Carbon Ore shows up a bit later in the game. You won’t find it right out of the gate, and you’ll need some better gear before you can really start collecting it.
It’s super important once you hit the mid-game stage since it’s used to make Steel Ingots — which you’ll need for better weapons, stronger armor, and upgraded buildings.
What is Carbon Ore?
This stuff comes into play after you’ve moved past basic materials like Iron and Copper. It’s the main thing you need to start making Steel Ingots, and those open up a bunch of better gear — like Mk.3 tools and improved equipment. Every Steel Ingot takes 4 Carbon Ore, 1 Iron Ingot, and 50 Water at the Small Ore Refinery. If you’re planning to make a lot of steel, get ready to gather plenty.
Where to Find Carbon Ore
You won’t just bump into Carbon Ore while wandering around early zones. It shows up in Jabal Eifrit Al-Janub, the third big area you’ll explore. It sits up north from Hagga Basin and Vermillius Gap. The easiest way to get there is to head east from Eastern Vermillius Gap, cut through Hagga Rift, then go north. If you’ve unlocked The Anvil tradepost, you can fast-travel close.
The ore itself looks a lot like Copper but with white crystals instead of blue ones. Keep an eye out for white crystal spikes sticking out of brown rocks, often found near cliffs or rock formations, usually a bit off the beaten path. It’s not as common as Copper or Iron, so finding it sometimes takes a bit of searching. The deposits do respawn, but the Coriolis Storm on Tuesdays will shuffle the exact spots.
One thing to watch out for: this area belongs to slavers. There are plenty of tough enemies and dangerous outposts. On top of that, you’ve got open sand with quicksand and drumsand waiting to mess up your run. If you fall into quicksand, you’re pretty much worm bait.
How to Access Carbon Ore Deposits
You can’t mine Carbon Ore with your regular Cutteray. You’ll need the Cutteray Mk. 2. This tool can handle both Carbon Ore and Erythrite Crystals.
To get it, you first need to unlock the blueprint with 5 Intel Points. Then you can build it at either your General or Survival Fabricator. You’ll need:
- 10 Iron Ingots
- 7 EMF Generators
Iron’s easy enough from Vermillius Gap. EMF Generators you’ll mostly find inside moisture-sealed caves or inside loot chests scattered around that zone.
If you haven’t crafted the Mk. 2 yet, you can still grab small chunks of Carbon Ore lying around the bigger nodes, or loot some from camps and chests in Jabal Eifrit Al-Janub. But honestly, that won’t cut it if you need a lot.
Farming Carbon Ore Efficiently
The Cutteray Mk. 2 does a solid job, but once you upgrade it or level your Planetologist skills, you’ll pull even more from each spot. The ore doesn’t need any extra processing before being turned into steel, so you can get straight to work once you’ve got enough.
If you plan on farming regularly, it’s smart to set up a second base in Jabal Eifrit Al-Janub. It saves a ton of time and makes it easier to manage your water supply, which you’ll burn through fast while making Steel. An upgraded sandbike with extra storage (like Sandbike Inventory Mk. 2) is a huge help for hauling both ore and water.
Challenges and Tips
This area isn’t exactly friendly. Between the strong enemies, tricky terrain, and hungry sandworms, you’ll need to stay sharp. Avoid quicksand at all costs — one bad step can end your whole trip.
A few things to help you out:
- Bring decent armor and upgraded weapons. The enemies here hit harder, and your starting Stillsuit won’t be enough.
- Upgrade your sandbike for more speed and better handling, especially if you need to outrun worms. Some folks even weave through drumsand gaps to save time.
- After the weekly Coriolis Storm on Tuesday, resource spots move slightly, so don’t panic if your usual spot isn’t there, just check nearby.
Using Carbon Ore
Once you’ve got your stash, it’s mostly going into Steel Ingots. Like before, you’ll need 4 Carbon Ore, 1 Iron Ingot, and 50 Water for each one. Steel unlocks that next level of gear — Mk.3 tools, better armor, and stronger structures.
Carbon Ore is a big part of moving forward in Dune: Awakening. Once you’ve got the Cutteray Mk. 2 and know where to search in Jabal Eifrit Al-Janub, you’ll have what you need to keep upgrading your gear. Just make sure you’re ready for a fight — between the enemies, sandstorms, and rough terrain, you’ll want to come prepared.
Have you gone out hunting Carbon Ore yet? Got any tips for dealing with Jabal Eifrit Al-Janub? Drop them in the comments — let’s help each other survive the desert!