Learn how to get Coal and what it can be used for
Whether you are running a Forge, making Gun Powder, or are just tired of chopping wood for your Campfire, Coal is an especially useful resource in 7 Days to Die. As in many other survival games, its main use is keeping the flames of your campfire, forge, or Chemistry Station burning hot. However, it is also a vital component in creating Gun Powder, making it necessary if you want to craft your own ammo or explosives.
This guide will teach you everything you need to know about how to get and mine Coal in 7 Days to Die and explain a few ways it can be used to your advantage.
How to find Coal in 7 Days to Die
You aren’t likely to find Coal in loot containers while scavenging, but there are several other ways to obtain this resource: harvesting charred wood or mining deposits. While deposits can be found anywhere, they are most common in Snow and Burnt Forest biomes. Mining is definitely the fastest way to farm this resource.
Here are 3 of the best ways to find Coal in 7 Days to Die:
1. Burnt Wreckage and Coal Piles
Occasionally charcoal can be found inside buildings in the form of burnt-out campfires in fireplaces and piles in basements or behind cabins. Both deposits are best harvested with a Shovel, and while they yield Coal, you’ll get a lot more out of piles than old campfires.
2. Charred Trees
Another way to get Coal is by chopping down burnt trees in the burned forest biome. This method isn’t likely to earn you much for your efforts, but if you are looking for something to burn, you’ll be collecting a fair amount of Wood at the same time. You can also chop up the charred wreckage you find on the ground here.
3. Mining
Mining is usually the most effective method for collecting Coal in 7 Days to Die. Coal nodes can be found on the surface in the form of a shiny black boulder. You may have to dig for a way underneath this boulder to find the rest of the deposit, but with the right perks and a decent pickaxe or auger, you can easily gather several stacks in a single day.
Building a Coal Mine
If you choose to mine for your Coal, you’ll need to build a mine. It is possible to dig a mine without using any construction materials, but this can be dangerous and inefficient and may result in your mine collapsing on you.
Coal deposits can be found in most biomes but appear most commonly in the snowy regions of the map. Upon locating the shiny black boulder that indicates a deposit, dig underneath the rock and construct an enclosed shaft. This shaft will keep your entrance from collapsing and prevent you from getting trapped.
We recommend placing a reinforced hatch at the top of your ladder to protect your entrance from pesky intruders. This will not only prevent wandering zombies from dropping in on you, but the sound of a zombie banging on metal will surely alert you to danger.
Coal deposits typically spawn in tight clusters beneath the surface, so you won’t need to do much vertical digging. We still recommend building mine supports since the snowy ground is much more prone to caving in than clay or stone soil. Make sure to bring a flashlight or many torches with you since the dark color of Coal makes it hard to distinguish from normal rock.
Tips and tricks on using Coal in 7 Days to Die
Here are 3 tips and tricks for using Coal:
1. Fuel
As with Wood and Plant Fibre, Coal can be used to fuel campfires, forges, and chemistry benches. In fact, it is easily the most efficient fuel for any of these workstations, providing 100 seconds of fuel per unit, while wood provides only 50. Because of this, it’s best to use this resource to fuel your workstations whenever possible.
2. Crafting
Coal is a key component in creating Gun Powder and can be combined with Nitrate Powder at a chemistry station to produce your own! If you want a reasonable supply of armor piercing or high-powered ammunition, you will need to make your own Gun Powder. With the proper recipe or the Grease Monkey perk, Coal can also be used to craft wheels for vehicles.
3. Water Purification
Coal can also be used to purify murky water into Pure Mineral Water at a campfire. Not only does this make the water safe to drink, but it also imbues it with the Efficient Digestion Buff, reducing your food consumption for a time after drinking it.
FAQs
No. Torches burn cloth and Animal Fat instead.
By far, yes. Burning gas cans produces only a few seconds of heat. It cannot fuel vehicles, though.
It can be collected into stacks of up to 6000 units.
Final thoughts on getting Coal in 7 Days to Die
If you are planning on forging advanced materials in 7 Days to Die, you’re going to burn through all your wood very quickly. Instead of throwing away your building materials, burn Coal! Just make sure you save a few stacks to make some Gun Powder. Ammo doesn’t grow on trees, you know.
Now that you know how to farm this valuable resource, you can save all that wood for building and make enough Gun Powder to surround your base in a minefield. If you’re looking for some pointers to make your life in the apocalypse easier, check out our 10 Tips for Getting Started or our more in-depth 7 Days to Die Beginner’s Guide.
