Ruined Forge Lava Intake walkthrough for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

Ruined Forge Lava Intake is the dungeon you’ll find in the Gravesite Plain of Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. You’ll find it to the southeast of Castle Ensis and the Castle Front Site of Grace.

Our Elden Ring Ruined Forge Lava Intake guide will walk you through the dungeon in Shadow of the Erdtree and point you toward every site of grace, boss fight, and important item.

Starting from the Caste Front Site of Grace just outside of Castle Ensis, turn to the southeast. You’ll have to backtrack a little bit, but there’s a path that leads through a(nother) Messmer Soldier camp. Keep following that flat area southeast to the dungeon.

As you approach the Ruined Forge Lava Intake, you’ll pass through a Messmer Soldier camp. On the other side, you’ll pass by two groups of Messmer Soldiers fighting Bloodfiends.

Just a little southeast of the second group, the entrance is pretty hard to miss. Head down the slope inside, and hit the Ruined Forge Lava Intake Site of Grace.

Head down the stairs ahead of you and take a right. Climb down the ladder on your left (or just jump it). You’ll pass a helpful note about weakpoints. Take a left just past that note, and you’ll get your first chance to use that hint.

In the next room, you’ll find a Golem with a glowing gem on its lower back. That hint just means that you do (much) more damage when attacking from behind. Take it out, and then sweep the room (and its corpse) for a bunch of Smithing Stones and a Gas Stone.

Back outside, follow the path southwest, grabbing Smithing Stones as you go. Watch for slimes along the ceiling. Take the left at the end of the path.

When the room opens up, there’s a ladder at the far end of the ledge you’re on. Take it down and duck under the ledge to find a stash of Smithing Stones and Gas Stones.

Over on the other side of the room, run up the short stairs and take a right to find more Smithing and Gas Stones as well as the Greater Potentate’s Cookbook (13).

Before you go back down the stairs, look to the southwest to find a slope you can take up. Follow it as far as you can and jump to the ledge against the far wall. Turn right, and take the ladder down.

On the next ledge, throw the lever you find. Backtrack to where you picked up the cookbook.

Head back down the stairs and turn right. Deal with the Golem and Slime, and grab any other crafting materials you see as you cross the room to the southwest.

At the far end, take a left through the broken wall. Take out the Golem and grab anything not nailed down.

Back outside, cross to the actual doorway on the other side of the room. After the hallway, you’ll come to a landing with another Golem guarding the Smithscript Dagger.

That lever you hit earlier lowered a pump (an Archimedes’ screw if you’re a nerd) into the lava. Climb that pipe — if you miss the jump, there’s a ladder over to the right — all the way to the top.

Hop off on the right through the narrow doorway. Go up the stairs and examine altar at the fireplace-thing to pick up the Anvil Hammer. When you grab it, a teleport back to the entrance appears. Or you can go a little down the pump pipe, drop onto the ledge on the right side, and you’ll be right back at the site of grace.

Looking for more Shadow of the Erdtree guides? Check out our guides on new Elden Ring DLC weapons, armor, map fragments, sites of grace, and talismans. We’ve also got location guides on where to find Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ashes, and an interactive Elden Ring DLC map.