The Forge on Ginger Island

[gingerpayne]

Hey everyone! Just want to say thanks for helping me with some questions I’ve had about Ginger Island. I recently learned a lot, but I’m trying to figure out what to do with the Forge. I understand how it works (I think ). I guess I’m really just trying to get opinions on what I should do there. I have the Galaxy sword, and I forged a diamond with it. I have and extra prismatic shard, should I use it at the forge for anything? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Ereo]

You will find journal pages that tell you more about the forge.

Different gems yield different results. Prismatic shards give you an enchantment. You can also forge rings.

If you want to know what each gem does, I'm sure there is a list on the Wiki if you don't have the journal page yet.

 

[imnvs]

Okay, you can forge up to 3 gems onto a weapon, and each does different things. Rubies increase damage, topaz adds defense, jade increases critical damage, aquamarine increases critical chance, emerald adds speed and amethyst adds knockback. You can do 3 of 1 gem, 1 each of 3 different gems, or any other combination you can think of.

Diamonds are a special case. When you use diamonds, it counts as up to 3 of the other gems... at random! So you don't know what you're going to get when you use a diamond, but it's cheaper than putting specific gems on for specific forgings. Now that you've done this, there's no more adding gems... unless you unforge it, removing and losing all the forging done already so that you can start over.

For my galaxy sword I always do 3 rubies.

Prismatic shards are used to add an enchantment. You can add one to your weapon, fishing rod, axe, pickaxe, hoe and watering can. When you put one of these and a prismatic shard in the forge, what comes out will have a random enchantment that can be applied. If you don't like what you got, you can do it again and get a new enchantment. If you re-enchant something, it will lose the old enchantment and get a new random enchantment. When re-enchanting something, the new enchantment will never be the same as the last two enchantments, so you're guaranteed to get something new. Each enchantment or re-enchantment costs the same, 20 cinder shards and a prismatic shard.

 

[Zen_the_Ogre]

Special shout-out for the crusader enchantment. If you don't have the monster slaying mark for mummies it makes it infinitely easier allowing you to kill mummies without swapping between inv items

 

[imnvs]

Weapon enchantments, in order of value, imho...

#1: Crusader, bonus damage to skeletons/shadows/skulls/mummies, puts mummies down without need for explosives
#2: Vampiric, (ideally with an vampire/iridium band and maybe a burglar/iridium band), late game you can obviate the need for food
#3: Artful, only useful on a hammer or otherwise I'd rate it higher than vampiric, spam that secondary attack like a spam printer go BRRR!

#4: Bug-killer, very situational, only useful for killing indestructible bugs... if you really wanted to. Otherwise not all that useful. Who needs bonus damage to bugs, really?

#: Haymaker... ugh... really? By the time you can get to the Forge, you should be able to get the golden scythe. Use your scythe. Don't turn your weapon into a scythe.

 

[imnvs]

Tool enchantments, my preferences...

Fishing rod: Master, +1 to fishing level.
Hoe: Reaching, +1 to reach (as if upgraded one more, at iridium can go to 5x5)
Watering Can: Reaching.
Axe: Shaving, extra wood including hardwood from stumps/logs but not mahogany trees
Pickaxe: Okay... this one... I'm kinda torn. Swift means you can take stuff down quicker, but powerful means taking things out in fewer swings, which is also quicker and uses less energy, or you could go efficient and never use energy... and I keep vacillating between which I prefer. I think it all depends on your needs. If you're commonly running out of energy, maybe go efficient. Otherwise, powerful is probably your better bet.

 

[gingerpayne]

Okay, you can forge up to 3 gems onto a weapon, and each does different things. Rubies increase damage, topaz adds defense, jade increases critical damage, aquamarine increases critical chance, emerald adds speed and amethyst adds knockback. You can do 3 of 1 gem, 1 each of 3 different gems, or any other combination you can think of.

Diamonds are a special case. When you use diamonds, it counts as up to 3 of the other gems... at random! So you don't know what you're going to get when you use a diamond, but it's cheaper than putting specific gems on for specific enchantments. Now that you've done this, there's no more adding gems... unless you unforge it, removing and losing all the forging done already so that you can start over.

For my galaxy sword I always do 3 rubies.

Prismatic shards are used to add an enchantment. You can add one to your weapon, fishing rod, axe, pickaxe, hoe and watering can. When you put one of these and a prismatic shard in the forge, what comes out will have a random enchantment that can be applied. If you don't like what you got, you can do it again and get a new enchantment. If you re-enchant something, it will lose the old enchantment and get a new random enchantment. When re-enchanting something, the new enchantment will never be the same as the last two enchantments, so you're guaranteed to get something new. Each enchantment or re-enchantment costs the same, 20 cinder shards and a prismatic shard.

So...I screwed up! I used a prismatic shard on the galaxy and got haymaker! I’ve also been working on the stuff at Qi’s, but what do you suggest using the Qi gems on? I don’t know what to even choose so I’ve just been saving them. As for the forge...ugh I’m mad at myself, so maybe I’ll unforge and use rubies instead.

 

[gingerpayne]

Tool enchantments, my preferences...

Fishing rod: Master, +1 to fishing level.
Hoe: Reaching, +1 to reach (as if upgraded one more, at iridium can go to 5x5)
Watering Can: Reaching.
Axe: Shaving, extra wood including hardwood from stumps/logs but not mahogany trees
Pickaxe: Okay... this one... I'm kinda torn. Swift means you can take stuff down quicker, but powerful means taking things out in fewer swings, which is also quicker and uses less energy, or you could go efficient and never use energy... and I keep vacillating between which I prefer. I think it all depends on your needs. If you're commonly running out of energy, maybe go efficient. Otherwise, powerful is probably your better bet.

Also, it didn’t give me and option it just chose haymaker...did I do something wrong or does it just automatically choose one?

 

[Ereo]

It's random. If you have enough prismatic shards, you can do it until you get the one you want.

Qi gems? First thing I buy is the horse whistle, then the galaxy souls. It depends on what you like to do.

 

[imnvs]

Like Ereo said, it is completely random. You didn't screw up so much as used a quick and cheap way to upgrade your weapon. I mean, the weapon is still better than it was before. It just is not forged with what I would want or recommend.

As for Qi gems? I always always buy the horse whistle first, followed by the Junimo chests, followed by all the recipes... and then Galaxy Souls. Waiting to get the galaxy souls gives me time in which I can find one/some first before I spend for them. (They can be dropped as monster loot.)

 

[Dippywallop]

Also, it didn’t give me and option it just chose haymaker...did I do something wrong or does it just automatically choose one?

If you have animals and a silo haymaker is actually pretty useful. Going through the mines clearing fibre with your sword can give you hay at home so you dont need to grow/harvest so much grass on farm also you dont need to be beholden to the whims of the notorious Marnie when needing to feed your animals.

 

[Ereo]

If you have animals and a silo haymaker is actually pretty useful. Going through the mines clearing fibre with your sword can give you hay at home so you dont need to grow/harvest so much grass on farm also you dont need to be beholden to the whims of the notorious Marnie when needing to feed your animals.

True, but I would prefer to have something useful for fighting enemies on my best sword.

Any other weapon will do for clearing fiber in the mines.

 

[Salty1]

#4: Bug-killer, very situational, only useful for killing indestructible bugs... if you really wanted to. Otherwise not all that useful. Who needs bonus damage to bugs, really?

I'd say it's also pretty useful in the intermediate floors of the mines when the Shrine of Challenge is open. Admittedly, wanting to go to those specific levels rather than just rushing to the bottom with staircases is more of a niche scenario, might depend if you want to look for hardwood and lacking mahogany seeds for whatever reason, etc. Still not as immediately useful as the others in terms of broader application.

 

[gingerpayne]

Okay well this is all very useful! I really need an upgrade for fighting monsters. I mean I have seen it in action making hay, but I have two silos already that I keep stocked up on.

 

[Dippywallop]

True, but I would prefer to have something useful for fighting enemies on my best sword.

Any other weapon will do for clearing fiber in the mines.

I hear you on that. I got haymaker on my hammer... then got artful on my sword back to sc for some more prismatic shards... hi ho hi ho its off to work we go

 

[imnvs]

If you have animals and a silo haymaker is actually pretty useful. Going through the mines clearing fibre with your sword can give you hay at home so you dont need to grow/harvest so much grass on farm also you dont need to be beholden to the whims of the notorious Marnie when needing to feed your animals.

On my beach farm I have 5 silos, 1 deluxe barn (full) and 1 deluxe coop (also full). I have a lot of grass because I have a lot of space cleared out... and I have literally never bought hay from Marnie. Every so often, when my hay is getting low, I punch holes in the field of grass until I stop seeing hay appear, which doesn't take long if you're using the golden scythe. Just make sure to put a few grass starters (10 should probably get anyone but the most dedicated ranchers a good amount of grass) around on Winter 28 before you go to bed and you should have all the grass you'll ever need. You don't need a haymaker weapon. Haymaker is a trap to get you to prioritize your animals over your own well-being while in the mine.

I hear you on that. I got haymaker on my hammer... then got artful on my sword back to sc for some more prismatic shards... hi ho hi ho its off to work we go

Artful on the wrong weapon!

Also, protip for when it comes to enchanting: What is picked is random... ish. There's a table that will determine what you get next based on RNG stuff. If you enchant, don't like what you do, restart the day and enchant again... you'll get the same enchantment. For this reason, once I have all my tools enchanted, any that have a sub-optimal enchantment on get re-enchanted... one by one. This last part is important. If re-enchant your weapon and pickaxe... and don't like what your weapon had, you might have got exactly what you wanted if you'd put the weapon in and not the pickaxe for that second shard. If you try a third shard on the sword now, you won't get what you would have when you did #2 on the pickaxe.

tl;dr: if re-enchanting, don't bounce around and just pick one to keep re-enchanting until you get it where you want it. Then move on to another weapon/tool.

 

[Phate4569]

I dunno, not everyone has a farm with that much free space. I currently do, but once I build it up more I won't. I have yet to open the island or forge, but I am actually going to try to get Haymaker.

Everyone seems hung up on enchanting their main weapon, but I could see use in having a secondary crappy weapon with 3 emeralds and Haymaker for when you hit up the mutant bug cave, or clear weeds in Cindersnap or Railway.

 

[gingerpayne]

Thank you all! As usual you’re all very helpful!

 

[Salty1]

Hay is a lot easier to manage to you plan around having animals from the start. During year one when you don't have a lot of infrastructure yet, but tons of grass, you can just empty out your silo partially (from the feed in the coop and barn) each time it fills up and scythe up some more hay. Any time you have two hours to the end of the day that you don't know what to do with, that is a long term useful option. Great way to get a stack or two of 999 hay before first winter, at which point you probably won't run out until you are able to sustain your supply well otherwise.

Granted, if you did a blind run or changed your mind and are starting to shift to animals on a pre-existing farm with no hay, the haymaker could still certainly have some use.

 

[Zen_the_Ogre]

Hay is a lot easier to manage to you plan around having animals from the start. During year one when you don't have a lot of infrastructure yet, but tons of grass, you can just empty out your silo partially (from the feed in the coop and barn) each time it fills up and scythe up some more hay. Any time you have two hours to the end of the day that you don't know what to do with, that is a long term useful option. Great way to get a stack or two of 999 hay before first winter, at which point you probably won't run out until you are able to sustain your supply well otherwise.

Granted, if you did a blind run or changed your mind and are starting to shift to animals on a pre-existing farm with no hay, the haymaker could still certainly have some use.

Due to the price this is good to do before winter. Especially if you find some of the advance hay making equipm