The world of Valheim is full of danger, meaning you’ll need a strong weapon to survive. And while there are plenty of blades and bludgeons to be found, not all of them are worthy to be carried by a Viking. That’s why we’ve come up with the following Valheim weapon tier list, showcasing the very best weapons in the game. Keep reading to find weapons ranked by strength, special abilities, and perhaps most importantly, how expensive they are to craft.
Valheim’s Weapon Tier List | Best weapons ranked
There are a lot of weapons and items in Valheim, and it’s not always easy figuring out which one is best. Fortunately, most of the game’s highest-tier weapons are unique: They carry special names and sometimes special abilities. Of course, in order to wield that power, you’ll need to track down rare materials.
S-Tier
Nearly all of the S-tier weapons in Valheim are unique items. In other words, they aren’t simply upgraded versions of other weapons made with stronger metals. Instead, they usually require some of the rarest materials in the game, including Chitin, Ymir’s Flesh, Linen, and Silver. Getting Ymir’s Flesh requires finding the Merchant, while Silver requires staying warm long enough to mine in the Mountain biome.
Frostner
If you want to stomp across Valheim in signature Nordic style, Frostner is the weapon for you. This mace (which looks like a hammer) deals Blunt, Frost, and Spirit damage, topping out at 95 damage at base. However, it’s the frost damage that puts it heads and shoulders above other items. Frost damage not only hurts enemies, but actively slows them down. In a game with challenging combat, this ability is second to none. The catch is that Frostner appears to be the single most expensive weapon you can craft, requiring Ymir Flesh, Freeze Glands, and a huge helping of Silver.
- Requires: Silver x 30, Ymir Flesh x 5, Ancient Bark x 10, Freeze Gland x 5
Abyssal Razor
At first glance, the Abyssal Razor doesn’t seem all that good. It only deals 12 pierce damage and 12 slash damage, ranking it well below other less-costly weapons. However, the secret is in sneaking: The Abyssal Razor’s backstab damage is multiplied by 10, giving it one of the highest attack values in the game. If you like to fight with stealth, this is the blade to wield.
- Requires: Chitin x 20, Fine Wood x 4, Leather Scraps x 2
Draugr Fang
The Draugr Fang is the most powerful bow in Valheim. That makes it an obvious choice for archers, as it deals high pierce damage and even applies a poison effect without having to use poison arrows. That power comes at a cost, however, as the Draugr Fang requires both Guck and Silver in order to craft.
- Requires: Silver x 10, Guck x 10, Ancient Bark x 10, Deer Hide x 2
Porcupine
The Porcupine combines the best of one-handed blunt weapons with a hint of pointy danger. Thanks to its signature spikes, this bludgeon deals 50 blunt damage as well as 45 pierce damage. These numbers alone mean the Porcupine outclasses nearly all other weapons in the game. Best of all, it isn’t terribly expensive to craft: The rarest ingredient is Linen Thread, which can be made using Flax found in Fuling Camps across the Plains.
- Requires: Iron x 20, Linen Thread x 10, Needle x 5, Fine Wood x 5
Stagbreaker
The Stagbreaker is a decent two-handed blunt weapon capable of dealing area-of-effect damage. This AoE effect makes it a worthy weapon when fighting off crowds, which is especially helpful after reaching the Swamp biome. It’s not ranked highly on our list because of its strength, however, but instead because of its low crafting requirements. This is one you can make early and keep using until better weapons become available.
- Requires: Core Wood x 20, Deer Trophy x 5, Leather Scrap x 2
A-Tier
As expected, the A-tier weapons in Valheim are good choices for those who can’t yet craft the game’s unique weapons. These require either Blackmetal or Silver, which are late-game materials used in powerful blades. Others, like the Huntsman bow, can be upgraded enough to hold their own even when exploring the most dangerous biomes.
Blackmetal Axe
The Blackmetal Axe is far and away the most powerful axe in Valheim. It’s borderline S-tier, considering that it deals 95 slash damage at base. However, the downside is that it has a parry force of exactly zero. It may deal high damage, but it must be paired with a shield if you have any hope of defensive fighting.
- Requires: Blackmetal Bar x 20, Linen Thread x 5, Fine Wood x 6
Silver Sword
The Silver Sword is a great weapon for sword-wielding Vikings. It deals 75 slash damage and 30 Spirit damage, which makes it even more dangerous than the Blackmetal Sword. However, it outranks the Blackmetal blade on our list because of its lower crafting requirements.
- Requires: Silver x 40, Iron x 5, Leather Scraps x 3, Wood x 2
Huntsman Bow
The Huntsman Bow is currently the second-best bow available in Valheim. And, as you may expect, you will need some iron to craft it. If you haven’t unlocked iron yet, you may consider the Finewood Bow, which deals 10 less damage at base when compared to the Huntsman, but doesn’t require iron to craft.
- Requires: Iron x 20, Fine Wood x 10, Feather x 10, Deer Hide x 2
B-Tier
Finally we arrive at B-tier weapons, which are simply “good enough.” With one notable exception, these items will get the job done without forcing you to seek out rare resources or figure out sailing in order to haul metal ore across the map. While they don’t hold up when compared against the game’s unique weapons, they’ll at least get the job done.
Bronze Axe
The Bronze Axe is really the lowest-grade axe you can get away with. It’s an important item to get early as it’s the first blade sharp enough to chop birch and oak trees, an important source of fine wood. And, like all axes, it serves two purposes: Felling trees and killing monsters. It’s not exactly weak, either: When fully upgraded, it’s almost as strong as the base Iron Axe — almost.
- Requires: Bronze x 8, Wood x 4, Leather Scraps x 2
Battleaxe
The Battleaxe is one of the unique weapons in Valheim, capable of performing three separate and distinct melee attacks. Despite its heft, it’s a great blade for crowd control or parrying incoming attacks. However, it has remarkably high crafting requirements when compared to its base damage output of 75. This means it’s just not as cost-effective as other A- and S-tier weapons.
- Requires: Iron x 35, Ancient Bark x 30, Leather Scraps x 4
Bronze Sword
The Bronze Sword is the first sword that becomes available to the player. It’s not especially strong, dealing just 35 slash damage at base. However, it’s the best weapon to use in order to raise your sword power early, which makes later S-tier swords that much more effective in combat. The only real requirement is that you summon Eikthyr and claim his antlers to craft a basic pickaxe.
- Requires: Bronze x 8, Leather Scraps x 2, Wood x2
These are the best weapons to craft when it comes to surviving the world of Valheim. Still, many of them won’t be available until you’ve already played for several in-game weeks. If you’re still a beginner, or if you’re struggling to figure out how to progress, be sure to check out our guide on what beginners should do first.
