Steel Ingots are among the first challenging components a crafter in Final Fantasy XIV might encounter. A material used in hundreds of items, from furnishings to weapons and armor, Steel Ingots are also one of the first major crafting materials that you can’t immediately buy premade from a vendor.
Rather than purchasing the completed material from a vendor, a crafter can gather the materials independently or pay through the nose on the market board to obtain Steel Ingots. Alternatively, you can complete a series of Tribal Quests to unlock the ability to purchase the material. However, progressing through Tribal Quests just for one item isn't the most efficient use of time. Luckily, there are simple, tried-and-tested ways to gather and make Steel Ingots without burning through your gil reserves.
How to Get Steel Ingots in FFXIV
You can purchase Steel Ingots from two primary sources. The first is the market board, where the crafting material sells for anywhere from 300 to over 1,000 gil. Obtaining the necessary Steel Ingots this way for your crafts can be quite expensive. High-quality Steel Ingots will be even more costly, as they're used in at least one crafting quest.
Another way to obtain Steel Ingots is to unlock the Amalj'aa Tribal Quests. Once you've unlocked these quests, you'll be able to purchase Steel Ingots from the Amalj'aa Vendor in Southern Thanalan (X: 23.2, Y: 14) for 389 gil per piece or by trading one Steel Amalj'ok for three Steel Ingots. Due to the price and effort required to obtain these Steel Ingots, it's best to focus on crafting your own.
Steel Ingots are a level 26 crafting recipe for both Blacksmith and Armorer. To make Steel Ingots, you’ll need the following materials:
- 1 x Bomb Ash
- 2 x Iron Ore
- 2 x Fire Shard
Assuming your gear is at least level 26 or above, and your craftsmanship stat is at least 99, Steel Ingots are a low-difficulty craft. The question is: where can you get the raw materials required?
Where to Get Iron Ore in FFXIV
Iron Ore is for sale from several vendors, but the most accessible NPC to purchase it from is Soemrwyb, the Guild Supplier NPC outside the Blacksmith and Armorer guilds in Limsa Lominsa Upper Decks (X: 10.6, Y: 15.1). This is one of the easiest ways to obtain Iron Ore, and she sells it for a fairly reasonable 18 gil per piece.
You can gather them yourself if you have the Miner job at least level 13. Head to Horizon’s Edge in Western Thanalan, just outside the Copperbell Mines entrance (X: 28.0, Y: 16.8). You can gather Iron Ore from the Mineral Deposit gathering nodes scattered around the area.
How to Get Bomb Ash in FFXIV
Bomb Ash is slightly more difficult to obtain, as it is a drop from mobs. A number of bomb-style creatures drop this material in various FATEs and event quests. However, the most reliable way is to hunt down Balloon enemies around the Alder Springs area in North Shroud (X: 19.7, Y: 28.6).
The rate at which Balloons and other bomb-type enemies drop Bomb Ash is random, but the enemies that provide the material tend to reward between one and five Bomb Ash when they do.
Purchasing Bomb Ash
You can also purchase Bomb Ash from the market board, which is usually the more expensive route, or from a Beast Tribe vendor. The Kobold Vendor tied to the Kobold Tribal Quests in Outer La Noscea (X: 21.6, Y: 17.8) sells the Bomb Ash you're looking for. You'll need to have unlocked the Kobold Tribal Quests for the vendor to appear. The Kobolds sell Bomb Ash for 82 gil each, or you can trade one Titan Cobaltpiece for three Bomb Ashes.
