Unlocking the secrets of Moria’s depths hinges on one crucial upgrade: the Steel Hammer and Pickaxe. To break through the barriers blocking your path and delve into the legendary Mines of Moria, you must first reignite the ancient Great Forge of Narvi and master the art of crafting steel ingots from iron ore and coal. This guide reveals how to gather the rare materials, repair the forge, and forge your way to survival and success in Return to Moria on PC. Prepare to transform your tools-and your adventure-with steel.
While unlocking steel is part of your main quest – you literally cannot progress without it – it doesn’t show up as a waypoint on your map, unlike most of the objectives so far. You’ll also need steel if you stand any hope of unlocking fast travel in Return to Moria, which is certainly something you’ll want to do as soon as possible. You’ll also need it for key tools, like the Steel Hammer and the Steel Pickaxe.
Here’s how to get steel in Return to Moria, and how to use that steel to craft a Steel Hammer and a Steel Pickaxe.
How to get steel in Return to Moria
To get steel in Return to Moria, you need to locate and repair the Great Forge of Narvi, which is found in the Elven Quarter. Repairing the forge requires finding and installing three missing parts: the Replacement Crank, Replacement Gear, and Replacement Pipe, some of which can be found near the forge or crafted using iron ingots. Once repaired, you can smelt steel ingots by combining 3 iron ores and 3 coal, taking about 45 seconds per ingot. With steel ingots, you can then craft essential tools like the Steel Hammer and Steel Pickaxe, which are necessary to progress further into the mines and overcome obstacles like compacted dirt.
We’ll go into more detail on each of these steps below, but for a quick step-by-step guide, here is what you must do to unlock steel in Return to Moria:
- Make it to the Elven Cavern and find the pathway to the Mines of Moria.
- This will give you the objective to light the Great Forge of Narvi.
- Find the Great Forge and replace the three missing parts.
- Defeat the horde.
- Interact with the forge to unlock the steel ingot recipe, along with steel tools.
- Smelt Steel Ingots with three iron ore, three coal, and one hide.
You don’t need to worry about getting steel until you make it to the Elven Cavern, the first major location you’ll encounter in the procedurally generated halls of Khazad-dûm. Once you make it here, along with the chance of encountering Black Diamonds for the first time, there are a few major landmarks to highlight.
Your primary objective is to make it to the Mines of Moria, which are connected to the Elven Cavern through a dirt wall, very similar to the ones you’ve previously been tunneling through. However, this is made of compacted dirt, not the bog standard plain ol’ normal dirt, so it needs a Steel Pickaxe to break through.
Throughout the Elven Cavern, you’ll also find broken statues, much like the ones you’ve been repairing prior to finding this area and unlocking crafting recipes through. However, these ones are a slightly lighter shade, and require a Steel Hammer to rebuild.
To get steel, you must find the Great Forge of Narvi, which for us, was located directly opposite where we entered the Elven Cavern. It’s enormous, so it’s tough to miss, though you will have to slay quite a few orc camps to get there.
Upon arrival, you’ll discover three parts of the forge are missing, and you must fix it with a replacement crank, gear, and pipe. All three parts can be found nearby, so simply search the area, but if you are struggling to find any of them, you’ll be able to craft them at a standard forge then lug them back to the Great Forge.
Slot everything into place and wait for it to heat up. The noise of the forge starting up again will attract your first horde, which spawns a lot of enemies, though all the goblins can be defeated in one hit. Clear the horde and voila! You’ll unlock the crafting recipe for everything steel-based, and can now craft steel back at your camp or any normal forge.
It’s worth noting that the Great Forge of Narvi does unlock some recipes which must be crafted on location, including the Eregion Spear, Eregion Shield, and the Shieldwall, which is the first Masterwork item available to you.
How to get a Steel Hammer and Steel Pickaxe in Return to Moria
To get a Steel Hammer and Steel Pickaxe in Return to Moria, you first need to repair the Great Forge of Narvi located in the Elven Quarter. This involves finding and replacing missing parts such as the Gear, Crank, and a Replacement Pipe, which can be crafted or found nearby. Repairing the forge will trigger enemy attacks, so be prepared for combat. Once repaired, you can smelt Steel Ingots by combining Iron Ore and Coal. With Steel Ingots, Elven Wood, and Hide gathered from the surrounding areas, you can craft the Steel Pickaxe and Steel Hammer at the forge. The Steel Pickaxe is essential for mining tougher materials and breaking through barriers, while the Steel Hammer is used for repairing statues and other structures as you progress deeper into Moria.
As mentioned above, you’ll need a Steel Hammer to rebuild the statues – plus any Ruined Mapstones you encounter – and you’ll need the Steel Pickaxe to get to the Mines of Moria. Once you’ve activated the Great Forge of Narvi, you can craft a Steel Hammer and a Steel Pickaxe at a standard forge. However, you must acquire steel ingots first, which take 45 seconds to smelt and require three iron ore and three coal.
Once you have steel ingots, you can craft the Steel Hammer and Steel Pickaxe:
Steel Hammer recipe
- Steel Ingots x2
- Elven Wood x4
- Hide x1
Steel Pickaxe recipe
- Steel Ingots x3
- Elven Wood x4
- Hide x1
Elven wood can be found by chopping down any trees in the Elven Cavern – just watch out for any bears or wolves wandering nearby, as they can sneak up on you.
To get hide, you must kill Hriwaras, which are the white deer you’ll find in the Elven Cavern. Some of them have horns, some don’t, but either type will drop Hides. (Note that Hides are are not the same as Hide Scraps, which you can loot off enemies you’ve found so far, such as wolves and ben’imun. You can turn Hide Scraps into Hides, but that requires a Loom, which you won’t unlock for some time.) You’ll also use Hides to expand your inventory, so stock up.
What hidden steps unlock the Great Forge of Narvi in Return to Moria
To unlock the Great Forge of Narvi in Return to Moria, players must first locate it in the Elven Quarter within the Western Halls of Moria, an area guarded by Goblin-Men and Cave Bears. Upon arrival, the forge will be inactive and missing three crucial components: a crank, a gear, and a pipe. The crank and gear are usually found close to the forge itself, while the pipe is located near a Goblin-Men camp down the stairs outside the forge. Due to a broken staircase, players need to either throw the pipe into place using the “R” key or build wooden platforms with wood scraps to reach the installation point. If these parts are not found, they can be crafted using iron ingots after obtaining the necessary recipes. Once all three parts are replaced, activating the forge will trigger an enemy ambush, so players should prepare for combat or retreat. Successfully repairing the Great Forge of Narvi unlocks the ability to craft steel ingots, steel tools like the Steel Hammer and Steel Pickaxe, and other advanced weapons essential for progressing deeper into the mines.
Where exactly is the replacement pipe located near the forge entrance
The replacement pipe for the Great Forge of Narvi in Return to Moria is located near the entrance of the hall, typically on the ground to the right side of the forge entrance, often guarded by a small orc (Goblin-Men) camp. It is usually found in the southeast corner of this enemy camp, up against a wall. Because the right-hand staircase of the forge is broken, players cannot carry the pipe up normally; instead, they must either throw the pipe up to the slot using the “R” key or build wooden platforms with wood scraps to reach the installation point. The location may vary slightly due to the game’s procedural generation, but it consistently appears near the forge entrance in an area with enemies.
