Before you start
- Bronze Pickaxe or better, repaired before departure
- Food, purified water and equipment suitable for Ghornfell
- Furnace and smelting fuel available at camp
Finish the tool before leaving
A Bone Pickaxe gets you into copper and tin progression. Iron needs the next tool: the Bronze Pickaxe. Its listed recipe is five Bronze Bars, four Oak Logs and two Leather at the Blacksmith’s Bench; older records name the Smithing Anvil, which update 0.12 removed.
Check the station name and available recipe in your build. Oak harvesting needs a Bronze Logging Axe, so a bag of Bronze Bars alone may not finish the pickaxe.
Fractured Plains → Highlands border → return
- Head west from the Fractured Plains until you enter the Stormtouched Highlands. Stop and assess the approach before committing to a long climb.
- Scout the eastern border for Iron Ore deposits. PC Gamer’s route identifies this edge as an ore-rich approach, with sheep and rams nearby. Lightning and stronger enemies remain hazards.
- Mine the deposits you can reach without exhausting your supplies. Return along the same border approach when your target is met. A repeatable short journey is our recommendation for the first iron upgrade.
Checked on screen · Oct 11, 2026 · 1.0 release build
0:16–1:00 · 44 sThe map: Stormtouched Highlands, west of the Fractured PlainsOpen the world map and pan past Bramblemead Valley and Whispering Swamp to the highlighted circle over the Stormtouched Highlands, which has the Fractured Plains on its eastern side.
GamerCoryFull video ↗Credits
“How to Get Iron Bars in RuneScape Dragonwilds 1.0” by GamerCory · Sep 18, 2026 · 1.0 release build (uploaded Sep 18, 2026, before the 1.0.0.8 update)
Independent creator · no partnership implied
Checked on screen · Oct 19, 2026 · Version 1.0
0:28–0:58 · 30 sIron Ore Nodes on the Highlands' eastern sideHead for the spot the world map marks in the east of the Stormtouched Highlands, beside the Fractured Plains, then walk past the giant bones to the rust-streaked rocks and mine the one labelled Iron Ore Node.
Sofa Supastar GamingFull video ↗Credits
“RuneScape Dragonwilds How To Get Iron Fast - Best Iron Ore Farm” by Sofa Supastar Gaming · Sep 22, 2026 · 1.0 (uploaded Sep 22, 2026, after the Sep 15 launch); patch number not shown
Independent creator · no partnership implied
Convert the haul into a planned upgrade
The recorded conversion is three Iron Ore per bar. Read your intended tool or armour recipe, multiply its bar requirement by three, and budget its non-metal ingredients too.
The Highlands also feature in the Dragon Slayer material hunt. Mining ordinary Iron Ore and extracting a Dragon Tooth are separate tool checks; prepare an Iron Pickaxe before the quest’s tooth route.
| Iron Bars wanted | Iron Ore to bring | Fuel |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Additional |
| 5 | 15 | Additional |
| 10 | 30 | Additional |
Checked on screen · Nov 7, 2026 · Version 1.0
1:36–1:58 · 22 sIron Ore in the furnace makes Iron BarsPut Iron Ore in the furnace's input slot; the furnace turns it into Iron Bars.
GamerCoryFull video ↗Credits
“How to Get Iron Bars in RuneScape Dragonwilds 1.0” by GamerCory · Sep 18, 2026 · 1.0 (uploaded 2026-09-18), before the 1.0.1 update (live Oct 14); exact patch not shown
Independent creator · no partnership implied
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Researched 2026-09-23. This edition is source-checked, not an installed-build playtest. Exact rates, quantities and balance remain unconfirmed where a guide marks them. Sources and coverage.