Star metal and obsidian are the two endgame metals that separate a freshly leveled exile from a fully kitted-out raider in Conan Exiles. Star metal feeds your best armor and weapons, while obsidian unlocks heavy-hitting volcanic gear and the legendary Composite Obsidian crafted at the Volcanic Forge. Both demand a trip into the harshest corners of the Exiled Lands, plenty of preparation, and a little patience. This guide walks you through where to find each resource, how to harvest it safely, and how to smelt it into usable bars.
Where Star Metal Ore Comes From
Unlike iron or coal, you cannot simply walk up to a star metal node and start mining. Star metal arrives from the sky during a meteor shower, and the meteorites only land in specific regions. In the Exiled Lands, showers fall in the snowy northwest, with the reliable hotspot being the area around Frostneedle Forest, north of the Mounds of the Dead. On the Isle of Siptah, meteor showers occur around the central Tower, which is also tied to the Maelstrom event, so expect heavy resistance.
Because these are cold, hostile biomes, pack cold-resistant gear before you set out. Our temperature and survival guide covers exactly which armor and foods keep you from freezing while you wait for meteors to drop.
Cracking Open a Meteorite
When a meteor lands it forms a glowing crater with a hardened outer shell. That shell cannot be broken with a normal pick. You need explosive damage to crack it open, and only then can you mine the star metal core inside. Common tools for the job include:
- Explosive Jars — the cheapest, most reliable option to mass-produce before a farming run.
- Explosive Arrows — convenient if you are already carrying a bow.
- Exploding traps or a Demon-fire Orb — viable alternatives when you have the materials on hand.
Once the shell is destroyed, the exposed star metal core can be struck repeatedly until it collapses. You will want a high-tier pick — a Tier 4 or better tool such as a Hardened Steel Pick — to actually harvest the ore. Bring several explosive charges, because a single shower can scatter multiple meteorites across the snowfield.
Meteor Shower Timing
Meteor showers are not constant. After one occurs there is a cooldown before the next can begin, and then the game rolls a small chance at regular intervals for another shower to start. In practice this means star metal farming rewards patience: set up a small forward camp in the snow, keep busy harvesting other resources, and watch the sky. The longer the game goes without a shower, the more likely the next roll succeeds. If you run your own server, you can adjust event frequency to make farming runs less of a waiting game — see the Conan Exiles server setup docs for the relevant settings.
There is also a backup source: many Cimmerian enemies in the northern region carry star metal weapons. Place a looted star metal weapon in a Dismantling Bench to recover a portion of its materials, including star metal bars, without waiting on the sky.
Smelting Star Metal Bars
Raw star metal ore is useless until refined. Star metal does not smelt like ordinary iron — it needs additives to stabilize. The standard recipe combines star metal ore with Brimstone and Black Ice in a Furnace (a Tier 3 Furnace or better) along with fuel. After a short smelt, you receive a Star Metal Bar. Stock up on brimstone (found in places like the Sinkhole and Shattered Springs) and black ice from the frozen north before you commit to a big smelting session.
| Resource | Where to get it | Harvest method | Refines into |
|---|---|---|---|
| Star Metal Ore | Meteor craters (NW snow / Siptah Tower) | Explosive to crack shell, then T4+ pick | Star Metal Bar (+ Brimstone, Black Ice) |
| Obsidian | Volcano caldera nodes | Pick (Hardened Steel ideal) | Volcanic gear; Composite Obsidian at the Forge |
| Brimstone | Sinkhole, Shattered Springs | Pick | Smelting additive / Dragonpowder |
| Black Ice | Frozen north biome | Pick | Smelting additive / Insulated Wood |
Mining Obsidian in the Volcano
Obsidian is a near-endgame material found naturally only inside the Volcano caldera in the southeast of the Exiled Lands. The nodes appear as dark, blackish-blue rocks that stand out against the ordinary volcanic stone. A common, relatively accessible route runs up the volcano slope northeast of the Black Keep, with nodes lining the path and growing more plentiful as you climb. Mining obsidian nodes also tends to yield gold ore, raw ash, and crystal alongside the obsidian itself.
You can crack obsidian with a basic pick, but a Hardened Steel pick is strongly recommended for speed. The far bigger danger is the environment: the volcano is brutally hot and crawling with Votaries of Skelos and demonic creatures. Wear heat-resistant armor, bring strong weapons, and consider a combat thrall. For the toughest threats you may encounter on the way, our Conan Exiles bosses guide is worth a read before you go.
The Volcanic Forge & Composite Obsidian
Plain obsidian can be combined with steel at a blacksmith’s bench to craft strong obsidian weapons and high-tier harvesting tools such as the Obsidian Pick, Hatchet, Sickle, and Skinning Knife. But the real prize is Composite Obsidian, and it can only be made at the Volcanic Forge deep inside the Well of Skelos dungeon, near the F/G-14 area of the volcano.
Before the Forge will work for you, you must learn the Obsidian Tools knowledge by interacting with a stele inside the Well of Skelos. With that learned, clear the hostiles guarding the Forge, place your obsidian and steel bars inside, and craft Composite Obsidian — the foundation of some of the game’s best non-legendary gear. Hosting a server for your community? Spinning up a dedicated world makes these dungeon runs far smoother; you can rent a Conan Exiles server and tune drop rates and event timers to suit your group.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t I mine star metal meteorites with my pick?
Each meteorite has a hardened outer shell that resists normal tools. You must destroy that shell with explosive damage — an Explosive Jar, Explosive Arrow, or similar — before the star metal core is exposed. Then a Tier 4 or higher pick will harvest the ore.
What do I need to smelt star metal into bars?
Star metal ore won’t refine on its own. Combine it with Brimstone and Black Ice in a Furnace along with fuel, and it smelts into Star Metal Bars. Gather those additives ahead of time so you can process a full haul in one sitting.
Do I need anything special to use the Volcanic Forge?
Yes. You must first learn the Obsidian Tools knowledge from a stele inside the Well of Skelos. Only then can the Volcanic Forge craft Composite Obsidian from your obsidian and steel bars.
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