In The Forge, progression hinges on weapon recipes that balance rarity, resource cost, and payoff. A practical guide maps the best weapon recipes from the early game through the endgame, with Excalibur highlighted as the flagship option for players chasing peak DPS. While the weapon is exceptionally rare to forge, its damage-per-second potential remains a major driver for late-game gearing.
This guide consolidates community findings and Eurogamer coverage to present the best beginner, mid-game, and end-game weapon recipes. The consensus places Excalibur at the top in terms of power, while explicitly noting its scarcity. The page also outlines reliable paths for players at different levels, so gearing up doesn’t hinge on chasing rare drops from the outset. On this page: The Forge Best Weapon Recipe, Best Beginner Weapon Recipes, Best Mid-Game Weapon Recipes, Best End-Game Weapon Recipes.
For beginners, options are limited by the early resource base. The Falchion Sword is straightforward and reliable, while the Gladius serves as a comparable alternative with a slightly lower drop rate. Both require 6 Aite to forge. The Uchigatana Katana offers a longer reach but demands more: 6 Aite plus 6 of any other ore or material, totaling 12 ores. As with all early choices, players should consider ore rarity and anticipated needs later on, as some materials are better saved for future upgrades. For early-game ore guidance, the dedicated guide on Best Ores for Beginners is a helpful reference.
Once players have a handle on the early game, mid-game weapon recipes shift to stronger ores that unlock unique effects and stat bonuses. The Rapier requires 1 Eye Ore and 5 Epic Materials of choosing. It delivers faster, higher-DPS assaults when forged with Eye Ore, but at the cost of reduced health. For slower, heavier pacing, Great Swords can be forged with 1 Eye Ore or 1 Fireite Ore plus 5 Epic Materials, offering either a DPS emphasis with Eye Ore or a DoT emphasis with Fireite. Those favoring simplicity can keep to Any Straight Sword, which also uses 1 Eye Ore and 5 Epic Ores or Materials. Players may increase the number of a given Ore in order to maximize bonuses, at the expense of resource consumption.
The endgame centers on Excalibur and a suite of Darkryte options. Excalibur remains the benchmark for power, with its extremely low odds of forging reflected in its status as a coveted prize. The Darkryte Colossal Sword has a baseline requirement of 20 Darkryte, 4 Eye Ore, 4 Rivalite, and 4 Fireite. To improve the odds of forging Darkryte items, players must scale the Darkryte count upward; when that count passes thresholds (for example, 29, 36, 43, 50, etc.), the corresponding demands increase by 1 unit each of Eye Ore, Rivalite, and Fireite. At 43 Darkryte, the recipe would require 7 Eye Ore, 7 Rivalite, and 7 Fireite to preserve the weapon’s distinctive traits.
Beyond the Colossal Sword, there are additional Darkryte weapons: Darkryte Straight Sword (3 Darkryte, 1 Eye Ore, Rivalite, Fireite) and Darkryte Katana (6 Darkryte, 2 Eye Ore, Rivalite, Fireite). The Chaos Straight Sword follows the same pattern as other Straight Swords but is characterized by a lower drop rate, making it a rarer target. Endgame players can also pursue event weapons via special Blueprints tied to seasonal content, such as the Christmas 2025 event, which provide additional power paths even if they aren’t guaranteed to match the top-tier endgame staples. For those seeking direction on ore optimization for the endgame, a dedicated guide on Best Ores for Weapons is available.
Best of luck in obtaining the full arsenal of weapons described above and in balancing resource management with forge probability as new updates arrive.