT while aiming your bow): Fire a charged arrow at the distant ore deposit to break it from range.
Both methods destroy the deposit and drop the ore for you to pick up.
Where to Find Ore
Ore deposits are concentrated at the outskirts of regions, in mountain ranges, and inside caves throughout Pywel.
The area around Hernand has several easily accessible iron deposits near cliff faces and quarry sites.
Later regions like Demeniss offer higher-tier ore deposits.
Merchants also sell Iron Ore and Copper Ore if you prefer to buy rather than mine.
What Ore is Used For
Ore is the backbone of the Crafting and Refinement systems:
Weapon crafting and refinement at the blacksmith (Iron Ore, Copper Ore)
Plate armor construction and upgrades
Metal shields crafting
Jewelry production
Selling for profit: high-priced ores are one of the best early-game money makers
Tips
Always keep a pickaxe in your inventory. They are cheap and essential.
A Logging Axe is equally important for gathering Timber, which shields and some gear upgrades require.
Mine while traveling between quest objectives. Ore deposits respawn over time, so you will never run out.
See the full Mining article for a complete list of ore types and advanced mining details.