The Smithing event in Grow a Garden has been around for a while now, but this time players received something a little different tucked inside the gear crafting station – a strange, misty-white shard that looks almost like it’s been carved out of fog. It’s called the Forger Pet Mutation Shard, and if you’ve been wondering why everyone is suddenly rushing toward the gear crafter, this little item is the reason.
This shard unlocks a special ability for your pets, one that makes crafting noticeably faster. And in an event where almost everything revolves around building, upgrading, and churning out higher-tier items, shaving even a minute off a recipe can stack up to hours saved in the long run. If you’re determined to squeeze as much progress out of the Smithing event as possible, this guide walks you through how to get the shard, how it works, and whether it’s really worth making.
What the Forger Mutation Shard Actually Is
Before diving into the how-to, it’s worth explaining what this shard does. Once applied to a pet, the Forger mutation gives that pet a passive skill tied directly to crafting. Instead of just hanging around your character, the pet will occasionally approach an active crafting table and trim 44.74 seconds off its timer. It doesn’t activate constantly, but it’s consistent enough that you can see the difference – especially if you’re working on recipes that take 10, 20, or even 30 minutes to finish.
This mutation doesn’t influence plants, farming, or anything related to fruit growth. It is strictly a crafting-focused perk, so if you’re looking for plant-based mutation boosts, this isn’t the shard for that purpose.
How You Actually Get the Shard
The Forger shard doesn’t drop from enemies, and you can’t buy it outright. It becomes available only while the Smithing event is running, and you must craft it yourself at the gear crafting station. Think of it as a limited-time recipe rather than a permanent shop item.
To craft the shard, the station lists four requirements. Each one comes from a specific area of the game, so you’ll need to do a bit of bouncing around to gather everything:
Gem Egg
You can get this in one of two ways:
- Craft it yourself at the pet crafting station
- Buy it directly from the Pet Egg shop
If you already have a surplus of materials or pets, crafting is usually cheaper. If you’re in a hurry, buying it saves time.
Legendary Coal
This is where the Smithing event ties into the recipe. Legendary Coal only appears when you turn in legendary fruits, pets, or gear during the event. The game basically rewards you for giving up your rarest pieces by handing you the coal needed for event crafting.
Cleansing Pet Shard
This one is simple: head over to the gear shop and purchase it. The price is usually reasonable compared to the value you get from the Forger shard overall.
15 Million Sheckles
This is the part that trips up newer players. Fifteen million is not a tiny amount, especially if you aren’t regularly selling high-tier items. The fastest way to get it is by offloading your high-rarity fruits. If you’ve been farming consistently, you’ll probably reach the amount faster than you expect.
Crafting the Shard Step-by-Step
Once all four components are sitting in your inventory, the hard part is over. Head back to the gear crafting area and press E to interact. Scroll until you see the Forger Pet Mutation Shard, select it, and hit the craft button.
The station will ask you to submit each ingredient, though you can instantly load everything by pressing F. After that, pay the fee and watch the timer start. The shard takes one full hour to finish. You don’t need to stand nearby – just return when the timer ends and collect it from the station.
Is the Forger Mutation Worth Using?
If you’re participating in the Smithing event – even casually – the Forger shard is one of the best investments you can make. As the event progresses, recipes get longer and more demanding. Saving almost 45 seconds per activation adds up fast, especially when crafting:
- Gear
- Event cosmetics
- Plants
- Pets
By the time you reach late-event items, some recipes take ages to finish. Without a time-reduction perk, you’ll either be waiting around or juggling multiple crafting stations just to keep up.
That said, once the event ends, the usefulness of the shard drops significantly. Since it doesn’t help with plant mutations or general farming productivity, many players remove it from their main pets once the Smithing event disappears. Think of it as a specialized buff rather than an all-purpose upgrade.
Quick FAQ
Where can I find the Forger Pet Shard?
Only in the gear crafting station during the Smithing event.
What does the mutation do?
It allows a pet to periodically speed up an active crafting table by reducing its remaining time.
