Valheim Eikthyr guide and how to get a pickaxe

Defeating the first Valheim boss Eikthyr is key to crafting a pickaxe - those antlers sure look like they may be turned into a handy tool… Just because this is the first boss doesn't mean its easy though. You need to master basic crafting, find summoning materials and a special alter to get Eikthyr to appear, and then, obviously fight them. It’s completely normal to feel a bit confused so here’s how to defeat Eikthyr and how to get a pickaxe in Valheim. 

With the  Valheim Ashlands update on the way you'll probably want to get tooled up to prepare. 

How to get a pickaxe in Valheim

1. Summon and defeat Eikthyr
2. Collect Hard Antlers
3. Craft an Antler Pickaxe.

Once you’ve got an axe, base, Valheim workbench, and some equipment upgrades, it’s time to start looking for that first Valheim pickaxe. Here’s how to get it: you have to defeat the first biome boss, a giant stag called Eikthyr, and then use his antlers to craft a pickaxe. 

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How to summon Eikthyr in Valheim

Here’s an overview of the steps need to summon Eikthyr: 

1. Gather Eikthyr’s Summoning Materials.
2. Find Eikthyr’s Sacrificial Altar.
3. Summon Eikthyr.

To summon Eikthyr, you need to place his Summoning Materials at a Sacrificial Altar. The Eikthyr Summoning Materials consist of two Deer Trophies, which you’ll get by hunting normal deer in the Meadows biome. Deer Trophies are a rare drop, so you’ll likely have to hunt more than two deer before you have enough.

Eikthyr’s Sacrificial Altar will become visible on your world map after interacting with a Vegvisir inside the Meadows biome. Unlike other biome bosses, Eikthyr’s Vegvisir is very easy to find, as it’s right next to the original spawn point. It’s the small stone with the red runes (see picture). The Sacrificial Altar won’t be far from your original spawn point.

How to defeat Eikthyr in Valheim

Eikthyr doesn’t have any resistances, so feel free to use any type of weapon against him. However, it’s recommended to go for a Crude Bow, as it allows you to keep your distance (especially if you don’t have a full set of Leather Armour yet). Always make sure your character is well-rested and has enough HP- and Stamina-increasing foods. The best Valheim weapons and Valheim armor you can craft at the time will also help so make sure you've got the best stuff you can get. 

Eikthyr uses the following attacks:

• A physical frontal attack using his antlers.
• An area-of-effect lightning strike.
• Horizontal, ranged lightning strikes. Avoid by hiding behind a rock.

It’s usually best to wait until Eikthyr attacks, then dodge, and then hit him. He’ll need some recovery time before the next attack. As long as you back away in time, it shouldn’t be hard to avoid damage.

How to craft the Valheim Antler Pickaxe

Upon defeat, Eikthyr will drop a stack of three Hard Antlers. Pick them up and return to your Workbench, where you can craft the Antler Pickaxe. You only need one Hard Antler for this. 

Here’s the full Valheim pickaxe crafting recipe:

• Hard Antler x1
• Wood x10
• Workbench level 1

How to get a better Valheim pickaxe

Unfortunately, as you will notice soon enough, the Antler Pickaxe isn’t the most efficient tool. It doesn’t deal much damage and suffers from a very limited durability, so it’s best to upgrade to a Bronze Pickaxe as soon as possible. For the Bronze Pickaxe, you need the following crafting materials:

• Bronze x10
• Core Wood x3
• Forge level 1

Note that Bronze is made from Copper and Tin, so it’s very important to mine both resources. You can find large Copper veins all across the Black Forest biome, while the smaller Tin deposits are typically found near shorelines.

And that is how you defeat Eikthyr and get a pickaxe in Valheim!