ForgeTax Money Guide: How to Hammer Absurd Fortunes

In ForgeTax, generating money revolves around the high-stakes loop of forging swords to increase their market value while balancing the ever-increasing tribute demands of a dragon. To build an "absurd fortune," players must master the Frenzy mechanic for risk-free hammering and use the Relic Machine to create synergies that multiply the value of every strike. Success is measured by your ability to pay the tribute in full—or significantly overpay to secure your progress.

The Core Forging Economy

The primary way to earn currency in ForgeTax is by heating a blade and bringing it to the anvil. Every successful strike with your hammer increases the sword's value. However, this is a "push your luck" system: each hit carries a risk that the blade will shatter, turning your potential fortune into useless scrap.

Hammering and Shattering

• Value Increase: Each hit increases the gold value of the blade.
• The Risk: The higher the forge level, the higher the chance of breaking the item.
• The Goal: Reach at least +10 for basic profit, though "Mastery" achievements indicate that swords can be pushed as high as +30.

Maximizing Profit with the Frenzy Mechanic

To mitigate the risk of losing a high-value blade, players must utilize the Frenzy system. This is the most reliable method for generating massive amounts of money without the fear of shattering your investment.

1. Charging Frenzy: You must forge the same type of sword 10 times to fully charge the Frenzy meter.
2. Activating Frenzy: Once unleashed on your next hit, you enter a brief "blazing window."
3. Safe Hammering: During Frenzy, you can hammer the blade repeatedly without any fear of it shattering. This is the optimal time to push a blade's value to its absolute limit.

Achievements like Hammer Time (entering Frenzy for the first time) and No Rest for the Hammer (entering Frenzy 5 times in one run) suggest that frequent activation of this state is key to long-term economic survival.

Using Relics for Economic Synergies

While selling blades to the dragon provides immediate cash, you can also "spend" blades at the Relic Machine. This is a strategic investment that sacrifices current inventory for long-term power.

• Synergy Building: Relics can change your draw tickets and combine strange effects to turn small advantages into "ridiculous value."
• Luck Manipulation: Certain relics allow you to build around your luck or fundamentally change how the odds of shattering are calculated.
• Merchant Visits: During your run, you will encounter a merchant. Community achievements such as "I’ll Take Everything" suggest that buying out a merchant's entire stock can be a viable strategy if you have generated enough surplus capital.

Managing the Dragon's Tribute

The "Tax" in ForgeTax refers to the tribute you must pay to the dragon that owns your forge. Failure to meet the tribute results in death (the "Now Hiring" achievement).

The Tribute Process

To pay the dragon, you must lay your forged swords on the counter and ring the bell. You are then faced with a choice:

• Minimum Payment: Meet the tribute requirement to earn another round at the anvil.
• Overpayment: The achievement "Keep the Change" is awarded for paying at least 5 times the required tribute. This suggests that overpaying may offer benefits or is a sign of a highly optimized economy.
• The Rage Stage: If you are struggling, you can pay the tribute at the "last Rage stage" (the "One Last Chance" achievement), though this is considered a high-risk maneuver.

Sword Types and Mastery

Different blades may have different value scaling. While specific base prices are not independently confirmed, the game features several specialized blades that players can forge to +30 for Mastery achievements:

Economic Tips for Beginners

• Don't Over-Hammer Early: In the early game, focus on meeting the tribute safely. Breaking too many swords (the "Dopamine Syringe" achievement for breaking 10 in one run) can quickly end a run if you don't have a backup.
• Complete the Contract: Your initial goal is to defeat the dragon and complete your contract ("Clocking Out").
• Post-Game Economy: After completing the contract, you can continue to play. The "A Job for Life" achievement requires paying the tribute in full 3 times after the contract is technically over, indicating an endless mode or post-game scaling.

ForgeTax was released on September 29, 2026, by GraveYardDev. The control scheme for the first-person forging mechanics has not been independently confirmed.