After my tryst with Sif I went farming for Large Titanite Shards in Depths and got what I thought would be the upgrade patter of 9 shards. I currently have a +5 Battle Axe and since I'm focusing on STR I was going to go to +10 or 15 to take advantage of the scaling until I could do Lighting later on. For some reason I can't get the Battle Axe to upgrade beyond +6 and I still have 8 shards in my inventory. I'm using Andrei at the Undead Parish and he already has the Divine and Large Ember.

Anyone know why I can't upgrade any further?

You modify it to +6.
You REINFORCE it to +7 up to 10.
 
I was clueless for a little while too before I figured it out.

@TaliciaDragonsong: Thanks, I feel really stupid now. :) I should delete this thread if I can.

@Zombieheadbutt said:

@TaliciaDragonsong: Thanks, I feel really stupid now. :) I should delete this thread if I can.

I had this problem for a while too. The Undeadberg blacksmith brings it to +6, then you have to do it at a bonfire for the rest. I could have upgraded my stuff hours and hours earlier until I figured this out.

@Zombieheadbutt said:

@TaliciaDragonsong: Thanks, I feel really stupid now. :) I should delete this thread if I can.

I had this problem for a while too. The Undeadberg blacksmith brings it to +6, then you have to do it at a bonfire for the rest. I could have upgraded my stuff hours and hours earlier until I figured this out.

@TaliciaDragonsong said:

@gla55jAw said:

@Zombieheadbutt said:

@TaliciaDragonsong: Thanks, I feel really stupid now. :) I should delete this thread if I can.

I had this problem for a while too. The Undeadberg blacksmith brings it to +6, then you have to do it at a bonfire for the rest. I could have upgraded my stuff hours and hours earlier until I figured this out.

Blacksmith works too, just be sure to pick reinforce and not modify.

I've done that, but when it goes up to +6, it disappears from the inventory list of items to upgrade for me.

I had the same problem with my +5 Winged Spear disappearing from the upgrades at the blacksmith... will try this when I get home from work tonight! Good thread :)

@TaliciaDragonsong said:

@gla55jAw:
Modify the weapon to +6 (which is the only way to get it +6).
Then reinforce the weapon to +7 and up, it should be in the normal reinforcement list. If you can reinforce it at a campfire, you can reinforce it at a blacksmith.

Oh I gottchya. So you modify it with the blacksmith up to +6, then you go to reinforce and you can do it in either spot.

@TaliciaDragonsong said:

@gla55jAw:
Modify the weapon to +6 (which is the only way to get it +6).
Then reinforce the weapon to +7 and up, it should be in the normal reinforcement list. If you can reinforce it at a campfire, you can reinforce it at a blacksmith.

Oh I gottchya. So you modify it with the blacksmith up to +6, then you go to reinforce and you can do it in either spot.

@Xeiphyer said:

@gla55jAw said:

@TaliciaDragonsong said:

@gla55jAw:
Modify the weapon to +6 (which is the only way to get it +6).
Then reinforce the weapon to +7 and up, it should be in the normal reinforcement list. If you can reinforce it at a campfire, you can reinforce it at a blacksmith.

Oh I gottchya. So you modify it with the blacksmith up to +6, then you go to reinforce and you can do it in either spot.

To simplify things a little bit more, it works like this:

When you upgrade a weapon to +5, you can choose a special reinforcement that varies by blacksmith. So you could turn a +5 axe into a Raw Axe, or choose to continue along the normal pathway by choosing +6 Axe.

Once you have selected the upgrade pathway using reinforce at a blacksmith, you can continue upgrading that weapon the regular way (It returns back into the regular menu again).

So for example, once you upgrade your Axe to +5, you go to the blacksmith and choose Weapon Ascension, make it into a +6 Axe, then return to the regular upgrade menu and you will see your Axe has appeared there again and can now be upgraded to +7 and so on to +10. At +10 it reaches the next tier where it can branch again. Different blacksmiths offer different upgrades, and those embers you find unlock more upgrade paths. (Side note: To get a Lightning Axe, you need to upgrade it to +10, then go to the giant blacksmith in Anor Londo to upgrade to lightning.)

This chart will illustrate how upgrading works:

Thanks. I've done it before, but it took me a while to figure out how to get past +6 since I would keep looking in modify and not reinforce.