If you’re struggling in the early game with “not enough iron” or “can’t find nitrate,” start by looking for surface rocks (boulders). In 7DTD, veins of the same resource are clustered directly beneath rocks exposed on the ground. This is far more efficient than digging holes at random.
Bottom line: Find a rock and dig “straight down”
- A large rock sitting by itself on flat ground or a hill is the sign of an outcrop.
- Break that rock and dig straight down from the same spot to hit a continuous run of ore.
- The rock’s appearance tells you what’s inside: iron-like brown = iron, dark = coal, whitish = nitrate, gray potential rock = lead or stone.
What to target by biome
- Forest: A balanced mix of iron, coal, and lead. The main hunting ground in the early game.
- Desert: Rich in oil (from shale) and nitrate. This is the place to gather gunpowder materials.
- Snow/Wasteland: Lead and iron tend to cluster here, but the enemies and temperatures are harsh.
Mining tips
- The more you upgrade your tools, from stone pickaxe → iron pickaxe, the faster you mine. Once you get an Auger, it’s on another level entirely.
- Dig vertical shafts in a staircase pattern that leaves one block under your feet to prevent falls and cave-in accidents.
- Seal off the holes you dig with torches or lighting to prevent sleeper spawns and getting lost.
- The deeper you go, the thicker the veins tend to get. Just don’t forget to secure a way back out.
Think of outcrops as “treasure chests on the map” and run around collecting them, and you’ll quickly stockpile materials waiting to be smelted. Next, keep your forge running non-stop to rack up iron ingots in one go.
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