Iron Pickaxe

The Iron pickaxe is the third pickaxe available in Valheim, following the Antler Pickaxe and the Bronze Pickaxe. It is the first pickaxe that can mine Silver and Obsidian, making it an important upgrade for progression into the Mountain biome and beyond.

The recipe is unlocked by discovering Corewood and Iron, and it is crafted at a Forge at level 2 or higher. Like other pickaxes, it is used primarily for mining stone and ore deposits, but its higher damage makes it more effective on tougher nodes than the earlier pickaxes. It can mine Stone, Copper, Tin, Muddy scrap piles, Abyssal barnacles, Obsidian, and Silver.

• Attack type: Pickaxe
• Stamina cost: 6–14
• Range: 1.8 m
• Attack speed: 1.4 s
• Damage type: Pickaxe/Pierce
• Base damage: 33
• Damage at max upgrade: 48
• Staggering: 1x
• Knockback: 50
• Attack arc: 20 degrees
• Weight: 2
• Defense value: 10
• Parry bonus: 2x
• Parry force: 20–35
• Backstab: 3x
• Movement speed penalty: -5%

The pickaxe’s attack hitbox reaches below the player’s feet, which allows digging downward. This also means the attack can strike the ground when the player is not above or very close to the target, causing a 33% damage penalty. Positioning matters when mining to avoid losing damage on the swing.

Upgrading the Iron pickaxe improves both durability and mining effectiveness. Each quality level increases its durability and damage, and higher upgrades also require a better Forge.

• Quality 1: 150 durability, 33 damage, 3 Corewood and 20 Iron, Forge level 2
• Quality 2: 200 durability, 38 damage, 1 Corewood and 10 Iron, Forge level 3
• Quality 3: 250 durability, 43 damage, 2 Corewood and 20 Iron, Forge level 4
• Quality 4: 300 durability, 48 damage, 3 Corewood and 30 Iron, Forge level 5

Because it unlocks Silver and Obsidian mining, the Iron pickaxe is usually the point where mining becomes a major part of mountain progression. It is also a natural upgrade for clearing harder deposits more efficiently, since its stamina cost remains modest compared with its mining power.