I don't know how many of you know this and it may be common knowledge but I wanted to post just in case.

We all know that ore is VERY heavy and it doesn't take much to load down pack animals. But there is a trick to getting more ingots from each full load of ore.

The largest piles of ore (the ones that give 2 ingots each) weigh 12 stones. That means that you get 1 ingot for 6 stones of weight.

But if you notice the very smallest piles of ore (that give .5 ingots each) weight only 2 stones. That means 1 ingot for 4 stones of weight.

And when you combine the largest piles with the smallest ones, each large pile becomes four small piles. So you still get 4 ingots for each large pile no matter which way you carry them.

But the advantage comes when you consider the new weight of the ore. The large pile that used to weigh 12 stones is now four, 2 stone piles and thus weighs only 8 stones!

This allows you to carry 50% more ore with each trip. And that means 50% more ingots! A maxed out pack horse at say, 1600 stones goes from giving only 266.6 ingots to giving 400 ingots each trip. Believe me it adds up!

Oh and by the way the two middle ore pile sizes are equal to each other in stone to ingot ratio but they are actually worse than the larger piles (a 7 stone pile give only 1 ingot) So it is beneficial to convert ALL pile sizes to the smallest ones. However it is counter productive to convert the largest piles to anything but the smallest ones. Hope you guys find this useful!

very useful.
though i did know this im sure there are many who needed this info.

(I just learned it though)

just get a fire beetle and smelt it on the spot...that way you don't have to carry ore at all

hm. i didnt know that was the use of fire beetles.
Awesome tip. thanks

How do you use a fire beetle to smelt? Do you just drop the ore on its back or something? i was told it has no back pack so would i have to do this each time i personally get over loaded?

I didnt know some didnt know about the fire beetles.

All you do is double click the ore and targer the fire beetle.

It is just like a forge.

I just got one. Thanks to all who helped Sanction get the beetle, what a crazy cave! It works great and I'm grateful for all the help!

The day my fire beetle bonded I decided to mind the "wind tunnel" since I'm friended to the ants. It didn't take to long to figure out that my fire beetle was not friended to the ants! In the first hour I recalled to luna several times to get my mining buddy rez'd.

Then the miracle happened!!!!

Just as i was smelting on his health bar he died and I was surprised to find out you can smelt ore on fire beetles when they are dead!!!

I got mine with sanction too ;D
Well the hubby - Kyzar - was there as well to fight alongside and get me a fire beetle.

I hve to say though that I was quite disappointed that all day I had been asking anyone to helpme out to get a darn beetle and noone wanted to help me but then suddenly everyone else started asking and they were being helped. Maybe Lady Kolleen isnt liked. Whatever.

Dont worry Kolleen. Sometimes it really depends who is really online at the time and not just afk siting online. I am really good at geting fire beetles and sometimes I just cant help at the time. Sorry I wasnt online.