In New World, smelting is one of the essential crafting skills that plays a pivotal role in refining ores and metals into valuable resources. Whether you are looking to create weapons, armor, or trade goods, leveling up your Smelting skill is crucial for progressing through the game, especially if you want to craft high-tier gear or trade materials in the player-driven economy.

Smelting is a sub-skill of Mining, and as you progress in New World, you'll find that smelting not only opens the door to crafting better equipment but also contributes to your New World Gold and crafting flexibility. This guide will take you through everything you need to know about leveling Smelting, from gathering the necessary resources to using the right techniques and tools.

What is Smelting in New World?

Smelting is a crafting profession that allows players to refine ores into metal ingots, which can then be used in crafting weapons, armor, and other useful items. It plays a central role in the game's Blacksmithing, Engineering, and Arcana crafting disciplines. To level your Smelting skill, you will need to gather various ores from the world of Aeternum and refine them at a Smelter station, which can be found in towns and settlements.

1. Gathering Ores for Smelting

Before you can start smelting, you need to gather ores from the environment. These ores are typically found by mining rocks in the open world, especially in mines or on mountainsides. Different types of ores will require different Mining skills to gather, so here's a breakdown of what to look for:

Iron Ore: This is the most basic ore in New World, and you'll find it in abundance in low-level zones. You can mine Iron Veins to gather Iron Ore, which is used to make Iron Ingots.

Copper Ore: Copper is another entry-level ore found in lower-level areas. You'll mine Copper Veins to get Copper Ore, which can be smelted into Copper Ingots.

Silver Ore: Silver is found in mid-level zones and is more challenging to mine. You'll need to mine Silver Veins to obtain it.

Gold Ore: Gold Ore is one of the more valuable ores and is found in higher-level areas. It can be mined from Gold Veins and refined into Gold Ingots.

Steel and other advanced ores: As you progress through the levels, you'll be able to mine Steel, Mithril, Starmetal, and eventually Orichalcum and Platinum, which are necessary for crafting top-tier equipment.

Once you've gathered these ores, you can then refine them into ingots at a Smelter station in a settlement. Keep in mind that you'll also need fuel (such as wood or charcoal) to perform the smelting process, so make sure to gather or purchase some fuel beforehand.

2. Smelting Stations and Refining Process

To begin the Smelting process, head to a Smelter station, which can be found in any major settlement. The Smelter station is usually located within the Crafting Station area, and you will find it alongside other crafting stations like the Workshop or Arcane Repository.

At the Smelter, you can refine ores into their respective metal ingots, such as Iron Ingots, Copper Ingots, Silver Ingots, and so on. The amount of fuel (usually wood or charcoal) required will depend on the number of ores you're refining.

Here's how the refining process works:

Open the Smelter station.

Select the ore you wish to refine (Iron Ore, Copper Ore, etc.).

Select the number of ingots you want to create based on the amount of ore you have.

Use the required fuel to begin the smelting process.

The more you refine, the more experience (XP) you will gain, contributing to your Smelting skill progression.

3. Leveling Smelting: Best Strategies

Leveling up your Smelting skill requires a combination of gathering the right ores, refining them efficiently, and using your materials to craft higher-tier items. Here are some tips and strategies to help you level Smelting in New World:

Gathering and Refining in Batches

One of the most efficient ways to level Smelting is by gathering and refining in batches. For example, once you have gathered a substantial amount of Iron Ore, head to the nearest Smelter and refine them into Iron Ingots all at once. Refining large amounts of ores will maximize your XP gains per trip and reduce the time spent on gathering and refining.

If you're looking for maximum efficiency, consider focusing on ores that offer the best XP per ore. For example, while Iron Ore and Copper Ore are more common, Mithril Ore, Starmetal Ore, and Orichalcum Ore give significantly higher XP per ingot, so refining these ores when you reach higher-level crafting stations will accelerate your progress.

Smelting and Crafting Synergies

Smelting is tightly intertwined with other crafting disciplines, especially Blacksmithing and Engineering. While leveling Smelting, you can also level up your Blacksmithing skill by crafting weapons and armor from the ingots you create. Not only will this give you a chance to improve your Blacksmithing skill, but you'll also gain extra XP from the items you craft.

Here's a great synergy:

Smelt your Iron Ore into Iron Ingots.

Use these ingots to craft Iron Armor or Iron Tools at a Forge.

The more items you craft, the more XP you'll gain in Blacksmithing as well as Smelting.

While leveling, you'll want to make sure you're also leveling up other related professions. The more items you craft with your smelted ingots, the more you'll be able to gather, smelt, and use in crafting, creating a loop of leveling up multiple professions simultaneously.

Use Trade and Market to Your Advantage

Once you have a solid stockpile of metal ingots, consider selling them on the trading post or using them in group crafting. Smelting and crafting are resource-intensive, and since the game's economy is heavily driven by player-made items, you can make cheap New World Coins from your hard work by selling ingots to other players who might be in need.

Keep an eye on the market trends: some materials may be in higher demand at certain points of the game due to new content releases or popular crafting trends. For example, Silver Ingots might spike in value when crafting Jewelry becomes more profitable.

Unlocking Higher Tier Smelting Recipes

As you level up your Smelting skill, you will unlock access to higher-tier smelting recipes. These include:

Starmetal Ingots (used for high-tier weapons and armor)

Orichalcum Ingots (essential for top-tier gear)

Platinum Ingots (used in crafting and refining consumables)

Focusing on these higher-tier ores and ingots will help you gain much more experience and increase your crafting power significantly. In the late game, these materials will be the backbone of your crafting operations.

4. Tips for Efficient Smelting Leveling

Always Gather Ore: When you're out mining, always gather ores even if you're not actively leveling Smelting. This will give you a consistent supply of materials to refine.

Focus on Fuel: Make sure you always have an ample supply of wood or charcoal to ensure you don't run out of fuel mid-refining.

Trade with Other Players: Don't hesitate to buy and sell ores on the trading post. Sometimes, it's more efficient to buy high-tier ores for smelting rather than mining them yourself.

Refine in Bulk: Smelt ores in batches to maximize your XP per action. Refining small amounts often isn't as efficient.

Diversify Crafting: Don't just focus on smelting; combine it with Blacksmithing, Engineering, or even Arcana to make the most of your gathered resources.

Conclusion

Leveling Smelting in New World is a crucial part of crafting your way through the game. By understanding how ores are gathered, refined, and utilized in crafting, you'll be able to progress efficiently through the Smelting skill tree. Whether you're refining Iron for early-game gear or working with Orichalcum and Platinum for high-level crafting, mastering Smelting will give you the tools and materials necessary to dominate the world of Aeternum.

So, gather those ores, refine them into powerful ingots, and use your newfound skills to create, trade, and prosper in New World!