How to Level Blacksmithing Fast in Project Zomboid
Blacksmithing takes 32,775 XP from level 0 to 10, about 510 crafts if you always make the best recipe you can, with no magazine and no XP boost. Start with Forge Simple Blade (25 XP) and end on Forge Crude Sword Blade (90 XP).
- XP to level 1032,775before boosts
- Crafts, best path510no magazines
- First recipe25 XPForge Simple Blade
- Best XP per craft100 XPof 123 recipes
There are 123 recipes that give Blacksmithing XP. They are worth from 5 to 100 XP a craft.
On this page
How the path is worked out
Blacksmithing XP per level in the files: 75, 150, 300, 750, 1,500, 3,000, 4,500, 6,000, 7,500, 9,000, 32,775 in all.
- Skill level: a recipe lists the Blacksmithing level it asks for.
- Teaching: a recipe marked "learn" is known only after you read its magazine, or when the game teaches it at a set level.
- Best XP: of what is left, the most XP per craft. Ties go to the lower level.
The path, level by level
At level 0 only 15 recipes are open to you, and Forge Simple Blade is the best. Crafts are the XP to the next level (75 at level 0, up to 9,000 at level 9) divided by the recipe's XP. The first five levels take 74 crafts, the second five 436.
| Level | Make | XP | Crafts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Forge Simple Blade | 25 | 3 |
| 1 | Forge Simple Blade | 25 | 6 |
| 2 | Forge Small Knife | 35 | 9 |
| 3 | Forge Small Knife | 35 | 22 |
| 4 | Forge Long Simple Blade | 45 | 34 |
| 5 | Forge Hatchet Head | 50 | 60 |
| 6 | Forge Hatchet Head | 50 | 90 |
| 7 | Forge Axe Head | 70 | 86 |
| 8 | Forge Mace Head | 75 | 100 |
| 9 | Forge Crude Sword Blade | 90 | 100 |
Pro tip
Read the magazine for a better recipe early: with a magazine you can make a recipe at its listed level instead of waiting for the game to teach it. Each recipe on the Blacksmithing page names its magazine.
Levels 0 to 4: the Primitive Forge
The first levels use the Primitive Forge. Forge Simple Blade costs 1 Charcoal or similar, 1 Iron Bar Quarter or similar. Forge Small Knife (35 XP, from level 2) costs 2 Charcoal or similar, 1 Iron Bar Quarter or similar.
The map shows 99 forge and furnace pins and 16 anvils: forges, anvils. How to build a forge yourself is not covered here.
Levels 5 to 9: bigger heads and blades
From level 5 the best recipes move to the Forge: Forge Axe Head gives 70 XP for 5 Charcoal or similar, 1 Iron Block (Pierced) or similar, and Forge Crude Sword Blade gives 90 XP for 6 Charcoal or similar, 1 Iron Bar or similar. Level 8 uses the Advanced Forge.
The top of the list is worth 100 XP a craft, but it needs level 8 to 9 and a magazine or level 10 to learn it without one.
Ways to need fewer crafts
Skill books: 5 volumes raise XP gain, from ×3 to ×16 (see the skill page).
Occupation: Blacksmith adds 4 levels of the skill.
Trait: Blacksmith Knowledge adds 2.
Common mistakes
- Chasing the 100 XP recipes at level 5. They ask for level 8 to 9 and a magazine.
- Making the same recipe all the way. Forge Simple Blade is 25 XP; at level 9 a craft of Forge Crude Sword Blade is worth 4 times that.
- Forgetting charcoal. Every recipe on the path burns it, from 1 Charcoal or similar up to 6 Charcoal or similar.
Pages to keep open
Related pages
Sources
Thanks to The Indie Stone for making Project Zomboid. PinDrop is fan-made and not affiliated with The Indie Stone.