Smithing
Upgrade and repair weapons and armor at the forge; one of the strongest combat skills.
Related in Skills: How Skills Work | Animal Taming | Smithing | Farming | Hunting | Seafaring
Smithing (shown as Blacksmithing on the Character screen) is the art of forging, improving, and restoring equipment. Successful upgrades at the blacksmith bench train this skill. The forge also houses the Repair craft for worn gear.
What it is for
- Item upgrades: Spend wood and iron to push gear from +1 toward each item type's maximum level. Failed upgrades can destroy the item (recoverable from the Item Graveyard with Dunmir).
- Upgrade chance: Base odds rise with smithing level. Dunmir Crystals, alliance Forge bonuses, league champion bonuses, and the Artisan's Sigil can help.
- Repairs: Damaged wearables return to the forge for restoration. Higher smithing makes repairs more reliable, and the Horseshoe favours successful work. Failed repairs do not destroy the piece; they waste some materials instead. Upgrades and repairs are blocked in enemy-held cities (same rule as working the forge behind enemy lines).
- Better gear: Higher item levels multiply attack, armor, speed, and courage bonuses from wearables, but only pieces with remaining durability can stay equipped.
Skill titles
Mine Worker → Blacksmith Apprentice → Iron Forger → Master Smith → Grand Artisan.
In combat
Smithing is the second strongest skill for direct fighting power, right after Hunting. Characters with high smithing not only wear better upgraded gear, they also carry an extra combat edge from the skill itself. Murderers and duelists both benefit.
Tips
- Upgrade items you actually equip before gambling on bag filler.
- Repair before a long war night or Vorgrim hunt; broken boots and cracked helms do not help on the road.
- Ember Fruit supreme harvests grant permanent +5 Smithing.
- The Wheel can award +1 or +5 Smithing in lucky rounds.