Permafrost Quality Metal

What Quality Metal is for

Quality Metal is the highest metal tier in the current Early Access build. The official Steam post on building names it as the third building tier, after Wood and Scrap. It also feeds late tools, armour and rifle ammunition.

That makes it a turning point in progression. Before Quality Metal you are surviving the Woods and the Solar Fields, while after it you are preparing for White Hell. Most players reach it after the Weapon Bench and the first iron trips.

Some Quality Metal can be looted in late-game regions, according to the official building post. The steady source is your own smelter, though. Plan on making it rather than finding it.

How to make Quality Metal

Two smelters can make Quality Metal, and they use different inputs. Fan databases built from the game files list the recipes below. Exact numbers may change with Early Access patches, so check the recipe card in your own game.

The Makeshift Smelter is cheap and takes raw iron, so it gets you started quickly. The Professional Smelter needs ingots, but it uses fewer of them for each bar of Quality Metal. It is also the only station that turns Moonrock into Moonrock Ingots.

Guides disagree on how the smelters unlock. One walkthrough says the Professional Smelter recipe comes from Jeremiah's quests at Crow's Nest, while other guides list it as a simple build. If you cannot see it, push the main quest forward and check again.

Getting enough iron

Iron is the bottleneck for Quality Metal. You need a Scrap or Copper Pickaxe to mine iron ore, because Stone and Flint Pickaxes cannot break it. The red crossed-out icon on a deposit means your tool is too weak.

Fan guides point to the rocky passages and caves of the wider Solar Fields area for iron. Iron nodes give roughly 8 to 12 ore each in fan data, more than copper or flint. Bring several stacks of coal, because every ingot needs fuel.

An Iron Ingot takes 3 Iron and 3 Coal at a Stone Furnace in one fan guide. You can burn 5 Wood into 2 Coal at the furnace when you run short. Our resources guide maps the other ores along the way.

Getting enough scrap

Scrap comes from metal debris in the world, such as wrecked cars and broken machinery. Fan data lists 1 to 5 scrap from each debris node. You can also recycle Metal Junk at the Dismantle Bench.

Scrap has many other uses, so it rarely piles up. The Stove costs 30 Scrap, the Makeshift Smelter costs 5 and every batch of gunpowder needs some. Keep a separate chest for scrap that is reserved for Quality Metal.

House Camp is one of the first places where scrap becomes common, according to the official building post. Clearing a few streets there fills your pack fast. Your dog can carry extra weight on longer runs.

Best uses for Quality Metal

Quality Metal has more uses than you can afford at first. Fan recipe lists show it in tools, weapons, ammunition and clothing. These are the most important ones.

Build the Quality Pickaxe first. Moonrock is required for Moonrock Ingots, and those feed the Lunar armour that late quests ask for. Without the pickaxe you are stuck at the Solar Fields.

Next, decide between armour and walls. Quality Metal walls are the strongest building tier and keep the most heat inside, but they eat metal quickly. Our base building guide compares the three tiers.

Quality Metal at the Tailoring Bench

Two clothing sets need Quality Metal. The Military set uses Cloth and Quality Metal, while the Lunar set also needs Moonrock Ingots. A full Lunar set costs well over a dozen bars.

The quest Dressed for White Hell asks for armoured clothing before the final region. Walkthroughs warn that similar item names can use different materials, so match the exact names in your journal. See the Tailoring Bench guide for every clothing recipe.

Tips for farming Quality Metal

A little planning saves hours of walking. These tips come from fan guides and player reports. They apply to solo and co-op worlds alike.

• Place the smelter next to your storage, because output can drop on the ground beside it.
• Smelt iron into ingots first if you plan to use the Professional Smelter.
• Keep a coal stockpile, since every smelting step burns fuel.
• In co-op, let one player mine iron while another strips scrap from wrecks.
• Save before long smelting runs; see how to save.

The Early Access roadmap adds weapon parts to crafting in Update 2, which may create new Quality Metal sinks. Recipe numbers on this page come from fan data, so they can shift between patches. We will update them as the official builds change.

Where Quality Metal fits in progression

Quality Metal sits near the end of the current crafting tree. You need copper tools for iron, iron for the Weapon Bench and smelters, and scrap from House Camp and beyond. That usually puts it after the Solar Fields quests.

Do not rush it before your basics are in place. Warm clothes, a heated base and a reliable food supply matter more in the first hours. Our beginner guide covers that early order.

Once you reach it, Quality Metal speeds everything up. Better tools gather faster, and stronger walls keep more heat inside your base. It is the last big step before you prepare for White Hell.

Sharing Quality Metal in co-op

In co-op, Quality Metal is a shared resource worth planning. Decide as a group whether the first bars go to a Quality Pickaxe, armour or walls. One pickaxe is often enough if the same player does the Moonrock runs.

Split the jobs so the smelter never sits idle. One player can mine iron in the Solar Fields while another strips scrap from wrecks near House Camp. Our co-op guide has more tips for working as a team.