"Discover the Fastest Way to Gather Iron Nuggets in Animal Crossing: New Horizons"

Crafting a metal item in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is no mean feat, as it requires iron nuggets. These nuggets are highly sought after in the game but are frustratingly difficult to procure consistently.

This is particularly the case when starting out, as Tom Nook assigns the task of finding 30 iron nuggets to build Nook's Cranny at the very outset. What follows is often a few days of unlucky searching. Nevertheless, you can expedite the process and easily obtain all the iron nuggets you need in mere minutes with the right strategy and knowledge.

Here's how to obtain iron nuggets in Animal Crossing. We've included a guide on the most efficient way to mine them too.

How to Obtain Iron Nuggets in Animal Crossing

You can find single iron nuggets by bringing down balloons floating in the sky by shooting them. Additionally, if you chat with your fellow villagers whilst completing Tom Nook's request for 30 iron nuggets, they may occasionally offer you some.

However, the undoubtedly best way to get iron nuggets in Animal Crossing is through mining.

In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, there are six large rocks scattered around every town on the island. Every day, you can hit these rocks with either a shovel or an axe to gather iron nuggets, stones, clay, or (occasionally) gold nuggets. Each rock can provide up to eight materials every day.

Quick tip: One of these rocks will automatically become a "Money Rock" each day, from which money instead of crafting materials will pop out once hit. During Easter Sunday (or "Bunny Day") and the eight days leading up to it, rocks may also yield Stone Eggs.

The moment you hit a rock, a timer will start showing ten seconds to strike the rock as many times as possible. Once the timer ends, the rock will stop producing materials and remain inactive until the following day.

Nintendo; William Antonelli/Insider Rocks can dispense iron, clay, and stone.

Whenever you strike a rock, there is a 34 percent chance of an iron nugget arriving (compared to 50 percent for stone and 15 percent for clay). Hence, quick reflexes and some element of luck are essential.

Fortunately, there is a way to hit rocks in Animal Crossing that guarantees you eight items every time. While it won't guarantee that all the items will be iron nuggets, it will save you precious time.

The Most Effective Way of Obtaining Iron Nuggets in Animal Crossing

The tricky part of mining in Animal Crossing is that your character bounces back a few steps when you strike a rock, wasting valuable time and effort.

An easy solution is to use your shovel to dig two holes near the rock. Digging holes in the exact spots will prevent you from bouncing back, paving the way for you to hit the rock as fast as possible.

Below is an example image of how to dig the holes correctly. Aim to create a "corner" that you can stand in while striking the rock. The side you do it on does not matter.

Nintendo; William Antonelli/Insider Furthermore, ensure that there are no items, flowers, or weeds immediately adjacent to the rock. If there are any obstructions, the rock won't release as many materials. And don't eat anything before you start mining, as hitting a rock will not mine it for you if your character has any residual stamina left.

To ensure that you don't panic after accidentally destroying a rock on your island, note that a new rock will appear the next day in a different location. Once you've prepared your holes, stand between them and face the rock. Next, start mashing the A button repeatedly, and you'll notice that you stay in the same place no matter how many times you hit the rock. You should continue with this until all eight materials have fallen out, fill your holes back in, and head to the next rock.

In Animal Crossing, there's a chance that mining every rock on your island may not yield all the iron nuggets you need. If this happens, you can either wait until the next day or travel to a different island, such as a friend's town or a Mystery Island.

To access a Mystery Island, you can purchase a Nook Miles Ticket from the Nook Stop kiosk inside Resident Services at a cost of 2,000 Miles. Once you have the ticket, go to the airport and inform your request to fly and use the Nook Miles Ticket. The islands are uninhabited and randomly generated, providing new rocks for you to mine. Though each rock produces only eight materials, there's a 50/50 chance that an iron nugget will fall out when you strike it. Furthermore, you can keep visiting new Mystery Islands once you've exhausted all the resources on one.

When digging for iron nuggets, use the same method of digging holes, and in no time, you'll have all the iron nuggets needed. If you happen to need further assistance, you could seek out William Antonelli, a reputable tech reporter for Insider Reviews, for guidance.