Mortal Shell II is a challenging game that’s certain to test the mettle of even the most diehard Soulslike veterans, but it provides plenty of ways to improve your chances of survival. One of these is the ability to upgrade your Tarstones, useful equippable stones that provide meaningful bonuses to your build.
However, upgrading Tarstones isn’t unlocked at the beginning of the game. Instead, you’ll need to make some progress in the campaign and find a special item known as the Etching Needles to unlock this mechanic. Below, we’ll tell you where to find the Etching Needles and how to start upgrading your Tarstones in Mortal Shell II.
Where To Find The Etching Needles In Mortal Shell II
The Etching Needles are located inside a Cleansed Gate. These gates serve as some of the game’s main dungeons, so you’ll be tackling a handful of them along the way. The one you need for the Etching Needles is located next to the Mushroom Village Gate beacon on the eastern side of the map.
Once you cleanse the Mushroom Village Gate beacon, you can enter the Cleansed Gate behind it, which transports you to the Glutted Mire dungeon. It’s in this dangerous swamp village that you’ll find the Etching Needles.
To find the Etching Needles in the Glutted Mire, you’ll need to progress through the dungeon normally until you reach the Wandering Shepard mini-boss. After beating this tough foe, break the crate blocking the nearby gate, which will allow you to squeeze through.
After doing that, cross the long bridge ahead, where you’ll see a chest sitting in plain view on the other side. Open it to obtain the Etching Needles.
Directly ahead is the dungeon’s final boss. You can proceed and slay her, or turn back and return to the last beacon to start working on your Tarstone upgrades beforehand. Your choice!
How To Upgrade Tarstones In Mortal Shell II
Return to Marrow Keep and take the Etching Needles to Franz at the Tarforge. This will unlock the ability to upgrade your Tarstones in the same way you upgrade your weapons.
Simply interact with the Tarforge and choose to upgrade your Tarstones, then spend your gold to improve any Tarstones that have maxed out their current level’s XP. Once you’ve upgraded a Tarstone, you’ll need to continue using it until it maxes out another level of XP before you can upgrade it again.
For more on the game, be sure to check out our Mortal Shell II review.
Mortal Shell II launches August 20, 2026, for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Found this guide helpful? Check out our guides section for more tips, walkthroughs, collectibles, boss strategies, and everything else you need to get through your favorite games.
