Elden Ring: How To Upgrade Weapons – Smithing Stones Explained

Surviving Elden Ring’s punishing combat requires more than just skill—your weapon’s enhancement level directly determines your damage potential against increasingly formidable foes.

From Software’s massive open-world RPG presents one of their most challenging experiences yet, where even early encounters can overwhelm unprepared players. Understanding the weapon upgrade system transforms these impossible battles into manageable challenges. While the game deliberately obscures this critical mechanic initially, mastering it becomes your key to conquering the Lands Between.

The Shadow of the Erdtree expansion has amplified the need for optimized gear, featuring enemies with enhanced resistances and health pools. Our comprehensive Complete Guide provides additional strategies for tackling this demanding content.

To begin enhancing your arsenal of swords, shields, staves, and axes, you’ll require two essential components: the appropriate Smithing Stone type and access to a smithing station. Fortunately, both become available during the initial hours of your journey.

Your enhancement journey begins at the Church of Elleh, where a basic smithing table awaits near the merchant. Interacting with this station reveals the “strengthen armament” option, allowing improvements up to +3 reinforcement. This serves as your introductory crafting hub before advancing to more sophisticated facilities.

Breaking through the +3 barrier requires progressing to Smithing Master Hewg at the Roundtable Hold. This skilled blacksmith provides the expertise needed for higher-level enhancements, following the same fundamental process but with access to superior materials.

The smithing table at the Church of Elleh

Elden Ring categorizes weapons into two distinct enhancement paths: Normal and Special equipment. Standard armaments utilize regular Smithing Stones and can reach +25 maximum reinforcement, while unique Special weapons requiring Somber Smithing Stones cap at +10. These exceptional weapons typically serve as rewards for overcoming major bosses or discovering hidden secrets.

Pro Tip: Don’t waste early Smithing Stones on weapons you’ll soon replace. Test different move sets first, then commit resources to your primary damage-dealing tool.

Understanding Smithing Stone tiers is crucial for efficient resource management. Each tier corresponds to specific upgrade levels, with higher-tier stones required for advanced reinforcement.

Common Mistake: Many players overlook mining caves and tunnels, which contain concentrated Smithing Stone deposits. The Limgrave Tunnels, for instance, offer abundant Smithing Stone [1] nodes for early-game farming.

Limgrave Tunnels contain many Smithing Stones [1].

Advanced Strategy: Seek out Smithing Stone Bell Bearings throughout your journey. These items, when given to the Twin Maiden Husks at Roundtable Hold, unlock unlimited purchases of specific stone tiers, eliminating farming requirements.

For players focusing on Weapons Unlock progression, understanding upgrade material availability prevents bottlenecks. Different regions specialize in particular stone tiers—plan your exploration accordingly.

Time Investment: Farming a full set of Smithing Stones for a +25 weapon typically requires 2-3 hours of targeted gameplay, while Special weapon materials demand less time due to lower quantity requirements.

Weapon enhancement delivers dual benefits: increased base damage and improved attribute scaling. Scaling determines how effectively your character stats amplify weapon performance, with ratings from E (poorest) to S (exceptional).

A weapon with E-strength scaling gains minimal benefit from strength investment, while an A-scaling weapon dramatically rewards stat specialization. As you reinforce your equipment, these scaling ratings frequently improve, sometimes jumping multiple letter grades.

Optimization Insight: Upgrade weapons that complement your build’s primary attributes. A strength-focused character should prioritize weapons with inherent strength scaling, as enhancements will further amplify this synergy.

When planning your Class Guide progression, consider how weapon scaling evolution will interact with your stat distribution. Some weapons undergo dramatic scaling transformations at specific upgrade thresholds.

Endgame Consideration: At maximum reinforcement, scaling differences become particularly pronounced. Weapons that reach A or S scaling can outperform higher base-damage alternatives when paired with optimized stats.

Advanced players should analyze scaling progression tables for their preferred weapons, as some exhibit nonlinear improvement patterns that reward strategic upgrade timing.

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