Best Valheim weapons tier list: All Valheim weapons ranked from best to worst
Here are the best weapons in Valheim and how to craft them
What are the best weapons in Valheim? Despite its tranquility, the world of Valheim is a perilous place, filled with all manner of dangerous creatures. To give yourself the best chance of survival, you need the right weapons. And there's a lot to choose from - over 53 different weapons, as of the Mistlands Update.
If you're struggling to make sense of the different weapon tiers and weapon types, you've come to the right place. In this guide we'll walk you through our tier list of the very best weapons in Valheim. We'll also explore the damage stats and recipes for every weapon in the game so that you can easily craft your favourite weaponry.
Best Valheim weapons tier list
If you want to know which weapons you should prioritise crafting and upgrading at every stage of your journey in Valheim, our tier list should set you on the right path with our opinions on the worst and best weapons in the game.
| S | Arbalest, Himmin Afl, Jotun Bane, Krom, Mistwalker, Skoll And Hati, Spine Snap, Staff Of Embers, Staff Of Frost |
| A | Blackmetal Axe, Blackmetal Knife, Blackmetal Sword, Carapace Spear, Crystal Battleaxe, Demolisher, Frostner, Porcupine, Silver Sword |
| B | Battleaxe, Blackmetal Atgeir, Dead Raiser, Flesh Rippers, Iron Mace, Silver Knife, Silver Sword, Staff Of Protection |
| C | Ancient Bark Spear, Bronze Mace, Fang Spear, Huntsman Bow, Iron Atgeir, Iron Axe, Iron Sledge, Iron Sword |
| D | Abyssal Razor, Blackmetal Pickaxe, Bronze Atgeir, Bronze Axe, Bronze Sword, Finewood Bow, Stagbreaker |
| E | Abyssal Harpoon, Bronze Spear, Copper Knife, Crude Bow, Flint Axe, Iron Pickaxe |
| F | Antler Pickaxe, Bronze Pickaxe, Club, Flint Knife, Flint Spear, Stone Axe |
Valheim weapon types explained
Weapons in Valheim are broken into various types, each of which has unique strengths and special traits. If you're new to the game and wondering what separates your Axes from your Atgeirs, then read on to learn about each of the different weapon types on offer:
Club
Clubs are one of the simplest weapon types. They have no secondary attack, and deal almost exclusively Blunt damage to enemies. Clubs can be either one-handed or two-handed, with the two-handed variants delivering splash damage with every attack, making them useful against groups of enemies.
Mace
Maces are essentially clubs, but with the addition of a secondary attack, which delives a slow but powerful uppercut.
Knife
Knives are among the fastest weapons in Valheim, delivering a mix of Slash and Pierce damage with each quick swing. They feature extremely high backstab damage, which combines well with their secondary attack - a leap and slash forwards, which is great for taking creatures by surprise.
Axe
Axes are deceptively strong weapons throughout the game. They deal Slash damage, and double as one of your most frequently used tools (for chopping trees), freeing up a hotbar slot. The Axe's secondary attack is a strong overhead chop.
Two-Handed Axe
The Two-Handed Axe is much heavier and slower than its one-handed counterpart, but hits much harder and in a wider arc, allowing you to cut down multiple enemies at once. Its secondary attack is a quick forward jab to keep enemies at a distance.
Pickaxe
The Pickaxe is more of a tool than a weapon, and there are almost always better options for dealing damage, whatever the situation. It has no secondary attack, and its attack rate is very slow as it can't combo. It is, however, excellent against Stone Golems.
Sword
Swords are versatile, a strong mix of damage and speed. Like Axes, Slash is their main damage type, and like the Two-Handed Axe variants, their secondary attack is a stab forwards that gives Swords some good added range.
Atgeir
Atgeirs are large polearms with excellent range. They deal high Pierce damage with their stabbing combo attacks, and their secondary attack spins to hit everything in range around you. Their slowness, however, keeps them from being among the best weapons on offer.
Spear
Spears are extremely simple stabbing weapons that deal Pierce damage, much like Atgeirs. Their unique selling point is the fact that they can be thrown with their secondary attack, turning them into a limited ranged weapon. Unfortunately their slightly clunky hitbox makes Spears a difficult weapon type to use effectively.
Fists
Fists are a bit of an odd category. When literally using just your fists, you deal Blunt damage, but with the Flesh Rippers, you deal Slash damage. Either way, you can combo quickly, and your secondary Kick attack has quite a lot of knockback behind it.
Staff
Added with the Mistlands Update, Staves are magical weapons which differ greatly from one another in use. Some require you to expend Health in order to activate their effects, while others only require Eitr.
Bow
Bows are very strong ranged weapons throughout the game. They're flexible and deliver high Pierce damage from a safe distance. Their only downside is that continually holding the string back drains your Stamina quickly.
Crossbow
There is only one Crossbow in the game so far - the Arbalest. It deals massive damage but fires slowly and requires time to reload. On the upside, it doesn't drain your Stamina while you're aiming.
Meadows weapons
The Meadows are the first biome in Valheim, and by far the safest. The predominant crafting materials in this early biome are Wood, Stone, and Flint - and as such the weapons in this first tier are not particularly strong. But it's still important to figure out which one is best for you! Compare them all with the below weapon stats table.
| Weapon | Recipe | Damage | Weight | Move Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torch | • 1 Wood • 1 Resin |
• 4 Blunt • 15 Fire |
1 | -5% |
| Antler Pickaxe | • 10 Wood • 1 Hard Antler |
• 18 Pierce | 2 | -5% |
| Stone Axe | • 5 Wood • 4 Stone |
• 15 Slash | 1.5 | -5% |
| Flint Axe | • 4 Wood • 6 Flint |
• 20 Slash | 1.5 | -5% |
| Flint Knife | • 2 Wood • 4 Flint • 2 Leather |
• 5 Slash • 5 Pierce |
0.3 | -0% |
| Flint Spear | • 5 Wood • 10 Flint • 2 Leather |
• 20 Pierce | 1.5 | -5% |
| Club | • 6 Wood | • 12 Blunt | 2 | -5% |
| Crude Bow | • 10 Wood • 8 Leather |
• 22 Pierce | 1.5 | -5% |
In our opinion the best weapon you can have in the Meadows tier is the Flint Axe. Simple but effective, the Flint Axe deals a respectable amount of Slashing damage that can handily deal with anything in the Meadows - and while it has no secondary attack, it doubles as your tree-chopping tool, freeing up a slot on your hotbar.
Having said that, the Flint Knife and Crude Bow are also useful picks, particularly for hunting Deer and other animals.
Black Forest weapons
The Black Forest is where you must delve to find Copper and Tin - both of which can be combined to make Bronze. Using this new resource you can craft weapons which are markedly stronger than the wooden weaponry of the Meadows.
| Weapon | Recipe | Damage | Weight | Move Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze Pickaxe | • 3 Core Wood • 10 Bronze |
• 25 Pierce | 2 | -5% |
| Bronze Axe | • 4 Wood • 8 Bronze • 2 Leather |
• 40 Slash | 2 | -5% |
| Copper Knife | • 3 Wood • 8 Copper |
• 12 Slash • 12 Pierce |
0.3 | -0% |
| Bronze Sword | • 2 Wood • 8 Bronze • 2 Leather |
• 35 Slash | 0.8 | -5% |
| Bronze Spear | • 5 Wood • 6 Bronze • 2 Deer Hide |
• 35 Pierce | 1.5 | -5% |
| Bronze Atgeir | • 10 Wood • 8 Bronze • 2 Leather |
• 45 Pierce | 2.5 | -5% |
| Bronze Mace | • 4 Wood • 8 Bronze • 3 Leather |
• 35 Blunt | 2 | -5% |
| Stagbreaker | • 10 Core Wood • 5 Deer Trophy • 2 Leather |
• 20 Blunt • 5 Pierce |
4 | -20% |
| Finewood Bow | • 10 Fine Wood • 10 Core Wood • 2 Deer Hide |
• 32 Pierce | 1.5 | -5% |
The Bronze Mace is a fantastic choice of weapon for the Black Forest. Its high Blunt damage will devastate the skeletons that roam around the Black Forests' Burial Chambers, and the Mace's slow but devastating uppercut secondary attack, if timed right, can bring even the strongest enemy to its knees.
Swamp weapons
The Swamp is the home of Iron in Valheim, and as such, the weapons you can craft here are a significant step up from the Bronze weaponry of the previous tier. Take a look at what you can craft with this new resource below.
| Weapon | Recipe | Damage | Weight | Move Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Pickaxe | • 3 Core Wood • 20 Iron |
• 33 Pierce | 2 | -5% |
| Iron Axe | • 4 Wood • 20 Iron • 2 Leather |
• 60 Slash | 2 | -5% |
| Iron Sword | • 2 Wood • 20 Iron • 3 Leather |
• 55 Slash | 0.8 | -5% |
| Ancient Bark Spear | • 4 Troll Hide • 10 Iron • 10 Ancient Bark |
• 55 Pierce | 1.5 | -5% |
| Iron Atgeir | • 10 Wood • 30 Iron • 2 Leather |
• 65 Pierce | 2.5 | -5% |
| Iron Mace | • 4 Wood • 20 Iron • 3 Leather |
• 55 Blunt | 2 | -5% |
| Iron Sledge | • 10 Ancient Bark • 30 Iron • 4 Ymir Flesh • 1 Draugr Elite Trophy |
• 55 Blunt | 4 | -20% |
| Battleaxe | • 30 Ancient Bark • 35 Iron • 4 Leather |
• 70 Slash | 2.5 | -20% |
| Huntsman Bow | • 10 Finewood Bow • 20 Iron • 10 Feathers • 2 Deer Hide |
• 42 Pierce | 1.5 | -5% |
Again our main pick for the Swamp tends to be the Iron Mace, for all the reasons stated above - as well as the fact that Blunt damage is a huge advantage against the biome's boss, Bonemass. But if you're looking for something with even more of a punch, then the powerful Battleaxe - while expensive and slow - is the greatest weapon so far for chopping apart multiple enemies in a single swing.
Mountains weapons
The Mountains weapons are some of the best mid-game items you can get in Valheim - particularly Frostner. Compare this dangerous weapon and all others associated with this biome in the table below.
| Weapon | Recipe | Damage | Weight | Move Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Knife | • 2 Wood • 10 Silver • 3 Leather • 2 Iron |
• 25 Slash • 25 Pierce • 12 Spirit |
0.3 | -0% |
| Flesh Rippers | • 10 Fenris Hair • 6 Fenris Claw • 10 Silver |
• 60 Slash | 2 | -0% |
| Silver Sword | • 2 Wood • 40 Silver • 3 Leather • 5 Iron |
• 75 Slash • 30 Spirit |
1 | -5% |
| Fang Spear | • 10 Ancient Bark • 4 Wolf Fang • 2 Leather • 2 Silver |
• 75 Pierce | 1.5 | -5% |
| Frostner | • 10 Ancient Bark • 30 Silver • 5 Ymir Flesh • 5 Freeze Gland |
• 35 Blunt • 40 Frost • 20 Spirit |
2 | -5% |
| Crystal Battleaxe | • 40 Ancient Bark • 30 Silver • 10 Crystal |
• 90 Slash • 30 Spirit |
2.5 | -20% |
| Draugr Fang | • 10 Ancient Bark • 20 Silver • 2 Deer Hide • 10 Guck |
• 47 Pierce • 5 Poison |
1.5 | -5% |
The best weapon in the Mountains is easily Frostner - a devastating and surprisingly light mace-style weapon which inflicts heavy Frost and Spirit damage with each swing. Frostner is among the best weapons in the game, despite being available as early on as the fourth biome.
Plains weapons
As you head into the very dangerous Plains biome, you'll need to quickly get your hands on the best possible weapons to survive for long. Take a look below at the weapons on offer in this region.
| Weapon | Recipe | Damage | Weight | Move Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackmetal Pickaxe | • 3 Yggdrasil Wood • 25 Black Metal |
• 49 Pierce | 2 | -5% |
| Blackmetal Axe | • 6 Fine Wood • 20 Black Metal • 5 Linen Thread |
• 100 Slash | 2 | -5% |
| Blackmetal Knife | • 4 Fine Wood • 10 Black Metal • 5 Linen Thread |
• 34 Slash • 34 Pierce |
0.3 | -0% |
| Skoll And Hati | • 4 Fine Wood • 10 Iron • 10 Black Metal |
• 45 Slash • 45 Pierce |
0.3 | -0% |
| Blackmetal Sword | • 2 Fine Wood • 20 Black Metal • 5 Linen Thread |
• 95 Slash | 0.8 | -5% |
| Blackmetal Atgeir | • 10 Fine Wood • 30 Black Metal • 5 Linen Thread |
• 105 Pierce | 2.5 | -5% |
| Porcupine | • 5 Fine Wood • 20 Iron • 5 Needle • 10 Linen Thread |
• 50 Blunt • 45 Pierce |
2 | -5% |
Heading into the deadly Plains biome, the best weapon you'll be able to create with the resources you obtain there is likely Skoll And Hati - a powerful set of knives which is currently the only dual-wielding weapon in Valheim. The blades come with all the potent traits of Valheim's knives - high speed, incredible backstab damage, and a powerful leap attack - but what puts Skoll And Hati ahead is simply the amazing damage potential, which puts it ahead of every other weapon in its category.
Mistlands weapons
Currently, the Mistlands are the most dangerous biome in Valheim - and as such, the weapons you can forge with the materials there are the strongest you can obtain. Many of these weapons are S-Tier in our tier list for a good reason. Here they all are below, along with their recipe and damage stats.
| Weapon | Recipe | Damage | Weight | Move Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Krom | • 30 Iron • 20 Bronze • 5 Scale Hide |
• 150 Slash | 4 | -5% |
| Mistwalker | • 3 Fine Wood • 15 Iron • 10 Refined Eitr • 3 Wisp |
• 75 Slash • 40 Frost |
0.8 | -5% |
| Carapace Spear | • 10 Yggrasil Wood • 4 Carapace • 2 Mandible |
• 115 Pierce | 1.5 | -5% |
| Himmin Afl | • 10 Yggrasil Wood • 15 Refined Eitr • 5 Silver • 2 Mandible |
• 85 Pierce • 40 Lightning |
2.5 | -5% |
| Demolisher | • 10 Yggdrasil Wood • 20 Iron • 10 Refined Eitr |
• 145 Blunt | 4 | -20% |
| Jotun Bane | • 5 Yggrasil Wood • 15 Iron • 3 Bilebag • 10 Refined Eitr |
• 80 Slash • 40 Poison |
2 | -5% |
| Spine Snap | • 10 Fine Wood • 40 Bone Fragments • 10 Refined Eitr |
• 72 Pierce • 5 Spirit |
1.5 | -5% |
| Arbalest | • 10 Wood • 8 Iron • 4 Root |
• 200 Pierce | 1.5 | -5% |
| Dead Raiser | • 10 Bone Fragments • 16 Refined Eitr • 4 Skeleton Trophy |
N/A | 0.3 | -5% |
| Staff Of Embers | • 20 Yggrasil Wood • 4 Surtling Core • 16 Refined Eitr |
• 120 Blunt • 120 Fire |
0.3 | -5% |
| Staff Of Frost | • 20 Yggrasil Wood • 4 Freeze Gland • 16 Refined Eitr |
• 30 Frost | 0.3 | -5% |
| Staff Of Protection | • 20 Yggrasil Wood • 4 Blood Clot • 16 Refined Eitr |
• N/A | 0.3 | -5% |
With such a diverse array of powerful weapons it's hard to pick a single best weapon for the Mistlands tier. The Spine Snap is a phenomenal Bow (the best in the game, in fact), and we prefer it overall to the slower but more damaging Arbalest. So if you want to take the more dangerous enemies out from a distance, then go with the Spine Snap.
For melee, take your pick, they're all great! But I tend to go with Mistwalker, as it's just an extraordinarily powerful sword which strikes a great balance between damage and speed, and can take it pretty much any enemy in the game without too much difficulty.
Ocean weapons
Ocean weapons are unusual in that they require Chitin - a rare resource only found by mining Abyssal Barnacles on the backs of Leviathans in the Ocean. They are far from the best weapons in the game, although the Harpoon has the unique ability to tether and drag other entities, making it situationally useful even into the lategame.
| Weapon | Recipe | Damage | Weight | Move Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abyssal Razor | • 4 Fine Wood • 20 Chitin • 2 Leather |
• 20 Slash • 20 Pierce |
0.3 | -0% |
| Abyssal Harpoon | • 8 Fine Wood • 30 Chitin • 3 Leather |
• 10 Pierce | 1.5 | -5% |
Arrows and Bolts
There are three types of ammunition in Valheim: Arrows, Bolts, and Missiles. Arrows are used with Bows; Bolts are used with the Arbalest; and Missiles are used with the Ballista. They all vary in type and amount of damage dealt, as well as the amount of Knockback they give. Compare them all with the below table.
| Weapon | Recipe | Damage | Knockback | Used With |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood Arrow x20 | • 8 Wood | • 22 Pierce | 10 | Bow |
| Flinthead Arrow x20 | • 8 Wood • 2 Flint • 2 Feathers |
• 27 Pierce | 10 | Bow |
| Bronzehead Arrow x20 | • 8 Wood • 1 Bronze • 2 Feathers |
• 32 Pierce | 10 | Bow |
| Ironhead Arrow x20 | • 8 Wood • 1 Iron • 2 Feathers |
• 42 Pierce | 10 | Bow |
| Obsidian Arrow x20 | • 8 Wood • 4 Obsidian • 2 Feathers |
• 52 Pierce | 10 | Bow |
| Silver Arrow x20 | • 8 Wood • 1 Silver • 2 Feathers |
• 52 Pierce • 20 Spirit |
10 | Bow |
| Needle Arrow x20 | • 4 Needle • 2 Feathers |
• 62 Pierce | 15 | Bow |
| Carapace Arrow x20 | • 4 Carapace • 2 Feathers • 8 Wood |
• 72 Pierce | 15 | Bow |
| Fire Arrow x20 | • 8 Wood • 8 Resin • 2 Feathers |
• 11 Pierce • 22 Fire |
10 | Bow |
| Frost Arrow x20 | • 8 Wood • 4 Obsidian • 2 Feathers • 1 Freeze Gland |
• 26 Pierce • 52 Frost |
10 | Bow |
| Poison Arrow x20 | • 8 Wood • 4 Obsidian • 2 Feathers • 2 Ooze |
• 26 Pierce • 52 Poison |
10 | Bow |
| Bone Bolt x20 | • 8 Bone Fragments • 2 Feathers |
• 32 Pierce | 0 | Arbalest |
| Iron Bolt x20 | • 8 Wood • 1 Iron • 2 Feathers |
• 42 Pierce | 0 | Arbalest |
| Blackmetal Bolt x20 | • 2 Blackmetal • 8 Wood • 2 Feathers |
• 62 Pierce | 0 | Arbalest |
| Carapace Bolt x20 | • 2 Carapace • 8 Wood • 2 Feathers |
• 72 Pierce | 0 | Arbalest |
| Wooden Missile x20 | • 5 Core Wood • 2 Feathers |
• 75 Pierce | 45 | Ballista |
| Blackmetal Missile x20 | • 10 Wood • 1 Blackmetal |
• 120 Pierce | 60 | Ballista |
Shields
Shields are very useful and powerful pieces of equipment in Valheim, so you shouldn't overlook them. Parrying is extremely strong in this game - as is soaking up lots of damage from powerful attacks that your armour can't deal with alone), so take a look at the below Shields table to find out how they all stack up against one another.
| Shield | Recipe | Block Armor | Block Force | Parry | Weight | Move Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood Shield | • 10 Wood • 4 Resin • 4 Leather |
6 | 20 | 1.5x | 4 | -5% |
| Wood Tower Shield | • 10 Wood • 6 Leather |
10 | 100 | N/A | 4 | -20% |
| Bone Tower Shield | • 10 Wood • 10 Bone Fragments • 3 Skeleton Trophy |
32 | 100 | N/A | 4 | -20% |
| Bronze Buckler | • 10 Bronze • 4 Wood |
16 | 30 | 2.5x | 3 | -5% |
| Iron Buckler | • 10 Iron • 44 Ancient Bark |
28 | 30 | 2.5x | 4 | -5% |
| Iron Tower Shield | • 15 Fine Wood • 10 Iron |
52 | 100 | N/A | 4 | -20% |
| Banded Shield | • 10 Fine Wood • 8 Iron |
42 | 40 | 1.5x | 5 | -5% |
| Serpent Scale Shield* | • 10 Fine Wood • 4 Iron • 8 Serpent Scale |
60 | 100 | N/A | 5 | -15% |
| Silver Shield | • 10 Fine Wood • 8 Silver |
60 | 40 | 1.5x | 5 | -5% |
| Blackmetal Shield | • 10 Fine Wood • 8 Blackmetal • 5 Chain |
78 | 50 | 1.5x | 5 | -5% |
| Blackmetal Tower Shield | • 15 Fine Wood • 10 Blackmetal • 7 Chain |
104 | 150 | N/A | 5 | -20% |
| Carapace Buckler | • 16 Carapace • 3 Scale Hide • 10 Refined Eitr |
78 | 50 | 2.5x | 5 | -5% |
| Carapace Shield | • 20 Carapace • 3 Scale Hide • 10 Refined Eitr |
96 | 60 | 1.5x | 5 | -5% |
* The Serpent Scale Shield also has the unique property of being resistant to Pierce damage.
And with that, we'll wrap up this Valheim weapons guide. If you're looking to try out any of these weapons without having to go to the effort of actually crafting them, learn how to do just that with our Valheim console commands and cheats guide. Or consult our tips and tricks guide for more general help on this massive survival game.
