Steel Rod
| Steel Rod | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Class | Improvised Weapon |
| Skill | Short Blunt |
| Damage | 0.7-1.1 |
| Range | 0.61-1.2 |
| Crit | 30% x2 |
| Condition | 8 |
| Weight | 1.5 |
| Hands | One-handed |
| Crafting Skill | Blacksmithing: 0 |
| Crafting | See How to Craft |
| Location | Containers |
| Spawn ID | /additem Base.MetalBar
|
| Crafting XP | 10 XP (Blacksmithing) |
The Steel Rod is a length of steel bar that serves as a building material and as an improvised one-handed club. It trains the Short Blunt skill. It makes a decent early weapon, with damage close to most other short blunt weapons.
It is easy to find early on, and it holds up well in a fight. Its real demand comes from welders, who need rods for metal walls, fences, stairs and door frames. The Steel Rod is a common find in welding shops, sheds, garages and survivor safehouses. An Advanced Forge can also draw one out of a Steel Bar.
Combat
The Steel Rod swings a little slower than base speed and reaches about 1.2 tiles. Each hit deals between 0.7 and 1.1 damage, so an ordinary zombie takes a few blows. The crit chance starts at 30 percent, and a crit doubles the damage.
The rod is one-handed, so the other hand stays free for a bag or a light. The Short Blunt skill raises damage, crit chance and swing speed as it levels. Compared with the Steel Bar Half, the rod hits harder, reaches further and crits more often, for a little more weight. Its good durability makes it surprisingly effective at clearing small groups.
The Steel Rod is best as an early main weapon or a sturdy sidearm. Once a welding kit is running, the rods are usually worth more as building stock than as clubs.
Uses
Welders build with Steel Rods. Two rods make a Metal Fence, three make a Metal Wall Frame or a Metal Bar Barricade, and four make a Metal Door Frame. Metal Stairs take four rods and six small steel sheets. The rod is also the handle in many scrap weapons, such as the Block Mace, the Scrap Metal Cleaver, the Scrap Metal Chopper and the Bucket Maul. A metal saw cuts it into two Steel Rod Halves. A forge can hammer it back into a Steel Bar Half, and an Advanced Furnace smelts it into three Steel Chunks.
How to Craft Steel Rod
Each recipe that makes the Steel Rod is listed with its materials and the tools it keeps.
Forge Bar Into Rod
The Forge Bar Into Rod recipe makes the Steel Rod. It needs Blacksmithing level 0. It is made at an Advanced Forge.
| Name | Image | Amount | Kept | Spawn ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steel Bar Half | 
|
1x | No | /additem Base.SteelBarHalf
|
| Ball-peen Hammer | 
|
1x | Yes | /additem Base.BallPeenHammer
|
| Metalworking Chisel | 
|
1x | Yes | /additem Base.MetalworkingChisel
|
| Charcoal | 
|
4x | No | /additem Base.Charcoal
|
| Tongs | 
|
1x | Yes | /additem Base.Tongs
|
Used in Crafting
These recipes take the Steel Rod as an ingredient or a part. Each tab holds one crafting category.
| Recipe | Output | Image | Station | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Build Metal Bar Barricade | Metal Bar Barricade | - | - | Welding: 3 |
| Recipe | Output | Image | Station | Skill | Spawn ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forge Rod Into Bar | Steel Bar Half |
|
Primitive Forge | Blacksmithing: 0 | /additem Base.SteelBarHalf
|
| Recipe | Output | Image | Station | Skill | Spawn ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saw Bar | Steel Rod Half | 
|
- | None | /additem Base.SteelRodHalf
|
| Recipe | Output | Image | Station | Skill | Spawn ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Make Block Bludgeon | Block Maul | 
|
- | Welding: 1 | /additem Base.BlockMaul
|
| Make Bucket Maul | Bucket Maul - Wood Handle | 
|
- | Maintenance: 5 | /additem Base.BucketMace_Wood
|
| Make Kettle Maul | Kettle Maul - Wood Handle | 
|
- | Maintenance: 4 | /additem Base.KettleMace_Wood
|
| Make Scrap Metal Chopper | Scrap Metal Chopper | 
|
- | Welding: 5 | /additem Base.Machete_Crude
|
| Make Scrap Metal Cleaver | Scrap Metal Cleaver-Axe | 
|
- | Welding: 4 | /additem Base.Axe_ScrapCleaver
|
| Make Scrap Metal Morningstar | Bone Club with Spikes | 
|
- | Welding: 7 | /additem Base.BoneClub_Spiked
|
| Make Scrap Metal Weapon | Sawblade Axe | 
|
- | Welding: 5 | /additem Base.Axe_Sawblade
|
| Recipe | Output | Image | Station | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Build Metal Fence (Good) | Metal Fence (Good) | - | - | Welding: 5 |
| Metal Door Frame | Metal Door Frame (Poor) | - | - | Welding: 3 |
| Metal Fence | Metal Fence (Shoddy) | - | - | Welding: 3 |
| Metal Stairs | Metal Stairs | - | - | Welding: 5 |
| Metal Wall Frame | Metal Wall Frame | - | - | Welding: 2 |
Any recipe that asks for a smeltablesteelmediumplus accepts it as the tool, such as Smelt Steel From Medium Plus Steel Item and Smelt Medium Plus Steel Item.
Repair
The Steel Rod has 8 condition. Each hit has a 1 in 15 chance of taking a point off. The Short Blunt and Maintenance skills both lower that chance. Hits with it give no Maintenance experience. A worn rod can still go into the furnace for steel.
Locations
The Steel Rod is a common find. Welding storage rooms and welding workshops hold one at a high rate. Garage storage and sheds hold one on counters and shelves at a fair rate. Warehouses and studios keep them on metal shelves and in small boxes. Survivor safehouses and survivor caches often hold one in crates, boxes or on counters, from the early game to the late game.
The places where it spawns, with the rough chance per container. Each tab shows one kind of place.
| Location | Container | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Welding storage | Other | 29.4% |
| Studio | Metal shelves | 13.1% |
| Warehouse | Metal shelves | 13.1% |
| Storage room | Other | 5.2% |
| Drug shack | Other | 3.1% |
| Drug lab | Counter | 1.6% |
| Drug lab | Overhead cupboard | 1.6% |
| Storage unit | Other | 1.3% |
| Derelict | Other | <0.1% |
| Derelict steel factory | Other | <0.1% |
| Location | Container | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Welding workshop | Other | 29.4% |
| Tool store storage | Other | 14.7% |
| Warehouse | Small box | 13.1% |
| Tool store | Other | 5.9% |
| Tool store | Shelves | 5.9% |
| Any building | Small box | <0.1% |
| Location | Container | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Garage storage | Counter | 18.2% |
| Garage storage | Metal shelves | 18.2% |
| Shed | Counter | 18.2% |
| Shed | Metal shelves | 18.2% |
| Shed | Shelves | 18.2% |
| Shed | Other | 13.1% |
| Garage storage | Crate | 10.4% |
| Any building | Metal shelves | 6.8% |
| Any building | Shelter | 0.2% |
| Bedroom | Cardboard box | 0.2% |
| Location | Container | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Survivor safehouse | Cardboard box | 12% |
| Survivor safehouse | Crate | 12% |
| Survivor safehouse | Small box | 12% |
| Survivor cache | Counter | 12% |
| Survivor cache | Counter | 12% |
| Survivor safehouse | Metal shelves | 9.6% |
| Survivor safehouse (mid game) | Cardboard box | 9% |
| Survivor safehouse (mid game) | Counter | 9% |
| Survivor safehouse (mid game) | Crate | 9% |
| Survivor safehouse (mid game) | Metal shelves | 9% |
Notes
- Metal fences and door frames have a sturdier version at Welding 5, using the same number of rods.
- The Steel Rod can be used to kill animals.
- Researching the rod can teach the recipes for the Bucket Maul and the Kettle Maul.
- Forge Bar Into Rod at an Advanced Forge turns a Steel Bar or a Steel Bar Half into a rod, with a scrap of steel left over.
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All Improvised Weapons