Here’s a list of enemies that can drop cinder shards, all great for farming:
Magma Sparkers False Magma Caps Magma Sprites Magma Duggies
If you want to farm cinder shards, you can use items, charms, or recipes to increase your luck before entering the volcano. Once you have cinder shards, they can be used in forging or crafting. They can also be traded at certain shops for goods you won’t easily be able to purchase with gold.
Finding Cinder Shards
Cinder shards are a resource that can be obtained later in the game. Essentially, they aren’t available until you’ve unlocked the ability to explore the volcano on Ginger Island. Once you get into the volcano, you’ll find that cinder shards work in a pretty similar fashion to the ores in other mines. Here and there, you’ll come across cinder shard nodes, which will give you cinder shards when you use your pickaxe on them. But taking out enemies can work just as well for farming!
Cinder Shard Farming Tips
Cinder shards allow you to create a number of weapons. They can also combine with certain weapons or tools to make them better. Consequently, you may need a bunch of these shards to do everything you want. Although you can farm cinder shards by simply going into the volcano and fighting/mining until you have enough, there are also ways to make the process a bit easier. Heading to the volcano equipped with a burglar’s ring can speed up the process by causing your enemies to drop more loot. Another option is to simply increase your luck. Every in-game day you’ll have a different level of luck. Typically, this number is pretty random. But there are ways to increase your luck. Here are some strategies you can try:
Create a special charm Wear a lucky ring Try luck-improving recipes like spicy eel, pumpkin soup, banana pudding, and more
Fish Pond Cinder Shards
If you don’t want to put so much work into getting cinder shards, you can also just use a fish pond. You’ll need to fill up that fish pond with at least 7 stingrays, making sure to complete all the item requests the critters make. In time, that pond will start producing cinder shards on a regular basis. This process might take more time than farming cinder shards in the volcano – but it also requires a lot less effort!
Crafting And Forging
Cinder shards, along with bone fragments and hardwood, can be crafted into an ostrich incubator. This will allow you to incubate ostrich eggs whenever you want. You can also use cinder shards at a sewing machine to make some cool sunglasses that your Stardew neighbors will definitely be jealous of! While you’re at the volcano you’ll be able to use cinder shards at the forge on level 10. There, you can do a number of things like crafting new tools or weapons, combining rings, and even enchanting weapons.
Gifting Shards
There’s good news and bad news here. The bad news is that no one in Stardew likes receiving them as a gift. The good news is that means you get to use them all yourself! Cinder shards are quite valuable and aren’t the easiest to obtain – so it makes sense that you’d want to use them to benefit yourself regardless.
Trading Shards
While cinder shards do not make for good gifts, you can trade them to the Island Trader or Dwarf Shop in order to get some unique goods! Some of the items you can get in exchange for cinder shards include the jungle torch, wild bed, cinderclown shoes, and plenty more. All the more reason to save up any extra cinder shards you have!
Are Cinder Shards Valuable?
Overall, these shards are considered valuable simply because there are so many uses for them. From forging to crafting and trading, there are plenty of things you can do with this resource. However, cinder shards aren’t super financially valuable, if your plan was to sell them. They only sell for 50g each. So you might as well use them in crafting, or save them up to trade for an item you really want!
