You've just beaten Margit. Or maybe you skipped him entirely by hugging the cliffs around Stormveil because, honestly, who has time for that headache early on? You have a special weapon—maybe the Bloodhound's Fang or the Reduvia—and it’s sitting at +1. You can feel the lack of damage. Every hit on a Banished Knight feels like poking a brick wall with a toothpick. You need an Elden Ring Somber Smithing Stone 2, and you need it ten minutes ago.
The problem with Elden Ring isn't that these items are rare. It's that the game's map is so ridiculously vertical and layered that you can be standing right on top of a loot marker and still be a hundred feet below it.
I’ve spent hundreds of hours in the Lands Between. I've done the "no-hit" runs (and failed miserably), and I've helped countless people through co-op. The biggest hurdle for new players is the weird gap between Limgrave and Liurnia. You find plenty of level 1 stones, then suddenly the game expects you to have a level 4 weapon to survive the Carian Manor. If you’re stuck looking for that specific rank 2 upgrade, stop wandering aimlessly. There are three or four spots that are basically guaranteed if you know the route.
The Liurnia Shortcut: Iji Is Your Best Friend
Forget scavenging. Seriously. If you have about 3,000 Runes burning a hole in your pocket, the absolute fastest way to get an Elden Ring Somber Smithing Stone 2 is to head straight for Smithing Master Iji.
He’s a massive War Counselor Giant sitting on a stone bench in Northern Liurnia. Getting to him is a bit of a trek, but it’s a safe trek. You ride north through the shallow waters of the lake, past the Academy, and keep going until you hit the "Road to the Manor" Site of Grace. Iji is right there. He’s peaceful. He’s also the most reliable merchant in the early game because he sells an unlimited supply of Somber 1 and 2 stones.
He sells them for 3,000 Runes a pop.
Why bother crawling through a dark, cramped mine filled with stone-skinned miners who bounce your sword back at your face when you can just pay a giant? It’s the most efficient meta-play for any speedrun or optimized build. Plus, Iji is a lore goldmine if you’re into the whole Ranni the Witch questline. He’s a gentleman. A very big, very old gentleman.
The Morne Tunnel Route (For the Traditionalists)
Maybe you’re broke. Maybe you spent all your Runes on Vigor (wise choice) and can't afford Iji's prices. Or maybe you just like the "intended" progression.
Head south.
The Weeping Peninsula is often overlooked by people rushing to the Academy, but it’s packed with upgrade materials. The Morne Tunnel is the spot. You’ll find it at the bottom of a ravine just west of the Minor Erdtree. Inside, the place is a mess of wooden platforms and narrow beams. Look for the glowing white orbs on the ground. One of them, tucked away near a wooden shack-like structure inside the cave, is your Elden Ring Somber Smithing Stone 2.
Just watch out for the Misbegotten at the end. They’re aggressive, twitchy, and they don't like visitors. But the stone is there for the taking, even if you don't kill the boss.
Why the Scaling Matters More Than You Think
In Elden Ring, weapon scaling is a bit of a trap if you don't upgrade. You can have 40 Strength, but if your weapon is +1, your damage will still be garbage. The jump from +1 to +2 on a "Somber" weapon is roughly equivalent to jumping from +3 to +6 on a standard weapon.
It’s a massive power spike.
Most people think they need to level up their character to beat a boss. Usually, they just need that next stone. If you're using a weapon that requires Somber stones, you’re using "Special" gear. These weapons often have unique Ashes of War that scale harder with weapon level than they do with your actual stats.
A Quick Detour into Raya Lucaria Crystal Tunnel
If you’ve already made it into the lake, there’s another mine called the Raya Lucaria Crystal Tunnel. It’s on the eastern cliffside of the lake. It’s a bit more dangerous than Morne Tunnel because the enemies here are made of literal crystal.
Pro tip: Use a strike weapon. A mace, a club, even your bare fists if you're desperate. Slashing a crystal man with a katana is a great way to get yourself killed.
Inside this tunnel, you’ll find several Somber stones. The boss at the end, a Crystalian, drops the Smithing-Stone Miner's Bell Bearing [1]. This doesn't help with Somber stones—it’s for the regular ones—but the environmental loot in this cave is rich with the level 2 Somber variety.
The Gaol Shortcut
There is a sneaky way to get one without traveling to Liurnia or the Peninsula. In Limgrave, there is an Evergaol called the "Forlorn Hound Evergaol." It’s home to Bloodhound Knight Darriwil.
He’s fast. He bleeds you. He’s a nightmare for low-level players.
However, if you’ve started Blaidd the Half-Wolf’s quest in the Mistwood, you can summon him for this fight. Blaidd basically solos the boss while you sit back and watch. When Darriwil dies, he drops the Bloodhound's Fang—one of the best weapons in the game—and an Elden Ring Somber Smithing Stone 2.
It’s a "two birds, one stone" situation. You get the weapon and the means to upgrade it in one go.
Common Misconceptions About Somber Stones
I see this a lot on Reddit and Discord: people think they can "farm" these stones from regular enemies.
You can't. Not really.
Standard Smithing Stones can sometimes be farmed from specific soldiers, but Somber Smithing Stones are almost always fixed pickups or merchant items. Don't waste three hours killing the same group of Godrick Soldiers hoping for a gold drop. It’s not happening. You either find them on a corpse, find them in a chest, or buy them from Iji or the Twin Maiden Husks (if you have the right Bell Bearing).
Speaking of Bell Bearings, the one for Somber stones 1 and 2 is found in the Altus Plateau. That’s way too late for someone just trying to get through the early game. Stick to Iji or the tunnels.
The Best Strategy for Early Game Dominance
If I'm starting a new character today, here is my exact pathing for an Elden Ring Somber Smithing Stone 2.
First, I grab the horse. Essential.
Second, I ride to the Dragon-Burnt Ruins in the middle of the lake in Limgrave. I open the chest in the basement—the one that triggers a transporter trap. It sends me to the Sellia Crystal Tunnel in Caelid. It sounds scary, and it is. But you don't have to fight. You run out of the shack, down the tunnel, and exit into the red wastes of Caelid.
From there, you ride west into Limgrave and then north to Liurnia. Within 15 minutes of starting the game, you can reach Iji. Buy the stone. Upgrade the weapon. Now you can actually play the game without feeling like you're hitting enemies with a wet noodle.
It's about working smarter, not harder. The Lands Between are designed to punish you for being under-geared. Finding that level 2 stone is the first real "gate" the game throws at you. Once you pass it, the momentum shifts in your favor.
Next Steps for Your Build
Once you have secured your Elden Ring Somber Smithing Stone 2, your next priority is finding its level 3 and 4 counterparts to maintain your damage output as you enter mid-game areas like Caelid or the Altus Plateau.
- Visit Iji immediately: Even if you found a stone in a cave, buy his stock anyway. You might want to switch weapons later, and having spares saves you a trip back.
- Clear the Morne Tunnel: It’s the best way to stock up on the standard stones you’ll need for your shields or secondary weapons.
- Seek the Somberstone Miner's Bell Bearing [2]: Once you reach the Altus Plateau, head to the Sealed Tunnel. Getting this allows you to buy Somber 3 and 4 stones infinitely from the Twin Maiden Husks at Roundtable Hold.
- Test your scaling: Check your status menu to see if your primary stat (Str/Dex/Int/Fai) is actually providing a significant bonus now that your base damage has increased. If the "Bonus" number (the one with the + sign) is low, keep prioritizing weapon upgrades over raw stat points for now.
.png)
