At the end ofGinger Island’s Volcano Dungeon, players can find a mysterious forge. This isn’t an ordinary forge, though — here,Stardew Valleyplayers can apply magical enhancements to their tools and weapons. It will cost them valuable gemstones and crystals, but the trade-off is worth the price.
Though it may seem complex at first, the Volcano Forge is surprisingly easy to use. Once players understand the effects that they can apply to their items, it unlocks a whole new world of possibilities. This guide will show players how to achieve each possible effect, and which choices will provide the most utility in theirStardew Valleyplaythrough.
Updated June 12, 2025, by Demaris Oxman:Stardew Valley’s 1.6 updatebrought tons of new changes to the game, from small quality-of-life changes to completely new elements like the Mastery system. Existing aspects of the game have also been expanded upon, and weapon forging is one of them. Players can now apply enchantments to the Pan in addition to their other tools, and can explore innate enchantments for weapons. This guide has been updated to include all the changes and additions regarding the Volcano Forge inStardew Valley1.6, ensuring players can keep fine-tuning tools and weapons to their liking.
Obtaining Cinder Shards
All the Volcano Forge’s functions requireCinder Shards, which players can find throughout the Volcano Dungeon. In order to enchant and fully forge a tool or weapon, players will need at least65 Cinder Shards per item, so they may need to spend some time farming these mysterious crystals. They can be found through the following methods:
Because Cinder Shards are classified as a resource and not a gemstone, playerscannot replicate themin the Crystalarium.
The Mini-Forge
Once the player obtainsCombat Mastery,they need not venture all the way to the Volcano Dungeon to forge weapons and enchant tools. Upon obtaining mastery in this skill, players will learn the crafting recipe for theMini-Forge. The mini-forge functions exactly like the larger version in the volcano dungeon, and can be placed anywhere. To craft it, players will need the following items:
Weapon Forging
With enough Cinder Shards, players can use gemstonesto forge their weaponsand increase its stats. One weapon can be forged up to three times, with a bigger stat increase at each successive level. Forging can only be applied to weapons, and cannot be used with tools such as the Axe, Hoe, Watering Can, or Pickaxe.
Because the enhancements increase in power with each successive forge, the price increases with each one. Players will need10 Cinder Shards for a weapon’s first forge, 15 for the second, and 20 for the third.They will also need to use agemstone,each of which corresponds to a different enhancement:
Alternatively, players can use aDiamondto add three random upgrades to their weapon at once. This will cost10 Cinder Shards.
Best Upgrades To Pick
When it comes to choosing which gems to forge onto a weapon, gamers should consider their play style and goal when it comes to exploring dangerous areas. For those trying to slay as many monsters as they can, theEmeraldandRubyenchantments are invaluable. When used together, the increased speed and damage drastically raises the DPS that weapon can do. Alongside both of these, eitherAquamarineorJadecan help punch up critical hits.
Alternatively, if players are simply trying to survive — for example, whilecompleting Qi Challenges—TopazandAmethystcan both come in handy. They allow players to take more blows and to put more space between themselves and monsters, respectively.
Unforging Weapons
If players wish to reset their weapons to their original state for whatever reason, the unforging process is easy. Simply place the weapon into the left square slot in the forge and select thered X symbol.This will remove all forging, restore the weapon’s original appearance. The process will recover some of the Cinder Shards used to forge the weapon, but unfortunately will not return the gemstone. No additional materials are required to complete the process.
While this process removes all forged upgrades, itdoes not remove enchantments,which will be discussed below.
Infinity Weapons
If the player has theGalaxy Sword,Galaxy Dagger,orGalaxy Hammer,they can turn these weapons intoInfinity Weaponsat the Volcano Forge. This process requires three Galaxy Souls, each of which calls for20 Cinder Shardsin order to forge into a weapon. Once upgraded, the weapon will transform into a more powerful version of itself, which will keep any forged upgrades or enchantments that had already been applied to it.
Galaxy Souls
Galaxy Souls are difficult to obtain, and require the player to complete some ofStardew Valley’s toughest challenges. More information on Galaxy Souls can be found inthis guide to infinity weapons, but there are a few basic methods players can use to get their hands on them.
After the player kills at least 50 Dangerous Monsters in the Dangerous Mines or the above quests, two more methods of obtaining Galaxy Souls will unlock:
Enchantments
Unlike forging, which increases an item’s stats, enchantments provide an additional effect that makes the weapon or tool more useful. These can range from increased efficiency to resource preservation. Any tool or melee weapon (i.e., weapons other than slingshots) can be enchanted at the forge using aPrismatic Shardand20 Cinder Shards.
Unfortunately, players cannot choose which enchantment will be applied to their weapon or tool when it runs through the forge. However, if the player gets one that they’re unhappy with, they can simplyenchant it again to get a different result.However, bear in mind that each enchantment will consume the above materials, so usethose rare Prismatic Shardswisely.
Weapon Enchantments
When enchanting a weapon, players may get any one of the following at random:
Among the available weapon enchantments,Bug Killer and Crusader are generally the most useful.These both allow the wielder to deal extra damage to certain enemies, including ones that are notoriously difficult to dispatch (Armored Bugs and Mummies, respectively). Most find thatHaymaker is the least useful enchantment.Fiber and hay are not generally difficult to come by, and the enchantment does nothing toaid the player in combat.
Innate Enchantments
Innate enchantments are somewhat similar to the stat improvements that can be achieved by weapon forging. By using aDragon Tooth, players can use the forge to apply these enchantments to melee weapons. There are two sets of enchantments, and a weapon can have up to one from each. When enchanting a weapon in this way, at least one of the enchantments from the following set is guaranteed:
+1-X Speed
Increases speed at which the weapon swings.
When enchanting a weapon, players may receive an enchantment from the second set; however, this is not a guarantee:
Decreases Weight, which reduces the weapon’s Knockback effect on enemies.
Tool Enchantments
There are a total of twelve tool enchantments, but not all of them can be applied to every tool — in fact, most enchantments are quite specific to a particular tool’s function. Theaxe, pickaxe, watering can, hoe, fishing rod, and pancan all be enchanted in the forge, and will receive a random effect compatible with its usage. The available tool enchanting possibilities are as follows:
Auto-Hook
Immediately hooks the fish (or junk) when it bites, startingthe fishing minigame. In other words, players do not have to wait for or react to a bite on their hook.
Fisher
The player has a 10% chance of catching one of the location’s fish in their pan.
Generous
Doubles the chance to find an item when digging or panning
Powerful
Adds one extra power level to the axe, or two to the pickaxe.
Shaving
Increases the wood that drops from trees, hardwood that drops from stumps, and crops that drop from giant crops. Mahogany trees drop extra Hardwood; Mushroom Trees additional Red Mushrooms, and Green Rain Trees #3 drop extra Fiddlehead Ferns.
Tool is 33% faster.
Best Enchantments For Each Tool
Although every enchantment is useful, some players may have different preferences according to their play styles. If a player finds that their tool’s enchantment is no longer helpful for them, they can use the Volcano Forge at any time to try to get a different enchantment, as long as they have the necessary materials.
