Jacksmith Forging Guide: Pour, Hammer and Grip Your Way to Five-Star Weapons

The rating is a sum, not a judgement

When a warrior takes a weapon from Jack and rates it, the stars are added up from each stage: the ore chosen against that stop's enemies, how close the pour came to the line, how many hammer marks were hit and how cleanly, and whether the grip and fittings snapped into their outlines. That means a bad stage can be carried by good ones, and it means you can find out exactly where you are losing points by watching which part of the summary comes up short.

Ore: read the scouting report first

Before the orders open, the map screen shows what you will be fighting at the next stop. Each ore has an affinity and each enemy type has a weakness, so the best ore is not always the rarest one. Plain iron with the right affinity beats a scarce metal with the wrong one, and it keeps your rare ore for the fights that need it.

Pour: fast, then slow

The mould fills while you hold the button, and the score depends on stopping at the line. Hold it down for roughly the first three quarters, then release and tap in short bursts as the metal approaches the mark. Overfilling spills and costs more than falling slightly short, so if in doubt, stop early.

Hammer: wait for the mark, then commit

Marks light up on the blade one after another. Clicking before a mark is fully lit counts as a miss, and so does letting one fade. Keep the cursor near the centre of the blade and move to each mark as it appears rather than guessing where the next will be.

Grip and extras

The handle, guard, string or head you fit are dragged onto their outlines; a part left crooked drops the fitting score. The choice of grip also adds a small bonus to the finished weapon, so once you have a few unlocked, pick the one whose bonus suits the warrior's job rather than the prettiest.