How to Get Frostcores in Valheim's Winding Tunnels

Frostcore is a material tied to Deep North progression. You obtain it from Winding Tunnels, and its main role is the Frigid Kiln and Frost Foundry. Use this page alongside the Deep North guide and the item catalog.

Quick facts

How to obtain

1. Locate an abandoned village in the Deep North and enter the Winding Tunnels beneath it.
2. Search every cleared room, side branch, wall, and floor for embedded Frostcores rather than stopping at the first visible cluster.
3. Collect at least 20 Frostcores to build one Frigid Kiln and one Frost Foundry, then portal them home before continuing deeper.

What it's used for

• Build the Frigid Kiln that processes Ice.
• Build the Frost Foundry that finishes Intricate Keys and Deep North casts.
• Treat the first cores as progression materials before optional upgrades.

First pickup and station budget

Search the Winding Tunnels thoroughly for Frostcores embedded through the dungeon environment. The first pickup unlocks both Deep North processing stations, so bring inventory space and continue collecting after the recipe notification. You need 20 cores total to build one of each station.

The Frigid Kiln costs 10 Frostcore, 20 Stone, and 5 Ice. It processes five Ice into one Liquid Frost, the coolant used as Frost Foundry fuel. The Frost Foundry costs another 10 Frostcore, 15 Iron, and 20 Stone. It turns prepared casts, including the Intricate Key cast, into finished items.

Portal the cores out as soon as a branch is secure. Stone and Iron can be staged later, but losing the first ten cores delays every cast. If a run yields fewer than 20, mark cleared rooms and return for unexplored walls, floors, and side chambers instead of assuming the first visible cluster is the dungeon's entire supply.

Frequently asked questions

How many Frostcores do both stations need?

Twenty total: ten for the Frigid Kiln and ten for the Frost Foundry.

What does the first Frostcore unlock?

Picking one up reveals the Frigid Kiln and Frost Foundry recipes.

Where are Frostcores inside Winding Tunnels?

Look for collectible Frostcore hangers along the dungeon walls and inspect side branches rather than treating them as ordinary chest loot. Continue until you have the 20 needed for both processing stations.

Common mistakes

• Leaving after ten cores and forgetting that the kiln and foundry each need ten.
• Spending Ice on kiln construction without mining enough extra for its first fuel cycle.
• Building the stations at an exposed northern camp when the portal can carry all ingredients home.

The two stations form one system. The kiln makes Liquid Frost; the foundry consumes it while finishing casts. Build them close enough that processed fuel, casts, and finished keys can share secure storage. Neither station replaces the level 4 Black Forge step that creates the cast.

Documentation status

Iron Gate's 1.0 notes confirm the named content; exact quantities and route details here are included where current hands-on guides and game-data references agree.

Sources

Sources: Official Valheim 1.0 notes, Valheim.tools game-data guide, All Things How guide, Valheim.tools 1.0 database update, Valheim.tools frostcore item data.