- Mithril upgrades permanently boost stats on any piece of gear via the Truesilver side quest
- Prerequisite required: You must complete the Miravor side quest before Truesilver unlocks
- Farin is mandatory: Only Farin can reveal the hidden crack in the Mount Gundabad cave wall
- Hard cap at 8: Each gear piece can receive a maximum of 8 mithril rune upgrades
- Legendary difficulty recommended: Higher difficulty yields the best base stats for upgrading
Understanding Mithril Upgrades
Mithril is the most valuable crafting resource in Lord of the Rings War in the North. Unlike standard loot drops from golden chests or boss defeats, mithril is tied exclusively to a specific side quest chain that unlocks permanent gear enhancements. This system allows you to apply ancient runes to any equippable item, dramatically increasing its combat effectiveness.
Video Highlights:
- Complete walkthrough of the Miravor and Truesilver quest chain
- Exact cave location in Mount Gundabad where Farin finds the hidden mithril
- Live demonstration of applying runes to weapons and armor
- Stat comparisons showing before and after upgrade values
- Testing the maximum mithril upgrade cap per item
Once you acquire mithril ore, you bring it to Rivendell where Arwen keeps a small portion for her banner. The remainder is yours to forge into runes through Andmir, who applies the upgrades to your selected equipment. Each application permanently embeds mithril runes into the item, and the game saves immediately after the process.
Once mithril runes are applied to an item, the upgrade is permanent and cannot be undone. The game auto-saves the moment you confirm the enhancement. Always double-check which piece of gear you select before clicking "Add Runes."
The upgrade system scales with difficulty. On Legendary difficulty, base gear stats are significantly higher, meaning the percentage-based and flat bonuses from mithril runes produce dramatically stronger results. By the time you reach level 40 and unlock Legendary mode, every mithril investment becomes substantially more impactful.
Prerequisites: The Miravor Quest Chain
Before you can access the Truesilver mithril quest, you must complete a prerequisite side quest called Miravor. This chain begins in Rivendell and sends you into the Ettenmoors region to gather specific ingredients scattered across the level.
| Step | Location | Action | Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rivendell | Speak with Arwen | Campaign progress unlocked |
| 2 | Rivendell | Select the Miravor dialogue option | Conversation with Arwen |
| 3 | Ettenmoors | Collect ingredients on the ground | Explore the full level |
| 4 | Rivendell | Return to Arwen and turn in Miravor | All ingredients collected |
| 5 | Rivendell | Accept the Truesilver quest | Miravor completed |
The ingredients in Ettenmoors spawn in fixed locations. Once you memorize their positions, you can collect them quickly on subsequent playthroughs. After returning to Arwen and completing Miravor, she will offer the Truesilver quest, which is the actual mithril retrieval mission.
The Ettenmoors ingredients follow a predictable pattern. On your first run, take note of each pickup spot. On Legendary playthroughs, you can speedrun this section by heading directly to each known location without exploring unnecessary areas.
Truesilver Quest: Finding the Mithril
The Truesilver quest requires you to locate a specific quantity of mithril hidden behind a secret wall in Mount Gundabad. This is where the quest becomes character-specific: only Farin can detect and break the crack in the wall that leads to the mithril cache.
Prepare Your Party
If playing solo, load a solo game and select Farin as your character. If playing co-op, ensure at least one player controls Farin. You need Farin accessible to reveal the hidden passage.
Load Mount Gundabad
Play through the Mount Gundabad mission until you reach the hill section. Go up the hill, then make a right turn into the cave area. Only Farin can find the hidden wall at this location.
Locate the Crack
When you see a chest in the cave area, make a left. The crack in the wall will be visible to Farin. Inspect it, and Farin will break it down, revealing a hidden passage.
Collect the Mithril
Go inside the passage, make a right, and you will find a golden chest. Open it to obtain the mithril ore required for the Truesilver quest.
Trigger the Save Point
Continue ahead in the mission until you trigger a save point. This saves your quest progress and confirms the mithril collection. From here, you can use the teleporter to return to Northern Bad and then travel back to Rivendell.
If your main character is not Farin, complete the Mount Gundabad mission first with your preferred character. Then replay the mission using Farin. Since you already cleared most enemies, the replay will be significantly easier and faster.
| Strategy | Difficulty | Speed | Enemy Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| First playthrough as Farin | Hard | Slow | Full |
| Replay with Farin after clearing | Easy | Fast | Reduced |
| Co-op with Farin player | Moderate | Medium | Shared aggro |
Applying Mithril Runes to Gear
After collecting the mithril and returning to Rivendell, speak with Arwen to turn in the Truesilver quest. She will tell you that only a small portion is needed for her banner, and the rest is yours to use. You then speak with Andmir, who handles the rune application process.
Weapons
- Massive damage increase
- Enhanced critical damage
- Reduced wear percentage
- Best for offensive builds
Armor
- Significant armor rating boost
- Increased dexterity
- Improved survivability
- Ideal for tank characters
Accessories
- Rings and necklaces
- Flexible stat improvements
- Complements any build
- Good for filling gaps
When you speak with Andmir, he presents a menu where you select which item to upgrade. Navigate to your desired piece of equipment, confirm the selection, and click "Add Runes" at the bottom of the screen. The mithril is consumed, runes are applied, and the game saves immediately.
Each Truesilver quest completion grants one mithril upgrade. To upgrade multiple items or the same item multiple times, you must replay the quest on a new playthrough. Prioritize your most valuable gear first.
Upgrade Stats Example
The following table demonstrates the stat improvements from mithril upgrades on different gear types:
| Gear Type | Key Stat Before | Key Stat After | Upgrades Applied |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boots | Standard armor | 42 Dexterity, 150 Armor | 1 |
| Boots (cont.) | Normal wear | 65 Damage, -5000% Wear | 1 |
| One-Handed Sword | Base fire damage | Significantly increased damage | 1 |
| Staff | Moderate stats | 45,000% Reduced Wear | 8 (max) |
| Staff (cont.) | Base crit damage | High crit damage | 8 (max) |
Maximum Upgrade Cap and Legendary Farming
Testing confirms that each piece of gear has a hard cap of 8 mithril upgrades. During extensive testing, a staff reached 9 upgrades temporarily, but upon reloading the save, the game reverted it back to 8. This indicates the engine enforces a strict maximum of 8 rune applications per item.
Focus your first mithril upgrades on your primary weapon. The flat damage increase provides the most noticeable combat improvement. Once your weapon is maxed, invest in armor pieces for survivability, then accessories for fine-tuning your build.
To farm mithril for multiple upgrades, you need to start new playthroughs. Completing the campaign on Legendary difficulty unlocks the ability to start a new game on Legendary while keeping all acquired gear and items. This creates an efficient farming loop:
| Playthrough | Difficulty | Mithril Available | Gear Retained |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Run | Normal/Heroic | 1 upgrade | No |
| 2nd Run | Legendary | 1 upgrade | Yes |
| 3rd Run | Legendary (NG+) | 1 upgrade | Yes |
| 4th Run+ | Legendary (NG+) | 1 upgrade | Yes |
Each new playthrough grants access to the Truesilver quest again, allowing you to accumulate one more mithril upgrade per run. To fully max out a single item to 8 upgrades, you need to complete the quest chain eight times across separate playthroughs.
Mithril Farming Checklist:
- Complete campaign on Legendary difficulty
- Start new Legendary playthrough with retained gear
- Complete Miravor prerequisite quest in Ettenmoors
- Switch to Farin for Mount Gundabad mithril retrieval
- Return to Rivendell and apply runes via Andmir
- Repeat for each additional upgrade needed
FAQ
Q: Can I get mithril without playing as Farin?
No. The hidden crack in the Mount Gundabad cave wall that leads to the mithril ore can only be detected and broken by Farin. If playing solo, you must switch to Farin for this specific mission. In co-op, at least one player needs to control Farin.
Q: How many mithril upgrades can I apply to a single item?
The hard cap is 8 mithril upgrades per gear piece. Testing showed that a 9th upgrade may appear temporarily but the game reverts to 8 upon reloading. Plan your upgrades accordingly and distribute them across your most important gear.
Q: Do I keep my mithril-upgraded gear on a new playthrough?
Yes. When you start a new game on Legendary difficulty after completing the campaign, you retain all gear, items, and upgrades. This makes subsequent playthroughs easier and allows you to continue farming mithril for additional upgrades.
Q: What is the best gear to upgrade with mithril in Lord of the Rings War in the North?
Your primary weapon should be the first priority since the damage increase is the most impactful. After that, focus on armor pieces for survivability. The Ember fire sword and high-tier staves are excellent candidates for maximum investment due to their strong base stats.