Coal is a mid-game smelting fuel in Enshrouded. You can’t craft it, and you won’t find it in the starting regions. It comes from dark, charcoal-colored veins in the Albaneve Summits, mostly on cliff faces and rocky ledges near the region’s Ancient Spire and inside its mines and cave passages. Once you know where the veins are, farming it is a short glide and a few pickaxe swings.
Quick answer: Fast travel to Ancient Spire – Albaneve Summits and mine the dark veins northeast or southeast of it with any pickaxe. For larger hauls, mine inside Rothstep, northwest of the spire.
Coal requirements and item stats
Coal is a Common material at item level 33, and it stacks to 250. Because it only comes from a level 33 region, most players reach it well into a playthrough. Check these things before you set out:
- A pickaxe in your hotbar. Any tier works, but Iron, Steel and Gilded Pickaxes all break veins faster than lower tiers.
- Access to the Albaneve Summits biome.
- The Ancient Spire – Albaneve Summits unlocked, so you can fast travel there and glide down to the veins.
- A glider, since several veins are easiest to reach by jumping off the spire.
Coal locations around the Albaneve Summits Ancient Spire
The surface veins all sit within gliding distance of the same fast travel point. That makes the Ancient Spire your home base for every Coal run. The veins differ in safety and size.
| Spot | Direction from spire | Landmark | Enemies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Icy river ledge | Northeast | Flame Shrine | None |
| Roadside cliff | Southeast | Wooden cabin, dirt road | None nearby |
| Dark tower | Southwest | Smaller dark-hued tower | Not specified |
| Ruined stone gate | North | Stone archway wall | Patrols on the route |
Northeast of the spire: the safest Coal vein
This ledge has fewer veins than the southeast cliff. No enemies patrol it, though, so you can clear it at your own pace.
Southeast of the spire: the largest surface pile
This cliff holds more Coal in one place, so it’s the better stop when you need to restock quickly. It sits right on the edge of the Shroud, which makes your footing matter more than any enemy here.
Breaking rock at the southeast cliff can shift the ground under you. Mine from a stable spot so you don’t fall into the Shroud below.
Southwest of the spire: the dark tower
From the top of the Ancient Spire, glide down to the smaller, dark-hued tower southwest of it. A cluster of black rocks next to the tower marks a Coal deposit. Follow the path southeast from there and you’ll find a couple more veins along the way.
North of the spire: the ruined stone gate
Glide northeast off the spire and follow the frozen river valley. Then run north up the rocky mountain path, steering around any enemies, until you reach a stone archway wall. On the map, the gate sits directly north of the spire and southwest of Wildwater Basin. The Coal vein is on the slope immediately to the left of the gate, and it’s a deep one that takes many swings to clear.
Mines and caves with Coal veins in Albaneve Summits
Underground spots carry more Coal than the surface ledges, but you’ll have to fight for it. Four locations in Albaneve Summits have Coal veins.
| Location | Veins inside | Enemies |
|---|---|---|
| Rothstep (mine) | Coal, Amethyst, Luminous Growth | Bats |
| Albaneve Cave Passage #3 |  Coal | Spiders |
| Albaneve Cave Passage #6 | Coal, Iron Ore, Luminous Growth | Bats, Spiders |
| Cyclops Cave Passage #2 | Coal, Iron Ore, Luminous Growth | Bats, Cyclops |
Rothstep is the dependable option for volume. The mine belongs to the Rothstep Mining Settlement, northwest of the Albaneve Summits Ancient Spire, and the cave on the settlement’s northwest side is full of Coal veins. Bats are the only threat, which makes it a comfortable late-game farm.
Albaneve Cave Passage #6 pairs Coal with Iron Ore, so one trip covers both. It links Forge of Obsidia, Gateway Outpost “Bora” and Everfrore Keep. Cyclops Cave Passage #2 has the same ore mix, but a Cyclops guards it, so save it for when your gear can handle the fight. Cave Passage #3 has Coal only, and spiders guard it.
Most of these underground veins sit next to glowing Luminous Growth, a Common cave material that stacks to 250. It’s easy to collect on the way out.
How to tell you’re mining Coal
Before striking, line up your aim with the Coal vein. The Harvest prompt will appear, and each hit that lands successfully will show a Coal pickup notice. A vein usually yields Granite and Albaneve Summits Dirt as well, while every hit awards a little character XP. Seeing only Dirt and Granite means your blows are landing on ordinary rock next to the vein; shift your aim to the rock’s black section.
Open the world map at each vein, choose Set Waypoint or create a custom marker, and future runs become a straight glide from the spire.
Coal vs. Charcoal in Enshrouded
Coal and Charcoal are separate materials, and the game doesn’t let you swap one for the other. Charcoal comes from the Charcoal Kiln in batches of 10, and it’s available from the early game. It’s also the material that unlocks Coal Powder at the Grinding Stones. Before you head into the mountains, read the recipe’s ingredient name. If it says Charcoal, fire up your kiln instead.
What Coal is used for
Coal mostly feeds the Blast Furnace, which uses it to smelt higher-tier metal bars. It also shows up in Steel Bars recipes, building pieces, Brazen Bull and Hailcaster armor, and a few Laboratory materials.
| Product | Station | Output |
|---|---|---|
 Bronze Bars | Blast Furnace | 20 |
 Copper Bars | Blast Furnace | 20 |
 Silver Bars | Blast Furnace | 20 |
 Gold Bars | Blast Furnace | 20 |
 Celestium Bars | Blast Furnace | 20 |
 Glass | Blast Furnace | 20 |
 Flammable Goo | Laboratory | 5 |
 Brazen Bull Shield | Blacksmith | 1 |
Silver Bars, Gold Bars and Celestium Bars only come from the Blast Furnace, so a steady Coal supply sets how fast you progress through late-game metals. Bronze Bars and Copper Bars can still be made at the Smelter, which skips Coal, but you get half as many per batch.
Among the gear, the Brazen Bull Shield is a Rare, level 30 Warrior off-hand with Power Parry 1. You craft it at the Blacksmith, and it requires Flame level 6 or higher and a roof over the crafting area. For your base, Coal goes into the Balefire Brazier, Big Steel Barrel, Granite Fireplace and Hanging Silver Chandelier.
With 250 Coal to a stack, one clean sweep of the southeast cliff or the Rothstep mine usually covers several Blast Furnace batches. When your bars run low, fast travel to the spire, glide to a marked vein, and you’re back at your furnace within minutes.
