What’s the most efficient way to share and use the blast furnace for smelting?

The blast furnace is a crucial late-game crafting station in Valheim, used to smelt black metal and refine materials like flametal ore. To share and use the blast furnace efficiently in multiplayer, you need to understand its mechanics, placement, and resource management. The blast furnace requires a significant amount of space and specific resources to build, so planning is essential.\n\nFirst, ensure you have the necessary materials to craft the blast furnace. You will need 20 iron, 10 fine wood, 5 surtling cores, and 5 chains. Chains can be obtained from swamp biome dungeons or by defeating Wraiths, while surtling cores are found in burial chambers or dropped by surtlings in the Ashlands. Fine wood is gathered from birch or oak trees in the Meadows or Plains biomes, and iron is mined from muddy scrap piles in the Swamp biome.\n\nOnce you have the materials, choose a central location for the blast furnace. It should be near your base''s main crafting area but also close to a source of coal, such as a charcoal kiln or surtling core farm. The blast furnace requires a 3x3 area of flat ground and cannot be placed too close to other structures, so clear the area beforehand. Building it near a forge or workbench is ideal for seamless crafting.\n\nTo share the blast furnace effectively in multiplayer, designate specific roles for your team. For example, one player can focus on gathering ore, another on producing coal, and a third on managing the smelting process. This division of labor ensures the blast furnace operates continuously without downtime. Use chests to store raw materials like black metal scraps or flametal ore near the furnace for easy access.\n\nA common challenge is managing fuel for the blast furnace. Coal is the primary fuel source, and it can be produced using a charcoal kiln by burning wood. To optimize fuel usage, avoid overloading the furnace with too much ore at once. The blast furnace can smelt up to 10 items simultaneously, but adding more than that will waste fuel. Keep a steady supply of coal and ore to maintain efficiency.\n\nAnother tip is to use portals strategically. If your team is exploring distant biomes like the Plains or Mistlands, set up portals to transport black metal scraps or flametal ore back to your base quickly. This minimizes travel time and ensures the blast furnace is always in use. Additionally, consider building multiple blast furnaces if your team is large or if you have a high demand for refined materials.\n\nFor new players, focus on unlocking the blast furnace by defeating Moder in the Mountains biome. This boss drops the materials needed to craft the artisan table, which is required to build the blast furnace. Experienced Vikings can optimize their setup by automating coal production using surtling core farms in the Ashlands biome, where surtlings drop both cores and coal.\n\nIn summary, the most efficient way to share and use the blast furnace involves careful planning, role assignment, and resource management. Build it in a central location, maintain a steady supply of coal and ore, and use portals to streamline material transport. By following these steps, your team can maximize the blast furnace''s potential and progress smoothly through Valheim''s late-game content.