All Totems in The Forge: Locations and Uses

All Totems in The Forge: Locations and Uses

The most efficient way to collect every totem in The Forge is to loop the map counter-clockwise: clear the Foundry Approach, Breachworks, and Slag Docks totems first, then push north through the Furnace Cathedral, Ash Gardens, Molten Vault, and Ember Spire in one pass, and finish with the two hidden totems in the Bellows Tunnels and the Anvil of the Deep. Done in that order, totem hunting adds roughly 25–35 minutes to a normal run and never forces you back through a cleared zone. Done in the order you happen to find them, the same eight totems can cost you two extra map crossings and well over an hour.

Totems are permanent, run-wide buffs. Most are placed near the door of the area they affect, and three of them are gated behind mechanics you cannot perform on a first visit. Below is every totem, its exact trigger, what it actually does, and the route that keeps backtracking at zero.

The Numbers at a Glance

The table below uses the totem names as they appear on the in-game map labels and the buff values from the game’s official patch notes for the current version (2026). A “tick” is one point of the temporary buff meter; a “hold” is a channel that pauses when you leave the circle.

Notice that the last column matters more than it looks. The Bellows and Deep totems sit at the end of the route on purpose: both are locked until earlier totems are collected, so a first pass at them is wasted travel.

The Efficient Route, Zone by Zone

1. Foundry Approach — The Two Freebies

Totem of Return sits on a crate stack just left of the zone’s first door. Walk into it, no prompt, no cost. It is the game’s built-in pity heal, and it is the only totem in The Forge that has zero opportunity cost.

Totem of Silence is the first trap. It is on an east ledge you cannot reach until the crane on the west side is lowered — a mechanic most players trigger several minutes later, on their way out. The fix is to lower the crane the moment you enter the zone. The reason this matters: the silence buff only covers the next room, so grabbing it on the way in is the only time it does anything useful.

2. Breachworks — One Room, One Touch

Totem of Embers is on the far wall of the first combat room, behind the second slag pile. It is a pure touch, and the +25% fire damage makes the rest of the zone’s fire-resistant enemies noticeably faster to kill. The trade-off is real: the −15% fire resistance applies to you too. If you are running a low-health build, take it after the room, not before.

3. Slag Docks — The Timing Test

Totem of Slag requires a 3-second hold on a circle that sits in the middle of a moving platform route. You cannot hold and move at the same time, so the correct play is to clear the two dock guards first, then hold. The +20% metal-floor speed buff lasts 60 seconds — long enough to cross the Docks and reach the Cathedral gate without fighting the slow terrain.

4. Furnace Cathedral — The Chain Anchor Gate

Totem of the Choir is in the upper gallery and will refuse your touch until all four chain anchors in the nave are broken. The anchors are not marked, but each one sits directly above a lit brazier. Break them on your way to the boss door and the totem unlocks as a free detour. The ally spirit is worth the detour on higher difficulties; on the default setting it mostly serves as a distraction.

Totem Locations by Route Order

The table below is the same ten totems re-sorted into travel order, with an estimated time cost measured from the zone entrance. Times assume you are not fighting optional enemies.

5. Ash Gardens and the Molten Vault — The Key Problem

Totem of Ash is the easiest pickup in the game: a 1.5-second hold in the open, next to the second pond. It gives a free blindness cleanse, which is exactly the status the next zone inflicts, so take it before you leave rather than saving it.

Totem of the Vault is where most runs stall. The sealed side room needs the Key of Six, which drops from the Cathedral boss — a fight that happens before the Vault in normal progression. If you skipped the Cathedral, you must go back. If you did not, the key is already in your inventory and the totem opens the vault’s second exit, permanently shortening the route to the Spire.

6. Ember Spire and the Bellows Tunnels — The Permanent Buffs

Totem of the Spire is a plain touch at the summit and grants a permanent +1 charge to every ability. It is the single strongest pickup in The Forge and the reason the Spire should never be skipped, even on a speed run.

Totem of the Bellows is the only totem with a failure condition. The 4-second hold breaks if the zone’s heat meter exceeds 40%, so you must vent heat at the two valves on the way in. The reward is permanent: the Bellows heat meter never fills again, which turns the worst traversal zone in the game into a straight walk.

7. Anvil of the Deep — The Final Gate

Totem of the Deep only responds once the other nine are collected. There is no fight, no hold, no puzzle — you touch it and the true ending path opens. Because it is gated on the full set, this is the one totem you should never attempt early.

What Actually Changes Between Runs

Nine of the ten totems are fixed. Only the Key of Six location varies: according to the game’s official patch notes, the key spawns on the Cathedral boss, but in the current version it can also appear in a Vault-side chest if you entered the Molten Vault before the Cathedral. That single variance is the only reason the “Cathedral before Vault” rule is a rule rather than a guarantee.

Two other ownership realities worth knowing before you plan a full-collection run:

• Permanent totems persist through death; timed totems do not. If you die in the Bellows before touching the Bellows totem, the Spire and Vault buffs stay, but every timer resets. Route the permanent pickups first when you are learning the map.
• The silence and ash totems are the only ones with no lasting value. Both are single-use cleansers. Do not detour for them on a repeat run.
• Common mistake: holding the Slag Docks circle while enemies are alive. The hold cancels on damage, and the circle does not reset its progress — you start from zero. Clear the room first, every time.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many totems are in The Forge?

There are ten totems in The Forge. Eight are collected on a standard first pass, one requires the Key of Six, and the final totem at the Anvil of the Deep only activates after the other nine are in your collection. All ten are on fixed spawn points except for the key that gates the Vault totem.

Which totem in The Forge is the most useful?

The Totem of the Spire is generally considered the strongest, because its +1 ability charge is permanent and carries into every later zone. The Totem of the Bellows is a close second for traversal, since it permanently disables the heat meter. Both are worth a dedicated trip even if you skip everything else.

Can I get all totems in one run?

Yes, but only if you lower the Foundry crane on entry and break the Cathedral’s four chain anchors before reaching the upper gallery. Those two preparations are what prevent backtracking. The Anvil of the Deep totem must be last by design, so a full collection run always ends there.

What does the Totem of the Vault actually unlock?

It permanently opens the Molten Vault’s second exit, which links directly to the Ember Spire approach. Without it, you must cross the Vault’s main hall a second time to reach the Spire. The totem itself gives no combat buff — its value is purely route shortening.

Why won’t the Totem of the Choir let me touch it?

The Cathedral totem is gated behind four chain anchors in the nave, each positioned above a lit brazier. Until all four are broken, the totem stays inert with no prompt. Break them on your way to the boss door and the gallery totem becomes a normal touch pickup.

Do totem buffs carry over to New Game Plus?

The permanent totems — Spire, Vault, Bellows, and Deep — carry into New Game Plus in the current version. The timed buffs reset on every zone transition and every death, so they should be treated as tactical tools rather than permanent upgrades. Plan your buff windows around the fights you actually struggle with.