Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a delightful game filled with charming villagers, endless crafting opportunities, and a constant sense of discovery. As you progress through the game, you’ll inevitably find yourself needing specific materials for crafting. One such material is hardwood, a valuable resource that unlocks a variety of crafting recipes. Obtaining hardwood can be a bit of a puzzle, but fear not! This guide will equip you with the knowledge and strategies to become a hardwood harvesting expert.
Understanding Hardwood
Hardwood in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a unique type of wood that's harder and denser than regular wood. It's a vital ingredient for crafting furniture, tools, and other items. Hardwood is recognizable by its distinctive reddish-brown hue, unlike the standard brown of regular wood.
The Mystery of Hardwood Trees
Unlike regular trees that appear randomly, hardwood trees are a bit more elusive. They don't spawn in the same way as other trees; you can't just chop them down when you see them. Instead, hardwood trees require a special kind of treatment to emerge. Here's how it works:
1. The Seed of Opportunity: Regular Trees
The first step is to identify regular trees on your island. They're the typical brown trees that populate your island. These trees are the foundation for your hardwood harvesting journey.
2. The Power of Patience: Time and the Trees
Once you have regular trees, it's time to be patient. The key to unlocking hardwood is time. Regularly shake these trees, even if you don't get anything initially.
3. The Treasure Within: Fruit and the Hardwood Quest
As you shake the trees, there’s a chance that you’ll find fruit, which you can plant to grow more trees. This fruit can be either regular fruit from your island or exotic fruit that you trade with other players.
4. The Transformation: The Birth of Hardwood
The magic happens when you plant the fruit from the trees that you shook. The trees that grow from these fruit have a chance to be hardwood trees, which are distinguishable by their reddish-brown bark.
Harvesting Hardwood
Once you’ve successfully grown hardwood trees, the next step is to harvest the wood:
1. The Axe of Abundance: The Tool of Choice
You’ll need an axe to harvest hardwood. You can craft a regular axe using a recipe you learn early in the game.
2. The Rhythmic Swing: Harvesting the Hardwood
Use your axe to chop down hardwood trees. Just like with regular trees, you’ll get hardwood logs from the fallen hardwood tree.
Maximizing Your Hardwood Harvest
To increase your chances of getting hardwood trees and maximizing your harvest, consider these strategies:
1. Island Hopping for Fruit: The Fruit Trading Network
Don't limit yourself to the fruit that grows on your island. Connect with other players through online play and trade fruit. This expands your variety of fruit and gives you a broader pool of trees to plant.
2. The Time-Tested Method: Patience and Persistence
Remember, hardwood trees are a long-term investment. It takes time for fruit to grow into trees. Be patient and persistent in shaking your trees, planting fruit, and waiting for the hardwood trees to appear.
3. The Seasonal Shift: Autumn and Winter's Influence
While you can grow hardwood trees year-round, you'll find more of them appearing during the autumn and winter seasons. This seasonal effect makes those months particularly fruitful for your hardwood quest.
Hardwood Uses in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Hardwood is an invaluable resource that unlocks a wealth of crafting possibilities:
1. Crafting Furnishing: Enriching Your Island Homes
Hardwood is a core component in crafting many furniture pieces, including sturdy wooden tables, chairs, and even beds.
2. Tool Upgrades: Boosting Your Tools' Efficiency
Hardwood can be used to upgrade various tools, such as your axes, shovels, and fishing rods. This boosts their efficiency and lets you harvest resources faster.
3. Enhancing Your Crafting Arsenal: New Recipes Unlocked
As you progress in the game, you'll unlock advanced crafting recipes that require hardwood. These recipes include items like advanced tools, decorative furniture, and even essential items for your island’s infrastructure.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the best way to get hardwood trees?
The best way to get hardwood trees is to plant fruit, especially exotic fruit, that you obtained from shaking regular trees. This is a gradual process, so be patient and persistent.
2. How long does it take for hardwood trees to grow?
The time it takes for hardwood trees to grow is similar to that of regular fruit trees. It's about 5-10 minutes in real-time, so the actual time will depend on your game’s time setting.
3. Can I buy hardwood?
You cannot buy hardwood directly from the Nook’s Cranny shop. The only way to get hardwood is by harvesting hardwood trees that you grow.
4. Are there any other ways to get hardwood?
While planting fruit is the primary method for getting hardwood, there are some additional ways to obtain it. You might occasionally find hardwood logs as rewards for completing tasks from villagers, attending festivals, or participating in special events. However, these methods are less reliable and don’t offer a consistent source of hardwood.
5. What is the most efficient way to use hardwood?
The most efficient use of hardwood depends on your current needs. Prioritize crafting tools, especially axes and shovels, as they are essential for efficient resource gathering. Once you have those, focus on crafting furniture and other items based on your island’s design goals.
Conclusion
In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, hardwood is a precious resource that unlocks a wide range of crafting possibilities. While obtaining it requires a bit of effort and patience, the rewards are well worth the investment. Remember, the key is to consistently shake trees, plant fruit, and be patient. Your efforts will be rewarded with a steady supply of hardwood, enriching your island and advancing your crafting skills.