Not upgrading your weapon and sticking with its default stats is a very bad way to progress through Elden Ring. Sure you can try to be a hero, but this won’t get you far since the world of Elden Ring is extremely hostile, and you want your weapon to be as effective as much as possible. This is why we strongly recommend upgrading your weapons and armor as soon as possible in order to more easily defeat your enemies and progress onwards.
To upgrade your battle equipment in Elden Ring, you’ll first need to access the Roundtable Hub where you’ll find a Blacksmith. Once you do that, you’ll need to start collecting Smithing Stones which Blacksmith will then use to upgrade your weaponry. Also be sure to have some extra runes, because Blacksmith doesn’t work for free.
Ashes of War
For upgrading your equipment, you’ll also need Ashes of War, which are the components that, when combined, give a weapon its skill and damage. New Ashes of War can be applied to a weapon to change its stats.
The Smithing Master Hewg in Roundtable Hold, which you will get access to shortly after starting your game, applies Ashes of War. These Ashes give affinities to weapons (there are around 12 distinct sorts of affinities), but you’ll need the Blacksmith’s aid.
Ashes of War can be dropped or discovered as loot; in any case, you should take care of them and not squander them.
Elemental boosts, which you’ll need to battle the undead, may be applied by a Smithing Master Blacksmith. To defeat them, you’ll need a holy weapon skill or a spell.
Finally, Ashes of War may be duped. These are referred to as “Lost Ashes of War.”
Where to find Smithing Stones?
In the Limgrove Tunnels, you can find the first Smithing Stone. You’ll have to fight some trolls, defeat them, and then go to the Roundtable Hold to enhance your weapon and find the luminous eye stone.
Smithing stones may be discovered in other tunnels as well, however you can get fortunate and find them on your travels or in chests. They can also randomly drop when you kill anything, so keep an eye out for them.
Smithing Stone levels
Every time you improve a weapon in Elden Ring, the quantity of Smithing Stones you’ll require the next time you upgrade it goes up. Although this is self-evident, it is worth mentioning. Once you’ve progressed to the next level of enhancements, you’ll need one Smithing Stone more to make the upgrade.
| Smithing Stone level | Upgrade level |
|---|---|
| Smithing Stone 1 | Upgrade +3 |
| Smithing Stone 2 | Upgrade +6 |
| Smithing Stone 3 | Upgrade +9 |
| Smithing Stone 4 | Upgrade +12 |
| Smithing Stone 5 | Upgrade +15 |
| Smithing Stone 6 | Upgrade +18 |
| Smithing Stone 7 | Upgrade +21 |
| Smithing Stone 8 | Upgrade +24 |
| Smithing Stone 9 | Upgrade +25 |
Somber Smithing Stone levels
Sombre Smithing Stones are a tad more rare than their standard counterparts, and are required for upgrading special weaponry. Thankfully, you’ll only need a few to max out your weapon’s stats.
| Smithing Stone level | Upgrade level |
|---|---|
| Somber Smithing Stone 1 | Upgrade special weapons +1 |
| Somber Smithing Stone 2 | Upgrade special weapons +2 |
| Somber Smithing Stone 3 | Upgrade special weapons +3 |
| Somber Smithing Stone 4 | Upgrade special weapons +4 |
| Somber Smithing Stone 5 | Upgrade special weapons +5 |
| Somber Smithing Stone 6 | Upgrade special weapons +6 |
| Somber Smithing Stone 7 | Upgrade special weapons +7 |
| Somber Smithing Stone 8 | Upgrade special weapons +8 |
| Somber Smithing Stone 9 | Upgrade special weapons +9 |
| Somber Smithing Stone 10 | Upgrade special weapons +10 |
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