ForgeTax Rare Relic Guide: Synergies and the Relic Machine

In ForgeTax, relics are essential items used to bend the odds of the forge and create "absurd fortunes" by manipulating the game's roguelite mechanics. These items are acquired through the Relic Machine, a device that requires you to sacrifice forged blades in exchange for powerful, passive advantages. By combining strange effects and changing your draw tickets, relics allow you to build synergies that can prevent your swords from shattering or exponentially increase their value.

The Relic Machine Mechanic

The core of the relic system in ForgeTax is a high-stakes trade-off. Unlike many roguelites where items are found as loot, relics here must be "bought" using the very weapons you forge.

• Sacrifice System: Every blade you spend on a relic is one less blade available to pay the dragon's tribute. Players must decide if a high-value sword is better used to satisfy the dragon's immediate hunger or to secure a relic that might make future forging safer.
• Synergy Building: The primary goal of collecting relics is to turn "a handful of advantages into ridiculous value." This involves finding relics that complement each other—for example, combining effects that increase the success rate of strikes with those that reward you for reaching high forge levels.
• Luck Manipulation: Relics are described as tools to "change what luck means." This includes modifying draw tickets and providing windows of opportunity where the risk of shattering is mitigated.

Forging for Relics: Sword Types

To fuel the Relic Machine and hunt for the most powerful synergies, you must master the forge. According to official achievement data, there are at least nine distinct sword types that players can forge. Reaching "Mastery" (+30) with these blades likely provides the high-value currency needed for the game's more potent relic draws.

Confirmed sword types include:

• Splitblade
• Holy Sword
• Runeblade
• Dragonfang
• Sawblade
• Citadel Sword
• Fishblade
• World Tree
• Funerary Sword

Forging these to higher levels (specifically +10 and +30) increases their value but also the risk of them turning to scrap. Using the Frenzy mechanic—charged by hitting the same sword 10 times—is the safest way to push a blade's value high enough to trade for a top-tier relic.

Balancing Relics and Dragon Tribute

The dragon that owns your forge is a constant threat. If you spend too many resources on the Relic Machine and fall short of the tribute, you face the dragon's wrath.

The Tribute Cycle

1. Forging: Heat and hammer your blades to increase value.
2. The Choice: Lay swords on the counter to pay the dragon, or feed them to the Relic Machine.
3. The Bell: Ring the bell to meet the tribute requirement.
4. Rage Stages: If you fail to pay, the dragon enters "Rage" stages. Paying in full at the last Rage stage is a high-risk achievement ("One Last Chance").

Relics are your primary defense against the dragon's increasing demands. By building a strong enough synergy early in a run, you can produce swords of such high value that paying 5x the tribute requirement ("Keep the Change") becomes possible, leaving you with a surplus of blades to further upgrade your relic collection.

Advanced Relic Strategies

While specific relic names and individual drop rates are not independently confirmed in the current version (Sep 29, 2026 release), the gameplay loop suggests several key strategies for relic hunters:

• The Frenzy Loop: Focus on relics that decrease the number of hits required to trigger Frenzy. Since Frenzy provides a "blazing window to hammer without fear of shattering," any relic that increases the frequency or duration of this state is considered top-tier.
• Merchant Synergy: The "I’ll Take Everything" achievement suggests that a merchant occasionally visits the forge. Relics that increase your fortune or provide discounts at the merchant can help you clear out their stock, potentially providing more relics or rare materials.
• Risk Management: If your run is plagued by the "Dopamine Syringe" (breaking 10 swords in one run), prioritize relics that offer "One Last Chance" mechanics or those that provide a safety net when a blade shatters.

As of the November 12, 2026 Major Update, players can now use the swords they have forged to face the dragon in battle. This adds a new layer to relic selection, as you may now need to consider relics that provide combat advantages in addition to forging buffs.