Steel Ingots in Graveyard Keeper 2 can only be purchased from the Bishop at the Royal Foundry for 1 Silver Coin each. Unlike other metals, Steel isn’t produced in a furnace or smithy, so unlocking access to the Royal Foundry is essential for progressing through the later stages of the Metallurgy Tech Tree.
Steel is used for advanced tools, weapons, and armor, along with important factory components such as Steel Screws and Engineering Details. The good news is that once you’ve reached the Royal Foundry for the first time, buying more Steel becomes extremely straightforward.
Where to Get Steel Ingots
The Bishop at the Royal Foundry sells Steel Ingots.
Steel has a fixed price, meaning the cost doesn’t increase as you purchase more. The Royal Foundry also has an unlimited supply, so you don’t need to wait for the merchant’s inventory to restock.
| Steel Ingots | Cost |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Silver |
| 10 | 10 Silver |
| 50 | 50 Silver |
| 100 | 1 Gold |
Regardless of how many you purchase, you’re effectively paying 1 Silver per Steel Ingot.
Because Steel is required for several advanced crafting recipes, you’ll eventually want a reliable source of income to purchase it in larger quantities. Developing your factory and supplying goods to the town can help provide the money needed for a steady Steel supply.
Can You Craft Steel Ingots?
No. Steel Ingots can’t be forged at your base.
Unlike other ingots, there isn’t a furnace or smithy recipe that lets you convert raw resources into Steel.
The Royal Foundry is your source for the material, making access to the location more important than unlocking another production station.
Once you’ve reached it, however, Steel can actually become easier to acquire than some resources you need to gather or manufacture yourself.
How to Reach the Royal Foundry
The difficult part isn’t purchasing Steel. It’s reaching the Royal Foundry for the first time.
The only route to the Royal Foundry is through the sewers, which are blocked by groups of undead enemies.
You’ll need to complete several battles around both sides of town before you can successfully make your way through.
The required battles are:
- Closing the Western Floodgate
- Closing the Eastern Floodgate: Part I
- Closing the Eastern Floodgate: Part II
- Break Through to the Bathhouse Basement
All four battles need to be completed before you can reach your destination.
Some encounters may require you to speak with Herbert, the commander found in the barracks, or Jack at his workshop to continue unlocking the necessary battles.
What Happens If You Lose a Battle?
Losing one of the required battles doesn’t permanently block your progress.
If your forces are defeated, you’ll have another opportunity to attempt the encounter the following week on Sloth Day, represented by the blue day icon with a gold moon.
Rather than immediately attempting the same battle with an underprepared army, use the extra time to recruit additional soldiers, improve their equipment, strengthen your defenses, and stock up on consumables.
The Royal Foundry isn’t going anywhere, so preparation can save you from repeatedly losing the same encounter.
How to Prepare for the Royal Foundry Battles
Graveyard Keeper 2 won’t let you begin certain battles until you’ve satisfied their requirements.
You’ll need to recruit zombie soldiers, equip them appropriately, and construct the necessary fortifications.
Don’t focus solely on your own equipment. Your zombie troops need effective gear as well, particularly as the encounters become more demanding.
Mercenaries are another consideration. Around this stage of progression, they may request gold-tier Wine as payment rather than ordinary currency.
That means your Vineyard and Vineyard Basement become important parts of your military preparation. You’ll need grapes, grape juice, and functioning barrels to maintain a suitable supply of Wine.
Best Tips for Winning Battles
Before starting one of the battles required to reach the Royal Foundry, make sure both your character and army are properly prepared.
Stock up on combat potions. Bring plenty of consumables, with the strongest healing potions available to you being particularly useful.
Put potions on your hotbar. Having healing available isn’t much help if you can’t access it quickly during a difficult fight.
Unlock combat Perks. Invest in useful combat upgrades for both your Keeper and zombie soldiers before tackling stronger enemy groups.
Use your defenses. Let enemies advance into your fortifications instead of unnecessarily meeting them away from your defensive positions.
Protect your archer towers. Ranged units can provide valuable damage as long as enemies don’t reach and overwhelm them.
Keep archers out of melee combat. Don’t send ranged troops directly into close-range fights where their advantages are wasted.
The key is to treat these encounters as battles that require preparation rather than trying to overcome them through your Keeper’s equipment alone.
Unlock the Royal Foundry Waypoint
Reaching the Royal Foundry for the first time unlocks its Waypoint.
After that, you won’t need to repeat the sewer journey whenever you run out of Steel. You can simply fast-travel between your base and the foundry.
This dramatically changes how difficult Steel is to obtain. The initial unlock requires several battles and substantial preparation, but every Steel purchase afterward is straightforward.
With an unlimited supply available for a fixed 1 Silver per Ingot, your main limitation eventually becomes money rather than access. Building a profitable factory is therefore the natural next step, giving you the income needed to purchase Steel in bulk for advanced equipment and factory upgrades.
