Summary
After beating the bosses Eikthyr and The Elder inValheim, 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.
While many weapons inValheimare 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 inValheim, here’s how they rank when compared against each other.
Updated July 28, 2025 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.
8Ancient Bark Spear
Damage: 55
Spears aren’t known for doing the most damage inValheim, 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 inValheim. 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.
7Iron Sword
The Iron Sword is a classic inValheim.Simple but elegant, it is heavily reliable in both the Swamp and Mountain biomes. Likeall the swords inValheim, it is a great all-around weapon against both single targets and groups of enemies.
It also goes great with the Iron shields available inValheim.Players can pair it with either the Serpent Scale Shield, which is the best defensive option, or the Iron Buckler, which enables deadly parries.
6Iron Mace
The Iron Mace is a huge upgrade from the Bronze Mace, with +20 Damage gained. Asthe best club inValheimthat 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 inValheim, 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.
5Iron Sledge
The Iron Sledge is the second two-handed club that players will come across and is only beaten by the aptly named Demolisher. Likeall the two-handed weapons inValheim, the Iron Sledge hits slower but much harder than one-handed alternatives.
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.
4Iron Axe
Damage: 60
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, orany axe inValheimfor 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.
3Serpent Scale Shield
Block: 60
The Serpent Scale Shield is one ofthe best shields inValheimand 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.
2Iron Atgeir
Damage: 65
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 inValheim, the Iron Atgeir will serve polearm users well for most of the game. When fully upgraded, it does almost as much Pierce damage asthe legendary Himmin Afl, though without the added Lightning damage.
1Battleaxe
Damage: 70
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 besourced 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 inValheim.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.
