Flux stones are a key ingredient in Dwarf Fortress as it allows the production of steel and pig iron.
While they can be tricky to find, flux stones are worth the extra effort as they have a material value of 2 (compared to stone which has 1), thus making them ideal for stonework.
Before marking on an adventure to find and use flux stones, make sure you’ve got a solid enough supply of previous-tier ores: iron and coal. It’s essential to have a hefty supply of those, as they are needed in almost every project.
In this guide, I will explain how to find and use flux stones in Dwarf Fortress.
How to Find Flux Stones in Dwarf Fortress
There are two ways to obtain flux stones in the game: mining and trading.
First, for mining, there are 5 varieties of flux stones.
- Calcite
- Chalk
- Dolomite
- Limestone
- Marble
To find out if a mining site has flux stones, you’ll need to check the pre-embark screen. With the exception of Calcite and Marble, these stones form sedimentary layers with large deposits of iron ore.
Marble forms in the metamorphic layers, while Calcite is found within Limestone and Marble.
Second, you can also get flux by trading. Players are able to request flux from dwarven traders and avoid mining completely.
In this case, it’s important to know that you’ll need to order flux material stone, found within the material tab. Do not order flux blocks, since you can’t use these to create steel.
However, since it’s not always guaranteed that traders will have flux, it can be a better option to order steel directly.
How to Use Flux Stones in Dwarf Fortress
Flux stones have two main uses in Dwarf Fortress: they make steel and pig iron. Steel is an essential resource for progressing in the game, while pig iron is necessary for making steel. Let’s examine how to make steel.
To make two bars of steel in Dwarf Fortress, you will need the following materials.
- 2 bars of iron
- 2 units of flux
- 4 units of fuel (2 if magma powered)
First, combine 1x iron, 1x flux, and 2x fuel to create 1x pig iron in the smelter.
Then, combine the remaining 1x iron, 1x flux, and 2x fuel with the newly crafted 1x pig iron to create 2 bars of steel.
Wrapping up
To sum up, that’s everything you need to know on how to get and use flux stones in Dwarf Fortress.
They can be gained either from mining or trading, and are used in the production of pig iron and steel.
Now that you’ve managed to get your flux production on track, consider checking out our other guide on how to farm for food in Dwarf Fortress.
Are you mining or trading for flux stones? Have you managed to upgrade your equipment to steel? Let us know in the comments below.
He has a Master’s Degree in Philosophy, which allows him to always come up with a fresh approach to solving in-game puzzles and challenges, but also to create content that’s to the point, clean and easy to follow.
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