Icarus is a new survival game that occupies a similar genre space to the likes of ARK: Survival Evolved. You get plopped onto a remote location and have to survive. You need to build shelter, find food and more. But when you get to more advanced tools and shelter, you need more than just sticks and plant fibers. Once you’ve got your iron industry going, you want to make sure you have a good reserve of Iron ingots. You can then use this to make Steel in Icarus.
How to make steel in Icarus
Steel in Icarus is pretty basic, but does take some effort to get. The Steel Ingot is one of the most complex early-game items you need to make. Keep in mind that you need to gather the basic Sticks, Fiber, Stone and Wood without tools. But once you get your first Pickaxes and Axes unlocked via research, you should switch to those. Although be warned, you need to be at least level 20 to unlock the full production process, so focus on getting resources and food in the early game.
Making Steel in Icarus is a multi-step process that invovles getting a bit into the game. Here’s the process you need to use.
- Reach level 10 and unlock Tier 2 in the Tech Tree.
- Unlock the Mortar and Pestle research (Requires 4 Silica and 12 Stone).
- Unlock the Steel Bloom Research (Requires level 20, 6 Iron Ore, and 1 Coal Ore.
- Make yourself a Crafting Bench, which can be made from the Basic Crafting menu with 12 Fiber, 20 Sticks, 50 Wood, and 12 Stone.
- Craft a Stone Furnace (Requires 4 Sticks, 12 Wood, 80 Stone, and 12 Leather).
- Place your Steel Bloom into the Stone Furnace to make Steel Ingots.
You don’t need to invest too much into basic infrastructure right away. These are the two basic tools you need to make Steel Bloom, which then becomes Ingots. Once you have the resources and the crafting stations available, head over to your Mortal and Pestle to craft the Steel Bloom. Then take that Steel Bloom to your Furnace and smelt it.
The Stone Pickaxe uses the following materials:
- 10 Fiber
- 4 Stick
- 6 Stone
The Stone Furnace uses the following materials:
- 4 Stick
- 12 Wood
- 80 Stone
- 12 Leather
Now, you need to focus on turning that Steel Bloom into actual Steel Ingots. Steel Ingot is obtained by smelting 1 Steel Bloom in either the Stone Furnace, Concrete Furnace or Electric Furnace, The higher-tier furnaces can smelt it faster, so it’s a more efficient use of your time.
Where to find Coal and Metal Ore in Icarus
Iron, Coal and other basic ores are often found in caves. Players should be wary when entering caves, as enemy mobs can spawn there. Keep in mind that ore deposits are also not infinite. You will eventually have to seek out other sources of any ore in the game. So try and map out a few caves after you have built your first base. Knowing where nearby resources are is a huge help.
It might help to build a chest, sleeping spot and torch inside any caves you find to mark them. This can help with figuring out where you have been before. And you really want to keep track of where the best caves are. Many different metals will be used in the game to make advanced items.
You can find the following ores in caves in Icarus:
- Iron Ore
- Copper Ore
- Aluminium Ore
- Platinum Ore
- Titanium Ore
- Gold
- Coal
It’s a good idea to setup a base outside of the biggest cave you find, complete with a smelter, shelter and a fire. This will make it much easier to refine your iron into steel. You can also make extra ammo to help deal with hostile mobs. You will need Iron and Steel in Icarus to make arrows, bullets and more.