Iron in Starfield is a highly versatile resource that you will need for various Manufacturing Research Projects and Barrel Mod research. Beyond that, a large variety of weapon mods, Resources, and Outpost Modules also need Iron as an input.
Short Barrel with Laser Sight, Adaptive Frame, Pharmaceutical Lab, etc., there are many applications for Iron. It’s not just planets themselves that offer Iron. Even the asteroids floating around in space are a good source of Iron.
How to farm Iron from Planets
The surefire way of obtaining Iron in bulk is to mine planets and moons across various systems. To find which planets are worth landing in, the scan feature will be your best guide. Getting the skill to Rank four lets you scan all rare inorganic substances and resources.
The list below details the planets and relevant star systems where you can farm Iron in Starfield:
| Star System | Planet(s) |
| Al-Battani | Al-Battani I, Al-Battani I-c, Al-Battani III-a, Al-Battani IV, Al-Battani IV-a, Al-Battani V |
| Alpha Andraste | Alpha Andraste I-a, Alpha Andraste II, Alpha Andraste IV |
| Altair | Altair I, Altair IV-c, Altair IV-d |
| Andromas | Andromas I, Andromas V-b, Andromas VI-b |
| Aranae | Aranae III, Aranae IV-a, Aranae IV-b |
| Cheyenne | Belwah, Burran, Codos, Cragg, Hardpoint |
| Delta Pavonis | Ampere, Bose, Gamow, Nascent, Rudiment, Volt, Worthless |
| Denebola | Denebola I-b, Denebola II-a, Denebola III-a |
| Eridani | Eridani II, Eridani III-a, Eridani III-b, Eridani VIII-d |
| Groombridge | Groombridge I, Groombridge II |
| Guniibuu | Guniibuu II, Guniibuu IV, Guniibuu IV-a |
| Indum | Indum I, Indum III-b, Indum IV-d, Indum V-a |
| Jaffa | Jaffa I, Jaffa I-a, Jaffa VII-a, Jaffa VII-b |
| Kumasi | Kumasi I-a, Kumasi VI, Kumasi VII-c, Kumasi VIII-a |
| Lantana | Lantana III, Lantana IX-e, Lantana VI, Lantana VIII-c |
| Lunara | Az-Valok, Coeus, Earrach, Nyarloth, Remus |
| Muphrid | Muphrid III, Muphrid III-a, Muphrid IV, Muphrid VI-b, Muphrid VII-b, Muphrid VIII-d |
| Narion | Andraphon, Cruth, Kreet, Podius |
| Nemeria | Nemeria II, Nemeria II-b, Nemeria III-a, Nemeria V-c, Nemeria VI-b |
| Porrima | Porrima I, Porrima I-a, Porrima IV-c, Porrima III-a, Porrima VI-b, Porrima VI-c |
| Procyon A | Procyon II, Procyon IV, Procyon V-a, Procyon V-b, Procyon VI-c |
| Tau Ceti | Tau Ceti I, Tau Ceti II, Tau Ceti III, Tau Ceti IV-b, Tau Ceti V, Tau Ceti VI-a, Tau Ceti VIII-b |
| Ursae Majoris | Ursa Major I-c, Ursa Major II, Ursa Major I-b |
| Volii | Volii Gamma, Volii Psi, Volii Tau |
Once you find a planet rich in Iron, land on the surface and use your scanner. Looking for reddish rocks is an excellent indicator. Once you find the deposit, use your Cutter to mine the mineral in Starfield.
Building an Extractor to Farm Iron
For Iron veins that are hidden beneath the surface, things are a little more complicated. As you point your scanner on patches of land, it may point out an iron deposit, but there is no mining crop in sight. This indicates that the Iron vein is underground, and only an extractor can harvest it.
Scan all areas that yield a green tint and run around with an extractor in hand. Place it down where the top left of your screen post-scanning indicates Iron in available resources. Once you see it, it’s the perfect spot to place the Extractor in Starfield. Make sure you have the following items on hand to build the simplest Iron Extractor:
- 5x Iron
- 4x Aluminum
- 2x Tungsten
After that, make sure to build the right energy source for the Extractor to keep it running. Your choice of power source will depend on the atmospheric conditions of the planet. In the case of planets without prevailing winds but in direct contact with the sun, a Solar Array would be ideal. Here are the materials needed to make a Solar Array:
- 4x Aluminum
- 3x Copper
- 2x Beryllium
Iron is used so frequently that it’s best to build multiple Storage – Solid containers. You’ll have a high amount of Iron at your disposal and can use it frequently.
Breaking Asteroids for Iron in Starfield
Another method, though not as efficient as Planet mining, would be Asteroid mining. While in your starship, unload your arsenal on some floating asteroids. Once they are destroyed, a collectible mineral chunk, denoted by an icon, will be ripe for taking.
Fly close to it, and you can see exactly what you will obtain. Bigger asteroids take longer to break but yield more resources.
Note that being close to an iron-rich planet doesn’t mean the Asteroids will yield it too. In many cases, the Asteroids drop Water and Carboxylic acids. That said, if you’re looking for leads on a solid asteroid belt, Hardpoint is a solid bet. You can find Hardpoint in the Cheyenne System, as the moon of planet Navaha.
Where to buy Iron in Starfield?
Beyond manually extracting iron deposits, many vendors across the galaxy will also sell Iron for the right price. Iron is classified as a common resource, so bulk buying isn’t too pricey. Of course, as always, vendors tend to rotate their stock to some extent, so be sure to visit multiple.
The list below details some of the noteworthy vendors selling Iron. Whichever ones you decide to visit is all up to you.
| Shop | Location |
| Midtown Minerals | Akila City |
| Jemison Mercantile | New Atlantis |
| Clint’s Collectibles | Gagarin Landing |
| UC Exchange | Cydonia |
| Sieghart’s Outfitters | Neon |
| Trade Authority | Akila City |
| Clint’s Collectibles | Akila City |
| The Pit Stop | HopeTown |
| Shepherd’s General Store | The Key |
| New Homestead Store | New Homestead |
| Isra’s General Goods | Cydonia |
| Trade Authority | Neon Core |
| Trade Authority | Cydonia |
| Trade Authority | The Den |
| Trade Authority | The Key |
| Mining League | Neon |
| UC Distribution Center | New Atlantis |
| Trade Authority | The Well |
Iron Console Command
While console commands bypass the time commitment to farming iron, there are some potential drawbacks to keep in mind. Getting locked out of specific achievements, having the game start bugging out in random instances, etc. Use this command at your discretion. Here is the command to obtain Iron in Starfield:
player.additem 0000556E
To spawn a set number of Iron, specify that amount with a space at the end:
player.additem 0000556E 72
