Every Elden Ring build hits a wall where raw skill stops carrying and upgrade level starts deciding fights. That wall usually shows up the moment enemies stop flinching, bosses gain longer combo strings, and your weapon suddenly feels like it’s tickling instead of chunking health bars. Smithing Stone [5] and [6] sit right at that turning point, gating the most important power spike before the endgame truly opens up.
The +15 to +18 breakpoint changes everything
For standard weapons, Smithing Stone [5] and [6] push your armament from +12 into the +15 to +18 range, which is where scaling finally starts paying off. Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, or Faith investment stops feeling wasted because your weapon’s letter grades actually translate into real DPS. This is the range where stagger thresholds drop, stance breaks happen faster, and bosses give you more punish windows instead of steamrolling you through hyper armor.
Mid-game bosses are balanced around these upgrades
Enemies in Altus Plateau, Mt. Gelmir, and early Leyndell are tuned with the expectation that your weapon is already deep into Smithing Stone [5] and [6] territory. Fighting them under-upgraded turns clean mechanics into wars of attrition, draining flasks and forcing risky aggression. Keeping your weapon current smooths out difficulty spikes and lets I-frames, spacing, and build synergy matter more than brute-force survivability.
Build experimentation lives or dies on stone availability
This is also where Elden Ring encourages players to pivot builds, test new weapons, or adapt to PvE and PvP demands. Without reliable access to Smithing Stone [5] and [6], experimenting becomes a punishment instead of a reward, locking you into one path because upgrading anything else feels wasteful. Unlimited access removes that friction entirely, letting you optimize around Ashes of War, scaling breakpoints, or matchup-specific tools without fear.
Unlimited stones eliminate the game’s biggest upgrade bottleneck
From this point forward, the real progression blocker isn’t runes or skill, but stone scarcity. That’s why unlocking unlimited Smithing Stone [5] and [6] purchases through the correct Bell Bearing is such a defining moment, permanently shifting how progression feels. Reaching the Altus Plateau, uncovering the Sealed Tunnel, and turning that Bell Bearing into the Twin Maiden Husks doesn’t just solve a short-term problem—it removes the upgrade ceiling for the rest of the game and lets your build finally breathe.
Prerequisites: Recommended Level, Gear, and What You Should Do First
Before you make a beeline for unlimited Smithing Stone [5] and [6] purchases, it’s worth setting expectations. This Bell Bearing sits firmly in mid-game territory, and while it’s not a late-game gauntlet, underprepared characters will feel every mistake. Getting ready first ensures the Sealed Tunnel is a quick detour, not a frustrating roadblock.
Recommended Level and Stat Benchmarks
A character level of roughly 70 to 90 is the sweet spot for this objective. At this range, you should have your main damage stat comfortably in the 30–40 zone, with Vigor at least in the mid-30s to survive Leyndell-adjacent damage. Anything lower turns otherwise manageable enemies into flask-draining threats.
You don’t need a min-maxed build, but you do need functional scaling. Your primary weapon should already be at least +12, preferably +15, so normal enemies aren’t eating entire stamina bars before going down. This is about efficiency, not brute force.
Gear Expectations and Combat Readiness
This is not a gear check in the Soulsborne sense, but defensive value matters. Medium armor with decent physical mitigation is more than enough, as long as you’re not fat-rolling and losing I-frames. Poise helps, but positioning and stamina discipline are far more important inside the tunnel’s tight corridors.
Bring a weapon you’re fully comfortable with, not something you’re “testing.” The Sealed Tunnel rewards controlled aggression, clean spacing, and awareness of ambushes. If your build relies on FP-heavy Ashes of War or spells, make sure your Cerulean Flask allocation reflects that.
Flask Upgrades You Should Have First
Before heading into Altus Plateau, your Flask count and upgrade level should be respectable. Around 10–12 total flasks with at least +5 or +6 reinforcement keeps mistakes from snowballing. The boss at the end of the tunnel hits hard enough that weak flasks turn minor misplays into deaths.
This also applies to exploration inside the dungeon itself. Between traps, hidden enemies, and sustained pressure, flask efficiency matters more than raw damage output.
What You Should Do Before Heading to the Sealed Tunnel
First, make sure you’ve actually unlocked access to the Altus Plateau, either through the Grand Lift of Dectus or the Ruin-Strewn Precipice route. If Altus isn’t on your map yet, this entire process is off-limits. Grab the Altus Plateau map fragment as soon as you arrive so navigation doesn’t become guesswork.
Second, rest at a Site of Grace in Altus and clear nearby enemies to get a feel for the damage curve. If standard mobs are taking too long to kill or forcing panic rolls, upgrade once more or respec before pushing forward. This Bell Bearing is meant to remove friction, not introduce it.
Finally, clear out excess runes and level up before entering the tunnel. The path to unlimited Smithing Stone [5] and [6] purchases ends with a mandatory boss fight, and dying with a pile of runes here is a rookie mistake. Once you’re set, the Sealed Tunnel becomes a short, focused run that permanently removes the game’s most annoying upgrade bottleneck.
How to Reach the Altus Plateau (Both Medallion and Alternate Route Explained)
Before you can even think about the Sealed Tunnel and the Smithing-Stone Miner’s Bell Bearing, the Altus Plateau itself has to be unlocked. Elden Ring gives you two very different ways to get there, and which one you choose can dramatically affect pacing, difficulty, and how prepared your build feels when you arrive.
Neither route is “wrong,” but one is faster and cleaner, while the other is tougher and more combat-focused. Here’s exactly how both work, so you can pick the option that fits your progression.
Method 1: Grand Lift of Dectus (Fastest and Safest)
The Grand Lift of Dectus is the intended, low-friction route into Altus Plateau, but it requires collecting both halves of the Dectus Medallion. This path favors exploration over combat and is ideal if you want to arrive in Altus without burning flasks or risking rune loss.
The left half of the Dectus Medallion is found in Fort Haight in eastern Limgrave. Clear the fort’s interior, climb to the top tower, and loot the chest. The enemies here are early-game tier and shouldn’t pose any real threat to a mid-game character.
The right half is in Fort Faroth, located in Dragonbarrow, northeastern Caelid. This area hits much harder than Limgrave, but you don’t need to fight everything. You can sprint past enemies, grab the medallion from the chest inside the fort, and warp out if needed.
Once you have both halves, head to the Grand Lift of Dectus at the northern edge of Liurnia of the Lakes. Interact with the lift, choose to hoist the medallion, and you’ll be carried directly into Altus Plateau with zero combat required.
Method 2: Ruin-Strewn Precipice (Longer, Harder, No Medallion)
If you’re missing a medallion half or prefer earning access through combat, the Ruin-Strewn Precipice is your alternate route. This path begins at the ravine on the northern edge of Liurnia and functions as a full legacy-style dungeon.
Expect vertical level design, tight ledges, ladders, and enemies that punish sloppy positioning. Bat swarms, miners, and ambushes are common, making stamina management and spacing far more important than raw DPS.
The dungeon culminates in a mandatory boss fight against Magma Wyrm Makar. The fight emphasizes patience, fire resistance, and learning when not to greed hits. Rolling through magma carelessly will drain HP fast, and panic rolling kills I-frames.
Defeat the Magma Wyrm, and you’ll emerge directly into Altus Plateau, bypassing the Grand Lift entirely. You’ll also unlock a Site of Grace immediately, letting you stabilize before exploring further.
Which Route You Should Choose for Smithing Stone Progression
If your goal is unlimited Smithing Stone [5] and [6] purchases as efficiently as possible, the Grand Lift of Dectus is the recommended route. It minimizes resource drain and gets you into Altus with full flasks and clean momentum toward the Sealed Tunnel.
The Ruin-Strewn Precipice route is still viable, especially for players who enjoy dungeon crawling or missed the medallion early. Just understand that it frontloads difficulty and demands tighter execution before you even reach Altus proper.
No matter which path you take, the moment you set foot in Altus Plateau, you’ve crossed the real threshold into mid-to-late game Elden Ring. From here, the Sealed Tunnel, its boss, and the Bell Bearing that permanently removes Smithing Stone upgrade bottlenecks are finally within reach.
Finding the Sealed Tunnel: Exact Location, Enemies, and Dungeon Hazards
Once you’re standing in Altus Plateau, the Sealed Tunnel becomes your immediate priority. This dungeon is non-optional if you want unlimited Smithing Stone [5] and [6] purchases, and it’s positioned to punish players who wander without a plan. The good news is that it’s close, repeatable, and far less complex than a legacy dungeon once you understand its traps.
Exact Sealed Tunnel Location in Altus Plateau
The Sealed Tunnel is carved into the western cliff face of Altus Plateau, directly north of the Altus Highway Junction Site of Grace. From the grace, head west toward the outer wall, sticking close to the cliff rather than the road. You’re looking for a shallow ravine with wooden scaffolding and a low-profile cave entrance tucked into the rock.
If you hit the massive outer wall or start drifting south toward Mt. Gelmir, you’ve gone too far. The tunnel entrance is intentionally easy to miss, with minimal enemy presence outside, so slow your approach and scan the cliff line carefully.
Enemy Types and Combat Expectations Inside
Inside the Sealed Tunnel, you’ll immediately face Leyndell-aligned miners mixed with perfumers and soldier variants. Miners have extreme resistance to slashing damage, so blunt weapons, strike-based ashes, or magic builds will outperform raw DPS setups relying on bleed or dex scaling.
Perfumers are the real threat, using ranged status effects and explosive vials that punish tunnel vision. Letting them free-cast while you trade with miners is a fast way to lose flasks, so prioritize ranged enemies and manage aggro carefully in tight corridors.
Dungeon Hazards, Illusions, and Ambush Traps
The Sealed Tunnel’s biggest danger isn’t enemy damage, it’s deception. Several walls are illusory, hiding side paths, enemies, and sudden drops that can break positioning or pull you into multi-enemy engagements. Always tap suspicious walls, especially near corners or dead ends that feel intentionally empty.
Expect pressure plates, falling ceilings, and enemies positioned to knock you into pits. Your camera will work against you in cramped spaces, so lock-on discipline and manual camera control matter more here than raw reaction speed. Move slowly, clear rooms methodically, and don’t sprint blind through unexplored sections.
Why This Dungeon Gates Unlimited Smithing Stones
The Sealed Tunnel exists specifically to test whether you’re ready to remove mid-tier upgrade limits permanently. Every enemy combination reinforces spacing, target priority, and stamina control, all skills required for the boss waiting at the end. Once you push through the hazards and reach the fog gate, you’re one clean boss kill away from the Smithing-Stone Miner’s Bell Bearing that unlocks infinite [5] and [6] purchases at the Roundtable Hold.
From here on, execution matters more than exploration. The next fight decides whether your weapon progression finally becomes frictionless or stays bottlenecked by RNG and limited loot.
Sealed Tunnel Boss Guide: Beating the Onyx Lord Efficiently
After surviving the tunnel’s illusions and ambushes, the fog gate leads to a familiar but deceptively punishing foe. The Onyx Lord here guards the Smithing-Stone Miner’s Bell Bearing [2], the single item that permanently unlocks unlimited Smithing Stone [5] and [6] purchases at the Roundtable Hold. This fight isn’t about raw level checks, it’s about understanding gravity-based pressure and exploiting long recovery windows.
Onyx Lord Moveset Breakdown
The Onyx Lord relies almost entirely on gravity magic layered onto slow, heavy melee swings. His core threat comes from purple gravity slams that either pull you inward or erupt outward, punishing panic rolls and poor spacing. Most attacks have large hitboxes but very clear wind-ups, making them ideal for disciplined dodge timing rather than reactive rolling.
Watch closely for the gravity pull animation where the boss raises his arm and purple energy spirals inward. If you roll too early, you’ll get dragged back in and clipped by the follow-up slam. Delay your dodge, roll sideways instead of backward, and punish during the long recovery while he resets his stance.
Positioning and Dodge Timing Are Everything
This arena heavily favors lateral movement. Strafing around the Onyx Lord’s weapon side keeps you safe from most vertical slams and sets up clean back or flank punish windows. Rolling backward repeatedly is a trap, as gravity attacks extend farther than they visually suggest.
Stick close after successful dodges. His close-range melee strings are slower and more predictable than his mid-range gravity bursts, giving you safer DPS uptime if you stay aggressive without overcommitting stamina.
Best Damage Types and Build Matchups
The Onyx Lord has solid resistance to magic, which makes pure sorcery builds feel weaker than expected here. Strength, quality, and faith builds using strike or standard physical damage perform noticeably better. Jump attacks are especially strong, as they break posture quickly and fit neatly between his recovery frames.
Bleed and frost can still proc, but don’t rely on status RNG to carry the fight. Consistent, stamina-efficient damage will end this encounter faster than trying to force burst windows that aren’t there.
Spirit Ashes and Summoning Strategy
Spirit Ashes dramatically reduce the fight’s difficulty, especially tanky summons like Lhutel the Headless or skeletal ashes that can reassemble after being knocked down. The goal isn’t DPS from your summon, it’s aggro control. Every second the Onyx Lord targets something else is a free punish opportunity for you.
Avoid glass-cannon summons that die instantly to gravity slams. If your summon collapses early, the boss becomes far more oppressive in the second half of the fight when gravity attacks chain more frequently.
Securing the Bell Bearing and Removing Upgrade Bottlenecks
Once the Onyx Lord falls, you’ll receive the Smithing-Stone Miner’s Bell Bearing [2] automatically. This item is the entire reason the Sealed Tunnel exists, as it removes the mid-game upgrade wall permanently. Leave the dungeon, return to the Roundtable Hold, and hand the Bell Bearing to the Twin Maiden Husks.
From that point forward, Smithing Stone [5] and [6] become infinitely purchasable with runes. No more detours, no more praying for drops, and no more shelving weapons halfway through a build. This single kill converts the Altus Plateau from a progression choke point into a true sandbox for experimentation and optimization.
Smithing-Stone Miner’s Bell Bearing [2]: What It Unlocks and Why It’s Permanent
With the Onyx Lord out of the way, the real reward isn’t the runes or the clear — it’s the system-level shift that follows. The Smithing-Stone Miner’s Bell Bearing [2] fundamentally changes how Elden Ring handles mid-game weapon progression. This is the moment where upgrade scarcity stops dictating your build choices.
What the Bell Bearing Actually Unlocks
Turning in Smithing-Stone Miner’s Bell Bearing [2] to the Twin Maiden Husks at Roundtable Hold adds Smithing Stone [5] and Smithing Stone [6] to their shop inventory permanently. These stones are used to upgrade standard weapons from +12 through +18, which covers the most important power spike range for mid-to-late game builds.
Before this point, players are forced to scavenge Altus Plateau caves, rely on inconsistent enemy drops, or stall upgrades entirely. Once the Bell Bearing is registered, that friction disappears. As long as you have runes, you have upgrades.
Why This Upgrade Is Truly Permanent
Bell Bearings aren’t consumables and they’re never lost on death or NG cycle progression within the same playthrough. Once handed in, the shop inventory stays unlocked for the remainder of the run. You don’t need to re-clear the Sealed Tunnel, and you don’t need to re-trigger anything.
This permanence is what makes the Bell Bearing so powerful. It decouples weapon experimentation from exploration RNG and allows you to pivot builds without punishment. Found a new weapon that fits your stat spread better? You can bring it up to fighting shape immediately instead of shelving it for ten hours.
Why Smithing Stone [5] and [6] Matter So Much
Levels +12 to +18 represent a massive DPS increase relative to rune investment. Enemy health and defenses start scaling hard in Altus Plateau and beyond, and under-upgraded weapons quickly feel like they’re bouncing off hitboxes instead of cutting through them.
Unlimited access to these stones means your damage output keeps pace with enemy scaling. It also smooths co-op and invasion readiness, since matchmaking brackets heavily factor weapon upgrade level. This Bell Bearing quietly keeps your character competitive across multiple systems.
How This Removes the Mid-Game Upgrade Wall
Altus Plateau is where Elden Ring expects players to commit to their builds, but the game normally restricts your ability to do so. Smithing-Stone Miner’s Bell Bearing [2] removes that restriction entirely. Instead of planning routes around mines and corpse loot, you can plan around bosses, dungeons, and stat optimization.
The result is freedom. Freedom to test weapons, refine playstyles, and maintain consistent power without grinding. That’s why this Bell Bearing isn’t just a convenience item — it’s a progression breakpoint that reshapes the rest of your playthrough.
Turning in the Bell Bearing: Unlocking Unlimited Smithing Stone [5] & [6] Purchases
Once Smithing-Stone Miner’s Bell Bearing [2] is in your inventory, the final step is where the system truly opens up. This is the moment the mid-game upgrade bottleneck disappears for good. Everything you’ve done up to this point funnels into a single NPC interaction that permanently changes how you progress.
Reaching the Altus Plateau If You Haven’t Already
The Sealed Tunnel is located in Altus Plateau, so access is mandatory. Most players reach Altus either by assembling the Dectus Medallion halves and using the Grand Lift of Dectus, or by fighting through the Ruin-Strewn Precipice in northern Liurnia.
Both routes are valid, but the lift is faster if you already explored Limgrave and Caelid. Once you’re in Altus, enemies start assuming weapon levels in the +12 to +15 range, which is exactly why this Bell Bearing is so impactful right now.
Finding the Sealed Tunnel in Altus Plateau
The Sealed Tunnel sits just east of the Outer Wall Phantom Tree Site of Grace, carved into the cliffside along the Altus outer ramparts. It’s easy to miss because the entrance blends into the rock wall and isn’t framed like a traditional mine.
Inside, expect illusory walls, tight corridors, and enemies designed to punish panic rolls. Take it slow, check walls when paths seem blocked, and conserve flasks for the boss at the bottom.
Defeating the Onyx Lord and Claiming the Bell Bearing
At the end of the tunnel, you’ll face an Onyx Lord, a gravity-based boss with wide swings and delayed hitboxes. The fight is less about raw aggression and more about spacing, since his gravity attacks can pull you out of safe positions.
Stick close, punish recovery windows, and don’t get baited into panic dodges. Once defeated, you’ll receive Smithing-Stone Miner’s Bell Bearing [2], which is the key item that unlocks unlimited Smithing Stone [5] and [6] purchases.
Turning It In at Roundtable Hold
With the Bell Bearing secured, fast travel to Roundtable Hold and speak to the Twin Maiden Husks. Choose the option to offer a Bell Bearing, then hand over Smithing-Stone Miner’s Bell Bearing [2].
From that moment on, Smithing Stone [5] and Smithing Stone [6] are added to their shop inventory permanently. As long as you have runes, you can upgrade any standard weapon to +18 without relying on exploration, RNG drops, or limited dungeon loot.
Best Farming and Upgrade Tips After Unlocking Unlimited Stones
Now that Smithing Stone [5] and [6] are permanently available at Roundtable Hold, the entire mid-game upgrade economy opens up. You’re no longer constrained by dungeon loot or awkward detours just to push a weapon forward. From here on out, the real challenge is managing runes efficiently and choosing which weapons deserve investment.
Prioritize One Main Weapon, Then Experiment
The biggest mistake players make after unlocking unlimited stones is upgrading everything at once. Even with infinite access, rune costs scale fast, and spreading upgrades too thin will stall your overall DPS. Push your primary weapon straight to +18 first, then branch out once your core damage feels stable.
This is also the ideal moment to test alternate weapons that scale differently with your stats. With +15 to +18 upgrades available on demand, you can quickly evaluate whether a Strength, Dexterity, or quality option fits your build before committing rare materials later.
Efficient Rune Farming to Support Upgrades
Unlimited stones mean nothing without a steady rune income. At this stage of the game, Altus Plateau, Mt. Gelmir, and early Leyndell enemies offer the best balance of rune payout and kill speed. Focus on routes where you can chain kills without burning flasks or dealing with excessive aggro.
If your build supports it, AoE ashes or bleed setups drastically improve farming efficiency. Faster clears equal more upgrade attempts per run, which is exactly what you want when testing weapons or pushing multiple loadouts forward.
Upgrade Before Pushing Major Story Areas
Altus Plateau and Leyndell assume weapon levels far higher than most players realize. Walking in with anything below +15 puts you at a massive disadvantage, especially against enemies with inflated poise and health pools. Now that you can buy Smithing Stone [5] and [6] freely, there’s no reason to handicap yourself.
Before tackling legacy dungeons or field bosses in these zones, make a quick stop at Roundtable Hold and top off your upgrades. The difference in stagger potential and time-to-kill is immediate, and it dramatically reduces flask usage during longer encounters.
Save Somber Stones, Spend Standard Stones Freely
This Bell Bearing only affects standard Smithing Stones, not Somber ones, which makes resource planning more important than ever. Feel free to aggressively upgrade normal weapons, especially if you’re experimenting with infusions or Ashes of War. Those stones are now functionally infinite as long as your rune supply holds.
On the flip side, be conservative with Somber upgrades until you’re confident in a weapon. Somber stones remain limited, so use your unlimited standard stones as a testing ground to refine your build before committing to unique gear.
Prep for Endgame Without Backtracking
One of the biggest long-term benefits of unlocking unlimited Smithing Stone [5] and [6] is how much backtracking it eliminates. You can now pick up a new weapon deep in a late-game area, fast travel, and bring it to viability instantly. That flexibility keeps your progression smooth and your build adaptable.
Elden Ring rewards preparation, and this Bell Bearing quietly removes one of the game’s most frustrating bottlenecks. With smart rune farming and focused upgrades, you’ll enter the late game properly equipped, confident in your damage, and free to experiment without punishment.