Introduction

Entering the Bronze Age in Valheim is a major milestone, providing access to powerful weapons, armor, and tools essential for survival. This guide covers everything you need to know about acquiring and refining tin and copper, crafting bronze, and upgrading your gear to dominate the Black Forest and beyond.

Prerequisites

Before beginning this phase, you must defeat Eikthyr (the first boss) to obtain Hard Antlers, which are required to craft the Antler Pickaxe for mining ores. If you haven’t done so, refer to our Eikthyr Boss Guide before proceeding.

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Step 1: Crafting Essential Gear

Before venturing into the Black Forest, ensure you have:

• Flint Axe (Upgraded) – The best early-game melee weapon.
• Leather Armor (Upgraded) – Enhances protection.
• Wooden Shield – Essential for blocking damage.
• Antler Pickaxe – Needed to mine Copper and Tin.

How to Craft the Antler Pickaxe

1. Gather Wood and Hard Antlers (from Eikthyr).
2. Use a Workbench to craft the Antler Pickaxe.
3. Equip and prepare to mine ores.

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Step 2: Mining Copper & Tin

Finding the Black Forest

• Locate the Black Forest biome by checking your mini-map (top-right corner).
• You’ll recognize the biome by its darker trees, tall pines, and denser foliage.

Mining Tin (Found near coastlines)

1. Head to the shorelines of the Black Forest.
2. Look for shiny rock formations labeled as Tin Deposits.
3. Mine them with the Antler Pickaxe.

Mining Copper (Found inland)

1. Search for Copper Deposits inside the Black Forest.
2. These large rocks have golden veins running through them.
3. Use the Antler Pickaxe to extract Copper Ore.
4. Mine the entire deposit, as more Copper is often hidden underground.

Pro Tip: Use map markers to label ore deposits for easy future access.

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Step 3: Building a Smelter & Charcoal Kiln

To process Tin and Copper, you need a Smelter and Charcoal Kiln.

Finding Surtling Cores

• Surtling Cores are found in Burial Chambers inside the Black Forest.
• These dungeons contain skeleton enemies and treasure chests.
• Bring a Stagbreaker (crafted from Core Wood) for AoE damage inside these tight spaces.

Crafting a Smelter & Kiln

Once you have at least 10 Surtling Cores, you can craft:

• Smelter – Used to refine Tin and Copper Ore.
• Charcoal Kiln – Used to create Coal for fueling the Smelter.

How to Build

1. Open Hammer Menu → Select Crafting.
2. Place the Smelter & Charcoal Kiln in your base.
3. Load Charcoal Kiln with Wood to produce Coal.
4. Insert Ore + Coal into the Smelter to produce Tin and Copper Bars.

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Step 4: Crafting Bronze & Essential Gear

Making Bronze

1. Craft a Forge (requires 6 Copper, 4 Stone, 4 Coal, 10 Wood).
2. Use the Forge to combine 2 Copper Bars + 1 Tin Bar = 1 Bronze Bar.

Priority Bronze Items to Craft

Item	Materials Required	Why It’s Important
Bronze Axe	4 Bronze, 4 Wood, 2 Leather Scraps	Allows you to chop Birch Trees for Fine Wood
Bronze Mace	4 Bronze, 3 Leather Scraps, 1 Deer Hide	Strong against Swamp enemies
Bronze Buckler	5 Bronze, 3 Fine Wood	Better blocking than a Wooden Shield
Bronze Armor Set	5 Bronze + 2 Deer Hide per piece	Each upgraded piece gives 12 armor
Cultivator	5 Bronze, 5 Core Wood	Used for farming crops

Pro Tip: Prioritize the Bronze Axe before armor to gain access to Fine Wood, which is needed for the Fine Wood Bow.

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Step 5: Crafting the Fine Wood Bow

One of the best early-game bows, the Fine Wood Bow offers higher damage and precision.

How to Obtain Fine Wood

• Chop Birch Trees (found in Meadows) using the Bronze Axe.

Crafting Recipe

• Fine Wood ×10
• Core Wood ×10
• Deer Hide ×2

Best Arrows to Use

Arrow Type	Materials	Best Used For
Fire Arrows	8 Wood, 8 Resin, 2 Feathers	Best against The Elder Boss
Bronze Arrows	8 Bronze, 1 Wood, 2 Feathers	Strong damage output
Flinthead Arrows	8 Flint, 1 Wood, 2 Feathers	Good all-round hunting & combat

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Step 6: Preparing for The Elder Boss

Once you’ve crafted Bronze gear and the Fine Wood Bow, you’re ready to challenge the second boss, The Elder.

Recommended Loadout

• Fine Wood Bow (Primary weapon)
• Fire Arrows (Highly effective against The Elder)
• Full Bronze Armor Set (For high durability)
• Bronze Buckler (For extra block protection)
• Stagbreaker (For handling enemy mobs)
• Healing & Stamina Meads (Boosts survival chances)

Summoning The Elder

1. Collect 3 Ancient Seeds (dropped from Greydwarf nests in Black Forest).
2. Locate The Elder’s Altar (revealed via Vegvisir runestones in Burial Chambers).
3. Offer the Ancient Seeds at the altar to start the battle.

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Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve successfully entered the Bronze Age, crafted essential tools, and prepared for The Elder boss fight. With stronger armor, weapons, and tools, you’re now equipped to explore The Swamp biome and advance toward Iron-tier gear.

Next Steps

• Defeat The Elder and obtain the Swamp Key.
• Explore The Swamp biome for Iron Ore.
• Craft Iron Weapons & Armor for the next stage of your adventure.

For the full Elder Boss Guide, check out our next article! Happy adventuring, Viking! 🛡️⚔️