Upgrading your armaments is one of the most reliable ways to increase your damage output and survive the brutal challenges of the Lands Between. Unlike scaling stats through level ups, strengthening your gear provides direct and immediate benefits to your offensive capabilities. Understanding the exact material requirements for each weapon tier is essential for efficient inventory management and resource planning throughout your long journey.
The Math Behind Standard Armament Upgrades
Standard weapons in the game can be upgraded to a maximum level of +25 using normal forge materials. To advance these armaments, players must supply a specific quantity of materials divided into nine distinct numeric tiers. Each tier covers three individual weapon levels before requiring the next stronger stone type to progress further.
For every single level increase within a tier, you will need to spend a progressively higher number of stones. Specifically, the first level up costs 2 stones, the second costs 4 stones, and the final level within that tier requires 6 stones. This pattern creates a total requirement of 12 standard forge materials of each numeric level to fully clear that specific tier.
Total Resource Requirements for Maximum Level
When planning to take a standard weapon from its base form all the way to its absolute maximum potential, the total material cost adds up significantly. You will need to collect exactly 12 pieces of each tier from level 1 through level 8. This massive collection phase ensures your weapon safely reaches level +24 before entering the final upgrade stage.
The ultimate transition from level +24 to +25 requires a single, highly rare master tier material known as an Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone. Because these final stones are strictly limited in number per playthrough, players must choose their fully maximized weapons with great care. Managing your stockpile wisely prevents wasting precious resources on armaments you might not use long-term.
Special Weapons and Somber Material Alternatives
Unique armaments discovered from major bosses or hidden treasure chests follow a completely different progression path that maxes out at level +10. These specialized weapons require unique materials that are separate from the standard numeric tiers. This alternative path is often much simpler to manage because it requires significantly fewer individual items to reach high power levels.
Instead of requiring a rising count of materials for every stage, special weapons consume exactly one corresponding piece of material per level. Moving from level 1 to level 9 takes just one stone of each corresponding tier sequentially. The final step to level +10 requires a single Ancient Dragon Somber Smithing Stone to finish the job.
Streamlining Your Upgrades with Bell Bearings
Gathering all these resources through exploration can eventually become tedious as you try out new builds and playstyles. Fortunately, players can discover special key items held by powerful bosses hidden deep inside various mining tunnels throughout the world. Bringing these items back to the twin merchants at your main hub area permanently unlocks an infinite purchasing stock.
Once these shop inventories are expanded, you can easily buy all the lower-tier materials you need using standard currency. This convenient mechanic allows you to experiment with different weapon types without worrying about permanently running out of upgrade options. Investing time into hunting down these key items saves immense amounts of farming effort in the later stages of your adventure.
