Choosing the right equipment in Grounded is essential for survival, and upgrading gear during character progression adds a real edge. This guide explains how to build and operate a forge and highlights the key points for upgrading weapons, tools, and armor.
Grounded conductors
- Grounded Beginner’s Guide: Access Labs, Unlock Mutations, Make Bombs, Don’t Die When Falling From a High Height, and more
- The best places to build a base in Grounded. Using fast travel?
- Where to find the resource analyzer, how to get costs and learn recipes in Grounded
- Upgrade tools, weapons and armor in Grounded
Upgrading weapons, tools and armor happens at the blacksmith workshop. This makes gear more durable and powerful. Early upgrades don’t fuel huge stat boosts, but later enhancements deliver substantial improvements that matter in tougher encounters.
How to Open and Create a Forge in Grounded
To unlock the Forge, players purchase the corresponding crafting recipe from the robot BURG.L. The knowledge cost is 100 grains of knowledge.
Grains of knowledge are earned by completing robot missions, learning new recipes, scanning objects, or interacting with purple blobs.
Opening the workshop as early as possible is wise, especially when facing stronger enemies, since it unlocks access to more powerful upgrades sooner.
To craft a forge, a Fragment of Fragile Quartzite, marble, four coarse ropes, and two drops of juice are needed.
When selecting an item in the blacksmith’s menu, the current level, upgrade costs, and the effects are visible. Updates cannot be canceled, and resources used cannot be recovered if an error occurs—you would need to start over.
Upgrade weapons and tools in Grounded
Tools, weapons, and armor progress from level 1 to 5, increasing basic damage, durability, or protection. In the early stages, only breakable rods are required for leveling up:
- Level 1: 2 breakable bars. Effect: damage +5%, durability +5%.
- Level 2: 4 breakable bars. Effect: damage +10%, durability +10%.
- Level 3: 6 breakable bars. Effect: damage +15%, durability +15%.
- Level 4: 8 breakable bars. Effect: damage +20%, durability +20%.
- Level 5: 10 breakable bars. Effect: damage +25%, durability +25%.
After reaching level 5, players pick one of five upgrade paths. The “Mighty” variant boosts damage and durability more, while the other four options provide smaller parameter gains but grant unique properties such as fresh, spicy, salty, or sour traits.
These four enhancement types cannot be applied to ranged weapons or special gear like Peppermint Mace, Salted Morning Star, Sharp Ember Katana, or Sour War Axe.
- 6th level: 5 grains (mint / sour / spicy / salty). Effect: damage +30%, durability +30%.
- Level 7: 10 grains (mint/sour/spicy/salty). Effect: damage +35%, durability +45%.
- Level 8: 5 pebbles (mint/sour/spicy/salty). Effect: damage +40%, durability +40%.
- 9th level: 10 pebbles (mint/sour/spicy/salty). Effect: damage +45%, durability +45%.
If a Mighty variant is leveled up, the same quantities of grains and pebbles are required, and attributes from levels 6 to 9 increase by 35%/45%/55%/65% respectively. In this case, elemental effects do not apply to the equipment.
How to upgrade armor in Grounded
Armor upgrades follow a similar pattern to weapons and tools. Up to level 5, all gear improves evenly, then splits into two branches—“Heavy” or “Smart.” The shield recipe is available from BURG.L.
- Level 1: 2 breakable shields. Effect: defense +5%, strength +5%.
- Level 2: 4 breakable shields. Effect: defense +10%, strength +10%.
- Level 3: 6 breakable shields. Effect: defense +15%, durability +15%.
- Level 4: 8 breakable shields. Effect: defense +20%, durability +20%.
- Level 5: 10 breakable shields. Effect: defense +25%, durability +25%.
From level 6 onward, players choose between two improvement paths. The Bulky variant significantly raises armor and durability, while the Slender variant yields a lower stat increase but grants unique bonuses on certain armor types.
- 6th level: 5 durable guards.
- Level 7: 10 durable shields.
- Level 8: 5 excellent shields.
- 9th level: 10 excellent shields.
Heavy armor adds no extra effects and continues to improve protection and durability by 35%/45%/55%/65% with each level. Slim armor boosts performance by 30%/35%/40%/45% and adds a unique ability depending on the armor type.
Other guides
In-game guidance and tips can help players plan their upgrades, base layout, and exploration strategies to maximize survival chances as they advance through Grounded.