How to find Smithing Stones and upgrade weapons in Elden Ring

Elden Ring is a difficult game, and to complete it to the end you need to have all the advantages at your disposal. Upgrading your weapon is one of the easiest ways to make the game more manageable. Weapon upgrades can have an even more dramatic effect than improving your attributes, as weapon damage tends to increase faster than damage based on your stats alone.

Upgrading weapons in Elden Ring can be a bit of a challenge though, as you can’t just spend some Runes and be done with it. Instead, weapon upgrades require Smithing Stones – rare, valuable minerals that smiths can use to fortify your equipment. As you play the game, you will naturally acquire Smithing Stones through careful exploration, lucky enemies falling, and direct purchase. But if you’re having trouble with a difficult part of the game and need a quick boost, here’s how to find Smithing Stones and use them for weapon upgrades.

How to find Smithing Stones

Before discussing how to find Smithing Stones, it’s worth noting exactly what they do. Smithing Stones are a tool for upgrading any “normal” weapon you find in the game – a broadsword, a morning star, a longbow, a spear, etc. In general, any weapon you can get from a store or enemy drop is get a regular weapon, while any weapon you can only find once during gameplay, in a treasure chest, or by beating a boss is a ‘unique’ weapon. You’ll need Gloomy Smithing Stones for that – see the next section for more details.