Cobalt Ingots are a crucial mid-game crafting material in Hytale, essential for upgrading your gear from basic iron sets to stronger tools, weapons, and armor. Obtained by smelting Cobalt Ore, these dark blue ingots provide better durability and performance, helping you tackle tougher biomes and enemies in Early Access.
Where to Find Cobalt Ore
Cobalt Ore generates primarily in the Whisperfrost Frontiers biome (Zone 3), a snowy boreal region filled with icy tundras, mountains, and forests. Key sub-areas include The Everfrost, Frostmarch Tundra, and Boreal Reach. Look for it exposed on the surface, especially along mountain slopes, hillsides, and near large cave entrances - these deposits often protrude visibly as dark blue crystals against the grey rock.
It also appears secondarily in Zone 4's Devastated Lands, near bodies of water or lava, in smaller caves, and on surface levels.
Underground, Cobalt spawns more frequently in icy caves, submerged caves, and deeper layers, often alongside Iron Ore, with rarer Silver and Gold nodes.
How to Mine Cobalt Ore
No advanced tools are required - a basic Crude Pickaxe (Tier 1) works perfectly for harvesting Cobalt Ore. Simply approach the dark blue nodes and mine them like any other resource. Surface mining on mountains is the easiest start, but caves offer higher yields. Be cautious of falls on steep slopes and Void creatures at night in snowy areas.
Smelting Cobalt Ore into Ingots
- Craft a basic Furnace using your Workbench (requires Stone and other basic materials).
- Place Cobalt Ore in the top slot and fuel (like Wood or Coal) in the bottom.
- Wait for the smelting process - it takes slightly longer than Copper or Iron.
One Ore yields one Ingot. Upgrade your Furnace later with Cobalt for an extra input slot to speed things up.
What Can You Craft with Cobalt Ingots?
Cobalt Ingots unlock a full mid-tier gear set:
- Tools: Pickaxe, Axe, Shovel (faster than Iron, higher durability).
- Weapons: Sword, Knife, Shortbow (crafted with leather/scraps).
- Armor: Full set (Helmet, Chestplate, Leggings, Boots) - offers projectile, poison, and physical protection, plus boosted signature attack damage.
- Upgrades: Furnace enhancements and more.
| Item | Key Benefits |
|---|---|
| Cobalt Pickaxe | Efficient mining for higher ores like Thorium |
| Cobalt Armor | Better than Iron; rivals Thorium for certain playstyles |
| Cobalt Sword | High damage output |
Best Farming Strategies
- Surface Runs: Scout large mountains in Whisperfrost Frontiers from afar for exposed veins. Glide or climb safely.
- Cave Diving: Prioritize submerged icy caves in Zone 3 - abundant Cobalt, few mobs. Use diving gear if needed.
- Deep Dives: Go underground in Zone 4 caves near water for clusters, but watch for lava.
- Efficiency Tip: Set up a forward base with a bedroll in snowy zones to respawn nearby and farm repeatedly.
Essential Tips and Tricks
- Pack torches, food, and spare pickaxes for long expeditions.
- Avoid meadows - stick to true snowy zones.
- Nighttime brings dangers; farm during day or light caves well.
- Combine with Gold farming in the same biome for dual progress.
- As you gear up, transition to Thorium or Adamantite next.