Tarstones slot into weapons and sidearms in Mortal Shell 2 to add new effects, and 73 of them are scattered across the map. Only a handful matter in the opening hours, and the right early picks stay useful all the way to the final boss. The ones below are reachable within the first few hours and cover healing, critical damage, and weapon-specific damage spikes.
Quick answer: Buy the Unwieldy Stone from Merrick in Marrow Keep for 2000 Gold first, then collect the Auspicious Stone in Mushroom Village and the Grudge Stone near the Citadel of Penance. Add the Berserker’s Stone, Duality Stone, and Enfeebling Stone as you explore.
Early Tarstone priority list and locations
| Tarstone | Effect | Where to get |
|---|---|---|
| Unwieldy Stone | Charged Heavy Attack that grants Leech and heals on kill (universal) | Sold by Merrick in Marrow Keep for 2000 Gold |
| Auspicious Stone | +10% to +18% melee Critical Chance (universal) | Offerings chest in Mushroom Village, southwest of the beacon |
| Grudge Stone | Guaranteed critical hit every 10th, 7th, or 5th attack (all weapons) | Chest south of the Citadel of Penance beacon |
| Berserker’s Stone | Melee damage rises as your Health drops (universal) | Temple of Vatra offerings chest, east of the One Legged Wolf beacon |
| Duality Stone | Light attack combo hits twice (Axe & Dagger, Axatana) | Chest in the Ravaged Tomb dungeon, southeast of the Nochtean Gate beacon |
| Enfeebling Stone | Projectiles inflict Fragile (all sidearms) | Reward for the Trial east of the Outskirts of Mammon beacon |
Unwieldy Stone: healing on kill without your flask
The Unwieldy Stone is the fastest early pickup because Merrick, the merchant in Marrow Keep, sells it from the very start. It consumes 35 Resolve to perform a Charged Heavy Attack, and it works with all eight weapons in the game.
Its value comes from the upgraded tiers. Level 2 grants 3 Leech stacks and restores 20 Health on kill, and Level 3 pushes that to 5 Leech stacks and 25 Health on kill. Healing on kill is rare, so this lets you recover Health without spending a Mether Pulse charge.
To buy it, spend 2000 Gold at Merrick’s shop in Marrow Keep. The purchase is confirmed once the Tarstone appears in your inventory and Merrick’s listing shows it as sold out.
Critical hit Tarstones: Auspicious Stone and Grudge Stone
Critical hits often double or triple a weapon’s base damage, so raising your crit rate is one of the strongest ways to increase damage output early. Two Tarstones handle this, and they stack well together.
Auspicious Stone
The Auspicious Stone raises melee Critical Chance by +10% at Level 1, +15% at Level 2, and +18% at Level 3. It is universal and easy to reach, which makes it the baseline for any crit-focused build, especially when using Tiel as your Shell.
Find it in the offerings chest in the middle of Mushroom Village, southwest of the Mushroom Village beacon.
Grudge Stone
The Grudge Stone lands a guaranteed critical hit at a fixed interval. That interval improves with upgrades, from every 10th attack at Level 1 to every 7th at Level 2 and every 5th at Level 3. A guaranteed crit every five hits is far stronger than one every ten, so this Tarstone deserves upgrade priority at the Tarforge.
It works with every weapon but shines on the Axe & Daggers and the Axatana, since both land small, fast hits that reach the interval quickly. Grab it from a chest just south of the Citadel of Penance beacon, in the area unlocked by pulling the Citadel Gate Lever.
Weapon-specific damage: Duality Stone and Enfeebling Stone
Two picks are tied to specific weapon types but pay off heavily on the right loadout, particularly during long boss fights where sustained damage matters.
Duality Stone
The Duality Stone makes your light attack combo strike twice, and it applies to the Axe & Dagger and the Axatana. Level 1 affects the first attack only, Level 2 covers the first and second, and Level 3 doubles every hit in the standing light combo.
The catch is that it does not affect heavy attacks or running light attacks, only the standing light attack combo. Even so, fully upgraded it is a large boost to your damage per second. Find it in a chest inside the Ravaged Tomb dungeon, southeast of the Nochtean Gate beacon in the southwestern part of Fainweald.
Enfeebling Stone
Fragile is a status effect that makes a target take more damage from weapon attacks. The Enfeebling Stone applies Fragile through any equipped sidearm, inflicting 5 stacks per strike at Level 1, 6 at Level 2, and 7 at Level 3.
Pair it with the Triarch Repeater, which fires enough rounds to max out Fragile on a target within seconds. You earn the Enfeebling Stone by completing the Trial east of the Outskirts of Mammon beacon.
Berserker’s Stone: a fallback for tight fights
The Berserker’s Stone increases melee damage as your Health falls. Level 1 raises damage up to 130% at 35% Health or below, Level 2 reaches 140% at 40% or below, and Level 3 hits 165% at 50% or below. Upgrading it makes the boost easier to trigger because the Health threshold rises.
It suits Smert’s playstyle but works with any Shell, giving you a surge of power when you are low and cornered. Even if it is not your main build, it is a strong item to keep in reserve.
Find it in the Temple of Vatra offerings chest, east of the One Legged Wolf beacon. When you reach the chest, the acquisition prompt lets you press E to take it or I to inspect it.
Leveling Tarstones at the Tarforge
Tarstones gain XP as you kill enemies, but only while slotted into an equipped weapon or sidearm. When a Tarstone reaches the first threshold of 10,000 XP, you can level it at the Tarforge in Marrow Keep for 100 coins, which also grants a Tarcore.
Reaching the next threshold of 20,000 XP lets you max the Tarstone, but that step costs six Tarcore. Because each level-up from 1 to 2 gives a Tarcore, it pays to push several Tarstones to Level 2, even ones you do not plan to use, so you bank enough Tarcore to max your favorites. Prioritize spending those Tarcore on the Grudge Stone and the Unwieldy Stone, since their top tiers change how each fight plays out.
Start with the Unwieldy Stone for sustain, layer in the Auspicious and Grudge Stones for reliable crits, and slot the Duality or Enfeebling Stone to match your weapon. That core carries a clean, aggressive build from the opening hours through the endgame.
