Weapon upgrades in RuneScape: Dragonwilds run through the Mystic Forge, where an Ascension Core raises a single item’s Power Level by 1 and lifts its base stats along with it. The catch is that only special gear qualifies, and every core you use starts as a stack of Ascension Shards pulled from the toughest enemies in each region.
Quick answer: Upgrade Masterwork and Vestige gear at a Mystic Forge with Ascension Cores. Each core adds 1 Power Level. Craft a core from 99 Ascension Shards plus metal bars, leather, and cloth matched to the tier you want.
Jagex Ltd, H2 Interactive Co., Ltd., Graph via YouTube/@Primitive Nomad
What gear can be upgraded with Ascension Cores
Only Masterwork and Vestige items accept Ascension Cores. In your inventory, a gold border marks Masterwork weapons and a purple border marks Vestige items. Each tier of gear needs the matching tier of core to move up a Power Level.
Ordinary ore-crafted gear like Iron Swords or Oak Shortbows cannot be ascended at all. Those weapons have their own paths instead: melee weapons can be honed with Whetstones for more damage, while bows and crossbows scale by loading stronger arrows or bolts.
Where to farm Ascension Shards
Ascension Shards drop from bosses and heavy enemies such as lesser dragons and Zogres. Higher-tier weapons need higher-tier shards, and those come from the same enemy types fought in higher-level zones. The steadiest source is a zone’s main dragon boss, which drops 30 to 40 shards per kill and is guaranteed to drop them.
| Source | Region | Shard reward |
|---|---|---|
| Velgar (main boss) | Fractured Plains | Ascension Shard 4 |
| Imaru (main boss) | Fellhollow | Ascension Shard 5 |
| Green Dragons, Zogres | Fellhollow | Lower-tier shards |
| Blue Dragons | Dowdun Reach | Lower-tier shards |
| Agility Courses | Umbral Sands | Ascension Shard 7 |
To summon Velgar in the Fractured Plains, craft a Challenge Horn from Bronze, Bloodwood Sap, and Dragon Teeth. Imaru in Fellhollow is instead challenged by gathering Curse Fragments scattered across the region. If either fight is beyond your current strength, farm the weaker Green Dragons and Zogres in Fellhollow or the Blue Dragons in Dowdun Reach for a slower but safer shard supply.
Ascension Shard 7 does not come from a dragon fight. You earn it by completing the Agility Courses in Umbral Sands.
Crafting Ascension Cores at the Mystic Forge
A single Ascension Core costs 99 Ascension Shards plus metal bars, leather, and cloth. The exact materials depend on the core’s level, and each core pulls from resources found in regions of a similar Power Level. Ascension Core 4 and 5, for example, use Iron or Steel, Draconic Leather, and Fine Thread — all of which come out of Fellhollow, a Power Level 4 to 5 region.
Power Level 7 shards cannot be converted into cores through crafting in the current patch. Tier 7 cores are only obtained directly from the Nightmare Crucible, so don’t stockpile Ascension Shard 7 expecting to forge them.
Upgrade a weapon step by step
How to get Masterwork weapon recipes
Before you can upgrade a Masterwork weapon, you need to build one, and its recipe comes from beating certain foes, finishing quests, or clearing Vaults. Two clear examples cover both routes:
- The Thane’s Authority greataxe may drop when you defeat Garou Thanes.
- The Wild Archer set recipes are found by interacting with Dragonkin Statues in the Bloodblight Swamp’s Vault.
Once a recipe is learned, craft the weapon at its workshop, then bring it to the Mystic Forge to begin ascending it.
Best weapons to spend cores on at Tier 7
Because upgrading is expensive, it helps to know which weapons scale into the strongest options once maxed. The standout picks across each combat style are worth prioritizing when your cores are limited.
| Weapon | Style | Tier 7 damage |
|---|---|---|
| Zombie Axe | One-handed melee | 118 – 209 |
| Granite Maul | Two-handed melee | 196 – 283 |
| Abyssal Whip | One-handed melee | 100 – 175 |
| Necromancer’s Staff | Magic | x8.9 Rune |
| Staff of Light | Magic | x8.7 Rune |
| Dorgeshuun Crossbow | Ranged | 149 |
Zombie Axe lands as the top melee option and the best overall upgrade target, edging out the field on raw output. Granite Maul leads the two-handed group thanks to its Battering Ram special and strong all-round damage, while the Abyssal Whip earns its spot through its Bleed Build Up passive.
For magic, the Necromancer’s Staff is the highest-scaling caster at Tier 7, with the Staff of Light close behind and comfortably ahead of alternatives like the Pharaoh’s Sceptre. Both belong at the front of the queue if you favor spellcasting.
On the ranged side, the Dorgeshuun Crossbow is the clear pick, outputting far more than the B-tier shortbows and crossbows around it. If you main a bow, it is the weapon most worth feeding your cores into.
The upgrade system rewards planning over grinding. Lock in a Masterwork or Vestige weapon you actually want to carry, farm the shard tier that matches it, and save your Tier 7 cores from the Nightmare Crucible for the picks that pay off most.
