How to Get Infinite Iron Ores in Solarpunk

Iron is the single most-consumed resource in Solarpunk. Every mid-game base needs 200+ iron for tools, airship parts, and the power grid. This guide shows you two iron farm setupsand the floating-island reset trick that turns a 12-node island into an effectively infinite iron source.

Method 1 — The Tier-2 Node Loop (Reliable)

1. Find an island with at least 6 tier-2 iron nodes (the dark grey ones).
2. Build a small outpost base with one bed, one chest, and a pickaxe rack.
3. Strip all 6 nodes — collect the drops in the chest.
4. Fly back to your main base.
5. Wait 2 in-game days. The nodes respawn.
6. Repeat. Average yield: 36 iron per cycle, 18 iron/day.

Method 2 — The Floating Island Reset (Infinite)

This is the exploit most veteran players use. It works because un-named islands regenerate resources every time you reload the save.

1. Find an un-named island with 3+ tier-2 iron nodes.
2. Strip the nodes.
3. Save the game (F5 → Save).
4. Quit to main menu.
5. Reload the save.
6. The nodes are back. Strip them again.

This is single-player only (does not work in co-op) and is technically within the game's intended design — un-named islands are a renewable resource layer. The yield is the same as Method 1, but the cycle is 30 seconds instead of 2 days.

Method 3 — The Trader Trick (Fastest Solo)

1. Save 200 coins.
2. Visit any trader on the named islands.
3. Buy a Iron Geode (5 coins, 10 iron per geode, 40 geodes in stock).
4. Reload the trader inventory (wait 1 in-game week).
5. Repeat. Average yield: 400 iron per week per trader.

Iron Use Priority (Spend It Wisely)

How Much Iron Do You Actually Need?

A solo end-game base needs ~600 iron total. A 4-player co-op end-game base needs ~2,000 iron. Plan accordingly: 600 / 36 = 17 cycles at Method 1, or 17 reloads at Method 2 (about 10 minutes of real time).

Next Steps

Iron sorted? Read the cloth guide next — cloth is the second most-consumed resource in the game.