ForgeTax Speedrun Guide: Strategies for Fast Tribute and Dragon Defeat

A ForgeTax speedrun guide focuses on maximizing sword value through efficient hammering and strategic relic acquisition to meet the dragon’s tribute requirements in the shortest time possible. The primary objective for most runners is achieving the "Clocking Out" milestone, which requires defeating the dragon and completing the contract. Success depends on balancing the risk of shattering blades against the necessity of building high-value synergies at the relic machine.

Core Speedrun Mechanics

To optimize a run in ForgeTax, players must master the first-person forging loop. Every second spent at the anvil or the furnace contributes to the final time, making mechanical precision as important as resource management.

Hammering and Frenzy Optimization

The most direct way to increase a sword's value is through successful strikes at the anvil. However, each strike carries a risk of shattering the blade into scrap. For speedrunners, the Frenzy mechanic is the most reliable tool for rapid progression:

• Charging Frenzy: You must forge the same sword 10 times to fully charge the Frenzy meter.
• Frenzy Window: Once unleashed, Frenzy provides a brief period where you can hammer the blade without any fear of it shattering.
• Speed Strategy: Runners should aim to trigger Frenzy as often as possible to bypass the RNG of shattering, especially when pushing blades toward the +10 or +30 value marks required for mastery achievements.

Relic Synergy Building

The relic machine is essential for scaling your "absurd fortunes." By spending blades on relics rather than tribute, you can "bend the odds" and create powerful synergies.

• Draw Tickets: Use relics to change your draw tickets and influence the types of advantages you receive.
• Value Multipliers: Look for relics that combine strange effects to turn a handful of successful strikes into massive financial gains.
• Sacrifice vs. Tribute: In a speedrun, you must decide exactly how many blades to sacrifice to the relic machine. Spending too many delays your tribute payment, but spending too few leaves you underpowered for the late-game requirements.

Tribute and Dragon Management

The dragon acts as the primary gatekeeper for run progression. You must lay your swords on the counter and ring the bell to meet the tribute.

Tribute Strategies

• Keep the Change: While the achievement "Keep the Change" requires paying five times the tribute, speedrunners generally aim to pay the minimum required amount as quickly as possible to advance to the next round.
• One Last Chance: If you fall short of the tribute, the dragon enters "Rage stages." A high-risk speedrun strategy involves waiting until the last Rage stage to pay in full, allowing more time to forge high-value blades, though this risks an immediate end to the run ("Now Hiring" achievement).
• The Dragon Battle: As of the November 12, 2026 update, runners must face the dragon in a direct battle to complete their contract. This requires forging a weapon specifically capable of dealing with the dragon's wrath.

Sword Mastery Targets

Speedruns are often categorized by reaching "Mastery +30" for specific blade types. Each sword type may have different handling or value scaling. The following blades are confirmed targets for mastery:

Technical Specifications and Requirements

ForgeTax was developed and published by GraveYardDev, released on September 29, 2026. For those looking to record or stream speedruns, the following system requirements are confirmed:

• Operating System: Windows 10/11 (64-bit required).
• Processor: Minimum Intel Core i5-6600 / AMD Ryzen 3 1200; Recommended i5-8400 / Ryzen 5 2600.
• Memory: 8 GB RAM minimum (16 GB recommended).
• Graphics: GTX 960 / Radeon RX 560 minimum; GTX 1060 / Radeon RX 580 recommended.
• Storage: 2 GB available space.

The developer has disclosed that Generative AI was used for selected promotional images, audio assets, and a limited number of 3D assets, as well as translation tools, though no live-generated AI is used during actual gameplay.

Speedrun FAQ

How do I win the game quickly?

The fastest way to complete a "Contract" run is to focus on the "Clocking Out" achievement. This involves meeting the dragon's tribute requirements as fast as possible and winning the final dragon battle introduced in the November major update.

What happens if I break too many swords?

Breaking 10 swords in a single run grants the "Dopamine Syringe" achievement. In a speedrun, this is generally considered a failure, as losing the time invested in heating and hammering those blades is difficult to recover from.

Can I play ForgeTax on Steam Deck?

As of the current version, Steam Deck compatibility is listed as Unknown. Runners should verify their own performance stability before attempting recorded runs on the platform.