In the vast and challenging world of Elden Ring, upgrading your weapons is essential for survival and success. Smithing Stones are your ticket to boosting your armament, but to acquire the higher tiers, you’ll need to unlock the merchants’ inventories with special items called Smithing Stone Bell Bearings. This comprehensive guide will delve into what these bearings are, their importance, where to find them, and how to use them to their full potential.
What are Smithing Stone Bell Bearings?
Smithing Stone Bell Bearings are unique key items in the Elden Ring. Each bearing you find and give to the Twin Maiden Husks merchants at the Roundtable Hold expands their inventory, allowing you to purchase more potent Smithing Stones for upgrading your weapons. They come in two main categories:
- Smithing Stone Miner’s Bell Bearings: Unlock the standard Smithing Stones used for most weapons.
- Somber Smithing Stone Miner’s Bell Bearings: Unlock Somber Smithing Stones, essential for upgrading special (somber) weapons.
Why are they essential?
Upgrading your weapons in Elden Ring is not just about increasing damage. It can:
- Scale with your stats: Make the most of your character build (Strength, Dexterity, etc.).
- Change weapon affinities: Modify scaling or add passive effects.
- Overcome enemy resistances: Become more effective against specific foe types.
Without the right Smithing Stone Bell Bearings, you’ll be limited to lower-tier upgrades, making tougher enemies and bosses significantly harder to defeat. For a deeper dive into weapon upgrades, check out this guide on the Elden Ring Wiki.
How to Use Smithing Stone Bell Bearings
The process is simple yet essential:
- Find a Bell Bearing: Explore the Lands Between—each bearing is hidden in a specific location or earned as a reward. You might enjoy taking breaks from your exploration with some fun online games. For example, if you’re into classroom-style trivia, you could check out a comparison of popular platforms like Blooket vs. Kahoot!.
- Return to Roundtable Hold: Make your way back to this central hub.
- Speak to the Twin Maiden Husks: Select “Give Bell Bearing” and offer them your newly acquired item.
- Shop for Smithing Stones: Check their inventory for newly available upgrade materials.
Pro Tip: Remember to save your game before giving away a bearing, just in case!
Finding Smithing Stone Miner’s Bell Bearings
There are four Smithing Stone Miner’s Bell Bearings to collect, each unlocking a new tier of Smithing Stones:
- Bearing [1]: Found in the Raya Lucaria Crystal Tunnel, after defeating the Crystalean boss.
- Bearing [2]: Located in the Sealed Tunnel, on a corpse behind a Stonesword Key-locked door.
- Bearing [3]: Obtained in the Altus Plateau by progressing through the optional Volcano Manor questline.
- Bearing [4]: Rewarded for defeating the Ancient Hero of Zamor boss in the Mountaintops of the Giants.
Finding Somber Smithing Stone Miner’s Bell Bearings
Somber weapons require their own unique upgrade path, unlocked with these bearings:
- Bearing [1]: Found in the Sellia Crystal Tunnel after defeating the Fallingstar Beast.
- Bearing [2]: Dropped by the Red Wolf of the Champion boss in the Gelmir Hero’s Grave.
- Bearing [3]: Acquired by giving the Deathroot to Gurranq, Beast Clergyman, for the second time.
- Bearing [4]: Obtained in Nokron, Eternal City, by defeating the Mimic Tear boss. (Map Location) If you’re a fan of fighting games, after defeating this mimic, you might enjoy reading up on the differences between Super Smash Flash 2 Unblocked vs. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
- Bearing [5]: Located on a corpse in Crumbling Farum Azula, past a Stonesword Key-locked door.
Strategies for Success
- Prioritize Exploration: The Lands Between are vast; explore thoroughly and keep an eye out for hidden areas where bearings might be hidden. If you enjoy exploring virtual worlds, you might also find it fun to check out popular unblocked game sites like Unblocked Games 66 to discover new gaming trends.
- Read Item Descriptions: Sometimes clues about where to find bearings are hidden in the descriptions of other items you discover.
- Prepare for Boss Fights: Several bearings are guarded by challenging bosses. Make sure you’re leveled up, have the right weapons and equipment, and learn their attack patterns. For specific boss strategies, you can consult resources like Fextralife’s Elden Ring Wiki.
Conclusion
Smithing Stone Bell Bearings are your key to unlocking the full potential of your weapons in the Elden Ring. By finding and using these bearings, you’ll be able to upgrade your arsenal to new heights, making the challenges ahead more manageable and rewarding. So, venture forth, brave Tarnished, and uncover these hidden treasures to become the Elden Lord!
