It’s undeniable that one of the most useful stations players can ever gain access to is the Smithing Station.
While players are going to spend time unlocking other stations like the Jerky Rack, Grinder, Oven and Spinning Wheel, players are going to want to rush the Smithing Station even if they do not have a whole lot of resources.
The Smithing Station is essentially the one way players can enhance their Weapons and Tools, making them much more durable and stronger and while the early stages of enhancements don’t really add too much to a Weapon or Tool, the later stages can essentially help players one shot some Mobs and burst down others fairly rapidly.
Due to the way that the Smithing Station works, players will effectively be utilizing it from the moment they purchase it, until the very end of end-game and many players will not be able to even use all of it’s upgrades due to the sheer amount of time that it takes to farm the ingredients required to utilize it.
The following guide will take you through everything you need to know about the Smithing Station and will include my strategies on how to best manage it and make sure that you are prioritizing the right things to not waste resources.
Note:If you want to watch me play games likeGrounded on Twitchhead on over here! I’m always happy to answer your questions there as well!
HOW TO UNLOCK THE SMITHING STATION
To unlock the Smithing Station players are going to have to buy the Smithing Station upgrade from BURG.L.
While a bit costly, I strongly recommend doing this as soon as you can as it will really help you in the early game, especially if you’re struggling against tougher Mobs.
HOW DO YOU CRAFT THE SMITHING STATION?
To Craft the Smithing Station players will need the following ingredients:
1 Brittle Quartzite Shard
1 Brittle Marble Shard
4 Crude Rope
2 Sap
In my opinion, it is not worth crafting more than one Smithing Station as upgrades happen immediately and there is no waiting. That being said, it can feel annoying having to run back to a single base to access the Smithing Station or having to wait for someone else to finish using the Smithing Station before you use it, however, both are just minor inconveniences if anything.
If players are annoyed with running back to base though, they should think about placing Ziplines around the world to travel faster between locations.
WHAT UPGRADES DOES THE SMITHING STATION PROVIDE
The Smithing Station will provide players with both Durability on Damage on all Tools and Weapons. Although players may not think about it, there are actually some Tools that will deal more damage to enemies than Weapons, though this heavily depends on how much they’ve upgraded the Tool and what mob they are up against.
Due to the fact that some Tools deal more damage, players may want to give a read up on the various forms of damage each Tool provides and will ultimately have to make the decision whether or not they want to go down this route. I will say, it doesn’t feel necessary to go down this Route, though you can pull some nifty combos by switching between Tools and Weapons to stay safe.
The following portion will mostly cover the upgrades you get from each resource and won’t really talk about the strategy of which Weapon to use, though we will cover the different forms of Elemental damage and what they are useful for.
For players who have played previous releases of Grounded, get ready to relearn everything you knew about Smithing, because it got a wee bit more complicated and confusing, though for newer players this should feel seemless.
BASIC UPGRADES
At first, players will have to upgrade all of their Tools using Brittle Whetstone. It doesn’t matter whether or not a player wants to put elemental damage on their Tools or Weapons after, this is the only method of upgrading.
Brittle Whetstone is made from Brittle Quartzite Shards and will be a 1 to 1 ratio from the Workbench. Players can also use 1 Sap and 1 Larva Spike to make a Brittle Whetstone. The latter tends to be the better way ot making Whetstone in the late-game as you will probably be fighting more mobs than spending time farming stones.
Players will be able to upgrade to a maximum of Level 5 this way and will receive the following bonuses:
LEVEL 1
2 Brittle Whetstoneare required to advance to Level 1. Players will receive the following buffs on that Tool or Weapon:
5% Damage
5% Durability
LEVEL 2
4 Brittle Whetstone are required to advance to Level 2. Players will receive the following buffs on that Tool or Weapon:
10% Damage
10% Durability
LEVEL 3
6 Brittle Whetstone are required to advance to Level 3. Players will receive the following buffs on that Tool or Weapon:
15% Damage
15% Durability
LEVEL 4
8 Brittle Whetstone are required to advance to Level 4. Players will receive the following buffs on that Tool or Weapon:
20% Damage
20% Durability
LEVEL 5
10 Brittle Whetstone are required to advance to Level 5. Players will receive the following buffs on that Tool or Weapon:
25% Damage
25% Durability
Beyond these upgrades players will be able to choose elemental damage as stated below, though players should note as soon as they reach Level 6 they will not be able to change whatever they choose as the path of the Weapon or Tool. Essentially as soon as a player chooses to use a Mighty Glob, they must continue to use Mighty Globs, a Mint Glob requires Mint Globs, etc.
MIGHTY UPGRADES
Mighty Upgrades tend to be my “go to” for most, if not all, Weapons. Essentially the Mighty upgrades will give base damage to all mobs and do not give any bonuses or negatives to fighting any mob. This is by far the easiest route to take and will make sure that the player does not need to think while selecting the Weapon or Tool they use.
With the newest upgrade players can either collect Brittle Quartzite or Sturdy Quartzite and Sturdy Quartzite. Sturdy Quartzite are found in the Sandbox, though players can also find Supreme Quartzite elswhere, though these will need the Black Ox Hammer.
1 Sturdy Quartzite Shard can be turned into 1 Sturdy Whetstone, though players can also use 1 Sap and 1 Spider Fang to make Sturdy Whetstone, which tends to be better option in the late game as you will probably want to focus on battling more than crafting. Sturdy Whetstones can be made in Workbenches.
When you thought you were done, you’re not. You must then cook 2 Sturdy Whetstones in the Oven to make a single Mighty Glob.
LEVEL 6
5 Mighty Globs are required for Level 6 and if players are repairing this Weapon or Tool they will need to use Repair Glue to do so. Players will receive the following bonuses:
35% Damage
35% Durability
LEVEL 7
10 Mighty Globs are required for Level 7 and if players are repairing this Weapon or Tool they will need to use Repair Glue to do so. Players will receive the following bonuses:
45% Damage
45% Durability
LEVEL 8
5 Mighty Jewels are required for Level 8 and if players are repairing this Weapon or Tool they will need to useRepair Glue to do so. Players will receive the following bonuses:
55% Damage
55% Durability
LEVEL 9
10 Mighty Jewels are required for Level 9 and if players are repairing this Weapon or Tool they will need to useRepair Glue to do so. Players will receive the following bonuses:
65% Damage
65% Durability
FRESH UPGRADES
Fresh upgrades are the first element players usually can access as Mint Shards tend to be relatively easy to locate. If players upgrade any of their Weapons and Tools with Minty Shards they will grain Fresh Damage.
Fresh Damage is good against the following Mobs:
Bee
Bombardier Beetle
Dust Mite
Fire Soldier Ant
Fire Worker Ant
Green Shield Bug
Infected Ladybug
Infected Larva
Infected Mite
Infected Wolf Spider
Ladybird
Ladybird Larva
Ladybug
Mant
Mosquito
Moth
Scarab
Stinkbug
Tiger Mosquito
LEVEL 6
5 Mint Globs are required for Level 6 and if players are repairing this Weapon or Tool they will need to useRepair Glue to do so. Players will receive the following bonuses:
30% Damage
30% Durability
LEVEL 7
10 Mint Globs are required for Level 7 and if players are repairing this Weapon or Tool they will need to use Repair Glue to do so. Players will receive the following bonuses:
35% Damage
35% Durability
LEVEL 8
5 Mint Jewels are required for Level 8 and if players are repairing this Weapon or Tool they will need to useRepair Glue to do so. Players will receive the following bonuses:
40% Damage
40% Durability
LEVEL 9
10 Mint Jewels are required for Level 9 and if players are repairing this Weapon or Tool they will need to useRepair Glue to do so. Players will receive the following bonuses:
45% Damage
45% Durability
SALTY UPGRADES
Salty upgrades are the second element players usually can access as Salt can be found in the Sandbox. If players upgrade any of their Weapons and Tools with Salt Shards they will grain Salty Damage.
Salty Damage is good against the following Mobs:
Antlion
ARC.R
Assistant Manager
Black Ox Beetle
Diving Bell Spider
Mantis
Scarab
TAYZ.T
Termite
Termite King
Termite Soldier
Water Flea
LEVEL 6
5 Salt Globs are required for Level 6 and if players are repairing this Weapon or Tool they will need to useRepair Glue to do so. Players will receive the following bonuses:
30% Damage
30% Durability
LEVEL 7
10 Salt Globs are required for Level 7 and if players are repairing this Weapon or Tool they will need to useRepair Glue to do so. Players will receive the following bonuses:
35% Damage
35% Durability
LEVEL 8
5 Salt Jewels are required for Level 8 and if players are repairing this Weapon or Tool they will need to useRepair Glue to do so. Players will receive the following bonuses:
40% Damage
40% Durability
LEVEL 9
10 Salt Jewels are required for Level 9 and if players are repairing this Weapon or Tool they will need to useRepair Glue to do so. Players will receive the following bonuses:
45% Damage
45% Durability
SOUR UPGRADES
Sour elemental damage is the newest elemental damage and is particularly useful when against Robots or certain mobs in the wild. Admittedly, as powerful as it is, it’s probably the least used elemental damage
ARC.R
Assistant Manager
Director Schmector
Moth
Scarab
Spiny Water Flea
TAYZ.T
LEVEL 6
5 Sour Globs are required for Level 6 and if players are repairing this Weapon or Tool they will need to use Repair Glue to do so. Players will receive the following bonuses:
30% Damage
30% Durability
LEVEL 7
10 Sour Globs are required for Level 7 and if players are repairing this Weapon or Tool they will need to use Repair Glue to do so. Players will receive the following bonuses:
35% Damage
35% Durability
LEVEL 8
5 Sour Jewels are required for Level 8 and if players are repairing this Weapon or Tool they will need to use Repair Glue to do so. Players will receive the following bonuses:
40% Damage
40% Durability
LEVEL 9
10 Sour Jewels are required for Level 9 and if players are repairing this Weapon or Tool they will need to use Repair Glue to do so. Players will receive the following bonuses:
45% Damage
45% Durability
SPICY UPGRADES
Spicy upgrades are the hardest element, at least for me, to upgrade your Weapons and Tools with. If players upgrade any of their Weapons and Tools with Spicy Shards they will grain Spicy Damage.
Spicy Damage is good against the following Mobs:
Black Soldier Ant
Black Worker Ant
Black Widowling
Hedge Broodmother
Infected Wolf Spider
Larva
Moth
Orb Weaver
Orb Weaver Jr
Red Soldier Ant
Red Worker Ant
Roly Poly
Scarab
Sickly Roly Poly
Spiderling
Tick
Wolf Spider
LEVEL 6
5 Spicy Globs are required for Level 6 and if players are repairing this Weapon or Tool they will need to use Repair Glue to do so. Players will receive the following bonuses:
30% Damage
30% Durability
LEVEL 7
10 Spicy Globs are required for Level 7 and if players are repairing this Weapon or Tool they will need to use Repair Glue to do so. Players will receive the following bonuses:
35% Damage
35% Durability
LEVEL 8
5 Spicy Jewels are required for Level 8 and if players are repairing this Weapon or Tool they will need to useRepair Glue to do so. Players will receive the following bonuses:
40% Damage
40% Durability
LEVEL 9
10 Salt Jewels are required for Level 9 and if players are repairing this Weapon or Tool they will need to use Repair Glue to do so. Players will receive the following bonuses:
45% Damage
45% Durability
HOW TO UPGRADE ARMOUR
With the latest release of Grounded players were exposed to the ability to upgrade their Armour. Armour upgrades impact the Durability and Defense of their Armour and is a great way to extend the amount of survival a player has and will need a new resource called Brittle Plating.
Unlike Weapons, players will not be able to add any elemental protection to them, making everything very standard. Though this is true, beyond Level 5 players will be able to specialize their Armour to either provide more Defense or more of their Armour Set Bonus.
Brittle Plating is made in two different ways, 1 Brittle Marble Shard, which are found in Anthills, or 1 Sap and 1 Grub Hide. Both are made in the Workbench.
Admittedly, this is the easiest form of upgrades players can obtain in Grounded as players don’t need much to actually upgrade their Armour. The following is what is needed and the stats they provide:
LEVEL 1
1 Brittle Plating is required for a level 1 upgrade for any piece of Armour. It provides the following stat increases:
5% Defense
5% Durability
LEVEL 2
2 Brittle Plating is required for a level 2 upgrade for any piece of Armour. It provides the following stat increases:
10% Defense
10% Durability
LEVEL 3
3 Brittle Plating is required for a level 3 upgrade for any piece of Armour. It provides the following stat increases:
15% Defense
15% Durability
LEVEL 4
4 Brittle Plating is required for a level 4 upgrade for any piece of Armour. It provides the following stat increases:
20% Defense
20% Durability
LEVEL 5
5 Brittle Plating is required for a level 5 upgrade for any piece of Armour. It provides the following stat increases:
25% Defense
25% Durability
BULKY ARMOUR
Bulky Armour requires Sturdy Plating or Supreme Plating depending on what level they are.
Players can craft Sturdy Plating by using 1 Sturdy Marble Shard or 1 Sap and 1 Ladybug Part in the Workbench.
Players can craft Supreme Plating by using 1 Supreme Marble Shard or 1 Sap and 1 Ladybird Shell in the Workbench.
I would strongly recommend that players use Bulky Armour if they are planning on being a Tank for their Team.
LEVEL 6
Level 6 Bulky Armour requires 2 Sturdy Plating and will require Repair Glue to repair. It will provide the following stat increases:
35% Defense
35% Durability
LEVEL 7
Level 6 Bulky Armour requires 4 Sturdy Plating and will require Repair Glue to repair. It will provide the following stat increases:
45% Defense
45% Durability
LEVEL 8
Level 7 Bulky Armour requires 2 Supreme Plating and will require Repair Glue to repair. It will provide the following stat increases:
55% Defense
55% Durability
LEVEL 9
Level 6 Bulky Armour requires 4 Supreme Plating and will require Repair Glue to repair. It will provide the following stat increases:
65% Defense
65% Durability
SLEEK ARMOUR
Sleek Armour si going to be useful for particular types of Armour as it will unlock hidden effects in Armour when players are wearing a Full set of Armour. I will dive into these in an article in the future, however, for brevity’s sake and not to overwhelm you the following is what you get from each level of Sleek Armour.
In my opinion, Sleek Armour tends to be better for players who are planning to support, but if a player is very skilled and can avoid damage it can also be very powerful.
LEVEL 6
Level 6 Bulky Armour requires 2 Sturdy Plating and will require Repair Glue to repair. It will provide the following stat increases:
30% Defense
30% Durability
LEVEL 7
Level 6 Bulky Armour requires 4 Sturdy Plating and will require Repair Glue to repair. It will provide the following stat increases:
35% Defense
35% Durability
LEVEL 8
Level 7 Bulky Armour requires 2 Supreme Plating and will require Repair Glue to repair. It will provide the following stat increases:
40% Defense
40% Durability
LEVEL 9
Level 6 Bulky Armour requires 4 Supreme Plating and will require Repair Glue to repair. It will provide the following stat increases:
45% Defense
45% Durability
CONCLUSION
While at the end of the day, the Smithing Station is going to be able to provide players with a great variety of different forms of upgrades, players can simply choose to upgrade all of their Weapons and Tools with Mighjty to simply acquire an overall damage up.
While taking advantage of a mob’s elemental weakness is always going to be the best strategy, the fact that Mighty has more damage as a base stat somewhat balances this out, though it is never more effective than elemental damage (unless the Weapon you’re using is more upgraded than the elemental Weapon.)
As I stated earlier, I’m a bit lazy when it comes to maxing out my elemental Weapons, making Mighty Weapons my main focus. I can’t say that I advise my laziness for anyone else and quite frankly I think that if I spent even more time in the game I would get myself to a point where I could easily switch between elemental damage as resource grinding tends to be the biggest issue.
But I’m curious, how do you manage your upgrades with the Smithing Station? Let me know in the comments below!
