How To Make Hardened Steel In Conan Exiles: Complete Tier 3 Metal Crafting Guide

Hardened Steel is an essential Tier 3 structural and weapon material in Conan Exiles required to forge end-game armaments like the Star Metal Greatsword precursors and impenetrable base-building components. Mastering this metallurgical workflow demands a systematic supply chain utilizing an improved furnace, steel reinforcement, brimstone, and black ice.

Pre-Operation & Equipment Checklist

Producing Hardened Steel requires transitioning from early-game iron and standard steel into the rigorous chemistry of the Exiled Lands. Success relies on gathering specific high-tier resources from hazardous biomes like the Unnamed City, the Volcano foothills, and the Frozen North.

• Essential Equipment & Tools: Improved Furnace or higher (Black Ice Furnace), Iron Pick or Obsidian Pick for mining, Alchemist's Bench for refining components.
• Raw Materials Inventory: Steel Bars (produced from Iron Reinforcement and Brimstone), Brimstone (mined from Sinner's Refuge, Unnamed City, or Salt Lake), Black Ice (harvested from the northern mountains around the Temple of Frost), and Tar (collected from tanners).
• Prerequisite Knowledge & Benchmarks: Character Level 30+, unlocked Hardened Steel feat via the Armourer or Blacksmith knowledge tree, and a secured base situated near transport routes due to heavy carry-weight encumbrance.
• Duration & Resource Benchmarks: Initial processing takes approximately 10 to 15 real-time minutes per batch of 100 bars, depending on fuel type (optimized with Dry Wood or Oil).

Step-by-Step Hardened Steel Production Workflow

Step 1: Secure and Refine Raw Iron Into Standard Steel Bars

Before you can make Hardened Steel, you must produce standard Steel. Mine rich nodes of Iron Ore using your best available pick, then smelt the ore inside a Furnace to create Iron Bars. Combine these Iron Bars with shaped wood to forge Iron Reinforcement at a Bench. Next, gather Brimstone and Tar. Place Iron Bars and Tar into a Fluid Press or directly into a Cauldron/Alchemist bench workflow depending on your server settings, but for standard steel production, combine Steelfire (made from Tar and Brimstone) with Iron Reinforcement inside a standard Furnace.

Pro-Tip: Always use Tar from your tanneries alongside harvested Brimstone to maintain a steady stockpile of Steelfire, as running out of this catalytic agent stalls your entire Tier 3 upgrade path.

Step 2: Harvest High-Tier Black Ice From the Frozen North

Venture north past the Shattered Springs and into the harsh, freezing biome of the Frozen North. Locate jagged, shimmering blue-black nodes protruding from the snowfields and ice walls near the Temple of Frost. Mine these nodes using an Iron Pick, Steel Pick, or superior tool to extract Black Ice. Be mindful of thermal insulation; equip Vanir Fur Armor or consume spiced foods to prevent fatal hypothermia while harvesting.

Warning: Black Ice nodes are heavily guarded by aggressive wolves, sabertooths, and hostile Nordheimer NPCs. Clear the surrounding area before attempting long mining sessions to avoid inventory loss upon death.

Step 3: Configure the Improved Furnace for Smelting

Place an Improved Furnace or a Black Ice Furnace down inside your base. Access the furnace inventory interface to prepare for the final thermal conversion. Ensure you have loaded high-efficiency fuel into the furnace slots, such as Dry Wood, Coal, or preferably Oil, to maximize burn duration and minimize resource waste during the smelting process.

Step 4: Combine Steel and Black Ice for Hardened Steel Bars

Place your freshly crafted Steel Bars and harvested Black Ice into the fuel-fed Improved Furnace at a strict 1-to-1 ratio. Ignite the furnace. The intense heat causes the volatile properties of the Black Ice to alloy with the carbonized steel, transforming the mix into Hardened Steel Bars. Retrieve your finished bars and immediately deposit them into secure storage vaults.

Common Site Failures and Field Fixes

• Failure: The Furnace is consuming steel and black ice without producing hardened steel.
  
  
  • Root Cause: You are using a basic, starter-tier Furnace instead of an Improved Furnace, or you lack the Hardened Steel crafting feat unlocked in your character knowledge menu.
  • Actionable Fix: Upgrade your crafting station to an Improved Furnace or Black Ice Furnace and verify that your character has spent the required knowledge points on the corresponding blacksmithing tier.
• Failure: Excessive structural decay or weight encumbrance while transporting Black Ice.
  
  
  • Root Cause: Black Ice possesses a high individual item weight, quickly over-encumbering players and leaving them vulnerable to northern predators.
  • Actionable Fix: Bring a pack animal follower (like a Frostclaw or Bear) to store excess inventory, and utilize a horse to gallop swiftly out of the hazardous northern climate zones.
• Failure: Running out of fuel mid-smelt, halting production.
  
  
  • Root Cause: Using low-grade wood which burns out too quickly during lengthy multi-stack refining processes.
  • Actionable Fix: Switch your furnace fuel source to Coal, Dry Wood, or refined Oil to extend burn times exponentially and guarantee continuous production runs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What level do I need to be to make hardened steel in Conan Exiles?

You must reach character level 30 and unlock the corresponding Blacksmithing or Armourer feats within your knowledge tree. Additionally, you need to have already unlocked standard Steel production methods and secured an Improved Furnace.

Where is the best place to find Brimstone for steel production?

Brimstone is most abundantly found inside Sinner's Refuge cave in the southern riverlands, along the shores of the Unnamed City, and scattered around the toxic gas pillars at the Shattered Springs. Bring a breathing mask or veil if you visit the Shattered Springs.

Can I skip standard steel and make hardened steel directly?

No, the game's progression requires an absolute linear path. You must smelt iron into steel bars using steel fire before you can combine those finished steel bars with black ice in an improved furnace.

What are the primary uses for hardened steel once crafted?

Hardened Steel is primarily used to craft Tier 3 insulated wood and reinforced stone building pieces, heavy-duty repair kits, and baseline components for legendary weapons and advanced armor sets.

Optimize your base defenses and conquer end-game encounters today by securing your northern supply lines and forging your first batch of hardened steel.