Ferrium Ore Locations & Farming Tips (March 2026) Full Guide

Updated by Sunny Kaushik
January 27, 2026
Gaming

If you’ve been playing Arknights: Endfield for a while, you know the feeling. You’re ready to upgrade that shiny new S-rank Operator or craft a crucial piece of Tech Part, and then you hit the wall: Ferrium Ore. It’s the bottleneck that halts progression in its tracks.

I’ve spent countless hours scouring the map, optimizing my routes, and testing different team compositions to bring you the most comprehensive guide on Ferrium Ore available. Whether you are struggling to find it or just want to farm it twice as fast, I’ve got you covered.

In this guide, I’ll cover the exact locations, the requirements you need to meet before you can harvest it efficiently, and the advanced farming strategies that will save you hours of grinding in 2026.

Quick Overview: Ferrium Ore at a Glance

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty details, here is a quick reference table to get you up to speed.

Feature	Details
Resource Type	Specialized Industrial Ore
Primary Use	Tier 3 & 4 Operator Upgrades, Advanced Weapon Crafting
Rarity	Rare (Blue Nodes) / Exceptional (Purple Nodes)
Best Farming Time	In-game Night Cycle (Higher spawn rates)
Main Locations	Sector 4: Industrial Wastes, Sector 6: Silent Forest
Storage Limit	Base: 500 / Max: 2000 (with upgrades)

What is Ferrium Ore?

Ferrium Ore isn’t just another rock you pick up off the ground in Arknights: Endfield. It is a specialized resource critical for mid-to-late game progression. Unlike standard Iron or Copper, Ferrium is used primarily for enhancing the combat capabilities of your elite operators and crafting advanced base machinery.

The game doesn’t explicitly tell you this early on, but managing your Ferrium intake is more important than hoarding it. Since it is heavy and takes up valuable inventory space, knowing where to get it on demand is often better than filling your pockets with it every time you leave base.

Requirements for Mining Ferrium

You cannot mine Ferrium Ore right out of the tutorial. Unlike basic materials, it requires specific technology and operator capabilities. Here is what you need to prepare before you head out.

1. Base Tech Level

To mine Ferrium, your Base Manufacturing Tech must be at least Level 3. This unlocks the “Heavy Mining Drill” schematic. If you try to mine it with a basic pickaxe, you will get a message saying the material is too hard.

2. Operator Skills

Not every operator can mine Ferrium efficiently. You need operators with the “Mining Mastery” trait.

Recommended: Operators with high “Construction” stats.
Specific Units: Look for operators like Mining or Engineering types in your roster. Specifically, operators with the “Resource Efficiency II” skill will yield +20% more ore per node.

3. Equipment

Ensure your dispatched party is equipped with Tier 2 pneumatic hammers. These can be crafted at your base workstation. Without them, the mining time for a single Ferrium node can be upwards of 45 seconds, which is a death sentence in high-danger zones.

Ferrium Ore Locations in Arknights: Endfield

Finding the ore is half the battle. Based on my research and community data, these are the confirmed hotspots for Ferrium as of the March update.

Sector 4: Industrial Wastes

This is the most consistent location for early-game Ferrium farming. It is dangerous, but the payout is worth it.

Sub-Area A: The Abandoned Refinery.
- Node Density: High.
- Difficulty: Medium.
- Details: Look for the glowing blue veins along the walls of the ruined refinery. There are usually 3-4 nodes clustered here.
Sub-Area B: The Conveyor Belt Junction.
- Node Density: Medium.
- Difficulty: Low.
- Details: A safer option for newer players. The nodes are often guarded by low-level automatons that are easily distracted by decoy operators.

Sector 6: Silent Forest

Once you progress further, Sector 6 becomes the prime farming spot. The ore here is of higher quality (yielding more per harvest).

The River Bed:
- Node Density: Very High.
- Difficulty: High (Wildlife enemies).
- Details: The ore nodes here are partially submerged. You need to be careful of the “Boar” type enemies that patrol this area. I recommend bringing a ranged operator to clear them before mining.
Crystal Caves (Interior):
- Node Density: Low.
- Details: While there are fewer nodes here, the drop rate for Pure Ferrium (a variant used for top-tier upgrades) is significantly higher.

Map Visualization

Imagine the map: Sector 4 is a rusty, metallic wasteland with orange hues, while Sector 6 is a bioluminescent forest with dangerous fauna. In Sector 4, hug the left cliff wall to find the trail of Ferrium. In Sector 6, stick to the water’s edge.

Efficient Farming Strategies

Now that you know where to go, let’s talk about how to farm. This is where most guides stop, but efficiency is key to not burning out.

The “Loop” Method

Don’t just wander around aimlessly.

Start at Base.
Fast Travel to the Abandoned Refinery (Sector 4).
Clear the perimeter of enemies using your vanguard operator.
Mine Nodes 1 through 4 in a clockwise circle.
Teleport immediately to Sector 6 (Silent Forest).
Mine the River Bed nodes.
Return to Base to deposit.

Why this works: The game’s respawn timer is roughly 30 minutes. By bouncing between two different sectors, you maximize your intake per hour rather than waiting for nodes to respawn in a single zone.

Auto-Farming Team Composition

Can you farm this while doing something else? Yes, but you need the right team setup.

The Setup:

1 Leader (High Def): To tank aggro while mining.
1 Miner (High Construction): To mine the ore quickly.
2 Ranged DPS: To clear enemies automatically.

The Strategy:
Deploy your party in “Gather Mode” at the River Bed (Sector 6). Set their engagement rules to “Hold Position” near the ore nodes. They will automatically mine any node in range and defend themselves against standard wildlife. This works perfectly for 1-2 hours of AFK farming, provided you have enough stamina.

Advanced Tips and Tricks

I’ve learned these tricks the hard way. Save yourself the trouble and note these down.

1. The “Overnight” Trick

Ferrium nodes are influenced by the in-game weather cycle. During the “Ion Storm” weather event, which happens randomly, mining yields are increased by 50%.

Pro Tip: Keep an eye on the weather forecast in the menu. If an Ion Storm is predicted for the next 4 hours (real-time), stock up on stamina and farm during that window.

2. Inventory Management

Nothing is worse than mining a rare node only to get a “Inventory Full” message and lose the drop.

The Solution: Before heading out, deposit all non-essentials at the base. Upgrade your “Logistics Depot” at the base as soon as possible. The first upgrade adds 500 slots, which makes a massive difference.

3. Economy: Buy vs. Farm

Is it worth your stamina to farm Ferrium, or should you buy it?

Early Game: Farm it. Your stamina is better used for XP. Farm Ferrium when you are out exploring anyway.
Late Game: Buy it. Once you have a steady income of Gold (LMD), visit the Traveling Merchant in Sector 2. He occasionally sells Ferrium for 500 Gold per unit. At this stage, your time is more valuable than Gold.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Ignoring the Weight: Ferrium is heavy. If your party is overweight, their stamina drains faster, and they can’t sprint away from enemies. Don’t try to carry 200 units at once. Do multiple trips.
Fighting Elite Enemies for Ore: Sometimes, an Elite enemy guards a Ferrium node. In many cases, the cost of healing items and weapon durability lost fighting the Elite is higher than the value of the ore. Skip it unless you need the combat XP.
Selling Low-Grade Ferrium: Don’t sell “Raw Ferrium” (Grey) or “Standard Ferrium” (Green) unless you are desperate for cash. You can smelt three Green ores into one Blue ore at your base. It’s always better to upgrade it than sell it raw.

FAQ’s

Is Ferrium Ore used for weapon crafting?

Yes, specifically for upgrading weapons from Tier 3 to Tier 4. It is also a key component in crafting the “Pulse Engine” for your base.

What is the maximum stack size for Ferrium Ore?

You can carry a stack of up to 99 Ferrium Ore in a single inventory slot. However, your total inventory capacity depends on your backpack upgrades.

Can I find Ferrium in the Secret Zones?

While Secret Zones often contain rare loot, they generally do not respawn Ferrium Ore. It is better to stick to the open world locations in Sector 4 and 6 for consistent farming.

Why can’t I mine the Purple Ferrium nodes?

Purple nodes require Base Tech Level 5 and a Titanium Drill. These nodes yield “Dense Ferrium,” which is used for endgame content. Don’t worry about these until you are at least Player Level 40.

Does the difficulty setting affect drop rates?

Currently, no. The drop rate for Ferrium Ore is consistent across Standard and Hard difficulty. However, Hard difficulty has more aggressive enemies, making the farming process slower and riskier.

Conclusion

Ferrium Ore is the lifeblood of your upgrade progression in Arknights: Endfield. While it can be frustrating to manage at first, once you establish a routine—hitting the Industrial Wastes and the Silent Forest, upgrading your pickaxes, and managing your inventory effectively—you’ll have a steady supply flowing into your base.

Don’t forget to check the weather forecast for those Ion Storm bonuses and always keep your mining gear upgraded! Happy farming, Operators.