Reaching the final stages of the journey often means hitting a wall where damage output no longer keeps pace with enemy health pools. In the current landscape of the game, including the expanses introduced in the Shadow of the Erdtree, the transition from +21 to +24 on standard armaments is perhaps the most significant power jump before the final ancient dragon upgrade. Smithing Stone 8 is the semi-vitrified mineral required for this critical leap.

Acquiring these stones requires navigating some of the most treacherous environments. While early-game materials are abundant, Smithing Stone 8 is intentionally placed in late-game legacy dungeons and high-level secret areas. Understanding the most efficient routes to collect them—and eventually unlocking the ability to purchase them infinitely—is essential for any build optimization.

High-Density Locations in the Base Game

In the original regions, Smithing Stone 8 is primarily found in frozen or crumbling environments. These areas are designed for characters who have already surpassed level 100, so preparation is key before embarking on these scavenging runs.

Yelough Anix Tunnel (The Gold Mine)

For those looking for a high concentration of stones in a single location, the Yelough Anix Tunnel in the West Consecrated Snowfield is arguably the most productive spot. This mine is populated by high-level miners and ancient creatures that can easily catch an unprepared traveler off guard.

You can find up to eight Smithing Stone 8s scattered throughout this tunnel. They are typically embedded in the walls, shimmering with a pale, cold light. It is recommended to clear the tunnel methodically, as the miners here have high physical resistance but are vulnerable to magic or strike damage. The boss of this area also guards additional high-level rewards, making it a mandatory stop for anyone pushing their standard weapons to the limit.

Miquella’s Haligtree and Elphael

As a secret endgame area, the Haligtree is densely packed with rare upgrade materials. Smithing Stone 8s are found in several precarious positions here:

  • The Branches: One is located on a corpse at the tip of a branch southeast of the Haligtree Canopy. This requires careful platforming, as a fall here is lethal.
  • The Town and Plaza: Several stones are found within the buildings and on bridges. One notable stone is inside a gazebo guarded by two Battlemages. Given their high health and explosive magic, it is often safer to lure them out one by one or use ranged options to clear the area before looting.
  • The Lower City (Elphael): In the walkways of Elphael, look for balconies along the eastern side. There is a corpse resting under a tree at the bottom level of the northern city section that consistently yields a stone. This area is patrolled by Cleanrot Knights, so maintaining a high defense or utilizing stealth can expedite the process.

Crumbling Farum Azula

In the vortex-ridden ruins of Farum Azula, Smithing Stone 8 becomes a common sight, yet the difficulty of the enemies increases exponentially.

One stone is found immediately upon arrival, sitting on a corpse at the end of the initial walkway. Further in, near the Dragon Temple, you will find corpses hanging off ledges or tucked behind broken pillars that contain these stones. A particularly dangerous one is located in a shallow pond infested with Lesser Wormfaces. These enemies apply the Death Blight status effect, so it is advisable to keep Boluses ready or utilize high-vitality armor when approaching the eastern edge of this pond to claim the stone.

Finding Stones in the Shadow Realm

The introduction of the Shadow of the Erdtree has expanded the availability of Smithing Stone 8 significantly. The DLC areas are tuned for extremely high-level characters, and the upgrade materials found here reflect that progression.

Ancient Ruins of Rauh

This majestic, multi-layered complex contains several Smithing Stone 8s. One of the most reliable spots is located behind Salza, the Sage of the Fire Knights. After navigating the bridge and dealing with the fire rain, exploring the area behind the boss encounter reveals a dead body carrying two stones. The verticality of Rauh can be confusing; it is often helpful to use Spirit Springs to reach the upper plateaus where many of these corpses are situated.

Fort of Reprimand and Shadow Keep

In the Scadu Altus region, the Fort of Reprimand serves as an early source of late-game materials within the DLC. A chest located up a ladder on one of the towers—not far from where a Lesser Omenkiller wanders—contains four Smithing Stone 8s. This is a massive find for players who have just entered the Shadow Realm and need to catch up their backup weapons.

Deep within the Shadow Keep, near the Main Gate Plaza, there are more opportunities. From the shortcut door, heading up the stairs toward the pyres reveals three stones tucked in the back section. These are often guarded by Vulgar Militiamen or Messmer Soldiers, so crowd control skills are highly beneficial here.

Enir-Ilim

As the final legacy dungeon of the DLC, Enir-Ilim is littered with the highest tier of smithing stones. Two stones can be found by dropping down from a broken ledge near the spiral rise. Another pair is located on a corpse on the roof sections accessible after exiting the Spiral Rise Site of Grace. The Divine Beast Warriors patrolling these areas are some of the toughest non-boss enemies in the game, so choosing when to fight and when to sprint for the loot is a valid tactical decision.

Unlocking Unlimited Purchases: The Bell Bearing

While finding individual stones is useful for one or two weapons, the true goal for any serious player is to unlock the ability to buy Smithing Stone 8 infinitely. This is achieved by finding the Smithing-Stone Miner's Bell Bearing [4].

Where to Find the Bell Bearing

This specific Bell Bearing is located in Crumbling Farum Azula. It is not a boss drop, which means you can technically acquire it without defeating the main bosses of the area, though you must still survive the gauntlet.

  1. Location: It is found on a corpse near the Tempest-Facing Balcony Site of Grace.
  2. The Path: As you progress through the ruins, you will reach a section with a large, curved platform guarded by a Farum Azula Dragon. You do not necessarily have to kill the dragon, but you must move quickly. The corpse is sitting at the edge of a broken bridge atop the arch ruins.
  3. The Reward: Once you take this item back to the Twin Maiden Husks in the Roundtable Hold, they will sell Smithing Stone 7 and Smithing Stone 8 for 2,400 and 3,600 runes respectively.

Unlocking this eliminates the need for farming and allows you to experiment with a much wider variety of weapons. At the cost of 3,600 runes per stone, a few minutes of farming higher-level enemies (like the Albinaurics at Mohgwyn Palace) can provide enough currency to upgrade multiple weapons to +24 in a single session.

Farming Strategies and Drop Rates

If you find yourself short on runes or haven’t yet reached Farum Azula, farming specific enemies is a fallback option, though the drop rates are generally low.

  • Fire Knights (DLC): These elite enemies in the Shadow Keep have a roughly 8% chance to drop a Smithing Stone 8. Given how many of them you encounter while exploring the Specimen Storehouse, this is one of the more reliable ways to accumulate stones passively.
  • Glintstone Miners (Yelough Anix Tunnel): These have a very low drop rate (approximately 1%). It is generally not recommended to farm them unless you are already in the tunnel for other reasons.
  • Haligtree Soldiers: Some soldiers in Miquella’s Haligtree have a 0.5% chance to drop the stone. This is extremely inefficient and should only be considered a bonus while clearing the area.

To optimize farming, it is suggested to use items that increase Item Discovery, such as the Silver Scarab Talisman or Silver-Pickled Fowl Feet. However, compared to the Bell Bearing method, manual farming is almost always the slower alternative.

Strategic Use of Smithing Stone 8

Why stop at +24? While the Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone is required for the final +25 upgrade, these stones are strictly limited per playthrough (even with the DLC). Most players will only have about 13 to 20 Ancient Dragon stones total.

In contrast, Smithing Stone 8 can be bought in unlimited quantities once you have the Bell Bearing. This makes +24 the "standard" high-performance level for your arsenal.

Weapon Scaling Benefits

The jump from +21 to +24 is often where a weapon's primary scaling attribute (Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, or Faith) sees its final significant growth. For many weapons, the difference between +24 and +25 in terms of raw Attack Rating (AR) is relatively small—often less than 2-3%. Therefore, it is often more beneficial to have ten different weapons at +24 than to rush one to +25 while leaving the others at +18.

When deciding which weapon to prioritize with your found Smithing Stone 8s, consider the following:

  1. Moveset over AR: A weapon with a moveset you are comfortable with will always outperform a "meta" weapon you struggle to time correctly.
  2. Status Effects: Weapons with innate bleed, frost, or poison benefit immensely from the increased scaling that +24 provides, as the status buildup often scales alongside the weapon level.
  3. Damage Type Variety: Ensure you have at least one Strike, one Slash, and one Pierce weapon at +24. The late-game bosses have varying resistances, and being able to swap to a fully upgraded Mace when fighting a crystalline enemy is a major advantage.

Conclusion on Resource Management

As of the current 2026 landscape, the economy of upgrade materials in the game is more generous than ever thanks to the additional drops in the Shadow Realm. However, Smithing Stone 8 remains a gatekeeper material. Early in your late-game journey, you should focus on the guaranteed pickups in the Yelough Anix Tunnel and the Fort of Reprimand.

Once you reach the Crumbling Farum Azula, your priority should shift entirely to securing the Smithing-Stone Miner's Bell Bearing [4]. This single item changes the nature of your playthrough, transitioning you from a state of scarcity to one of abundance.

Always remember that while the stone strengthens the steel, the success of the encounter depends on your understanding of the enemy's patterns. Use your +24 weapons to experiment, learn, and ultimately overcome the challenges of the Lands Between and the Realm of Shadow.