How to Craft Steel Blades – Nightingale

Learn how to craft Steel Blades in Nightingale! This guide covers building the Blacksmith's Hearth, finding Iron Ore and Coal, and the step-by-step crafting process.

Alright, let's get you set up to craft some proper Steel Blades in Nightingale. This is a pretty crucial step for progressing your crafting game, so pay attention!

First things first, you absolutely need to build the Blacksmith’s Hearth at your base. Think of it as a big upgrade from the basic Brazier – it unlocks all those fancy Tier 3 (T3) crafting recipes you'll need. To get the recipe, you'll either need to visit an Essence Trader in an Ascended Forest Provisioner realm, or head over to The Watch and find the Miscellaneous Essence Trader there. You'll need T3 Essence to buy it from them, so if you're not sure how to get that, definitely check out our guide on The Watch.

Once you've got the recipe in hand, here's what you'll need to actually build the Blacksmith's Hearth:

• 10 Etched Iron Ingots
• 3 Shafts
• 1 Hammer Head
• 2 Metal Tips

Now, crafting the Shafts, Hammer Head, and Metal Tips themselves is pretty straightforward – you can use any type of ingot for those. The real challenge comes with the Etched Iron Ingots, because they require Iron Ore. And let me tell you, Iron Ore deposits aren't exactly scattered everywhere. You'll likely spend a good chunk of time searching for them. Your best bet is to look in Swamp realms, especially near the coasts or in those marshy, wet areas. Just be prepared for a bit of a grind; keep moving, keep checking every deposit you see, and hope for the best. You'll often find Zinc Ore nearby too, so keep an eye out for that.

On top of Iron Ore, you're going to need a good amount of Coal to make your Steel Ingots. Desert regions are your friend here, especially the caves within them. So, while you're out exploring, keep an eye out for those coal deposits. If you need more pointers on coal, we've got a dedicated guide for that too.

Okay, so you've got your Iron Ore and Coal (pro tip: aim for at least 80 of each to save yourself trips later), and you've built your Blacksmith's Hearth. Now for the good part!

With the Hearth built, you'll unlock the recipe for Steel Ingots. To craft one Steel Ingot, you'll need 2 Iron Ore and 2 Coal. Once you have your Steel Ingots, you can use them to craft Metal Plates (Steel). And here's the kicker: there isn't a separate recipe for Steel Blades. You simply select your steel Metal Plates when you're crafting regular blades, and they'll turn into Steel Blades!

Let's break down the total cost per Steel Blade:

• 1 Steel Blade requires 2 Metal Plates (Steel)
• 1 Metal Plate (Steel) requires 3 Steel Ingots
• 1 Steel Ingot requires 2 Iron Ore and 2 Coal

So, to craft just one Steel Blade, you're looking at needing a total of 12 Iron Ore and 12 Coal. Keep this number in mind when you're out gathering resources – you'll want to bring back plenty to make the crafting process smoother!