This guide explores the Volcano Forge in Stardew Valley, detailing how to enhance tools and weapons with magical effects. The 1.6 update expanded these options, adding innate weapon enchantments and allowing pan enchantment.
Obtaining Cinder Shards:
The Volcano Forge requires Cinder Shards. These are obtained by:
- Mining Cinder Shard nodes (pink-orange) in the Volcano Dungeon.
- Receiving them as drops from Magma Sprites, Magma Duggies, Magma Sparkers, and False Magma Caps. Drop rates vary.
- Harvesting from a fishing pond with 7+ Stingrays (7-9% daily chance).
Cinder Shards cannot be created in the Crystalarium.
The Mini-Forge:
After achieving Combat Mastery, craft a Mini-Forge:
- 5 Dragon Teeth
- 10 Iron Bars
- 10 Gold Bars
- 5 Iridium Bars
This functions identically to the Volcano Forge.
Weapon Forging:
Gemstones enhance weapons (up to three times). Costs increase with each forge: 10, 15, then 20 Cinder Shards.
- Amethyst: +1 knockback per forge.
- Aquamarine: +4.6% critical hit chance per forge.
- Emerald: +2/+3/+2 speed per forge (stacks).
- Jade: +10% critical hit damage per forge.
- Ruby: +10% damage per forge.
- Topaz: +1 defense per forge.
- Diamond: Three random upgrades (10 Cinder Shards).
Optimal Weapon Upgrades:
For maximizing damage, combine Emerald (speed) and Ruby (damage) with Aquamarine or Jade (critical hits). For survivability (e.g., Qi Challenges), prioritize Topaz (defense) and Amethyst (knockback).
Unforging Weapons:
Use the red X in the forge to remove all forging. Some Cinder Shards are returned, but not the gemstone.
Infinity Weapons:
Upgrade Galaxy Sword, Dagger, or Hammer using three Galaxy Souls (20 Cinder Shards each). Forged upgrades and enchantments are retained. Galaxy Souls are obtained from Mr. Qi, Big Slimes (in specific locations and quests), the Island Trader (late-season), and occasionally from Dangerous Monsters (after 50 kills).
Enchantments:
Use a Prismatic Shard and 20 Cinder Shards to add a random enchantment to tools or melee weapons. Re-enchant to try for a different effect.
Weapon Enchantments:
- Artful: Halved special move cooldown.
- Bug Killer: Double damage to bugs, kills Armored Bugs.
- Crusader: Double damage to undead, permanently kills mummies.
- Vampiric: Chance to regain health upon killing a monster.
- Haymaker: Double fiber/hay chance from weeds.
Bug Killer and Crusader are generally the most useful.
Innate Weapon Enchantments:
Use a Dragon Tooth to add one enchantment from each of two sets:
Set 1: Slime Slayer, Crit Power, Attack, Speed
Set 2 (optional): Slime Gatherer, Defense, Weight
Tool Enchantments:
Twelve enchantments exist, each specific to a tool type. Examples include:
- Auto-Hook (Fishing Rod): Auto-hooks fish.
- Bottomless (Watering Can): Endless water.
- Efficient (various): No energy drain.
- Preserving (Fishing Rod): Reduces bait/tackle consumption.
- Reaching (various): Increased area of effect.
- Swift (various): Increased speed.
Optimal Tool Enchantments:
- Axe: Shaving (increased resources), Swift, or Efficient.
- Watering Can: Bottomless.
- Hoe: Generous (increased item drops), Archeologist (artifacts), Reaching, or Efficient.
- Pickaxe: Swift or Powerful.
- Fishing Rod: Preserving.
- Pan: Generous or Reaching.
Remember that enchantment results are random; re-enchant as needed.
