Daggers in The Forge are a practical choice when you want fast, forgiving melee that doesn’t demand a big ore budget. Their reach and per-hit damage are limited, but their attack speed creates more total hit attempts over time, which matters because it increases how often you can land critical hits and trigger on-hit effects from traits and runes.
Dagger crafting basics in The Forge
Daggers are the easiest weapon type to force through crafting because using three ores guarantees a dagger result. That makes daggers a stable target when you’re trying to conserve rarer materials for higher-variance crafts.
Once you have a dagger you like, enhancing it can keep it relevant longer by increasing damage and opening up rune slots, which is where much of a dagger’s real value comes from.
Best dagger ore recipes by game phase
The main idea behind dagger recipes is simple: keep the craft cheap, then stack effects that reward lots of hits. Rivalite is especially useful because dagger play leans on critical hits, and Rivalite adds critical chance to weapons.
| Phase | Ore recipe | Multiplier | Success rate | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early-game | x3 Lapis Lazuli | 1.3x | 100% | Base Damage: 11.18, no passives |
| Mid-game | x2 Eye Ore, x1 Rivalite | 3.78x | 100% | Base Damage: 32.48, +20 Critical Chance, +15% Weapon Damage, -10% Health |
| Late-game | x1 Lightite, x1 Eye Ore, x1 Rivalite | 4.14x | 100% | Base Damage: 34.20, +20 Critical Chance, +15% Weapon Damage, -10% Health |
How to choose ores for dagger traits (what each one does)
Ore traits are a major part of weapon identity in The Forge. Some traits require using enough of a given ore to reliably show up, so sprinkling in one piece “for the effect” is often less consistent than committing to the trait you actually want.
| Ore | Trait focus | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Rivalite | Critical chance | Weapons |
| Eye Ore | More damage with reduced health | Armor and weapons |
| Fireite | Chance to burn enemies | Weapons |
| Magmaite | Chance to trigger an AoE explosion on hit | Weapons |
| Lightite | Extra movement speed | Armor |
Eye Ore tradeoff: Eye Ore builds power by shaving off health. That’s manageable in many setups, but it can become risky if you stack the same downside across multiple pieces of gear.
Best runes for daggers (why they fit the weapon)
Daggers scale unusually well with runes because their high attack speed produces more chances to trigger on-hit effects. Two runes stand out as consistent picks on daggers:
- Blast Chip for extra burst value on repeated hits.
- Drain Edge when you need sustain while grinding, since it’s built around getting value from frequent attacks.
If you want to lean into proc-based play, fast dagger strings can also make Frost Speck or Flame Spark worth testing, simply because you roll the dice more often.
When daggers still make sense later
Daggers aren’t limited to the opening hours. Their speed makes them useful through the mid-game and in some late-game situations, though they’re generally not the best option for end-game activity.
If you’re choosing a dagger variant specifically, the Hook stands out thanks to its extremely fast attack speed.
Dagger recipe FAQ
Are daggers only for early-game? No. Their attack speed can keep them effective in mid-game and parts of late-game, though they fall off for end-game activity.
What is the best late-game dagger recipe? x1 Lightite, x1 Eye Ore, x1 Rivalite.
Will there be new daggers? There are no plans for new daggers currently, but a new weapon type, the Spear, is planned.
If you want a weapon you can reliably craft without burning through your best ores, daggers are one of the cleanest ways to do it. Focus on a guaranteed three-ore dagger, add Rivalite when crits matter, treat Eye Ore as a deliberate risk, and let runes carry the scaling.
