Yessssss, need all the iron!
I did the same thing this morning. 😅 I found a nice little route in Everfall that, when all the nodes are up, will yield about 1800-2000 ore (with mining luck food and a proficiency booster).
My first run I got them all and I was so happy. But then, after crafting (I was trying to get my engineering up to 100) I realised I needed more. A LOT MORE. So I followed the route again and this time... everything was gone. There was a node in the distance! I sprint towards it, dodge roll to get there faster, and someone beat me by a hair's breadth.
Iron! That's where the real competition is at!!
Also, don't make my mistake. 😅 If you find yourself levelling Engineering to 100 so you can make starmetal tools, don't craft a million steel tools to do it. Turns out making a million iron arrows does the trick and doesn't waste all the precious steel.
Too late! I'm already at starmetal tools and I did it all by crafting bows and steel tools 😅
They did sell great though, those steel tools, so they helped me get a good amount of gold!