What Should I Do With Iridium Ore?
Iridium ore is one of the most coveted resources in both Stardew Valley and Borderlands 3, though its use cases and acquisition methods differ significantly in each game. In this article, we will primarily focus on Iridium Ore within the context of Stardew Valley, detailing how best to utilize this precious resource.
In Stardew Valley, Iridium is a high-tier crafting material, crucial for progressing in the late game. It’s needed for upgrading your tools to their ultimate form, creating some of the most powerful items, and maximizing your farm’s efficiency. The absolute best use for your first few iridium bars should be to craft Iridium Sprinklers and then, focus on making crystalariums to duplicate Jade for staircase access to Skull Cavern. This is the optimal strategy to help you get more Iridium ore, which in turn can be used to craft more sprinklers, tools, and other powerful items.
Prioritizing Your Iridium Spending
While it can be tempting to use your first iridium on a variety of items, strategically prioritizing is key to maximizing your farm’s progression and your character’s capabilities. Here’s a breakdown of what you should focus on:
Initial Iridium Use: Sprinklers and Crystalariums
The first few pieces of iridium should absolutely be allocated towards making Iridium Sprinklers. These sprinklers have a significant advantage over their counterparts, as they can automatically water 24 tiles each day, saving you valuable time and energy that you can better utilize elsewhere. Next, focus on acquiring the recipe for Crystalariums. Craft these as soon as possible since they will be used to duplicate Jade, which will be used for the crafting of staircases.
Iridium Tool Upgrades
Once you have a stable supply of sprinklers, your focus should shift towards upgrading your tools. An Iridium Pickaxe is particularly important as it significantly increases the speed at which you can mine and is essential for efficiently navigating the Skull Cavern. An Iridium Watering Can is also beneficial, allowing you to water a larger area quickly, further automating your farm. The other tools are beneficial, but not essential in the early to mid game.
Essential Iridium Crafting
With tools upgraded, and Crystalariums producing Jade, it’s time to focus on crafting essential items such as the Iridium Band. This powerful ring offers combined benefits of an Attack Buff, Damage Resistance, and increased Magnetism, making exploration and combat much easier.
Long-Term Iridium Goals
Once you have established a self-sustaining supply of iridium, you should be able to quickly obtain all the tools, rings, and sprinklers you need. Here are a few tips to help with long-term goals:
Maximizing Income
Once your production is automated, Crystalariums should be used to produce diamonds, ruby, or any other valuable gem that you can use to increase the amount of money you are making. This will help to acquire all the late-game items.
The End Game
Iridium is required for some of the end-game buildings and items. Specifically, the Golden Clock, which costs a whopping 10 million gold. This is the ultimate goal to strive for, and will require a substantial amount of Iridium along the way.
Frequently Asked Questions About Iridium
Here are some frequently asked questions to further guide your Iridium usage:
1. Is it better to upgrade my pickaxe or make sprinklers first?
Generally, making Iridium Sprinklers should be the first priority, as the time saved on watering vastly outweighs the increased speed from the Iridium Pickaxe. Following this, upgrade your pickaxe to navigate the skull caverns faster, which will help to obtain even more iridium ore.
2. Can I use iridium ore in the Crystalarium?
No, the Crystalarium only clones geode minerals and gemstones (except for prismatic shard). Neither iridium ore nor iridium bars can be duplicated.
3. Where is the best place to find iridium ore?
The Skull Cavern is by far the most reliable place to find Iridium Ore. Also, Omni and Magma Geodes sometimes contain Iridium Ore, and the Travelling Cart may occasionally sell the ore or bars, though at higher prices.
4. How long does it take to smelt Iridium ore into a bar?
It takes 8 in-game hours to smelt 5 Iridium ore and 1 Coal into an Iridium Bar.
5. Is it worth it to buy Iridium ore from Clint?
Clint sells Iridium Ore at inflated prices. It’s generally not worth buying it from him unless you are desperate, or are working on end-game goals and have plenty of gold.
6. Should I sell Iridium Milk?
It depends on your profession. If you are an Artisan, it’s better to cheese it; otherwise, it’s better to sell it raw.
7. Is the Iridium Rod worth buying?
Yes, the Iridium Rod is highly worth its price, especially if you want to catch all the fish and complete the fishing portion of the game.
8. Is Iridium cheese worth the time?
Yes, if you are an Artisan, Iridium quality cheese doubles the base sell price, making it a valuable item to produce.
9. Can I get unlimited Iridium Ore?
While not officially intended, there is a known exploit with the statue of perfection that allows an unlimited supply of Iridium Ore. Look up “Statue of Perfection exploit” to find more information.
10. In what order should I upgrade my tools in Stardew Valley?
A common method for tool upgrades is Pickaxe to copper, then steel, followed by a watering can upgrade, then the hoe. Upgrade your axe to obtain hardwood. Then hoe and pickaxe to iridium. Water can and trash can to iridium as you obtain more ore.
11. What is the most valuable item in Stardew Valley?
The most expensive single item in the game is the Gold Clock, costing 10,000,000 gold.
12. How rare is Iridium ore?
Iridium ore is **very rare** and primarily found in the **Skull Cavern**, as well as occasionally within geodes and from the Travelling Cart.
13. What does the iridium watering can do?
The **Iridium Watering Can** can water a 6x3 tile area in front of you, making watering a large area efficient and less time consuming.
14. Is the Iridium Band worth crafting?
Yes, the **Iridium Band** is one of the best rings in the game, combining attack damage, defense, and magnetism into one item. It's a must-have for late game farming.
15. How much is iridium ore worth if sold?
Iridium ore is generally not sold as it has far more valuable uses when crafted into bars and then into more valuable objects. If sold, the selling price is generally inconsistent, fluctuating based on the day and the location.