Elden Ring Somber Smithing Stones are a special material needed for upgrading the unique and special weapons that you earn from boss fights and similar methods. If you've found a weapon where the Ash of War can't be customized or that seems strange in some way, there's a good chance it needs Somber Smithing Stones to be improved. Like the regular sort of Smithing Stone, Somber ones come in numbered tiers, with you needing a higher number as you raise you weapons through their upgrade path, as we'll explain below.
For more options, check out where to get the regular Elden Ring Smithing Stones.
How to farm Somber Smithing Stones in Elden Ring
It's actually possible to farm every single tier of Somber Smithing Stone in Elden Ring, and safely too. Though certain late-game enemies appear to have a (very minor) chance to drop Smithing Stones, it's much easier to find all the Elden Ring Bell Bearing locations, as you can then take these back to the Twin Finger Husks in Roundtable Hold, and you'll be able to buy infinite Somber Smithing Stones from tiers 1-9!
Admittedly they're not all cheap, but if you're short of cash you can always head to any of our Elden Ring Rune farming locations and make major Runes with little effort.
How to find all Somber Smithing Stones in Elden Ring
Unlike the standard Smithing Stones, it only requires a single Somber stone to upgrade a weapon to the next tier in Elden Ring - so if you have a +3 unique weapon, you just need one Somber Smithing Stone [4] to reach +4.
For that reason, while there are dozens of Somber Smithing Stones of every tier across the whole of Elden Ring, we've outlined three really easy ones to get for every tier! That way you can upgrade three different unique weapons all the way to +9, which should definitely carry you until you can access the means to farm all the Somber Smithing Stones, which we've outlined at the bottom of this page.
Once you reach +9 on a weapon, you'll need to unlock the Ancient Dragon Somber Smithing Stones to push it all the way to +10. Check out our dedicated guide on where to find those!
Somber Smithing Stones (1)
To get Somber Smithing Stones [1], you have a lot of options, as they're spread about the map in great quantities and it won't be long before you can buy them - in fact, you can buy them in unlimited quantities from the Blacksmith Iji in the northwest of Liurnia, on the path to Caria Manor! However, here's a few more, as you'll have to get past Stormveil to reach that point.
- Near the Agheel Lake bridge - Just south of the east end of the bridge, you'll spot a dead body in a chair with a Somber Stone on it.
- Church of Dragon Communion - Once you've reached the island from the Coastal Cave, you can find a Somber Smithing Stone [1] on the southwest side of the island.
- Southeast of the Coliseum - On a ruined building past the bridge overhead is a Teardrop Scarab that drops a Somber Stone when killed.
Somber Smithing Stones (2)
Again, tier 2 can be bought infinitely from Iji, so if you've made it to Liurnia, you're all set in that regard. In fact, you might have to do just that - there aren't many such Stones until you reach Luirnia. Fortunately we hunted down a few you can reach before that.
- Gael Tunnel - In the tunnel entrance, drop down the ledges from the wooden platform until you find a small alcove with the Stone inside.
- Outside Castle Morne - Before going into the castle, turn left (Southeast) and go down to the beach to see a corpse with four jellyfish around it. Loot the corpse for the Stone.
- Stormveil Cliffs - From the Rampart Tower Site of Grace, head out through the North door and drop down to the left off the big platform where one of the Warhawks comes from. Drop down onto a ledge, and follow it down the cliffs until you find a knight and the Stone.
Somber Smithing Stones (3)
You'll definitely have to get beyond the starting areas now, as Limgrave and the attached areas won't provide Somber stones to get you above +2. Liurnia is a good place to start, with a few options to choose from.
- Iji the Blacksmith - We've mentioned him before, but Iji also sells a trio of tier 3 Somber Stones for 4000 Runes each.
- Four Belfries - Looking over the cliffs is a corpse on a chair holding a Stone, just North of the Belfries.
- North lake's edge - Another chair with a lootable corpse in it, this one is on the North side of the lake, on the higher cliffs.
Somber Smithing Stones (4)
Now you want to actually turn around and head back to Limgrave, then go straight through it into the blighted Caelid Region. These ones will require a bit of spelunking in some cases, as Smithing Stones tend to require more and more skill as you progress, but we've listed the easiest options. Or alternatively, head back to Iji - he sells a few tier 4 stones too.
- Sellia Crystal Tunnel - There are three separate tier 4 Stones to find spread throughout this tunnel, both on corpses and on the walls.
- Gael Tunnel - Back in Gael Tunnel, this area has a room with numerous octopi led by one giant octopus. There's a Stone for you to grab here.
- Caelid Minor Erdtree - On the land's edge to the East of the Minor Erdtree is one more Stone for you to grab.
Somber Smithing Stones (5)
No more depending on Iji now, you'll have to go get those Stones yourself. At this point in the game you should've cracked Altus and maybe even Leyndell itself - and if you're struggling to get past the doorman, we've got a guide on how to beat the Draconic Tree Sentinel in Elden Ring here.
- Sealed Tunnel - There's a lot of Stones in here, but in the section with the Abductor Virgin (the rolling, iron maiden robot) is a tier 5 Stone on the Northwest wall.
- Bower of Bounty - Southwest of this Site of Grace is a Teardrop Scarab - kill it to get the Stone you want.
- Erdtree Sanctuary - North of this Site of Grace is a small room with a corpse inside, with no less than three Somber Smithing Stones on it!
Somber Smithing Stones (6)
We're starting to get into the really rare stones now, with fewer and fewer options beyond the farming methods mentioned at the bottom. Most of the tier 6 Stones we know of are found underground, in areas like Nokstella and the Deeproot Depths, but those are hard to get to, especially if you're not following the Elden Ring Ranni questline and secret ending. We've listed the easiest ones above ground for you here - though "easy" is starting to get pretty relative as a term.
- First Mt. Gelmir Campsite - Just South from this site of Grace is a corpse in a chair with a wolf next to it. Loot the corpse for the Stone you need.
- Old Altus Tunnel - There are two Stones separately inside this dungeon, both in the main chamber next to different storage sheds.
- Volcano Manor - Not the manorhouse itself, but the fiery village dungeon behind it - here you'll find a fountain surrounded by burning lava slugs. Loot the corpse slumped over the fountain for the Stone.
Somber Smithing Stones (7)
You'll have to be reaching the late-game areas at this point, and whereas the early Somber Stones were generally found while exploring, many of these tier and up are minor rewards for clearing difficult areas or killing mini-bosses. There are a few options to check out - Nokstella is particularly fertile ground for tier 7s, but it's also pretty lethal and hard to reach. Here are some easier, gentler options.
- Dung Eater's Cell (Subterranean Shunning Grounds) - Outside the cell of the Dung Eater beneath Leyndell are numerous hand-spiders, aka "Fingercrawlers". These actually have a (small) chance to drop tier 7 Somber Stones, and thus can be farmed, with patience.
- Inside the Giant Skull - South of the Golden Seed tree on the connecting Forbidden Lands between Leyndell and the Grand Lift of Rold is a giant skull with a corpse slumped over one of its teeth. Loot the corpse to get the Stone.
- East of Zamor Ruins - Once you've made it to Zamor Ruins, head through the main road and there'll be a Teardrop Scarab clinging to a tree. Kill it for the Somber Stone.
Somber Smithing Stones (8)
We're nearing the end of the upgrade line now, and your weapons will be nearing their maximum potency. Only problem is that you'll need to be exploring tough, late-game areas to get the Tier 8 Stones - the Mountaintops of the Giants, Crumbling Farum Azula, and even the Consecrated Snowfield (if you're not sure how to get there, check out our page on how to get to the Consecrated Snowfield in Elden Ring). Here are a few choice options for getting Somber Smithing Stones [8].
- Foot of the Forge - There's a huge, teleporting Scarab in this area that drops a Tier 8 Stone when killed. Be careful - it explodes on death!
- Ancient Snow Valley Ruins - In the lower part of the valley is yet another Teardrop Scarab, South of the Site of Grace. Kill it for the Stone.
- Consecrated Snowfield Minor Erdtree - Just to the West of this Tree is another Scarab on some rocks. Cut it down for a third Stone.
Somber Smithing Stones (9)
Unless you're planning on burning the uniquely rare Somber Ancient Dragon Smithing Stones on your special weapons, this is as far as they can go in Elden Ring. You definitely need to be in the late game for these, and while there are a few dotted around the Snowfields and the Haligtree, it's (mostly) easier to head for Crumbling Farum Azula to get what you need, so we'll focus on that.
- Southwest Cliffs - From the Crumbling Beast Grave Depths Site of Grace, take the lift on the Southwest side of the building and you'll see a corpse beneath a tree. Loot it for the tier 9 Somber Stone.
- Dragon Temple - There are actually two tier 9 stones in different locations here: one is just before the jump to the Dragon Temple; you'll see some ruins with an item under an angled pillar. The other is at the lowest level of the temple, found by going West from the Site of Grace and following the path of floating stones down and through a tomb to a lootable corpse between two pillars.
- North of Dragon Temple - Once you're through the Temple itself via the North exit, take the left-hand path down and across to the enclosed corridor with the dragon Statues and curved stone staircase. Head up the stairs to an area with fallen pillars and a door for Elden Ring Stonesword Keys - the Stone isn't past the Imp door, but on a corpse slumped behind a fallen pillar across from you (be careful of the beastmen who attack).
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