Sometimes, a game lets players sleep through an evening with total tranquility. In Valheim, however, the dark of night brings deadly dwarves, terrifying trolls, and a rather horrible insect called a "Deathsquito." Valheim is a game all about survival and the mystical weight of Norse mythology. By being a survival game, Valheim also brings swarms of creatures that want to kill the game's huge number of players.
Over a million players currently enjoy Valheim's Norse weirdness, so players trying to stay on the cutting edge of this game as all its content unfurls will need to make sure they equip themselves with the highest tier weapons to handle Valheim's bosses. Obviously, there is a range of things that can increase a weapon's value, but some weapons better levels of DPS, crowd control, and diverse damage types—key components of the game's combat. And it should also be noted that the more commonplace items and weapons are not discussed here.
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The Draugr Fang is by far and away the most powerful bow. Alongside just a general damage boost compared to its other ranged peers, the bow does additional poison damage. Stacking damage types makes for really effective DPS in Valheim, especially with damage that does damage over time like poison. In fact, a really strong pairing is the Draugr Fang and Frost Arrows, which will let players stack a persistent damage effect and a status impairment on enemies. This makes short work of tankier opponents.
Swords are incredibly effective weapons in Valheim. This is in part due to their speed, but also with the mighty thrust attack that sword wielders are able to execute. The game's flavor text calls the Blackmetal Sword "a thing of beauty and death." While its beauty is arguable, with a 95 base damage and a set of fast, forceful attacks, death is a strong consequence of swinging this blade. Thrust attacks from this weapon are capable of stunning enemies, and can also be used with a shield, unlike some other weapons. Shields are the best way to parry in Valheim, so sword and board with this Blackmetal blade is a powerful build.
The Porcupine matches the Blackmetal sword damage, but has a slightly slower swing speed. Made with needles, iron, ancient wood and linen thread, this weapon splits it damage between piercing and bludgeoning damage. These damage types increases the viability of the Porcupine against enemies with different resistances (including Valheim's many bosses). Moreover, the Porcupine is one handed and relatively fast for its damage levels, meaning it can be used with a shield for effective defensive play.
Frostner is another powerful mace-style weapon that inflicts multiple damage types, harnessing spirit, frost and bludgeoning damage in one-go. Another compelling feature of frost damage is that it slows enemies, which allows players to effectively manage the oncoming waves of enemies that define Valheim's combat. Further to that, Frostner is also the second best knockback on a weapon in the game. The ability to fling enemies backwards and then apply a slow effect to them can really change the tide of battle, and the three damage types ensures coverage against opponents with varying resistances. To craft the Frostner, players must discover the merchant Haldor, and also know how to find silver in Valheim.
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Stagbreaker is arguably the best early weapon in Valheim. With decent upgrade scaling, it can still be useful throughout the game. It is inexpensive to put together, requiring neither a forge nor any metal. Crafting the Stagbreaker will require several deer trophies and for the character to have defeated the first boss, Eikthyr. It delivers earth-shaking area of effect damage that clocks in as the best knockback in Valheim. Area of effect attacks helps clear waves of enemies, and also makes a huge impact in Valheim's dungeons, which can be very difficult for early-game players.
Farmed from the barnacled back of the elusive Kraken, the chitin that makes the Abyssal Razor is hard to come by. It is, however, a worthwhile investment for dagger users. This blade is the second strongest dagger in the game, and is much cheaper than its blackmetal counterpart. Its slash and pierce damage both clock in at 12, six below the blackmetal knife, but matches it completely in backstab and parry bonuses.
Players can increase the sneak attack potential of the Razor using a full Troll Set of armor thanks to how Valheim's stealth system works. The set bonus increases the "sneak" bonus by 25%, which combined with the dagger's tenfold backstab multiplier makes for a potent weapon. Valheim's daggers, unfortunately, lose a lot of utility due to the incredibly short range relative to the enemy melee damage.
Spears in Valheim have a controversial position among its fanbase due to the blending of a thrown and melee weapon makes spears useful in a pinch (it can trigger a ranged backstab and hunt deer). Unfortunately, the sole single target focus and low damage make spears of little use against hordes of enemies. The Abyssal Harpoon stands out among other spears by having a tethering function that can rope in and restrain enemies.
While this ability does not come in handy with lots of opponents, it can help in fighting the slippery Sea Serpents. These beasts tend to flee from battle quickly, and the harpoon strips it of that escape potential entirely. This becomes useful when figuring out the best strategies for Valheim. Eating different types of meat can bestow a huge amount of hit points, and the Sea Serpent meat that is harvested from these creatures is among the best options available.
When starting out, the first axe that players can create of any use is the flint axe. Remembering to get a good method of chopping down trees is often forgotten at the start of Valheim, so the flint axe solves that problem entirely.
Alongside usage as a tree-felling instrument, the flint axe makes for a potent initial weapon. This axe will even be able to take on Eikthyr, the game's first boss. After a while its damage capabilities are quickly outstripped by other items. For a weapon that can be crafted for so cheap so early, however, it is still a useful early tool in a Viking's arsenal.
Valheim is available on PC in Early Access.