Surviving in Rise of the Ronin will require regular care for your weapons and armor. While the loot system guarantees you’re constantly getting new items, the worthwhile pieces are usually pretty clear. To that end, you should always keep track of where to go to update your weapons and armor in Rise of the Ronin.
Upgrading Weapons and Armor in Rise of the Ronin
You’re looking for a Blacksmith; every map has at least one, and they shouldn’t be too hard to find. Upon entering the Blacksmith menu, you get several options:
- Buy Equipment
- Buy Sundries
- Upgrade
- Bond Transfer
- Disassemble
- Sell
- Buyback
Once you beat the game, the Longhouse will gain the same capabilities as a Blacksmith. This way, everything is located in one convenient place.
Before opening the Upgrade menu, be sure to head into Disassemble and get rid of everything you don’t need. You can use the Square button to select multiple things, and safeguards are in place to ensure you can’t sell the wrong thing by accident. All Exquisite gear is locked when you get it, and you can’t sell anything currently equipped.
As for materials, just about everything you can upgrade takes Iron Ore and Black Sand Steel, which should be common enough from disassembled items.
Every Blacksmith in Yokohama
There are three Blacksmiths in Yokohama. Fortunately, none are too far from a banner for a quick visit. The easiest one to use is in Miyozaki, which is only a little distance east of the Longhouse.
The second is in Bashamichi in the northeast of Yokohama proper, right on the border it shares with Honcho.
The last one is in Hodogaya, which is likely the first region you’ll visit after clearing all the necessary quests directly in Yokohama.
All Rise of the Ronin Blacksmiths in Edo
Just like Yokohama, there are once again three Blacksmiths you can find in Edo. The first is in Azabu, an extremely short distance from the Longhouse.
The second is in Kyobashi, down the road from the Banner by the Dojo.
The final one is in Kanda, in the same areas as the Military Academy you’ll visit several times in the story if you follow the Pro-Shogunate line.
All Rise of the Ronin Blacksmiths in Kyoto
Due to its size, Kyoto only has a single Blacksmith in the Aburanokoji area, right by the Longhouse and east of the Gambling Den.
Hopefully, this will help you keep track of blacksmiths to upgrade your gear in Rise of the Ronin as you progress through the story. Remember: because you can transfer skills from gear to gear, it is always wise to use your strongest pieces of equipment.
