Patch-tracked guide
Valheim Pickaxes & Axes (1.0) — What Each Pickaxe Mines
The Iron Pickaxe is the one that unlocks silver; the Black Metal Pickaxe mines every ore in 1.0 including Mistlands, Ashlands and Deep North rock. Full tier list of pickaxes and axes, and what each one unlocks.
By Valheim Field Guide Editorial Team
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Quick answer: Each tool tier gates the next biome’s resources. The Antler Pickaxe (unlocked by killing Eikthyr) mines copper and tin; the Bronze Pickaxe (Forge level 1) mines iron in Swamp crypts; the Iron Pickaxe (Forge level 2) mines silver in the Mountains — wait for the Wishbone to reveal it; the Black Metal Pickaxe (Black Forge) mines every ore in the game, including Mistlands, Ashlands and Deep North rock.
The rule: tools are progression gates
Valheim locks every biome’s core resource behind a specific tool. You do not just “need a pickaxe” — you need the right tier of pickaxe for the ore you are trying to break. You do not just “need an axe” — you need the right axe for the wood type. Hammer, Portal, Cart and each ship type similarly gate what you can do, where you can go, and how efficiently you carry material.
Verified (1.0): valheim.wiki lists exactly four pickaxe tiers (Antler → Bronze → Iron → Black Metal), and no Silver Pickaxe or Silver Axe exists in 1.0 — the Iron pickaxe already mines Silver, and there is no Silver-tier axe. The former Silver Pickaxe / Silver Axe rows have been removed to match the official 1.0 item list.
Pickaxes — the ore tier gate
Pickaxes are the main progression chain. The first one requires killing Eikthyr — meaning you must finish the Meadows boss before you mine a single copper or tin. After that, each biome’s ore is locked behind the pickaxe tier you can make from the previous biome’s metal.
| Pickaxe | Unlock trigger | What it mines |
|---|---|---|
| Antler Pickaxe | Kill Eikthyr → Hard Antler | Copper and Tin ore in Meadows / Black Forest, basic Stone |
| Bronze Pickaxe | Forge level 1 + Bronze ingots | Iron ore in Swamp Sunken Crypts, Muddy Scrap Piles, basic Stone (faster than Antler) |
| Iron Pickaxe | Forge level 2 + Iron ingots | Silver in Mountains (wait for Wishbone to reveal buried silver rock), Iron ore (faster) |
| Black Metal Pickaxe | Black Forge + Black Metal ingots | Every ore in the game — Mistlands, Ashlands and Deep North rock types |
The progression chain is linear: Antler only gets you to Copper/Tin, Bronze gets Iron, Iron gets Silver, and the Black Metal pickaxe unlocks the Mistlands and Ashlands rock types — it is the endgame pickaxe. Skipping a pickaxe tier by sailing ahead will leave you staring at ore rocks you literally cannot break.
Confirmed pickaxe values (valheim.wiki, 1.0)
| Pickaxe | Craft | Durability | Mining power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antler | 10 Wood + 1 Hard antler | 100 | 18 |
| Bronze | 3 Corewood + 10 Bronze | 120 | 25 |
| Iron | 3 Corewood + 20 Iron | 150 | 33 |
| Black Metal | 3 Yggdrasil wood + 25 Black metal | 210 | 49 |
The four tiers above are the complete pickaxe list on valheim.wiki (1.0); the Black Metal pickaxe mines Black marble, Soft tissue and Flametal in addition to everything the Iron pickaxe can break.
Axes — the wood tier gate
Axe tier matters because some trees take stone or flint damage and some trees take only axe damage. Stone and flint axes break only small trees, while the Bronze Axe is the first one that can break Birch and Oak — unlocking Fine Wood, which you need for Karve ships and portal fuel.
| Axe tier | Unlock trigger | What it cuts |
|---|---|---|
| Flint Axe | Meadows gather flint + stone | Smaller trees, bushes, stumps |
| Bronze Axe | Black Forest bronze smelting | Birch, Oak — your first Fine Wood. This is the tool that lets you build Karves and Portals. |
| Iron Axe | Swamp iron smelting | Fine Wood and everything earlier, faster |
| Black Metal Axe | Plains Black Metal smelting | Endgame tree-clearing speed |
Bronze Axe is the real upgrade point — it unlocks Fine Wood and therefore Portals and proper ships. Do not rush Iron Axe for farming trees unless you already need the DPS on enemies.
The Hammer — one tool, one gate
The Hammer is your first tool and the only tool you never stop using. It is crafted straight from your player inventory (no crafting station is needed) for 3 Wood and 2 Stone, and it can be upgraded at the Workbench (1 Wood + 1 Stone for quality 2, 2 Wood + 2 Stone for quality 3) to raise its durability from 100 to 300. The Hammer is the tool that lets you place and remove every building part, every station and every portal. Without a Hammer you cannot build anything — you start with a fist and some sticks, and your first tool is always a Hammer.
Portals — fast travel across the map
Two Portals with the same tag link instantly, regardless of the distance between them. A tag is a short, case-sensitive text string — home and Home are different tags, and a trailing space breaks the match. Tags are empty by default, and two untaged portals will pair, so always tag them explicitly once you have more than one.
A standard Portal requires 2 Surtling cores plus Finewood and Greydwarf eyes, and must be placed within a Workbench’s radius (the Workbench can be removed afterwards). Surtling cores come from Burial Chambers in the Black Forest or from Surtlings in the Swamp, and they are the bottleneck early on — one or two cores per chamber means several trips before you can build your first pair. Note that ore, ingots and a few other items cannot be carried through a portal, so portals move the player, not the metal.
Carts — your first bulk storage
The Cart is one of the most useful underrated tools. It holds far more than your inventory and does not despawn — you can leave it anywhere in the world. It costs 20 Wood and 10 Bronze Nails at a Workbench (unlocked once you discover Bronze Nails). You pull it from behind and it handles hills poorly — be careful carting downhill or it will flip.
The Cart shines most:
- Carrying iron from the Swamp Crypts back to base (otherwise you sail 10 trips)
- Carrying silver from a Mountains Wishbone run
- Moving your entire base stash when you relocate
Ships — three tiers, three purposes
| Ship | Unlock trigger | What it does best |
|---|---|---|
| Raft | Meadows — Wood + Hammer (no metal) | Stopgap. Slow, unstable, only 4 slots. Good enough for the first crossing to the Black Forest but replace it as soon as you can. |
| Karve | Black Forest — Fine Wood from Bronze Axe + Deer Hide + Tin | Your main exploration ship through Swamp → Mountain → Plains. Faster, more cargo slots, handles waves better. |
| Longship | Plains — Black Metal + Fine Wood + Ancient Bark + Wolf Hide | The fastest and most stable ship in the game. For long ocean crossings into Mistlands, Ashlands and Deep North. |
Ships take damage from sea serpents in the open ocean — carry a bow and arrows when sailing past mid-ocean.
Build checklist per stage
| When you arrive | Craft first |
|---|---|
| Fresh spawn | Hammer → Flint Axe → Crude Bow |
| After killing Eikthyr | Antler Pickaxe immediately |
| After entering Black Forest | Bronze Pickaxe + Bronze Axe |
| After entering Swamp | Iron Pickaxe + Iron Axe + Cart |
| After entering Mountains | Mine Silver with the Iron Pickaxe (no new tool) |
| After entering Plains | Black Metal Pickaxe |
Related
- The stations every tool is built at: workstations
- Every biome progression chain — what to bring when you land: progression route
- Pickaxe tier matching ores and axe tier matching trees — a faster reference on damage type: weapon tier list and damage types guide
- Transport over water: all ships above
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Buy me a coffeeFrequently asked questions
- Which pickaxe do I need for silver?
- Silver ore is buried in the Mountains and is revealed by the Wishbone (dropped by Bonemass in the Swamp). You mine it with the **Iron Pickaxe** or better — Antler and Bronze pickaxes cannot break the silver-bearing rock, so you need the Iron tier first. For the Mistlands and Ashlands rock types you'll need the **Black Metal Pickaxe**.
- Is there a silver pickaxe in Valheim?
- No — there is no silver pickaxe in Valheim 1.0. Silver ore is mined with the **Iron Pickaxe** or better; the pickaxe tiers are Antler, Bronze, Iron and Black Metal, and none of them is made of silver. Silver itself is a *material* you smelt into armour, weapons and the Draugr Fang bow, not a tool tier. If silver veins will not break, the cause is your pickaxe tier, not the vein: upgrade to Iron (or Black Metal for Mistlands, Ashlands and Deep North rock).
- What is the fastest ship for crossing the ocean?
- Longship. It is the largest, fastest and most stable — and requires Black Metal, a Forge and moderate building progress. The Karve comes next (Tin + Fine Wood + Deer Hide), and the Raft is the early stopgap.
- Can a Portal go to any point on the map?
- Any Portal can link to any other Portal regardless of distance, as long as both have the same tag (case-sensitive). You need two Surtling cores and a Workbench to craft one. Portals work anywhere you can build, but you cannot carry ore, ingots or other blocked items through them — see the portal guide for the full list.
Related guides
- Valheim Best Bow (1.0) — Every Bow & Crossbow, Ranked by Damage
Every Valheim bow and crossbow with base pierce damage, crafting station and progression tier — plus arrow damage, so you can pick the best ranged weapon for your biome.
Verified Valheim 1.0 - Valheim Block Armor vs Block Force — What Each Shield Stat Does (1.0)
Block Armor cuts the damage you take while blocking; Block Force is the knockback you shove back at the attacker. How both stats work, the stagger bar, and every shield compared.
Verified Valheim 1.0 - Valheim Moulds & Casts (1.0) — Every Mould and What It Casts
How Valheim moulds and casts work, with every mould item grouped by the gear it produces — metal, armor and weapon casting in 1.0.
Verified Valheim 1.0
Related in the database
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