Mortal Shell 2 Tarstones Guide: Unlock, XP & Tempering
Quick answer: equip, level, and temper Tarstones by unlocking Franz’s Tarforge function with the Etching Needles, keeping the stone slotted while earning combat XP, then returning when its bar is full.
From unlock to a patch-aware build
Checked 2026-08-23
- 01
Bring the Etching Needles from the Glutted Mire route to Franz at the Tarforge.
Current retail-build records agree that this unlocks the Temper Tarstones function.
Community lead - 02
Slot a Tarstone into the equipped weapon or sidearm before earning kills.
Current retail-build records agree that an unequipped Tarstone does not gain combat XP.
Community lead - 03
Return to the Tarforge when the Tarstone XP bar is full and temper it deliberately.
XP completion alone does not replace the forge interaction required to advance the stone.
Community lead - 04
Treat early Tarstone upgrades as both effect upgrades and a way to build a Tarcore reserve.
Current retail-build records agree that advancing lower-level stones feeds the later Tarcore economy.
Community lead - 05
Recheck a Tarstone after every balance update before calling it best for a build.
Balance Patch 1 already buffed Parasitic, Grudge, Bulwark, Clerik’s, and Squall stones, and the developers announced more Tarstone work.
Official
Do not spend from an unverified cost table
This page deliberately withholds exact XP thresholds, costs, and Tarcore returns until a current-build site capture records them. Balance Patch 1 already changed five stones, so named effects must be retested after updates.
Sources and verification status
- Community leadCross-checked retail-build player workflowChecked 2026-08-23
Exact costs and returned amounts are intentionally withheld until site-owned capture confirms the current UI.
- OfficialSteam developer patch notesChecked 2026-08-23
The post records PC availability and planned console rollout at publication; later parity is not inferred here.