The Tarforge is the only place in Mortal Shell 2 where you can upgrade your weapons and Tarstones, and it starts out broken. To get it running at full capacity, you need to track down five upgrade parts scattered across the game world. Some are sitting in chests you’ll pass during normal progression; others are tucked behind optional bosses and hidden paths. Here’s exactly where to find all five, what each part does, and why it’s worth grabbing every single one before the endgame.
The Five Tarforge Parts and Where to Find Them
The Tarforge sits in Maru Keep, right next to your allies. It won’t do much until you feed it all five parts. Below is the full list, ordered roughly by when you can realistically grab each one during a playthrough.
| Part | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Muradean Actuator | Chest in the first beacon you cleanse | Likely obtained during the beta; easy to miss if you rushed |
| Obsidian Lathe | Inside the Mars tomb | Requires access to the Mars area |
| Etching Needles | Inside the first corrupted gate | Bring a way to cleanse corruption |
| Foundry Stone | Chest in the outskirts of Mammon | Off the main path; explore the perimeter |
| Endless Core | Hidden nave, starting in the Unsoiled Path | Near the end of the game; requires thorough exploration |
1. Muradean Actuator 
The first part is the easiest. It’s in a chest located in the very first beacon you cleanse — the one where you start the game. If you played the beta, you likely already picked this up without thinking about it. If you skipped the chest, head back to that first beacon and search the immediate area. The chest is hard to miss once you’re standing at the beacon itself.
2. Obsidian Lathe
The Obsidian Lathe is inside the Mars tomb. This one requires you to have progressed far enough to access the Mars region. The tomb itself is a straightforward dungeon crawl, but the lathe is in a side room rather than on the critical path. Check every doorway and alcove — the room with the lathe has a distinct dark stone aesthetic that stands out from the rest of the tomb.
3. Etching Needles
The Etching Needles are found inside the first corrupted gate you encounter. Corrupted gates are sealed by corruption, so you’ll need to either cleanse the area or have the right tools to pass through. This part is easy to skip if you assume corrupted zones are endgame content — they’re not. Bring what you need to cleanse corruption and push through the gate.
4. Foundry Stone
The Foundry Stone is in a chest in the outskirts of Mammon. Mammon is a larger area, and the outskirts specifically refer to the perimeter of the region rather than the main hub. Circle the edges of the map and check every dead-end path. The chest is tucked behind some rubble, so look for breakable obstacles if you’re having trouble spotting it.
5. Endless Core
The Endless Core is the hardest part to find. It’s located inside the hidden nave, which begins in the Unsoiled Path near the end of the game. The Unsoiled Path is already an optional, out-of-the-way area, and the hidden nave is a secret within that secret. Look for walls that can be broken or paths that seem to lead nowhere — the entrance to the nave is deliberately obscured. This is the last part you’ll likely collect, and it’s worth the extra time.
Tip: If you’re playing through the main story and want to grab everything in one run, pick up the first four parts as you naturally pass their locations. Only the Endless Core requires a deliberate detour.
What Each Upgrade Part Actually Does
Every Tarforge part has a specific function, and together they unlock the forge’s full upgrade tree. Here’s the breakdown:
- Muradean Actuator — Described in-game as “a piece of her” that “makes her purr.” This is the core component that gets the Tarforge running at all. Without it, the forge is inert.
- Obsidian Lathe — Enables weapon refinement. This is what lets you improve your weapon’s base stats and apply upgrades.
- Etching Needles — Unlocks Tarstone etching. This is required to socket and improve Tarstones, which are the game’s primary upgrade currency for your build.
- Foundry Stone — Expands the forge’s capacity. This allows for more upgrade tiers on both weapons and Tarstones.
- Endless Core — The final piece. It unlocks the forge’s full potential, including the highest upgrade tiers and any special options tied to the Tarforge.
The game’s own description sums it up: “she could do a lot more if we fixed her up.” Collect all five and the Tarforge runs at maximum efficiency, giving you access to every upgrade tier for your weapons and Tarstones. Miss any single part and you’ll be locked out of the final upgrade tier for your gear.
Warning: The Endless Core is the one part you can permanently miss if you finish the game without exploring the Unsoiled Path. The hidden nave doesn’t reset, but you won’t be able to return after the final boss. Grab it before you commit to the endgame.
Why Bother Upgrading the Tarforge at All
Weapon and Tarstone upgrades are the backbone of any build in Mortal Shell 2. The Tarforge is the only place to do this, and its upgrade tiers are gated behind the parts you collect. If you’re running a Shell-focused build, you’ll want the highest weapon tiers available — especially for endgame bosses and the harder optional encounters.
The Tarforge also ties into your Shell progression indirectly. With eight Shells available — Tiel, Proxima, Eredrim, Gragu, Smert, Genessa, Lazlo, and Sariel — each with their own talent trees, you’ll want your weapons and Tarstones to complement the Shell you’re playing. Tiel, for example, excels at stealth and poison stacking; pairing him with a fully upgraded Tarforge gives you access to weapon infusions that amplify his Shadow Strike damage. Proxima benefits from the stasis options that higher Tarstone tiers unlock, letting you chain stasis on bosses indefinitely with the right setup.
If you’re planning a Night Mode run — which you can unlock by interacting with the Gloom-Bound Flame near the first beacon — you’ll want the Tarforge fully upgraded before you start. Night Mode ramps up enemy stats and aggression, and you’ll need every upgrade tier available to keep pace. Check out the Night Mode guide for the specifics on that unlock.
In short: the Tarforge is your gear progression, and the five parts are the key to unlocking it completely. Grab all five, upgrade your loadout, and you’ll have a much easier time with the game’s toughest content.
More Guides:
- Mortal Shell 2: How to Unlock the Night Mode
- Mortal Shell 2: Complete NPC Quest Guide
- Mortal Shell 2: All Shell Locations, Abilities, and Talents Guide
- Mortal Shell 2 Weapon Guide: Movesets, Infusions, and Locations
