You can upgrade Tarstones in Mortal Shell 2 through the Tarforge in Marrow Keep. For that, you first need to obtain the Etching Needles, then increase your Tarstone’s XP while the stone is equipped. The first upgrade costs Coins, but you will need Tarcores for the final tier. Here’s everything you need to know to level up Tarstones in Mortal Shell 2.
This article is a part of our Mortal Shell 2 Walkthrough and Guides Wiki hub.
How to Upgrade Tarstones in Mortal Shell 2
Get the Etching Needles and Give Them to Franz
To unlock Tarstone upgrades, you need the Etching Needles that can be found in a chest in the Glutted Mire (the Corrupted Gate dungeon on the southeastern side of Fainweald), near the path leading to the Magdalena boss fight.
Progress through the game until you reach the Sunken Village Beacon by cleansing all previous beacons in order. From the beacon, cross the adjacent wooden bridge and defeat The Wandering Shepherd (who transforms into the Tarblighted Shepherd alongside his sheep during phase two).
After defeating the enemy, go toward the back of the arena where a wooden barrier blocks the gate. Destroy the wooden crates piled in front of the gate to reveal the narrow opening, then interact to squeeze through.
Continue forward along the path and cross the next long wooden suspension bridge. As you reach the other side, you will encounter Ruk, a giant bird NPC sitting on the wooden archway above the bridge’s edge.
Pass beneath Ruk, open the large white bone chest placed near the wooden wheelbarrow to obtain the Etching Needles.
Take the needles back to Franz in Marrow Keep and select the “Give Etching Needles” option to hand them over. This will unlock the “Temper Tarstones” option at the Tarforge, but the upgrade option only appears on your next interaction with Tarforge.
Note: You can also unlock the Tarstone service by killing Franz. Doing so does not prevent you from using the Tarforge afterward.
Equip Tarstones to Earn XP
Tarstones receive experience points (XP) whenever you defeat enemies while they are equipped in a compatible weapon or sidearm. You do not have to activate the Tarstone effect during combat. Simply having the Tarstone slotted is enough for it to receive Tarstone XP from your kills. Just make sure that your weapon supports the stone you want to equip, since some only work with certain weapon types.
Temper Tarstones at the Tarforge
Once a Tarstone has reached 10,000 XP, head over to the Tarforge in Marrow Keep. You can spend 100 Coins there to temper the stone and upgrade it to the next level.
This process also grants you a Tarcore, which you will need for higher-tier stones. After tempering, the Tarstone’s XP progress gets reset, so you have to equip the stone again and earn more experience points for the next upgrade.
Use Tarcores for the Final Upgrade
You need more than just Coins for the second Tarstone upgrade. Once you hit the next XP requirement, return to the Tarforge and spend 6 Tarcores to complete the final upgrade. You can obtain Tarcores mostly by tempering other Tarstones. If you have weak or spare stones, upgrade them to collect the materials you need for your main gear.
Farm Tarstone XP and Tarcores
Equip the Tarstone you want to upgrade and hunt down large groups of enemies. This is the fastest method and nets you Coins and Gloom at once, letting you farm multiple resources in high-density areas.
You can activate Night Mode to increase Mortal Shell 2 difficulty and level up reward spawns. It makes enemies tougher but pays out more Coins and Gloom. To get it, visit the Great Arbiter of Flesh near Widow’s Overlook to get the Gloombound Flame. Use that to light the lantern above Marrow Keep, then talk to Thestus to activate the mode.
Keep your target Tarstone equipped the entire time you farm. Once you reach the XP limit, temper it right away and then keep it equipped when you go back to farm for the next tier.
