Mortal Shell 2 makes weapon upgrades valuable, especially when you start collecting several weapons that suit completely different playstyles. The problem is that constantly investing materials into every weapon can quickly become expensive. Fortunately, the Tarforge has a smelting function that lets you take those resources back.
The key to unlocking this feature is the Foundry Stone. Once you find it and bring it to Franz, you can use the Tarforge to strip upgrades from weapons and sidearms, returning the Coins and smithing materials you spent. This makes it much easier to experiment with weapons such as the Axatana, Great Martyr’s Blade, or ranged sidearms without permanently wasting your upgrade resources.
| Quick overview | Details |
|---|---|
| Item | Foundry Stone |
| Main purpose | Unlocks Smelt Equipment |
| Location | Chest south of Outskirts of Mammon beacon |
| NPC | Franz |
| Destination | Tarforge, Marrow Keep |
| What can be reset | Weapons and sidearms |
| Returned resources | Coins and invested smithing materials |
| Smelting cost | Gloom |
| Current adjustment | Smelting Gloom cost reduced by 75% in Balance Patch 1 |
| Shells/Tarstones | Not reset through weapon smelting |
Where to find the Foundry Stone in Mortal Shell 2
The Foundry Stone is located in the Ruins of Mammon, making it one of the more accessible Tarforge upgrade components. Fast travel to the Outskirts of Mammon beacon and look toward the blasted battlefield area near the gateway and castle fortifications.
The chest containing the Foundry Stone is positioned near the castle wall and the route leading toward the long stone bridge. The main difficulty is not finding the chest but reaching it safely, because a sizeable group of soldiers and knights occupies the surrounding battlefield.
You do not need to clear the entire area to obtain the item. If your character is not strong enough to deal with the group comfortably, you can make a quick run toward the chest, open it, collect the Foundry Stone, and retreat toward the beacon. This is particularly useful if you are trying to unlock weapon refunds early rather than spending resources on equipment you are not sure you want to keep.
How to get the Foundry Stone in Mortal Shell 2
Step 1
Fast travel to the Outskirts of Mammon beacon in the Ruins of Mammon. This beacon provides the closest starting point for the Foundry Stone.
Step 2
From the beacon, head south toward the blasted battlefield. Keep moving toward the castle walls and gateway rather than trying to fight every enemy along the route.
Step 3
Look for the chest positioned alongside the castle fortifications. Several soldiers and knights patrol the area around it, so be prepared to either fight your way through or make a quick grab.
Step 4
Open the chest and collect the Foundry Stone. Once the item is in your inventory, you have completed the most dangerous part of the process.
Step 5
Return to Marrow Keep and travel to the Tarforge Chamber. Franz is located beside the Tarforge and is the NPC responsible for restoring several of its functions.
Step 6
Speak with Franz and choose the option to give him the Foundry Stone. This restores the Tarforge’s Smelt Equipment function, allowing you to refund upgrades from eligible equipment.
How to reset a weapon and get its materials back
After giving Franz the Foundry Stone, interact with the Tarforge and select Smelt Equipment. The game will show the weapons and sidearms that can be reset.
Choose the upgraded weapon you want to refund. Smelting removes its accumulated upgrades and returns the equipment to its unleveled state. In exchange, the Coins and smithing materials that were invested into that weapon are returned to your inventory. Materials cited for weapon progression include resources such as Ventrium, Laterite, Dorsalite, Thoracium, and Ossinite.
The important distinction is that Gloom is not refunded. Gloom is the price you pay for using the smelting service, and the cost increases with the upgrade level of the equipment being reset. Therefore, smelting a heavily upgraded weapon can require considerably more Gloom than resetting an early-game weapon.
| Smelting result | What happens |
| Weapon level | Returns to its unleveled state |
| Sidearm level | Returns to its unleveled state |
| Coins | Returned |
| Smithing materials | Returned |
| Gloom | Spent and not refunded |
| Weapon identity | Remains the same weapon |
| Shell progression | Unaffected |
| Tarstone progression | Unaffected |
How the Balance Patch changed weapon smelting
The Foundry Stone system became significantly more useful after Balance Patch 1. The developers specifically reduced the Gloom requirement for smelting weapons at the Tarforge by 75%.
According to the patch notes, the change was intended to make switching weapons easier because the original Gloom cost was considered excessively high. The developers wanted smelting to let players change weapons without forcing them to spend extensive time grinding through additional playthroughs simply to rebuild their equipment.
This means the current version of Mortal Shell 2 is considerably more forgiving when you want to experiment with your equipment. If an older guide shows a much higher Gloom requirement for smelting, it may be describing an earlier version of the game rather than the current balance.
How to use smelting without weakening your build
The biggest advantage of the Foundry Stone is flexibility. You can invest heavily in a weapon while testing it, then recover those materials later if you decide that another weapon fits your build better.
For example, you might upgrade the Axatana because you enjoy its versatility, then later decide that another weapon works better with your Tarstones and Shell setup. Instead of accepting the original investment as a permanent loss, you can smelt the Axatana and move the recovered materials into the new weapon.
The same principle applies to sidearms. Since the Tarforge’s smelting function covers both weapons and sidearms, you can change your ranged setup without abandoning all the Coins and materials already invested.
It is still worth keeping at least one reliable weapon upgraded while experimenting. Smelting your only strong weapon immediately can leave you with a weaker setup while you gather enough Gloom to perform another upgrade. The system is designed to encourage experimentation, but it does not eliminate the need to manage your resources carefully.
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