Terraria: How to Get the Hellforge

The Hellforge is a crafting station that works like a regular Furnace but adds one important ability. It can smelt Hellstone into Hellstone Bars, which unlocks the entire Hellstone tier of gear. You cannot craft the Hellforge yourself, so getting one means traveling to the very bottom of the world and mining it out of a ruined structure.

Quick answer: Go to the Underworld, find a Hellforge sitting inside one of the obsidian Ruined Houses, and mine it with a pickaxe or drill that has at least 65% pickaxe power (a Deathbringer or Nightmare Pickaxe, or anything stronger).

Pickaxe power needed to mine a Hellforge

A Hellforge in the Underworld will not break with a weak starter pickaxe. You need at least 65% pickaxe power to collect it. In practice, that means a Deathbringer Pickaxe (Crimson), a Nightmare Pickaxe (Corruption), or any tool above them.

Tool	Pickaxe power	Can mine Hellforge
Nightmare Pickaxe	65%	Yes
Deathbringer Pickaxe	70%	Yes
Any pickaxe/drill below 65%	Under 65%	No

Note: During pre-Hardmode, the Hellforge cannot be broken with explosives, so a qualifying pickaxe or drill is your only option.

Image credit: Re-Logic / JA Guides Gaming

Find and mine a Hellforge in the Underworld

Reach the Underworld, the red lava layer at the very bottom of the map. You can dig a straight vertical shaft down from the surface, or drop through the bottom of the Dungeon. Press the map key (M on PC) if you want to confirm how deep you still need to go.

Explore the obsidian Ruined Houses scattered across the Underworld. Hellforges spawn inside and on top of these ancient structures, so search each building you pass. Laying down a long line of wood platforms between houses makes the trip across the lava much easier, and that same bridge helps later when you fight the Wall of Flesh.

Stand next to the Hellforge and mine it with your 65%-or-better pickaxe or drill. The block breaks and the “Hellforge” item drops into your inventory. If the tool has enough power but nothing happens, you may need to clear the ground underneath it first.

You will know it worked when the Hellforge appears as an item in your inventory slots. From there you can carry it home and place it anywhere (it takes up a 3-wide by 2-high space).

Other ways to get a Hellforge

Mining one from a Ruined House is the most reliable method, but there are two more ways to end up with a Hellforge.

Source	Chance
Hellstone Crate	1/20 (5%)
Obsidian Crate	1/20 (5%)
Skeletron (when you have no Hellforge, under set conditions)	100%

The crate drops are handy if you fish in the Underworld, since they can hand you a Hellforge without mining one. Skeletron will also give you one if you don’t already own a Hellforge, which serves as a safety net.

What the Hellforge is used for

Once placed, the Hellforge does everything a normal Furnace does and also functions as a Campfire. Its standout job is smelting Hellstone Bars, and later it becomes a key ingredient for the two Hardmode forges.

Result	Ingredients	Station
Hellstone Bar	3 Hellstone + 1 Obsidian	Hellforge
Hellstone Brick	5 Stone Block + 1 Hellstone	Hellforge
Adamantite Forge	30 Adamantite Ore + 1 Hellforge	Mythril or Orichalcum Anvil
Titanium Forge	30 Titanium Ore + 1 Hellforge	Mythril or Orichalcum Anvil

One thing to keep in mind for base building. The Hellforge gives off light when placed, but it does not count as a valid light source for housing, so a room still needs a torch or lamp to house an NPC. Grab at least one Hellforge before you push into Hardmode, since you’ll want it both for Hellstone gear and for upgrading to an Adamantite or Titanium Forge down the line.