Mortal Shell 2 Best Tarstones — Duality, Grudge & Early Picks
Quick answer: If you use Axatana or Axe & Dagger, rush the Duality Stone. Everyone else should grab Auspicious Stone and Merrick's Unwieldy Stone first, then temper Grudge Stone when you reach the Citadel. Do not max every early stone — Tarcore is the bottleneck.
Official promotional screenshot: Steam / Cold Symmetry / Playstack
Launch-week shortlist
| Slot | Stone | Fits | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combat | Duality Stone | Axatana / Axe & Dagger | Doubles standing light combos when fully tempered. Ravaged Tomb near Nochtean Gate. |
| Combat | Grudge Stone | All weapons; best on fast melee | Guaranteed crit every 10 / 7 / 5 attacks. Chest south of Citadel of Penance after the gate lever. |
| Support | Auspicious Stone | Universal melee crit chance | Mushroom Village offerings chest. Baseline for crit builds and Tiel. |
| Support | Berserker's Stone | Universal; strong with Smert | More melee damage at low HP. Temple of Vatra offerings chest. |
| Infusion | Arbiter's Prize | Fast multi-hit melee | Bloodcurse infusion from the Great Arbiter of Flesh. Highest launch-week infusion rating on Game8. |
| Ability | Unwieldy Stone | All eight melee weapons | Sold by Merrick for 2,000 gold. Charged heavy that later heals on kill. |
| Ability | Acolyte's Stone | Early melee burst | Cheap Resolve dump that comes online before most boss stones. |
| Sidearm | Enfeebling Stone | All sidearms; Triarch Repeater | Applies Fragile so melee hits harder. Trial east of Outskirts of Mammon. |
What to temper first
- Unlock Tarstone tempering with the Etching Needles (chest just before Magdalena).
- Take junk stones from 1→2. That conversion costs 100 coins and yields a Tarcore.
- Spend the six Tarcores on one stone you actually use — Duality, Grudge, or Auspicious — not on five half-upgrades.
- Keep a second loadout for bosses if your exploration stone is a Gloom or Leech pickup.
Patch 1 buffed Grudge Stone. If you already own it, it is a better temper target after August 20 than it was in the first hours of launch.
Compatibility rule
Combat, Infusion, and Ability stones are often weapon-locked. Duality Stone is useless on a hammer. Emberseed Stone is a sidearm infusion for Naylshotte / Forgotten Crossbow / Ballistazooka, not the Repeater. Check the slot before you spend Tarcore.
Related guides
Duality Stone route · Tarstone locations · Tarcore and smithing · Tarforge unlocks
Evidence: Picks synthesize Game8's Best Tarstones list and GameRant's "best to get first" article. Temper costs follow GameSpot's Tarforge guide. Rankings are launch-week snapshots as of August 23, 2026. Balance Patch 1 also buffed Parasitic, Grudge, Bulwark, Clerik's, and Squall stones.