ForgeTax: When to Sell and Submit Swords for Maximum Profit

In the dark forging roguelike ForgeTax, knowing when to sell a sword is a high-stakes decision between meeting your tribute requirement and losing everything to a hammer strike. Generally, you should sell a sword when its value satisfies the current tribute demand or when the break chance exceeds your risk tolerance (typically between 20% and 30%). For maximum efficiency, players should aim to push a sword to 10 strikes to trigger Frenzy, a state where the sword becomes unbreakable for a limited duration, allowing for massive value scaling.

Understanding the Tribute System

The core progression in ForgeTax is dictated by a 21-day contract. Every few days, a mysterious entity (represented by a giant eye) demands a specific "Tribute" value in gold.

• The Three-Strike Rule: If you fail to meet the demanded tribute value, you receive a failure mark. Upon the third failure, the game ends in a "game over" state.
• The Bell: Once you have placed enough swords on the submission desk to meet or exceed the demand, you must ring the bell to finalize the tribute.
• Surplus Value: While you only need to meet the demand, paying significantly more than the requirement can earn achievements (such as "Pay at least three times the tribute requirement"). However, excess gold is often better spent at the Merchant who visits every three days.

When to Sell vs. When to Keep Striking

The decision to stop forging is based on the Break Chance displayed at the anvil. Every hammer strike increases this percentage.

The Frenzy Threshold

Every sword has a "Frenzy" meter that builds up over 10 strikes.

• Strikes 1–10: The sword has a cumulative chance to break with every hit.
• Strike 11+: Once you reach Frenzy, the sword cannot break while the frenzy lasts.
• Strategy: If a sword has a low break chance (under 10%) and is only 1–2 strikes away from Frenzy, it is almost always worth the risk to push for the unbreakable state to skyrocket the sword's value.

The "Rainy Day" Strategy

You do not have to sell every sword you forge immediately. The forge features a rack or wall where you can hang "spare" swords.

• Safety Net: If you forge a sword that is worth 5,000 gold but your current tribute is only 1,800, consider hanging that sword on the rack.
• Future Planning: Tribute requirements scale aggressively (jumping from 1,800 to over 200,000 gold in later stages). Having high-value swords "in the bank" allows you to survive rounds where your current forging luck is poor.

Relic Exchange: When to Sacrifice a Sword

Instead of selling a sword for gold, you can place it into the exchange for Relics. Every sword is worth the same in this exchange, regardless of its gold value.

• Early Game Priority: In the first few days, it is often better to sacrifice low-value or "worn" swords to acquire relics.
• Relic Synergies: Relics provide permanent buffs that make selling future swords easier. For example, the Cracked Splice reduces break chance by up to 60%, while the Sealed Heart can increase the level of "Great" hits.
• Limited Slots: You typically have eight or nine relic slots. Once full, you must discard existing relics to make room for new ones.

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Managing Risk with Consumables

Before deciding to sell a sword out of fear, check your inventory for consumables that mitigate risk:

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Forging Without Heat: Always put the sword in the furnace before striking. Striking a cold sword is inefficient.
• Ignoring the Merchant: The merchant sells high-base-value swords like the Fallen Branch, Abyssal Sword, and Funerary Sword. These have twice the base value of ordinary swords, making them much easier to sell for high tribute amounts.
• Over-Striking Refined Swords: Refined swords have a higher base value but often start with or gain break chance faster than "Worn" swords. Be more conservative with Refined blades unless you have a break-reduction relic.