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Upgrading a Forge in Valheim adds nearby improvement pieces that, according to community reference pages, unlock additional recipes and allow higher item upgrade levels. The standard Forge has six listed improvements; the separate Black Forge has four. Their listed material costs are useful build references, but current sources disagree about station-level limits, so check the station interface in your game rather than treating either reference’s maximum as confirmed for the live build.
What Forge upgrades do
The Forge is the station used to build, craft, and repair metal items. The Valheim Wiki Forge reference says it needs a roof and 70% cover to be usable, and that repairs cost no resources. Nearby improvement structures are listed as unlocking additional recipes and higher item upgrade levels. The reference also says each level adds three meters of build radius, up to 38 meters.
The Forge page lists six standard improvement structures and a maximum station level of 7. However, that ceiling conflicts with a separate database based on 1.0.16 game files; see the version caveat below before relying on a level number.
Standard Forge improvements and listed costs
These are the materials listed by the community Forge reference. They are reference recipes, not a verified cost table for the live 1.0.17 build.
| Improvement | Listed materials | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Forge Cooler | 25 Finewood, 10 Copper Scrap | One of the six listed standard Forge improvements. |
| Anvils | 5 Wood, 2 Bronze | Listed improvement structure. |
| Smith’s Anvil | 5 Wood, 20 Iron | Listed improvement structure. |
| Forge Toolrack | 10 Wood, 15 Iron | Listed improvement structure. |
| Forge Bellows | 5 Wood, 5 Deer Hide, 4 Chain | Listed improvement structure. |
| Grinding Wheel | 25 Wood, 1 Sharpening Stone | The reference says a Stonecutter is also required for placement. |
The same reference gives the classic Forge construction recipe as 4 Stone, 4 Coal, 10 Wood, and 6 Copper. Its aggregate tally for the Forge plus all six listed improvements is 60 Wood, 25 Finewood, 16 Copper Scrap, 2 Bronze, 35 Iron, 5 Deer Hide, 4 Stone, 4 Coal, 4 Chain, and 1 Sharpening Stone. Treat that total as the reference’s classic tally, not as a confirmed 1.0.17 in-game total.
Black Forge improvements are separate
The Black Forge is a distinct Mistlands-era station, not another name for the standard Forge. Its improvement structures and costs are listed separately by the Valheim Wiki Black Forge reference:
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| Black Forge improvement | Listed materials |
|---|---|
| Black Forge Cooler | 5 Iron, 5 Copper Scrap, 4 Black Marble |
| Vice | 5 Iron, 8 Copper Scrap, 2 Mechanical Springs |
| Metal Cutter | 5 Black Marble, 5 Flametal Ore, 5 Ashwood, 4 Charred Bone |
| Gem Cutter | 5 Flametal Ore, 8 Ashwood, 2 Morgen Sinew, 1 Bloodstone |
The Black Forge reference lists a maximum level of 5. That number is also disputed by the 1.0.16 database described below.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the listed maximum levels are uncertain
Iron Gate announced Valheim 1.0 on September 9, 2026. Its abbreviated 1.0 announcement mentions new crafting-related build pieces but does not provide a complete Forge or Black Forge upgrade table.
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The unofficial Valheim Database says its station data comes from 1.0.16 game files dated September 24, 2026. It describes each upgrade piece built within reach as raising a station level by one, but lists the maximum level for both the Forge and Black Forge as 1. That conflicts with the community references’ Forge level 7 and Black Forge level 5. The official notes cited here do not settle the discrepancy. If your in-game station interface shows different availability, use that interface as the practical guide rather than assuming either reference’s ceiling is current.
Do not confuse the standard Forge improvements with the Forge of Potential. In Iron Gate’s September 11 hotfix notes, the studio said, “Using the Forge of Potential no longer unlocks recipes that should not be unlocked”. This names a separate feature, not an improvement structure for the standard Forge. Similarly, Iron Gate’s September 17 patch note says it fixed a bug that let the Helmet of the Protector be crafted directly via the Black Forge; that is a recipe correction, not evidence of another Black Forge improvement.
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