TL;DR
- Mercury is a liquid found in two pools — Smoking Lands Hearth (north of Demeniss) and Silver Wolf Mountains
- You need the Frost element and Elemental Charged Shot unlocked before you can collect it
- Equip your bow, select Ice element with the Right D-Pad, hold L2/LT to charge, and fire into the pool to freeze and collect it
- Each shot gives 3 to 4 Mercury — you can fire 3 times per pool per visit, giving up to 13 pieces
- Fast travel away and return to reset the pool
- Used for crafting Gold Bars, Platinum Bars, and Aeserion weapons
Mercury is one of the trickiest materials to farm in Crimson Desert. It is not mined like ore or looted from enemies. It exists as a shimmering liquid pool and requires a specific elemental skill before you can collect a single piece.
Once you have everything set up, the farming loop is fast and repeatable. This guide covers every requirement, both pool locations, how to fire the shot correctly, and the alternative methods if you are not ready for the main route yet.
What You Need Before Farming Mercury
There are three things you must have before you can collect Mercury.
1. Frost Lv 1 (Elemental Imbuement)
This is the hard requirement. Without it, shooting at a Mercury pool does nothing. Frost is unlocked by completing the Path of Trials, an Abyss puzzle chain accessed through the Spire of Ringing Truth in western Pailune.
To get there, climb to the top of the Spire of Ringing Truth and drop the bell to reveal the basement. Fight Priscus the Ancient in the basement — a flying boss best handled with arrows and Nature’s Snare to redirect his laser attacks. After defeating Priscus, enter the Abyss Gate and progress through Ether Rest, then Frostbitten Paradise, and finally the Path of Trials. Completing the final Path of Trials puzzle automatically grants you Frost Lv 1. See our full guide on how to get the Frost Mantle via the Path of Trials walkthrough for the step-by-step solution.
2. Charged Shot
This is a bow skill unlocked from the Skill Tree using Abyss Artifacts. You need it to charge your bow shot before firing at the pool.
3. Elemental Charged Shot (Imbue Element Level 2)
Once you have Frost unlocked, you need to upgrade your Imbue Element skill to Level 2 to access the Elemental Charged Shot. This applies separately for Kliff, Damiane, and Oongka — each character needs their own Imbue Element upgraded individually since skill progress is not shared between characters.
Once all three are in place, you are ready to farm.
Mercury Location 1 — Smoking Lands Hearth (Best Spot)
The most convenient Mercury pool is at the Smoking Lands Hearth, north of the City of Demeniss near the Hexe Sanctuary. On your map, look far north of the “N” in the word “Demeniss.” The pool has a distinctive silver shine that makes it stand out from regular water.
This location is particularly good because it sits close to the Brimstone Springs at Deadfire Mountain — meaning you can farm both Mercury and Brimstone in the same trip. Since both are needed to craft Gold Bars and Platinum Bars, combining the two runs saves a lot of time. See our full guide on how to get Brimstone in Crimson Desert for the complete Brimstone farming route.
Mercury Location 2 — Silver Wolf Mountains
The second Mercury pool is found just north of the Silver Wolf Mountain, slightly above the “W” in the mountain’s name on your map. Jump down from the Abyss Nexus in Pailune toward the eastern side and look for the cave entrance nearby — you will find Mercury here as well.
This is a solid backup location when the Smoking Lands pool is on cooldown or if you are already in the Pailune area.
How to Collect Mercury
The process is the same at both locations.
Step 1 — Equip your bow. You need to shoot from a distance to avoid the toxic splash of the liquid Mercury up close.
Step 2 — Equip the Ice element. Press the Right D-Pad button to select Frost as your active element. Simply having Frost unlocked is not enough — it must be actively equipped in the element menu before the shot will work.
Step 3 — Charge and fire. Aim your bow at the Mercury pool and hold L2 on PlayStation or LT on Xbox to charge the shot. This fires an Ice Charged Shot into the pool, which freezes the liquid Mercury solid and breaks it into collectible chunks.
Step 4 — Pick up the pieces. Walk over to the frozen shards and collect them. Each shot gives you 3 to 4 Mercury. You can fire approximately 3 times per pool per visit, giving you up to 13 pieces of Mercury in one run.
The only limiter is your Spirit gauge — Elemental Charged Shots burn through Spirit fast. If you run dry mid-run, either press both thumbsticks to restore Spirit slowly, or eat Spirit-restoring food from your inventory. Check our guide on how to cook the best healing food in Crimson Desert for good Spirit food options. And if your Spirit gauge feels too small overall, see our guide on how to get max Spirit in Crimson Desert.
How to Reset Mercury Pools
After collecting all Mercury from a pool, fast travel away using a nearby Abyss Cresset and return. The pool resets and becomes farmable again. You can repeat this loop as many times as needed in a single session.
Both locations have fast travel points nearby that make resetting quick and easy.
Alternative: Troll Traders at Scholar Stone
If you are not yet ready to unlock Frost, there is a slower but accessible alternative. Trade Thin Hide with the troll scholars at Scholar Stone to build reputation. At 100 reputation, they reward you with a random item that can be Mercury, Brimstone, or Rubber.
This method is not reliable enough to be a main source, but it is useful for stocking up passively while you work toward unlocking the Frost element. Thin Hide can be hunted from animals or bought at any tannery. See our guide on how to breed animals in Crimson Desert for a steady hide supply.
What Is Mercury Used For?
Craft Gold Bars
Mercury is one of three materials needed to craft Gold Bars at a Witch. The recipe requires 3 Mercury, 3 Brimstone, and 10 Silver Ore. Gold Bars deposited at the bank count as a 500 Silver investment. Check our full guide on how to get Gold Bars in Crimson Desert.
Craft Platinum Bars
You also need 3 Mercury per Platinum Bar alongside 1 Gold Bar, 4 Brimstone, and 2 Holy Water. Each Platinum Bar sells for 380 Silver Coins — one of the best Silver-per-slot items in the game. See our Platinum Bar guide for the full recipe.
Craft Aeserion Weapons
Mercury feeds into the Gold Bar and Platinum Bar pipeline that powers Aeserion weapon crafting. These are among the strongest craftable weapons in Pywel. Check our guide on how to craft Aeserion weapons in Crimson Desert.
Mercury Farming Tips
Combine Mercury and Brimstone in one trip. The Smoking Lands Hearth pool is close to the Brimstone Springs at Deadfire Mountain. Hit Brimstone first, then Mercury — both in one run. This is the most time-efficient way to stock up for mass Gold Bar and Platinum Bar crafting.
Always equip Ice in the D-Pad menu before firing. This is the most common mistake. Having Frost unlocked does nothing if you have not actively assigned it to the element slot. Press Right D-Pad before you aim.
Bring Spirit-restoring food. Charged Elemental Shots require significant Spirit per use. Running out mid-pool means wasted travel time. Stock up before heading out.
Batch craft your Gold and Platinum Bars. Mercury requires effort to farm. Never go to the Witch for a single bar. Gather enough for 5 to 10 bars in one session and craft them all at once.
Check your stamina too. Charged Shots also require stamina. If your stamina bar is low, the shot will not fire. See our guide on how to get max stamina in Crimson Desert if you are constantly running short.
More Crimson Desert Guides
- How to Get Brimstone in Crimson Desert
- How to Get the Gas Mask in Crimson Desert
- How to Get Platinum Bars in Crimson Desert
- How to Get Gold Bars in Crimson Desert
- How to Craft Aeserion Weapons in Crimson Desert
- How to Get Frost Mantle — Path of Trials Walkthrough
- How to Use Elemental Attacks in Crimson Desert
- How to Get Max Spirit in Crimson Desert
- How to Get Max Stamina in Crimson Desert
- How to Cook the Best Healing Food in Crimson Desert
- How to Breed Animals in Crimson Desert
- Crimson Desert Guide Hub
Crimson Desert is available now on PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Visit the official Crimson Desert website for more.
