The last level of every weapon in Valor Mortis needs a material no merchant will sell you. Merchants sell the three tiers below it, so the real decision is which blade, firearm and Transmutation gets the limited top-tier finds.
Material type
Blade materials
Crude Blade Material
The cheapest blade material. It carries a blade through its first few upgrades.
- Material type
- Blade material
- Tier
- Tier 1
- Merchant price
- 1,500 Catalysts
- Sold by
- James's Iron Bench
- What it upgrades
- Blade levels 2 to 4
- Needed per weapon
- 6
- Where to get it
- Buy it from James's Iron Bench, or pick it up from chests and the world as you explore.
Pure Blade Material
The mid-tier blade material. A blade needs it once it's past its early levels.
- Material type
- Blade material
- Tier
- Tier 2
- Merchant price
- 3,000 Catalysts
- Sold by
- James's Iron Bench
- What it upgrades
- Blade levels 5 to 7
- Needed per weapon
- 6
- Where to get it
- Buy it from James's Iron Bench, or pick it up from chests and the world as you explore.
Distilled Blade Material
The last blade material a merchant sells, and the priciest. You only need it once a blade is past level 7.
- Material type
- Blade material
- Tier
- Tier 3
- Merchant price
- 6,000 Catalysts
- Sold by
- James's Iron Bench
- What it upgrades
- Blade levels 8 and 9
- Needed per weapon
- 3
- Where to get it
- Buy it from James's Iron Bench, or pick it up from chests and the world as you explore.
Quintessential Blade Material
The material for a blade's final level. Tier 4 materials are limited and never sold.
- Material type
- Blade material
- Tier
- Tier 4
- Merchant price
- Not sold
- Sold by
- -
- What it upgrades
- Blade level 10
- Needed per weapon
- 1
- Where to get it
- No merchant sells it. It sits in chests in The Outskirts and the Fortress.
Material type
Firearm parts
Standard Firearm Parts
The cheapest firearm parts, and the first thing a Pistol, Musket or Blunderbuss asks for.
- Material type
- Firearm parts
- Tier
- Tier 1
- Merchant price
- 1,500 Catalysts
- Sold by
- James's Iron Bench
- What it upgrades
- Firearm levels 2 to 4
- Needed per weapon
- 6
- Where to get it
- Buy it from James's Iron Bench, or pick it up from chests and the world as you explore.
Superior Firearm Parts
The mid-tier firearm parts. A gun needs them once it's past its early levels.
- Material type
- Firearm parts
- Tier
- Tier 2
- Merchant price
- 3,000 Catalysts
- Sold by
- James's Iron Bench
- What it upgrades
- Firearm levels 5 to 7
- Needed per weapon
- 6
- Where to get it
- Buy it from James's Iron Bench, or pick it up from chests and the world as you explore.
Exquisite Firearm Parts
The last firearm parts a merchant sells. They only matter once a gun is past level 7.
- Material type
- Firearm parts
- Tier
- Tier 3
- Merchant price
- 6,000 Catalysts
- Sold by
- James's Iron Bench
- What it upgrades
- Firearm levels 8 and 9
- Needed per weapon
- 3
- Where to get it
- Buy it from James's Iron Bench, or pick it up from chests and the world as you explore.
Masterwork Firearm Parts
The part for a firearm's final level. Tier 4 materials are limited and never sold, so save it for the gun you'll keep.
- Material type
- Firearm parts
- Tier
- Tier 4
- Merchant price
- Not sold
- Sold by
- -
- What it upgrades
- Firearm level 10
- Needed per weapon
- 1
- Where to get it
- No merchant sells it. It sits in a chest in the University.
Material type
Transmutation materials
Crude Transmutation Material
The cheapest Transmutation material. It takes Fire, Stasis or Shield from level 1 to level 2.
- Material type
- Transmutation material
- Tier
- Tier 1
- Merchant price
- 2,000 Catalysts
- Sold by
- Louis's Laboratoire
- What it upgrades
- Transmutation level 2
- Needed per weapon
- 2
- Where to get it
- Buy it from Louis's Laboratoire, or pick it up from chests and the world as you explore.
Pure Transmutation Material
The second Transmutation material, and the one that pays for level 3.
- Material type
- Transmutation material
- Tier
- Tier 2
- Merchant price
- 4,000 Catalysts
- Sold by
- Louis's Laboratoire
- What it upgrades
- Transmutation level 3
- Needed per weapon
- 2
- Where to get it
- Buy it from Louis's Laboratoire, or pick it up from chests and the world as you explore.
Distilled Transmutation Material
The priciest material a merchant sells. It buys level 4, one step short of a Transmutation's top.
- Material type
- Transmutation material
- Tier
- Tier 3
- Merchant price
- 8,000 Catalysts
- Sold by
- Louis's Laboratoire
- What it upgrades
- Transmutation level 4
- Needed per weapon
- 2
- Where to get it
- Buy it from Louis's Laboratoire, find it in chests, or earn it as a side quest reward.
Quintessential Transmutation Material
The material for a Transmutation's final level. Tier 4 materials are limited and never sold, so save it for the one you'll keep.
- Material type
- Transmutation material
- Tier
- Tier 4
- Merchant price
- Not sold
- Sold by
- -
- What it upgrades
- Transmutation level 5
- Needed per weapon
- 1
- Where to get it
- No merchant sells it. It sits in a chest in the Fortress.
Material type
Flask upgrades
Empty Ferrofluid Flask
Adds one more use to the flask that heals you. More charges mean longer stretches between Lanterns.
- Material type
- Flask upgrade
- Tier
- -
- Merchant price
- 5,000 Catalysts
- Sold by
- Louis's Laboratoire
- What it upgrades
- Adds a charge to your Ferrofluid Flask
- Needed per weapon
- -
- Where to get it
- Buy it from Louis's Laboratoire, or find it in chests as you explore the regions.
Ferrofluid Flask Power Upgrade
Raises how much each flask dose heals. Each upgrade level asks for more Power Upgrades than the one before.
- Material type
- Flask upgrade
- Tier
- -
- Merchant price
- 3,000 Catalysts
- Sold by
- Louis's Laboratoire
- What it upgrades
- Makes each dose heal more
- Needed per weapon
- -
- Where to get it
- Buy it from Louis's Laboratoire, find it in chests, or earn it as a side quest reward.
How Valor Mortis Upgrade Materials Work: One Line per Weapon Type
Each weapon type has its own line of materials. Blades use Blade Materials, firearms use Firearm Parts, and Transmutations use Transmutation Materials. Every line has four tiers, and each tier pays for a band of levels. Tier 1 covers the early upgrades, and Tier 4 covers a weapon's final level: level 10 for blades and firearms, level 5 for Transmutations.
James's Iron Bench in the Abandoned Church sells blade and firearm materials. Louis's Laboratoire sells Transmutation materials and the flask upgrades, and it opens once you bring Louis back to the church. Both take Catalysts, and neither sells Tier 4.
How to Choose Which Weapons Get the Tier 4 Materials
Tier 4 materials are limited and never sold, so spend each one where the last level changes how you play. The weapons page lists the trait each weapon gets at its higher levels, so read those before you commit a Tier 4 material.
You don't need to max everything to finish the upgrade goals. Bladesmith, Gun of Glory and Transmutation Artifex each ask for one weapon of their type at its top level, so one blade, one firearm and one Transmutation clears all three. You can see them on the achievements page.
Where to Find Tier 4 Upgrade Materials Before You Enter the Last Regions
Spoiler warning: this section names late-story regions.
Tier 4 materials sit in chests, so you have to explore to find them. Napoleon's Prison and Entropy have no fast travel, so sweep the regions before them for anything you're missing.
Some side quests pay out upgrade materials and flask upgrades, so skipping one can leave you short. The side quests page has the details.
Common Valor Mortis Upgrade Mistakes to Avoid
- Mixing up the lines. Blade Materials, Firearm Parts and Transmutation Materials don't swap, so a Tier 2 blade material does nothing for a firearm.
- Carrying a big stack of Catalysts into the next fight. Catalysts drop where you die, so spend them on materials or levels before you push on.
FAQ
Do upgrade materials carry over between weapons?
Within a type, yes. Any Blade Material works for the Saber, Rapier and Claymore, and any Firearm Part works for the Pistol, Musket and Blunderbuss. Transmutation Materials go only into Fire, Stasis and Shield.
Why can't I buy Tier 2 or Tier 3 materials in Valor Mortis?
Merchants unlock the higher tiers as the story advances, so Tier 1 comes first and the pricier tiers show up later.
How do you upgrade the Ferrofluid Flask in Valor Mortis?
Two items upgrade it. Ferrofluid Flask Power Upgrades make each dose heal more, and Empty Ferrofluid Flasks add a charge. Louis's Laboratoire sells both, and both can turn up in chests. Power Upgrades also come from side quests. No achievement asks for them, so they're a build choice rather than a goal.