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Crafting in Valheim is a very important mechanic. Though you start off with nothing but your fists and Viking spirit, you probably won’t get far without anything else. Crafting equipment with basic materials is a good start, but you’ll need to get upgrades with better quality stuff at some point or another. For a lot of these upgrades, and a bunch of other crucial items, you’ll need Fine Wood.
Related: Valheim Progression Guide
Harvesting Fine Wood in Valheim
To harvest Fine Wood, you’ll first need to get your hands on Bronze. You’ll need to chop down Birch and Oak trees for Fine Wood, and a Stone Ax won’t cut it. This means that you’ll need to put down the first boss and prepare a trip to the Black Forest. This biome contains Tin and Copper deposits, which you’ll need for your Bronze Ax.
A total of 8 Bronze is required for the ax, so you’ll need to grab 16 Copper and 8 Tin all in all. Be sure to grab another 6 Copper while you’re there if you haven’t built a forge already. If you need a hand with transport, you might want to make a cart to avoid multiple trips.
Once you’ve got your ores, head back to base and build a Forge. You need one to craft Bronze, plus craft and upgrade Bronze tools. Craft your shiny new ax and head out in search of the hardwood trees.
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Finding Birch and Oak trees in Valheim
These two hardwood trees will be your primary source of Fine Wood in Valheim. Thankfully, finding these trees is pretty easy. The starting location of the Meadows has plenty of Birch trees dotted throughout the wooded areas. Every forest of Beech will have a few thickets of Birch inside, so take the time to explore even if you can’t see any at first glance. Each Birch tree log will drop around 10 Fine Wood, giving you a steady supply. If you’re up for a long-distance expedition, you could take a trip to the Plains instead.
This biome has Birch trees in spades, almost as plentiful as Beech trees in the Meadows. The tradeoff is that the Plains is a much more dangerous biome, with plenty of enemies that can one-shot you early on. You’ll also likely need a boat to reach its shores, meaning you need to find a source of Fine Wood beforehand.
Also Read: Valheim Core Wood – How To Harvest The Conifers
Oak is the other natural source of Fine Wood in Valheim. Like Birch, it is also found occasionally in the Meadows, though it is much rarer. You can find Oak trees pretty much anywhere, both in dense woodland and standing alone in a clearing. Oak trees will provide a much larger haul of Fine Wood, averaging out to around 30 or so per tree. Just don’t expect it to be your main source of Fine Wood, unless you’re prepared to farm them with a Cultivator.
The last source of Fine Wood is uncommon and won’t net you much. This source is shipwrecks, found every so often along the shores of Black Forests. The main draw to these wrecks is the chests that can be found within, which often has a few useful valuables. You can also destroy the wrecks for some Fine Wood, though this is only useful in the very early game, before you even have Bronze.
Related: Valheim Abomination Guide
Crafting with Fine Wood
Once you’ve got a stash of Fine Wood, you can try your hand at crafting a few new items, tools, weapons, station upgrades, and building pieces. In short, it’s pretty important for improving your base and equipment. I won’t list every single thing you can build with Fine Wood – there’s a whole lot that needs it in some measure, and most Vikings won’t need everything. Instead, I’ll list the most important items and installations that you should prioritize, starting with equipment:
- Abyssal harpoon: This weapon is almost a requirement when hunting Serpents. Once you’ve hooked them, you can easily lead them to shore and collect their materials.
- Finewood Bow: A must for any Viking with a ranged preference, this bow is a massive upgrade from the makeshift bow you first have access to.
- Banded Shield/Iron Tower Shield: If you prefer getting up close and personal, either of these shields will be a welcome addition to your arsenal. You’ll need to progress to the Iron Age first, meaning a trip to the Swamp.
- Late-game weapons: If you aren’t interested in the other equipment that can be crafted with Fine Wood, you’ll still need it for the late-game arsenal. Almost every Blackmetal weapon requires Fine Wood, so you should still collect a stash at some point.
Fine Wood is also used to make a lot of more intensive builds:
- Adze: This installation upgrades the Workbench. You should make this a priority if you intend to upgrade your other equipment.
- Butcher’s table: Great for cooking up some high-quality mid-game food.
- Cartography table: Mostly good in multiplayer, as it lets you share your map knowledge with other Vikings. Looks nice in singleplayer too.
- Fermenter: This is an absolute must for any Viking. Not only does it allow you to brew Mead, a staple of Nordic culture, but it also lets you enjoy powerful buffs to healing, stamina regen, and resistances.
- Portal: Another must for the worldly Viking, the Portal will help you quickly access your bases all over the map. Note that you can’t travel through a portal with ores and ingots.
- Ward: This is another construct that is only really useful in multiplayer. It essentially makes it impossible for other players to open doors, chests, and construct new buildings in a specific radius. It can be destroyed though, so keep it hidden. You can also add friendly Vikings to the Ward, letting them through the seal.
- Karve: The Karve is the first boat you can build, not counting the Raft. This is another must for any Valheim world you intend to stay in for a while. You’ll need some kind of vessel to embark on great voyages worthy of a saga, and the Karve is your first port of call.
- Longship: Like the Karve, but better in every way other than maneuverability. It has more durability, speed, storage, and can fit a larger crew. You’ll also be able to easily outrun a Serpent, and it’s much harder to capsize in a storm. Of all the constructs that can be made with Fine Wood, this is arguably the most important.
As you can see, Fine Wood is crucial for making incredibly useful things in Valheim. This list doesn’t even scratch the surface – there’s a whole lot more to build with varying utility, and plenty of build pieces for the Viking architect. Be sure to get a steady supply early in your game for a good time.
