Ruined Forge Lava Intake walkthrough - Elden Ring DLC

Looking for a full rundown of the Ruined Forge Lava Intake in Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree? The Ruined Forge Lava Intake is a mini dungeon in Elden Ring's DLC expansion Shadow Of The Erdtree that's full of oozing lava, as the name might suggest. You'll also contend with a number of stone golem smiths with gems in their back as you traverse this dungeon, and they're tricky to take on directly. Your trouble will be worth it, though, because the dungeon is full of Smithing Stones ripe for the taking, not to mention the handy Smithscript Dagger and the uber powerful Anvil Hammer.

In this guide, we'll explain exactly what you need to do to navigate the twisty contours of the Ruined Forge Lava Intake in Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree.

Ruined Forge Lava Intake walkthrough

To reach the Ruined Forge Lava Intake, travel south of the Castle Front Site of Grace, in the direction of the cliff crevasse. Veer to the right side of the crevasse instead of going directly into it. You'll soon come upon a cave entrance that leads to the Ruined Forge Lava Intake Site of Grace.

Once you're ready, go down the stairs, and turn right. You'll see a spectre who mentions a mysterious altar somewhere deeper in the ruins. Keep moving, climb down the ladder, and take note of the big pipe that serves as a centrepiece in this dungeon. After you've navigated the ladder, read the message on the ground that tells you to hit your enemies where they're weakest - a nice little hint on how to deal with this dungeon's most troublesome denizens. Continue on the path and you'll see a chamber on your left that contains the first golem smith of the dungeon.

All of the golems in the Ruined Forge Lava Intake contain red gems in their lower back. It's a nicely telegraphed weak point, but targeting the gem can be a pain due to the swift, strong strikes that these stone giants deliver with their clubs. Roll around the giant to smack its gem, or target it from afar with your preferred projectiles or Sorceries. Just be aware that you'll do minimal damage to the golem if you aren't specifically hitting its red gem.

Once you've dispatched the golem, loot the ground to find a 1 Gas Stone, 1 Smithing Stone [4], and 1 Smithing Stone [1]. The nearby corpse contains 4 Smithing Stone [5].

Exit this room and move down the opposite path, watching out for the magma ooze that drops from the ceiling. Two or three well-timed hits should dispatch it and any other slime that falls in your path. After going straight for a bit, you'll end up on a railed platform with two more oozes. Kill them, loot the corpse to obtain 7 Smithing Stone [2], and then check the floor to find 1 Smithing Stone [1] and 1 Smithing Stone [3].

Keep following the path and you'll end up on a platform overlooking a wide open space with a ladder leading downwards. There are actually two ways down - you can climb the ladder or you can jump off one side of the platform and land on a lower platform. Either way, once you make it to the floor you'll encounter a bevy of golem smiths, oozes, and tonnes of items. There's 1 Smithing Stone [4] and 1 Smithing Stone [1] near the base of the ladder, 1 Somber Smithing Stone [2] on a corpse in a corner of the room near the stairs, and 1 Somber Smithing Stone [6] on a corpse in a side room guarded by another golem.

If you go up the stairs where you picked up Somber Smithing Stone [2], you'll find the Greater Potentate's Cookbook [13] hidden on another corpse. Also in the vicinity are 1 Smithing Stone [3] and 1 Smithing Stone [1]. If you continue climbing the stairs and navigating the ruined platforms connected to it, you'll pick up 1 Smithing Stone [7] and 1 Rada Fruit on two more corpses.

Also accessible from the stairs is another ladder that descends downwards. Climb it and you'll end up on a raised ledge above another ledge that overlooks a magma pool. Pull the lever here and the giant pipe you saw before will descend into the lava, serving as a makeshift platform of sorts.

Drop down from where you pulled the lever. A golem in the corner who's standing watch over a corpse that holds Smithscript Dagger will likely notice you and attack. Once he's dead, be sure to grab the dagger - our guide on Shadow Of The Erdtree's new Throwing Blades has all the details on this swift weapon.

After picking up the dagger, jump on the big pipe and enjoy the run upwards! There's one magma ooze that will try to get the drop on you as you climb, but it should be dispatched easily enough as long as you watch your footing. Don't fall off - it's really not worth it at this point!

At the very top of the pipeline, turn right and you'll see a room with the altar that the spectre mentioned. Interact with it, and you'll be awarded the gargantuan Anvil Hammer - arguably the hardest-hitting weapon in Elden Ring's DLC - and 1 Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone. A portal will also appear next to you to safely teleport you to the dungeon's entrance.

Now that you've got your Anvil Hammer, your job in the Ruined Forge Intake is complete. For more Elden Ring: Shadow of The Erdtree walkthroughs, take a look at our guides to reaching the Cerulean Coast, the Cathedral of Manus Metyr, Charo's Hidden Grave, and the Stone Coffin Fissure.