Best Iron Weapons In Valheim

Highlights

Sunken Crypts in the Swamp biome are key for finding Scrap Iron, essential for crafting Iron weapons and armor in Valheim.
Iron weapons like the Iron Mace and Iron Sledge offer great damage and knockback, perfect for leveling up in the game.
Pairing Iron weapons with shields like the Serpent Scale Shield can provide a strong defense against enemies in Valheim.

After beating the bosses Eikthyr and The Elder in Valheim, players will be able to access Sunken Crypts in the Swamp biome, where they can dig for Scrap Iron. When this has been melted down, players will be able to start crafting their own set of Iron weapons and armor, on top of unlocking important building items.

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While many weapons in Valheim are made out of at least a small amount of Iron, this list will only consider weapons and shields that are primarily made out of Iron and that can be accessed in the early and mid-game, a time when players are still reliant on Iron. Of the iron-based weapons in Valheim, here's how they rank when compared against each other.

Updated March 23, 2024 by Joe Grantham: As Valheim is still in the Early Access stage of development, the survival game continues to receive updates both big and small. However, while new and superior weapons, made out of exotic resources, are released with large expansions, many players are still in the Iron Age, and every new playthrough must pass through it. As such, this list has been updated to include even more of Valheim's best Iron weapons and shields.

8 Ancient Bark Spear

Damage: 55

Damage Type: 55 Pierce
Crafting Materials: 4 Troll Hide, 10 Iron, 10 Ancient Bark

Spears aren't known for doing the most damage in Valheim, but they do have the advantage of versatility, as they can be wielded in two hands, or just one hand alongside a shield. They also have great range, meaning players can keep enemies at a safer distance.

There is no standard Iron Spear in Valheim. Instead, there is the Ancient Bark Spear, which as well as Iron, is also made out of Ancient Bark. To farm this resource, players will need to cut down certain trees in the Swamp biome, which they must enter anyway to acquire Iron. Compared with the Bronze Spear, it deals an extra 20 damage, making it a huge upgrade.

7 Iron Sword

Damage: 55

Damage Type: 55 Slash
Crafting Materials: 2 Wood, 20 Iron, 3 Leather Scraps

The Iron Sword is a classic in Valheim. Simple but elegant, it is heavily reliable in both the Swamp and Mountain biomes. Like all the swords in Valheim, it is a great all-around weapon against both single targets and groups of enemies.

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It also goes great with the Iron shields available in Valheim. Players can pair it with either the Serpent Scale Shield, which is the best defensive option, or the Iron Buckler, which enables deadly parries.

6 Iron Mace

Damage: 55

Damage Type: 55 Blunt
Crafting Materials: 4 Wood, 20 Iron, 3 Leather Scraps

The Iron Mace is a huge upgrade from the Bronze Mace, with +20 Damage gained. As the best club in Valheim that can be found in the early stages of the game, it is the perfect weapon to defeat Bonemass with, as this boss is particularly susceptible to blunt force damage.

Compared with other Iron weapons in Valheim, the Iron Mace is a good all-around option as it does similar damage, but with more knockback than the Iron Sword or Battleaxe. Surprisingly, it also does the same amount of damage as the Iron Sledge, although it cannot compete with its superiority at knocking back enemies.

5 Iron Sledge

Damage: 55

Damage Type: 55 Blunt
Crafting Materials: 10 Ancient Bark, 30 Iron, 4 Ymir Flesh, 1 Draugr Elite Trophy

The Iron Sledge is the second two-handed club that players will come across and is only beaten by the aptly named Demolisher. Like all the two-handed weapons in Valheim, the Iron Sledge hits slower but much harder than one-handed alternatives.

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It also boasts an incredible Knockback rating of 200, which is great for creating space. The downside to the Iron Sledge is that players will need to find the Merchant, Haldor, as the Ymir Flesh he sells is necessary for the crafting process.

4 Iron Axe

Damage: 60

Damage Type: 60 Slash
Crafting Materials: 4 Wood, 20 Iron, 2 Leather Scraps

While the Iron Axe is first and foremost a woodcutting axe (and a very good one at that), it also makes for a solid weapon. Its single swing can be limiting, but when it connects, it will deal just as much as most Iron weapons.

The downside of using the Iron Axe, or any axe in Valheim for that matter, on both enemies and trees, is that the item will quickly wear out and need to be repaired at a Forge, which isn't always nearby in the forest.

3 Serpent Scale Shield

Block: 60

Block: 60
Crafting Materials: 10 Fine Wood, 4 Iron, 8 Serpent Scale

The Serpent Scale Shield is one of the best shields in Valheim and is in a league of its own when it comes to Iron shields. The only downside is that as a Tower Shield, it can't parry.

Although the Serpent Scale Shield requires a relatively small amount of Iron to craft, players will have to find and kill a Serpent before they can do so. Serpents can be found in the Ocean at night or when it is raining, but as their loot sinks in deep water, it is better to drag them to shore with an Abyssal Harpoon.

2 Iron Atgeir

Damage: 65

Damage Type: 65 Pierce
Crafting Materials: 10 Wood, 30 Iron, 2 Leather Scraps

In terms of simple Iron weapons that don't require advanced materials beyond Iron, the Iron Atgeir is arguably the best. Like the Bronze Atgeir, this weapon can perform deadly 360-degree sweeps, which come in handy when overwhelmed by multiple foes.

As there are only four polearms in Valheim, the Iron Atgeir will serve polearm users well for most of the game. When fully upgraded, it does almost as much Pierce damage as the legendary Himmin Afl, though without the added Lightning damage.

1 Battleaxe

Damage: 70

Damage Type: 70 Slash
Crafting Materials: 30 Ancient Bark, 35 Iron, 4 Leather Scraps

In terms of damage, no early-game Iron weapon can compete with the Battleaxe, which boasts 5 more damage than its closest competitor, the Iron Atgeir. The Battleaxe is also one of the best-looking weapons in the game and can help players feel like true Norse warriors. It will, however, set back players a fair amount of Iron, which will need to be sourced in the Swamp's Sunken Crypts.

Despite being a weapon designed for battle, the Battleaxe can also be used to chop down most of the trees in Valheim. Although it isn't as proficient at tree chopping as the simple Iron Axe and other woodcutting axes, it is extremely useful when inventory space is limited.