Clay Soil: Gather & Smelt in 7 Days

Clay is a cornerstone material in 7 Days to Die, used in a wide range of recipes from early-game Farm Plots that sustain your food supply to mid-game items like Iron Arrowheads, Nails, and the Forged Iron or Forged Steel bars needed for advanced workstations and base defenses. However, the resource you pull from the ground is Clay Soil, not the refined Clay you need for crafting—you’ll have to convert it first. Here’s how to gather Clay Soil efficiently and turn it into usable Clay.

Getting a Shovel

To collect Clay Soil in meaningful amounts, you need a Shovel. Your first one usually comes from Trader Rekt’s tutorial quest at the start of the game. If you miss or scrap it, you can craft a Shovel after reading at least one Tools Digest magazine. The recipe calls for 5 Small Stones, 3 Plant Fiber, and 3 Wood. With Shovel in hand, dig into any topsoil terrain. Each swing yields Clay Soil and some Small Stones. You’ll get the best yields from the topsoil layer; once you hit ground with 500 HP, you’ve gone too deep. Also keep an eye out for Clay Soil as loot—it occasionally appears in containers, saving you some digging.

Converting Clay Soil into Clay

7 Days to Die Steam

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