Graveyard Keeper 2 Iron Mine: Early Ore and Renewable Mining
Get starter ore from surface rocks, open both Old Mine connections and set up zombie mining with transport.
Quick Answer
For early iron, mine ore-bearing surface rocks or inspect the Trademaster's ore stock. Renewable iron comes from a Zombie Miner in the Old Mine under the forest. Open the forest/quarry entrance and the factory connection, unlock Zombie Mining, then equip a miner with a pickaxe. The recorded base cycle produces 1 Iron Ore and 2 Coal.
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Get starter ore before mine automation
Look for ore-bearing rocks near the graveyard and in the newly accessible forest. Inspect the rock's interaction tooltip before swinging: you need a pickaxe and enough mastery for that object. These deposits are a finite bridge to the mine, not a long-term production line.
If a repair needs only a little ore, inspect the Trademaster's current stock before spending an evening opening a region. Check the noun in the requirement: Iron Ore, Iron Ingot and Iron Detail are different items. Ore cannot directly replace a finished detail.
Open the forest entrance
- Progress the initial battle and village story until the forest pass route is available. Follow the village tavern and Royal Postbox dialogue for the pass, then show it to the guards.
- In the forest, speak with Hans and Sven and follow Can't See the Forest for the Iron rather than repeatedly hitting the cave.
- Follow Larry's Miners' Treasure dialogue and its candle request, then complete the bandit exchange that provides the explosives.
- Use Dynamite on the entrance blockage. Inspect its Building mastery requirement; the reported entrance check is 8.
The quest dialogue and blocked entrance identify the route. Buying a stronger pickaxe does not replace Dynamite or the required story exchange. The blockage opens the mine; it does not automatically staff a miner.
Open the factory connection too
Inside the underground factory, inspect the blockage leading into the Old Mine. The 1.007 export lists 4 Building Kits I and 1 Reinforced Beam, with Building mastery 8. Clearing only one entrance may let you walk inside while gathering technologies remain hidden. Check both connections before assuming Zombie Mining is missing from the game.
Build and staff the Zombie Miner
- Inspect the revealed gathering research and unlock Zombie Mining.
- At the Old Mine build desk, place the Zombie Miner and the needed storage. Read the installed blueprint before spending materials.
- Place a zombie at the miner and equip its pickaxe. Open its panel and verify the selected output and job requirement.
- Let one cycle finish and inspect the local ore and coal output.
- Set up the mine Porter Station to move goods to the factory, with space at the receiving end. Check the local output before troubleshooting transport.
The recorded base mining cycle yields 1 Iron Ore and 2 Coal. Gems require the relevant perk; they are not a guaranteed extra item every cycle. Recipe ticks in an export are not a measured seconds-per-cycle promise.
Turn ore into the item you need
| Route: 1.007 export | Inputs | Base output |
|---|---|---|
| Furnace II / Iron Forge | 3 Iron Ore + 30 Fuel | 3 Iron Ingots |
| Smithy I or II / Smithy: Hammer | 1 Iron Ore + 1 Coal | 1 Iron Ingot |
The yard furnace and factory Smithy are different stations with different inputs. Pick the route you have actually unlocked. Furnace costs were rebalanced after launch; use your own recipe panel if its values differ. Finished ingots can then be turned into details or packed into Supply: Iron.
When the line does not produce
- Research hidden: check both mine connections and the story state.
- No local output: check the assigned worker, pickaxe and job panel.
- Local output, empty factory: check the porter and receiving storage.
- Worker stalls after being carried: compare your build with the official gathering-worker fixes.
- Iron crate delivered but story stuck: follow the separate delivery fault checks.
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Material automation walkthrough
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Sources and version coverage
View sources and image credits
Checked October 9, 2026. Mining and smelting quantities are from the local community export labelled 1.007; the mine route was compared with player footage and world guides. Artwork belongs to Lazy Bear Games / tinyBuild. GameHelpBase did not playtest this save.