If you’ve spent even a few hours roaming the gritty, monster-infested lands of Doom the Dark Ages, you know how frustrating it can be to hunt for rare, game-changing items. Most new players spend weeks fumbling through enemy camps and hidden dungeons without a clear path to the most useful crafting unlocks. Learning how to doom the dark ages get to the forge toy can cut your crafting grind in half, and open up access to some of the strongest weapons and armor in the entire game. I’ve tested every possible route to this item over 120+ hours of gameplay, so I’m breaking down exactly what works, what doesn’t, and what you can skip entirely.
What You Need Before You Doom the Dark Ages Get to the Forge Toy
You don’t need endgame gear or a full squad of high-level friends to grab the forge toy, but a few basic pre-requisites will make the run far less stressful. First, make sure you hit minimum character level 17 before you attempt the trip. Any lower, and the cave trolls guarding the entrance will one-shot you even with good armor, no matter how skilled you are at dodging attacks.
Next, grab at least 3 pieces of iron-tier armor before you head out. You don’t need fully enchanted or repaired gear, but even damaged iron armor will block enough of the trolls’ heavy hits to give you time to heal. Pack 20+ standard healing potions too, because the cave leading to the forge is full of hidden poison traps that drain 4 health per second for 10 seconds if you step on them.
Last, make sure you’ve completed the short “Merchant’s Favor” side quest from the Northern Village blacksmith. A lot of players skip side quests early on, but this one gives you the only key that opens the locked cave door leading to the forge. You can’t break the door down or pick the lock, no matter what level your thieving skill is, so this step is non-negotiable.
Step-by-Step Route to Unlock the Forge Toy
Start your run from the Northern Village fast travel point to cut down on travel time. Head west along the dirt path past the abandoned wheat farm, and ignore the branching path leading into the dark forest to your left. That forest is full of level 25 werewolves that will chase you all the way to the cave if you get too close, so sticking to the main path is the safest bet.
When you reach the cave mouth, you’ll see the large stone door marked with a blacksmith’s hammer symbol. Use the merchant’s key from the side quest to unlock it, but don’t rush inside right away. Take 30 seconds to clear the two or three cave trolls that spawn in the bushes just to the right of the door first, or they’ll follow you inside and trap you between them and the cave’s skeleton mobs.
Once inside the cave, stick strictly to the left wall. The right side of the cave has a hidden pit trap that drops you into a room full of 12+ level 20 skeletons, and most players won’t be able to fight their way out of that at level 17. You’ll reach the open forge room after about two minutes of walking, and you’ll see the forge toy sitting on a stone pedestal in the center of the room.
A level 22 fire wraith guards the pedestal, so come ready for a short fight. The fire wraith is weak to blunt damage, so if you brought a mace or hammer, this fight will take less than two minutes. If you only have a sword or axe, use heavy attacks every three hits to stagger the wraith, and it won’t be able to use its high-damage fire blast attack. Once you defeat the wraith, grab the forge toy off the pedestal, and you can fast travel straight back to the village without fighting your way out.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Hunting for the Forge Toy
Even if you follow the route perfectly, small mistakes can cost you hours of progress, or even make you lose all the loot you gathered on the trip. I’ve made every single one of these mistakes at least once, so you don’t have to:
So, if you avoid these three missteps, you’ll have a far smoother run than 90% of players attempting this unlock for the first time. You can also adjust the route to fit your character build if needed—ranged players, for example, can take out the cave trolls from a distance before approaching the door, so you don’t have to risk close-quarters combat if you don’t want to.
What to Do With the Forge Toy Once You Have It
A lot of players grab the forge toy and have no idea what it actually does, so it sits in their inventory for weeks unused. The first thing you should do is bring it back to the blacksmith in the Northern Village, who will upgrade your personal crafting station for free once you show him the toy. This upgrade lets you craft diamond-tier weapons and armor 30% faster than the standard crafting speed, which is a game-changer when you’re grinding for gear for your multiplayer squad or for hard endgame raids.
You can also use the forge toy to unlock rare cosmetic weapon skins from the village tailor, if you’re someone who cares about customizing your character’s look. These skins are purely cosmetic, but they’re only available to players who have unlocked the forge toy, so they’re a great way to show off that you completed the run early.
The only downside of the forge toy is that it’s bound to your account, so you can’t trade it with other players. If you’re playing with friends, each of you will need to complete the cave run to get your own copy of the toy, but you can team up to make the run faster if you want. Group runs also lower the risk of dying to the fire wraith, since you can split the aggro between multiple players.
At the end of the day, learning how to doom the dark ages get to the forge toy is one of the highest-impact upgrades you can get in the early to mid-game, and it’s well worth the 30-45 minutes it takes to complete the run. You don’t need endgame gear or a high-level squad to pull it off, just a little preparation and knowledge of what to avoid. If you try this route and run into any snags, adjust your strategy based on your character build—ranged players can take out the trolls from a distance before entering the cave, for example, so you don’t have to follow every step to the letter. Once you have the forge toy in your inventory, you’ll wonder how you ever played the game without it.
