Valheim is the latest big survival hype on Steam. The program is: Fight for survival in a Nordic fantasy world, either solo or in co-op. But your adventure life begins with comparatively simple needs. One of them is the search for a pickaxe. It sounds inconspicuous at first, but the pickaxe is one of the most important items in the game.
Our guide will tell you the reasons – and of course how to craft the coveted item. Bad news first: You have to defeat the first boss.
More guides at GameStar Plus: Another detailed beginner’s guide is currently being developed for Valheim, which will answer all your first questions about building a house, equipment and combat. It is worth taking a look at the GameStar Plus section – we will link the guide here as soon as it is available.
Why is the pickaxe so important?
The Pickaxe fulfills three essential functions in Valheim:
- Terraforming: You can use it to work the ground, for example to dig trenches.
- Beat stones: With the Pickaxe you break down boulders into their individual parts in order to replenish your stone supplies and level the construction area.
- Erzabbau: For stronger armor and weapons you need metal ores, which you can mine with the Pickaxe.
Terraforming and ore mining, in particular, are essential to have a long-term chance in Valheim. Without strong armor, you are pretty much lost in the later game.
What about the Stone Pickaxe? Although information about her already exists, the stone pickaxe is not yet included in the current build of the game. That would be much easier to craft – you only need stone and wood. This content will likely appear in one of the upcoming updates.
Where can I get the Pickaxe?
And now comes the bad news: To get the Antler Pickaxe, you have to the first boss Eikthyrnir conquer. To do that, you should definitely get the most important steps of the early game behind you, i.e. build your own home, craft leather armor, provide armament and cart all kinds of food.
How so? Because different types of food allow you to increase your pool of life points beyond the maximum. More on that in a moment.
If you have defeated Eikthyrnir, you will receive the so-called Hard Antler, a special set of antlers that you use together with ten pieces of wood Antler Pickaxe
For the Pickaxe you need:
How do I defeat Eikthyrnir?
a Summon Eikthyrnir, you have to interact with the rune stone right at the start of your Valheim journey. He shows you the way.
As soon as you arrive at the shrine, you will place one there Deer Trophy and start the fight. Eikthyrnir can be brought to his knees relatively easily with a bow and arrow. Keep your distance, observe the creature’s patterns, buff yourselves with the different foods.
You can only consume each food once to increase your HP limit by several points. That is why diversity is important. The berries in the starting area give you +10 HP, with cooked meat you even pack +25 HP on top.
Of course you can also fight against Eikthyrnir without buffs. With the right ranged combat strategy, victory will soon be yours. And with it the Pickaxe.