Enshrouded Weapon Upgrade Guide: How to Improve Gear

To upgrade weapons in Enshrouded, you use the Blacksmith NPC to craft improved versions of your current gear, not to enhance an existing item directly. You provide the base weapon, upgrade materials, and a workbench, and the Blacksmith creates a higher-tier version with better stats. This guide explains the full upgrade process, material requirements, and how to choose which weapons are worth upgrading.

How Weapon Upgrades Work in Enshrouded

Enshrouded does not have a traditional upgrade system where you feed a weapon experience points or use a single upgrade stone to increase its level. Instead, the game uses a crafting-based upgrade system. When you want a better version of a weapon you already own, you take its recipe to the Blacksmith and craft the next tier. The Blacksmith offers multiple versions of each weapon type (e.g., a “Copper Sword” and a “Forged Copper Sword”), and the higher-tier version requires the lower-tier weapon as a crafting component.

For example, to craft a Forged Copper Sword, you typically need a regular Copper Sword plus additional materials like copper bars, leather, and sometimes a rare drop from a specific enemy. The resulting weapon has higher base damage, durability, and often a socket for a rune. This means the “upgrade path” is a series of crafting steps, not a single enhancement action.

Where to Find the Blacksmith and Workbench

The Blacksmith is one of the first NPCs you can rescue in Enshrouded. He is located in the Ancient Vault – Blacksmith, found in the Springlands region, northeast of the starting area. Once rescued, he returns to your base and can be assigned to a Blacksmith’s Workbench (crafted from 10 wood, 6 stone, and 4 string).

To craft weapons, you must have the Blacksmith assigned to the workbench. Interact with the workbench to open the crafting menu. The menu shows all available recipes, including weapon upgrades. You need to have the required materials in your inventory or a nearby storage chest (if you’ve unlocked the “Magic Chest” feature). The Blacksmith’s level determines which recipes are available; as you progress through the game and complete his quests, he can craft higher-tier gear.

Required Materials for Upgrading

Each weapon upgrade requires a specific set of materials. Typically, the recipe includes:

• The previous tier of the weapon (e.g., a Copper Sword for the Forged Copper Sword).
• Refined resources: bars (copper, iron, steel), ingots, or leather.
• Optional: rare components like Shroud Cores, Ectoplasm, or Runes for special weapon types.
• Sometimes, a specific enemy drop (e.g., Fang of the Beast from wolves).

To see the exact materials for a weapon you want, open the workbench and hover over the recipe. The tooltip lists every ingredient and the quantity needed. If you’re missing something, the game tells you where to find it (e.g., “Mined from copper veins”). You can also track the recipe by pinning it, which adds a marker to your map for the required resource nodes.

How to Choose Which Weapons to Upgrade

Not every weapon is worth upgrading. Since the process consumes materials and the previous weapon, you should consider the following:

• Base damage and scaling: Weapons with higher base damage and good scaling with your primary attribute (Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence) are better candidates.
• Special effects: Some weapons have unique effects (e.g., “On hit: 10% chance to poison”). These effects often carry over to the upgraded version, making them more valuable.
• Rarity: The game has common, uncommon, rare, and epic weapons. Upgrading a rare weapon is usually better than upgrading a common one because the stat gains are larger.
• Your build: If you’re a mage, upgrading a staff with high magic damage is more useful than a sword. Focus on weapons that complement your playstyle.

Also, check the upgrade path in the crafting menu. Some weapons have multiple tiers (e.g., Copper -> Forged Copper -> Iron -> Forged Iron). The higher the tier, the more materials you’ll need, but the stats increase significantly. Plan ahead: if you know you’ll want the final tier, start saving the required rare drops early.

Common Problems and Mistakes When Upgrading

Players often run into a few issues when trying to upgrade weapons:

• Missing the Blacksmith: You must rescue the Blacksmith from the vault. If you haven’t done that, you can’t upgrade anything.
• Not assigning the Blacksmith: Simply having the NPC in your base isn’t enough. You must assign him to the Blacksmith’s Workbench (select the workbench and press the assign button).
• Recipe not showing: The recipe may require a higher Blacksmith level. Complete his quests (like crafting a specific item) to level him up.
• Not having the base weapon: You cannot upgrade a weapon you don’t have. If you sold or dismantled your Copper Sword, you’ll need to craft a new one first.
• Using the wrong materials: Make sure you have the exact ingots (e.g., “Copper Bar” not “Copper Scrap”). The game is strict about material types.

If a recipe is greyed out, hover over it to see what’s missing. The tooltip will list the missing items in red.

Upgrading vs. Enchanting: What’s the Difference?

Many players confuse upgrading with enchanting. In Enshrouded, enchanting is a separate system that adds a rune to a weapon, giving it a bonus effect (like +10% fire damage or +5 stamina). Enchanting is done at the Rune Table, not the Blacksmith. You can enchant both base and upgraded weapons, but you can only have one enchantment at a time. Upgrading increases the weapon’s base stats, while enchanting adds a modifier. They are complementary, not alternatives.

For the best results, upgrade your weapon to the highest tier first, then enchant it with a rune that suits your build. This way, the enchantment scales with the upgraded weapon’s higher base damage.

Costs and Resource Management

Upgrading weapons is resource-intensive. For example, upgrading a Copper Sword to Forged Copper Sword might require 5 Copper Bars, 2 Leather, and 1 Shroud Core. To craft the Copper Sword itself, you need 3 Copper Bars and 1 Wood. So the total cost is significant, especially early game.

To manage resources efficiently:

• Mine copper and iron veins regularly, and smelt them into bars at the furnace.
• Hunt animals for leather and bones.
• Farm Shroud Cores by defeating enemies in the Shroud (the purple mist areas).
• Don’t upgrade every weapon – pick one or two that you’ll use for a long time.
• Use the workbench’s “track” feature to see where to find missing materials.

Also, note that some rare materials are only found in specific biomes (e.g., Lapis in the Kindlewastes). Plan your exploration accordingly.

Alternatives to Upgrading

If you don’t want to spend materials upgrading, you can find better weapons as loot from chests, bosses, or elite enemies. These dropped weapons often have random stats and can be better than crafted ones, especially at higher levels. Additionally, you can craft entirely new weapons from the Blacksmith’s menu without using a previous tier – but those will be the base tier, not upgraded.

Another alternative is to use the Repair function at the workbench. Repairing restores durability but does not increase stats. If your weapon is low durability, repair it before upgrading, as the upgraded version will have full durability.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I upgrade a weapon more than once?

Yes, most weapons have multiple upgrade tiers. For example, a Copper Sword can be upgraded to Forged Copper Sword, then to Iron Sword, then to Forged Iron Sword, and so on. Each upgrade requires the previous tier as a component.

Do I lose my enchantment when I upgrade?

Yes, if you upgrade a weapon that has a rune, the rune is removed and you lose the enchantment. It’s best to enchant after you’ve reached the final upgrade tier you want.

Why can’t I see the upgrade recipe at the Blacksmith?

You may not have the required Blacksmith level, or you haven’t unlocked the recipe by completing a quest or finding a specific item. Check the Blacksmith’s quest list and level him up.

Can I upgrade a weapon that I found as loot?

No, you can only upgrade weapons that are part of the crafting recipe chain. Looted weapons have random stats and cannot be used as upgrade components. You need to craft the base weapon yourself.

Is it better to upgrade or just craft a new higher-tier weapon?

Upgrading usually gives better stats than crafting a new weapon of the same tier, because the upgrade path includes the previous tier’s stats as a base. However, crafting a new weapon from scratch may be cheaper in materials if you don’t have the previous tier.

Do upgraded weapons have better durability?

Yes, upgraded weapons have higher base durability, meaning they last longer before needing repair. The durability increase is proportional to the tier.

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