Pax Dei: How To Make Steel – Full Crafting Walkthrough
Steel is the backbone of progress in Pax Dei. You'll need it for advanced tools, weapons, armor, and building components. Without a steady supply of steel, you'll be stuck using inferior materials and lagging behind other players. This guide will walk you through the entire process of crafting steel in Pax Dei, from gathering the raw materials to firing up your bloomery. Let's get started!
This isn't a quick process, but the rewards are well worth the effort. Steel allows you to craft significantly better gear, opening up new possibilities for exploration, resource gathering, and even defense of your homestead. Prepare for some mining and crafting, and soon you'll be producing steel like a pro.
1. Gathering the Raw Materials: Iron Ore and Charcoal
The first step is acquiring the necessary raw materials: Iron Ore and Charcoal.
Iron Ore: Iron ore is found in mountainous regions. Look for dark-colored rocks with a metallic sheen. You'll need a pickaxe to mine it. Higher quality pickaxes will yield more ore per swing and break less often, so invest in a good one as soon as possible. Remember to check the weight of the ore; carrying too much will slow you down.
Charcoal: Charcoal is produced by burning wood in a controlled environment. You'll need a Charcoal Kiln for this. To build a Charcoal Kiln, you'll need basic building materials like stone and wood. Once built, load the kiln with wood and ignite it. The process takes time, so plan ahead and keep your kiln stocked. Different types of wood will yield varying amounts of charcoal, so experiment to find the most efficient options in your area.
Tip: Consider setting up your charcoal kiln near your wood source to minimize travel time. Also, build multiple kilns to increase charcoal production.
2. Building a Bloomery
The Bloomery is the furnace used to smelt iron ore into Wrought Iron, the precursor to steel.
Crafting the Bloomery: The Bloomery requires stone and clay. The crafting recipe will be available once you have the necessary crafting skill level. Place the Bloomery in a suitable location, preferably near your iron ore and charcoal storage.
Location Matters: Consider placing your bloomery in a well-ventilated area to avoid smoke buildup. While not explicitly simulated in-game, it adds to the immersion and can help you organize your crafting area.
3. Smelting Iron Ore into Wrought Iron
Now that you have your Bloomery, it's time to smelt iron ore into wrought iron.
Loading the Bloomery: Load the Bloomery with alternating layers of iron ore and charcoal. The exact ratio might vary slightly depending on the quality of your ore and charcoal, so experiment to find the optimal balance. A good starting point is a 1:1 ratio by weight.
Igniting the Bloomery: Once loaded, ignite the Bloomery. This process takes time, and you'll need to monitor the temperature. The Bloomery interface will display the temperature and progress.
Temperature Management: Maintaining the correct temperature is crucial for successful smelting. Too low, and the ore won't melt properly. Too high, and you risk damaging the Bloomery. Adjust the amount of charcoal to control the temperature.
Removing the Bloom: Once the smelting process is complete, you'll have a "bloom" of wrought iron. This is a spongy mass of iron mixed with slag.
4. Working the Wrought Iron
The bloom of wrought iron needs to be worked to remove impurities and consolidate the metal. This is where the Anvil and Hammer come into play.
Heating the Bloom: Reheat the bloom in a forge or fire pit. This makes the iron more malleable.
Hammering: Place the heated bloom on the anvil and begin hammering. The goal is to compress the iron, remove slag, and shape it into a usable form. This requires skill and patience. The more you hammer, the stronger and more refined the wrought iron becomes.
Creating Wrought Iron Ingots: Continue hammering until you have formed wrought iron ingots. These ingots are the building blocks for steel.
5. Carburization: Turning Wrought Iron into Steel
Wrought iron is low in carbon content. To turn it into steel, you need to increase the carbon content through a process called carburization.
Building a Carburization Furnace: You'll need a specific type of furnace designed for carburization. The crafting recipe will become available as you progress your crafting skills. This furnace is usually smaller and more specialized than the Bloomery.
Packing the Furnace: Place the wrought iron ingots into the carburization furnace, surrounded by a carbon-rich material like bone ash or specific types of charcoal. The exact material and packing method might be specified in the game's crafting recipes.
Firing the Furnace: Seal the furnace and fire it. The heat will cause the carbon to diffuse into the wrought iron, increasing its carbon content and transforming it into steel. This is a slow process, often taking several in-game days.
Cooling and Testing: Once the carburization process is complete, carefully cool the furnace. The steel ingots are now ready for use. You can test the quality of the steel by crafting a simple tool or weapon.
6. Refining the Steel (Optional)
The steel produced through carburization might not be of the highest quality. You can further refine it through processes like pattern welding or crucible steelmaking, but these are advanced techniques that require specialized equipment and skills. These techniques are not explicitly implemented in the current version of Pax Dei.
Common Mistakes and Tips
Running out of Charcoal: Always have a surplus of charcoal on hand. Nothing is more frustrating than having to stop smelting because you ran out of fuel.
Poor Temperature Control: Pay close attention to the temperature of your Bloomery and Carburization Furnace. Overheating or underheating can ruin your materials.
Ignoring Tool Quality: Invest in high-quality tools as soon as possible. They will save you time and resources in the long run.
Location, Location, Location: Optimize the location of your crafting stations to minimize travel time between resource nodes and crafting areas.
Experimentation is Key: Don't be afraid to experiment with different ratios of materials and techniques. The game may have subtle nuances that aren't immediately obvious.
Conclusion
Crafting steel in Pax Dei is a challenging but rewarding process. It requires careful planning, resource management, and a bit of patience. By following this guide, you'll be well on your way to producing high-quality steel and unlocking the advanced crafting options that come with it. Now get out there, gather your resources, and start forging your path to mastery! Remember to always be learning and adapting your methods as you uncover new techniques and resources within the world of Pax Dei.