Foothills Iron Ore is the second-tier metal ore in Windrose, gathered from natural quarries in the Foothills biome. Players progress from Copper to Foothills Iron as their first major metal tier step, which unlocks the Iron Pickaxe tier required for mining Sulfur.
Location
Foothills Iron Ore appears in rocky outcrops and natural quarries scattered across Foothills islands. These islands sit southeast of the starting area and feature elevated terrain, distinct from the coastal jungle. Players typically reach the Foothills after completing the starter naval quests and establishing a stable Copper-tier production pipeline at their home base.
Gathering
Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
Tool required | Copper Pickaxe or better (upgrade at Workbench) |
Biome | |
Stack size | 15 |
Respawn | Respawns in natural quarries after full depletion |
Smelting
Foothills Iron Ore is processed at a Smelting Furnace into Foothills Iron Ingot. The recipe is 3 Foothills Iron Ore + 1 Charcoal = 1 Foothills Iron Ingot, with a smelt time of 30 seconds at a standard furnace or 15 seconds at the Large Smelting Furnace. Running a Large Smelting Furnace pays off once iron volumes rise.
Why It Matters
Iron is the gateway to the late mid-game. Iron Pickaxes (crafted from Iron Ingots) are the only tool tier that can mine Sulfur, which is required for gunpowder crafting at the Millstone. Iron is also needed for the Toolbox (Workbench tier-3 upgrade), the Anvil (Weaponsmith upgrade), and many weapon recipes. Without Iron, gunpowder remains purely lootable rather than craftable, keeping players dependent on pirate camp runs for ranged-weapon ammo.
See Also
Foothills Iron Ingot - smelted product
Resources - all gathering activities
Procedural Biomes - biome progression