Elden Ring: Weapon Upgrades
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Identify the upgrade family first
Regular weapons use Smithing Stones and can reach +25. Most special weapons use Somber Smithing Stones and finish at +10. The shorter Somber track is not weaker; it simply uses a different reinforcement scale. Check the weapon’s upgrade screen before investing, then compare weapons by how well their move set, requirements, skill, and scaling fit your character rather than by the two different plus numbers.
The Church of Elleh anvil can handle only the earliest reinforcement steps. Smithing Master Hewg at Roundtable Hold takes the work further, and Smithing Master Iji offers another useful smith once you reach his area. Upgrade one main weapon while you learn the game. A second weapon earns materials when it solves a clear problem, such as a different damage type, ranged pull, or a quicker attack for tight rooms.
Separate reinforcement from Ashes of War
An Ash of War can change a regular weapon’s skill and, when the relevant Whetblade is available, its affinity. Reinforcement raises its core attack values; an affinity changes where its scaling comes from. Test both after a change. A Heavy or Keen setup may suit physical attributes, while magic, fire, lightning, sacred, occult, bleed, and poison paths ask for a more specific plan.
Somber weapons usually have a fixed skill and cannot take a normal Ash of War, which is part of their identity rather than a fault. Base-game weapon upgrading does not use Shadow of the Erdtree’s Realm-specific blessing system. For a support tool that has its own materials, see Spirit Ashes and Summoning or return to Getting Started.
A simple spending rule for scarce stones
Before spending a new tier of stones, use the weapon in a real route and answer three questions: can you meet the requirements, do you land its basic attacks, and does its skill give you an answer your current weapon lacks? If the answer is yes, reinforce it. If the change is only cosmetic or you have not tested the move set, hold the stones for a few more encounters. Regular and Somber tracks use different material families, so their plus values do not compare directly. An affinity experiment may change a regular weapon’s scaling, but its reinforcement level stays in place; see Ashes of War and Affinities before choosing both at once.