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Best Valheim weapons tier list Stagbreaker: best early weapon in Valheim Frostner: best Club in Valheim Iron Sledge: best Sledgehammer in Valheim Porcupine: best Mace in Valheim Fang Spear: best Spear in Valheim Blackmetal Knife: best Knife in Valheim Silver Sword: best Sword in Valheim Battleaxe: best Axe in Valheim Blackmetal Atgeir: best Polearm in Valheim Draugr Fang: best Bow in Valheim Abyssal Harpoon: best utility weapon in Valheim
Best Valheim weapons tier list
The best weapons in Valheim are often named weapons like Frostner and Porcupine, or Blackmetal weapons like the Blackmetal Atgeir. But there’s a lot more to weapons than meets the eye; you also have to take into account the damage type, because certain enemies are resistant or weak to certain damage types such as slashing and piercing. As for the type of weapon you should use, they all have their strengths and weaknesses, but it’s still fairly easy to divide them into a tier list of overall best weapons to use in Valheim. If you’re wondering how the recent Hearth & Home update has affected weapons — well, it adds a couple of decent new pieces, but nothing that’s inclined to upset our top choices on this tier list. However, if you’re looking for the best new weapon from Hearth & Home, take a gander at our guide to crafting a Crystal Battleaxe.
Valheim weapons tier list
S-Tier: Bows, Knives, Maces A-Tier: Axes, Sledgehammers, Swords B-Tier: Clubs, Polearms C-Tier: Spears
If you’re unsure what separates each of these weapon types, here they are in a bit more detail:
Bows - Piercing damage, strongest ranged weapon, no secondary attack Knives - Slashing/Piercing damage, colossal backstab bonus, secondary attack lunges forward Maces - Blunt damage, secondary attack deals slow but devastating uppercut Axes - Slashing damage, doubles as tool, no secondary attack Sledgehammers - Blunt damage, AoE damage & knockback, no secondary attack Swords - Slashing damage, secondary attack thrusts forward Clubs - Blunt damage, outclassed by Maces, no secondary attack Polearms - Piercing damage, powerful but too slow to be high-tier, secondary attack spins for AoE damage Spears - Piercing damage, clunky hitbox, secondary attack throws spear
Each one of these weapon types has an associated skill (apart from Clubs, Sledgehammers, and Maces, which all use the same Club skill). You can level up each skill by using that particular weapon type. The higher your skill, the more damage you’ll deal with that type of weapon. Most weapons have different variants for different materials - for example, an Iron Mace is better than a Bronze Mace. You can also upgrade a weapon to higher levels using an upgraded Workbench. This levelling system is unique in that you will upgrade the same weapon over time, rather than discarding one weapon in favour of another superior variant. As for the type of weapon, each one has its advantages in different situations. The bow is obviously unmatched for defeating foes from afar. The sledgehammers (a subclass of clubs) are best for defeating groups of smaller enemies. The knives are best for speed and stealth, while the atgeirs are arguably the strongest PvP weapon.
Stagbreaker: best early weapon in Valheim
If you’re looking for the best weapon you can craft in the first couple of sessions of Valheim, then Stagbreaker is miles ahead of the competition. The first Sledgehammer-style weapon on offer, Stagbreaker is slow but hits hard, and deals damage in a wide area around it. Stagbreaker crafting recipe: 20x Core Wood, 5x Deer Trophy, 2x Leather Scraps Required station level: 2
Frostner: best Club in Valheim
Frostner is a strong contender for the best weapon in all of Valheim and as a result it requires a lot of silver to craft. Like the lowly wooden Club, Frostner has no secondary attack and uses the Club skill to wield; but quite unlike the wooden Club, this icy weapon deals lots of frost and spirit damage with every swing. Frostner crafting recipe: 10x Ancient Bark, 30x Silver, 5x Ymir Flesh, 5x Freeze Gland Required station level: 3
Iron Sledge: best Sledgehammer in Valheim
The Iron Sledge is basically just an upgraded Stagbreaker, and is therefore the strongest Sledgehammer in Valheim. This massive hammer deals huge AoE damage and boasts the highest knockback of any weapon. As the name suggests, you’ll likely need to go farming for iron deposits before crafting the Iron Sledge. It’s slow, but very mighty. Iron Sledge crafting recipe: 10x Ancient Bark, 30x Iron, 4x Ymir Flesh, 1x Draugr Elite Trophy Required station level: 2
Porcupine: best Mace in Valheim
A mace and shield combo is always a strong set of choice for PvP and PvE in Valheim, and Porcupine tops the list of powerful Maces. You shouldn’t expect too many enemies to withstand an uppercut from this deadly-but-expensive weapon. Porcupine crafting recipe: 5x Fine Wood, 20x Iron, 5x Needle, 10x Linen Thread Required station level: 4
Fang Spear: best Spear in Valheim
The Fang Spear is a very dangerous weapon, particularly when thrown with speed and accuracy at an unsuspecting foe. It may look similar to the ordinary Flint Spear, but it deals over three times the damage with every thrust. Fang Spear crafting recipe: 10x Ancient Bark, 4x Wolf Fang, 2x Leather Scraps, 2x Silver Required station level: 3
Blackmetal Knife: best Knife in Valheim
Any knife is dangerous in the hands of a stealthy Valheim player, and the Blackmetal Knife is the most dangerous of all with its high damage and attack rate. With the customary 10x backstab bonus of its weapon class, there’s really not much in Valheim that will withstand a lunge from stealth with the Blackmetal Knife. Blackmetal Knife crafting recipe: 4x Fine Wood, 10x Black Metal, 5x Linen Thread Required station level: 4
Silver Sword: best Sword in Valheim
The Silver Sword is probably the best sword on offer thanks to its high damage output. It isn’t the most advanced sword on offer - that accolade belongs, of course, to the Blackmetal Sword - but the Silver Sword actually has an even higher base damage than the Blackmetal Sword, while also only requiring a level 3 Workbench to craft. Silver Sword crafting recipe: 2x Wood, 40x Silver, 3x Leather Scraps, 5x Iron Required station level: 3
Battleaxe: best Axe in Valheim
Another judgement call, this one. The Blackmetal Axe deals more damage than the Battleaxe and can be used while holding a shield, so you could contend that the Blackmetal Axe is the best. But the Battleaxe’s high parry force and almost-equal damage makes it a fantastic dedicated weapon in its own right - and you can unlock the Battleaxe earlier on than the Blackmetal Axe. Battleaxe crafting recipe: 30x Ancient Bark, 35x Iron, 4x Leather Scraps Required station level: 2
Blackmetal Atgeir: best Polearm in Valheim
Probably the best weapon in Valheim, the Blackmetal Atgeir is a terrifying force in capable hands. The best of its excellent class, this Atgeir deals very high damage, has an excellent reach, and boasts great utility and crowd control with its spin attack. Blackmetal Atgeir crafting recipe: 10x Fine Wood, 30x Black Metal, 5x Linen Thread Required station level: 4
Draugr Fang: best Bow in Valheim
The Draugr Fang is the clear winner in the best Bow category, outstripping the Huntsman Bow in damage without even considering its extra poison damage dealt with each arrow. It’s especially useful at keeping the game’s bosses at a distance. The best ranged weapon in Valheim doesn’t come cheap, but it’s well worth the effort. Draugr Fang crafting recipe: 10x Ancient Bark, 20x Silver, 2x Deer Hide, 10x Guck Required station level: 2
Silver Arrow: best Arrows in Valheim
Technically Frost and Poison arrows deal higher total damage, but that’s over a period of time. For immediate damage and ending fights before they begin, Silver arrows are absolutely the strongest arrows in Valheim. 20x Silver Arrow crafting recipe: 8x Wood, 1x Silver, 2x Feather Required station level: 3
Abyssal Harpoon: best utility weapon in Valheim
A unique weapon, the Abyssal Harpoon is less of a weapon and more of a tool for trapping or limiting the mobility of enemies. Throw the Harpoon at an enemy as you would throw a Spear, and if you hit then the enemy will become attached to you. This is by far the best weapon to use against Sea Serpents in Valheim. Abyssal Harpoon crafting recipe: 8x Fine Wood, 30x Chitin, 3x Leather Scraps Required station level: 2 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 game.
