ForgeTax Frenzy is a core smithing mechanic that provides a temporary, shatter-proof window where hammer strikes cannot destroy your blade. Triggering it requires landing 10 successful forging actions on a single sword, after which the state unleashes a four-second timer allowing risk-free value escalation before normal breakage odds return.
Understanding how to build charges, extend duration, and capitalize on every swing is crucial for survival when dragon tribute costs escalate in the later days of a contract.
What Is Frenzy and How Does It Work?
In developer GraveYardDev's official game description, the forging loop revolves around managing rising break odds. Each strike on the anvil has an outcome drawn from ticket pools—primarily Success, Great Success, Hold, Damage, or Break.
Under standard conditions, every strike risks shattering the sword entirely. Frenzy removes that risk for a short window:
- Charge Requirement: Hitting the anvil 10 times on the same blade charges the meter. The state activates on the subsequent strike.
- Base Duration: According to data from the game's code ported in community simulator tools, Frenzy lasts 4 seconds of real-time by default.
- Base Hammer Speed: The anvil requires an interval of 0.64 seconds between strikes before factoring in relic speed bonuses.
- Invulnerability: Swords cannot break while Frenzy is active, letting you hammer rapidly without fear of losing accumulated tribute value.
- Speed Mechanics: Following the Relic & Balance Overhaul patch, Frenzy no longer grants base hammer speed automatically. Increasing strike volume during Frenzy requires dedicated speed relics.
How to Charge Frenzy Faster
Relying solely on 10 standard hits can be dangerous when break percentages climb on higher upgrade tiers. Several relics and consumable items allow you to accelerate charge accumulation or start with bonus charges:
| Item / Relic | Type | Charge Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Ember Locket | Relic | Grants +2 Frenzy charges on the first normal strike of each sword. |
| Cracked Wristwatch | Relic | Adds 1 Frenzy charge every time a strike results in Damage outside Frenzy. |
| Chained Hourglass | Relic | Grants a 50% chance to add 1 Frenzy charge each time a Hold occurs outside Frenzy. |
| Cold Star Shard | Ghost Merchant Item | Instantly grants +3 Frenzy charges upon use (cannot be activated during Frenzy). |
| Broken Holy Sword | On-Break Relic | Passes 30% of a broken sword's enhancement to the next +0 blade and grants 3 Frenzy charges. |
| Dawn Scabbard | On-Break Relic | Passes 40% enhancement to the next +0 blade and grants 4 Frenzy charges. |
Official patch updates confirm that Broken Holy Sword and Dawn Scabbard stack additively. If you hold both relics when a sword breaks, the next unforged blade inherits 70% of the lost enhancement level and starts with 7 immediate Frenzy charges.
Relics That Boost Frenzy Performance
Frenzy's short 4-second baseline limits how many strikes you can execute before the anvil cools down. Pairing Frenzy with specific relics turns the window into massive value and enhancement growth:
| Relic Name | Category | Exact In-Game Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hourglass | Duration | Frenzy duration +1 second. |
| Undying Wick | Duration | Frenzy duration +2 seconds. |
| Possessed Bellows | Speed | Forging speed +30% during Frenzy. |
| Glass Hourglass | Upgrades | Great Successes during Frenzy grant +3 levels instead of normal scaling. |
| Perfect Mana Core | Outcome Odds | Adds +6 Great tickets during Frenzy. |
| Bell Collar | Value Growth | Each strike during Frenzy increases sword value by +5%. |
| Headless Bell | Exit Bonus | When Frenzy ends, the sword gains +1 level automatically. |
Relics Inactive During Frenzy
Certain items explicitly state that their bonuses only apply outside the safe window. Keep these restrictions in mind when planning your anvil hits:
- Silver Tuning Fork: Grants +1 extra level only on Great Successes outside Frenzy.
- Lightning Mark: Reduces the next strike's Break chance by 40% after a Great Success outside Frenzy.
- Scorched Charm: Reduces Break chance by 3% (up to 18%) per Success or Great hit outside Frenzy.
Strategy: Making the Most of the Frenzy Window
- Prepare a Worthy Blade: Avoid burning Frenzy on low-tier test blades that you plan to melt down for low relic returns. Use charges to push high-potential blades toward milestones like +10, +20, or toward the +99 overhaul cap.
- Combine Speed and Duration: A baseline run gives approximately 6 strikes inside a 4-second window. Equipping Undying Wick (+2s) and Possessed Bellows (+30% speed) substantially increases the total strikes you can fit into a single Frenzy.
- Exploit Multiplier Relics: Stacking Glass Hourglass with Perfect Mana Core floods the outcome pool with Great tickets, causing strikes during Frenzy to leap up multiple upgrade levels at once without risk of degradation.
- Know When to Stop: When the Frenzy timer expires, normal break probabilities apply instantly. The Great Success multiplier stands at 2.5×, but pushing a blade past Frenzy without defensive relics (such as Dragonscale Tongs or Phoenix Ash) can result in instant destruction.
Frenzy Achievements
ForgeTax includes two specific Steam achievements tied directly to this mechanic:
- Hammer Time: Enter Frenzy for the first time outside the tutorial.
- No Rest for the Hammer: Enter Frenzy 5 times in a single run.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Frenzy still increase hammer speed automatically?
No. In the Relic & Balance Overhaul patch, the developer removed the innate speed increase from Frenzy. You now strike at your normal anvil delay (0.64 seconds baseline) unless you equip speed relics like Possessed Bellows or Worn Grip.
Can a sword break during Frenzy?
No. Frenzy completely removes breakage risk for its entire active duration, allowing you to hammer as quickly as possible.
Do inherited Frenzy charges stack across runs?
No. While accumulated run tickets and relics carry over across days within a single run, all temporary charges and relics reset when starting a new run.
Sources
- GraveYardDev Official Steam Store Page & Patch Notes: Relic & Balance Overhaul — Starting Relics, +99 Forging and Codex Improvements
- GraveYardDev Official Patch Notes: Hotfix — Startup Fixes and Recovery Relic Improvements
- ForgeTax Community Database and Code Port (Steam Build 25755699) via ForgeTax Tools & Wiki
