If you are looking for Somber Smithing Stone 7, your goal is simple: upgrade a special weapon from +6 to +7 without wasting time farming inefficient routes. This stone is one of the rarest upgrade breakpoints in Elden Ring because it sits right before late-game power scaling. Knowing exactly where to find Somber Smithing Stone 7 — and when to buy it instead — saves hours and prevents progression bottlenecks.
Somber Smithing Stone 7 is used only for special armaments with unique traits. These weapons do not follow the standard smithing path, and each upgrade step matters far more than raw quantity.
What Somber Smithing Stone 7 Does and Why It Matters
Somber Smithing Stone 7 strengthens special armaments from +6 to +7. Unlike standard weapons, special armaments require one stone per level and cap at +10. This makes every somber tier a hard gate rather than a soft progression curve.
At +7, many special weapons gain:
- A noticeable jump in base damage
- Improved scaling efficiency
- Stronger Ash of War output
This is often the point where unique weapons stop feeling experimental and start competing with optimized standard builds.
How Somber Upgrade Paths Differ from Standard Weapons
Special armaments cannot be upgraded with colored smithing stones. Their path is linear and rigid, which changes how players should plan upgrades.
Key differences include:
- One stone per level instead of multiples
- Fewer total upgrade steps
- Sharper power spikes per upgrade
Because of this, Somber Smithing Stone 7 is not just another material. It is a structural checkpoint in build progression.
Buying Somber Smithing Stone 7 from Merchants
The most reliable way to secure Somber Smithing Stone 7 is purchasing it from the Twin Maiden Husks at the Roundtable Hold. This option becomes available after delivering the Somberstone Miner’s Bell Bearing (4).
Once unlocked, this removes scarcity entirely. However, reaching that point requires deep progression, making exploration routes valuable beforehand.
Somber Smithing Stone 7 Locations in the Base Game
Before merchant access, Somber Smithing Stone 7 is scattered across late-mid and endgame regions. These locations reward exploration but often involve high-risk enemies or environmental hazards.
Key base game regions include:
- Volcano Manor, on a ledge guarded by an Abductor Virgin
- Subterranean Shunning-Grounds, including sewer routes with Giant Crayfish
- Nokstella, Eternal City, across multiple chests and ledges
- Lake of Rot, on exposed corpses across toxic terrain
- Forbidden Lands, inside a massive skull before Black Blade Kindred
- Mountaintops of the Giants, via Teardrop Scarabs and Lion Guardians
- Consecrated Snowfield, hidden in statues and scarab drops
- Crumbling Farum Azula, on floating debris and cliffside paths
- Deeproot Depths, inside sunken structures and guarded caves
- Uhl Palace Ruins, dropped by a Malformed Star
These placements are intentional. From a design standpoint, Somber Smithing Stone 7 appears where the game tests spatial awareness more than combat skill.
Somber Smithing Stone 7 Locations in Shadow of the Erdtree
Shadow of the Erdtree expands access slightly but keeps the same risk philosophy.
Confirmed locations include:
- Ruined Forge of Starfall Past, found on a corpse beyond the first gate
- Rauh Base, dropped by a Teardrop Scarab north of the Site of Grace
These additions offer earlier access for DLC-focused progression but do not trivialize the upgrade curve.
Drop Sources and Farming Reality
Somber Smithing Stone 7 can drop from specific enemies, but farming it is inefficient by design.
Known drop sources include:
- Golem Smiths with a 3.6% drop rate
- Horned Warriors and Horned Shamans at 1.6%
- Lesser Fingercreepers at around 13% in specific zones
- Guaranteed one-time drops from Fingercreepers in Mountaintops and Shunning-Grounds
These rates reinforce the intended loop: exploration first, purchase later.
Practical Comparison: Find vs Buy
| Method | Reliability | Time Cost | Risk |
| Exploration pickups | Medium | High | High |
| Enemy drops | Low | Very High | Medium |
| Twin Maiden Husks | Very High | Low | None |
From a system perspective, buying Somber Smithing Stone 7 is the intended long-term solution, not farming.
Inventory Limits, Storage, and Economic Value
Somber Smithing Stone 7 has generous inventory rules compared to its scarcity in the field. You can hold up to 999 stones on your character and store another 999 in the chest. This effectively removes any long-term hoarding concern once merchant access is unlocked.
From an economic standpoint, the stone has a sell value of 1,400 runes. This is intentionally low. The game does not want players converting rare upgrade materials into currency. Selling Somber Smithing Stone 7 is almost always a mistake unless you already have unlimited purchase access and a very specific reason.
When You Should Use Somber Smithing Stone 7
Timing matters more than quantity. Because special weapons scale sharply at certain breakpoints, using Somber Smithing Stone 7 too early on the wrong weapon can lock you into an inefficient path.
Good use cases include:
- Weapons you are already committed to taking to +9 or +10
- Builds centered on a single unique Ash of War
- Boss-focused setups where scaling spikes matter more than flexibility
If you are testing a weapon or unsure about long-term viability, stop at +6. The jump to +7 is where commitment begins.
Build Planning: Why +7 Is a Psychological Threshold
From a design perspective, +7 exists to force player intent. Elden Ring rarely blocks progress outright, but it often asks a question through systems rather than dialogue.
Somber Smithing Stone 7 asks: is this weapon your identity, or just a phase?
Players who hesitate here usually feel underpowered later because they spread upgrades too thin. Players who commit often experience a noticeable increase in combat confidence almost immediately.
A Practical Example: Midgame Power Stabilization
Consider a dexterity-focused player running a unique katana. At +6, damage feels acceptable but inconsistent against late-midgame enemies. After upgrading to +7, stance damage improves, bleed procs trigger faster, and Ash of War pressure increases enough to control fights rather than react to them.
This is not coincidence. The upgrade curve is tuned so that +7 stabilizes special weapons for late-game pacing.
How Somber Smithing Stone 7 Fits Elden Ring’s Progression Design
Somber upgrade materials exist to support experimentation without infinite respec abuse. By spacing stones like Somber Smithing Stone 7 across dangerous or inconvenient areas, the game nudges players toward mastery rather than constant switching.
This philosophy runs through all of Elden Ring. Progression is never just about numbers. It is about commitment, risk, and learning when to double down.
Use It With Intent
If you are stuck searching for Somber Smithing Stone 7, the answer depends on your position in the game:
- Early late-game: explore key regions and grab guaranteed pickups
- Mid to late-game: unlock the Twin Maiden Husks option and buy freely
- DLC-first runs: prioritize Ruined Forge and Rauh Base
Do not farm unless you enjoy farming. The system does not reward it.
Use Somber Smithing Stone 7 when you are ready to say, “This is my weapon,” and the game will meet that decision with meaningful power.
