In the harsh world of Valheim, survival isn’t just about weapons and food—it’s about progression. And nothing defines your ability to progress like the Valheim pickaxe. This essential tool allows you to break down rocks, mine precious ores, and unlock the powerful gear required to take on Valheim’s toughest biomes.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about pickaxes Valheim. You’ll learn how to get each one, when to upgrade, and how to mine every ore type. From the humble antler pickaxe Valheim to the powerful valheim black metal pickaxe, your complete mining journey starts here.
Why Pickaxes Matter in Valheim
Valheim’s entire progression system is gated behind ore access. No pickaxe? No metal. No metal? No advanced gear.
Each valheim pickaxe tier unlocks new ores and construction opportunities:
- Copper leads to Bronze
- Iron enables iron gear and ships
- Silver introduces frost resistance and high-tier weapons
- Black Metal gears you for Plains combat
Unlocking and upgrading your pickaxe Valheim is one of the most important parts of your survival.
How to Get Your First Pickaxe in Valheim
How to Get a Pickaxe in Valheim
You can’t make a pickaxe right away. First, you need to:
- Defeat Eikthyr, the first boss
- Receive Hard Antlers as a drop
- Unlock the Antler Pickaxe Valheim recipe
How to Make a Pickaxe in Valheim
After defeating Eikthyr, go to your Workbench and craft:
- Antler Pickaxe
- Recipe: 10 Wood + 1 Hard Antler
This is your first tool for mining Copper and Tin, unlocking the Bronze Age.
Full List of Valheim Pickaxes
Let’s break down every pickaxe tier in the game and what each one is capable of mining.
1. Antler Pickaxe
- Crafted at: Workbench
- Uses: Copper, Tin
- Durability: 100
- Repairable: Yes
2. Bronze Pickaxe
- Crafted at: Forge
- Recipe: 10 Bronze + 3 Core Wood
- New Ores: Copper, Tin, Stone (faster), Muddy Scrap Piles (slow)
Durability: 200
3. Iron Pickaxe Valheim
- Crafted at: Forge
- Recipe: 20 Iron + 3 Core Wood
- New Ores: Iron, Silver (slow)
- Durability: 300
4. Silver Pickaxe Valheim
- Crafted at: Forge
- Recipe: 20 Silver + 3 Ancient Bark
- New Ores: Silver, Obsidian, Stone Golems
- Durability: 400
5. Black Metal Pickaxe Valheim (Mistlands)
- Crafted at: Black Forge
- Recipe: 25 Black Metal + 3 Yggdrasil Wood
- New Ores: Black Marble, Sap Access
- Durability: 500
Note: Each new biome requires a pickaxe upgrade to fully access its resources.
How to Get Each Pickaxe in Valheim
Antler Pickaxe
- Kill Eikthyr, get Hard Antler, craft at Workbench
Bronze Pickaxe Valheim
- Smelt Tin and Copper into Bronze
- Craft Bronze Pickaxe at Forge (requires 2 Copper + 1 Tin per Bronze bar)
Iron Pickaxe
- Locate Swamp Crypts
- Use swamp keys to open them
- Mine Muddy Scrap Piles
- Smelt Iron and craft at Forge
Silver Pickaxe
- Use Wishbone (dropped by Bonemass) to find hidden Silver veins in Mountains
- Smelt and craft at Forge
Black Metal Pickaxe
- Found in Mistlands
- Kill Fulings for Black Metal Scrap
- Smelt with Blast Furnace
- Gather Yggdrasil Wood from glowing trees in Mistlands
- Craft at Black Forge
Valheim Is There a New Pickaxe Ashlands?
Players often ask: valheim is there a new pickaxe ashlands?
Currently, as of the Mistlands update, no new Ashlands pickaxe exists. However, hints suggest a new resource will require a stronger tier. Expect a fire-resistant pickaxe or obsidian-level mining tool in future updates.
Stay tuned to official dev blogs for upcoming Ashlands tool reveals.
Which Pickaxe Should You Use?
| Biome | Best Pickaxe | Primary Use |
| Meadows | None | Focus on survival and Eikthyr |
| Black Forest | Antler or Bronze Pickaxe | Copper & Tin |
| Swamp | Iron Pickaxe | Scrap Piles, Iron mining |
| Mountains | Silver Pickaxe | Silver, Obsidian, Stone Golems |
| Plains | Silver or Black Metal | Stone, early Black Metal access |
| Mistlands | Black Metal Pickaxe | Black Marble, Sap, Dungeon access |
Upgrading Your Pickaxe in Valheim
Each pickaxe can be upgraded at its respective forge or workbench level.
Example: Bronze Pickaxe Upgrades
| Level | Bronze Required | Durability Bonus |
| 2 | +5 | +20% |
| 3 | +10 | +20% |
Same principle applies to all pickaxe tiers.
Tip: Prioritize Iron and Black Metal upgrades for mining speed and durability boosts.
ExitLag: Reduce Lag When Mining or Farming Online
While mining seems like a chill activity, stuttering or lag can ruin resource farming in co-op sessions.
ExitLag ensures:
- Smooth pickaxe animation cycles
- Reduced desync during multiplayer excavation
- Stable ping when transitioning between biomes
Start your Exitlag 3 days Trial!
Full Valheim Pickaxe Tier Comparison
| Pickaxe | Crafting Tier | Ore Unlock | Durability | Mining Speed | Repair Station |
| Antler | Early (Boss 1) | Copper, Tin | 100 | Slow | Workbench |
| Bronze | Bronze Age | Same, faster | 200 | Medium | Forge |
| Iron | Swamp | Iron | 300 | Medium | Forge |
| Silver | Mountains | Silver, Obsidian | 400 | Fast | Forge |
| Black Metal | Mistlands | Black Marble | 500 | Very Fast | Black Forge |
Which Is the Best Overall Pickaxe?
The Black Metal Pickaxe Valheim wins overall in durability and speed. It’s essential for Mistlands progression and likely the template for the next Ashlands tier.
Biome-Specific Pickaxe Efficiency
Meadows & Black Forest
- Pickaxe: Antler or Bronze
- Goal: Farm Tin, Copper
Swamp
- Pickaxe: Bronze or Iron
- Goal: Mine Muddy Scrap Piles
Mountains
- Pickaxe: Iron or Silver
- Goal: Extract Silver and Obsidian
Plains
- Pickaxe: Silver or Black Metal
- Goal: Support terrain manipulation and reinforce builds
Mistlands
- Pickaxe: Black Metal
- Goal: Harvest Black Marble, clear dungeon entries, extract sap
Ashlands (Future)
- Pickaxe: Possibly new volcanic-tier tool
- Goal: Unknown, possibly lava-based materials
How to Optimize Mining Speed
Tools and Techniques
- Upgrade Pickaxe to Max Level
- Use Stamina Foods (Lox Meat Pie, Blood Pudding)
- Buff with Stamina Mead
- Use Feather Cape to drop mine vertically
Group Mining
- Assign 2 players with Silver Pickaxes, 1 builder, 1 hauler
- Use carts near portal zones
Terrain Strategy
- Flatten ground near ore nodes
- Build outposts with repair benches
Best Pickaxes by Role
| Role | Pickaxe | Reason |
| Starter | Antler | Required to begin ore progression |
| Value-for-Cost | Bronze Pickaxe | Cheap and versatile |
| Raw Power | Black Metal Pickaxe | Highest stats, fastest mining |
| Cold Biome Farming | Silver Pickaxe | Bonus against Stone Golems and Obsidian |
| Dungeon Delver | Iron Pickaxe | Efficient in Crypts and tight mines |
The Future: Will Ashlands Bring a New Pickaxe?
What We Know
- Ashlands will be lava-drenched, high-danger
- Devs have hinted at new crafting materials
- It’s likely the next biome requires a new pickaxe tier
What Might It Look Like
- Crafted at a Fire Forge or similar
- Infused with obsidian or volcanic core
- May unlock access to obsidian armor, sulfur ore, or lava crystal
Dev speculation: players have datamined items labeled “Charred Core” and “Ashstone”
Best Farming Loop Using Pickaxes
Daily Loop (Multiplayer)
- Mistlands Entrance
- Mine Black Marble
- Build and repair tools
- Swamp Crypt Run
- Use Iron Pickaxe
- Collect Muddy Scrap Piles
- Mountain Edge Sweep
- Use Silver Pickaxe
- Focus on Obsidian & Silver near cliff sides
- Transport Resources
- Use Cart or Portal system
- Drop at centralized base
Pro Tip: Always store spare pickaxes near outposts in case of death runs
Valheim Pickaxe Farming Checklist
Community Tips: Best Mining Advice from Pros
- “Build a repair bench near copper nodes.”
- “Use the hoe to flatten mining pits before digging.”
- “Stamina is everything—use high-stamina food and mead.”
- “Don’t forget to mark mined areas to avoid repeats.”
ExitLag: Smoother Multiplayer Mining
Nothing ruins a co-op dig session like lag.
ExitLag ensures:
- Lower ping during remote multiplayer mining
- Less rubberbanding during cart hauls
- Smoother transitions when breaking large ore chunks
FAQs: Valheim Pickaxe Advanced
How do I choose the right pickaxe for my biome?
Always use the latest biome-appropriate pickaxe for durability and speed.
What’s the fastest mining tool?
Currently, the Black Metal Pickaxe.
Can I upgrade the pickaxe multiple times?
Yes, each can be upgraded 3–4 levels for bonus speed and durability.
Will Ashlands add a new pickaxe?
Likely. Expect a volcanic or obsidian-based tier.
Can you enchant pickaxes?
Not currently, but possible with future Galdr Table expansions.
Final Thoughts
Your valheim pickaxes determine how far you progress and how quickly you evolve from Bronze Age wanderer to Mistlands conqueror. Every upgrade matters. Every mining session counts.
Keep your gear upgraded, your stamina boosted, and your server lag-free with ExitLag for the best possible Viking mining experience.
All game images used in this blog belong to Iron Gate Studio. They are used for informational/educational purposes only and do not imply endorsement or affiliation with the rights holders.
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