How to upgrade your forge in Valheim
Smith essential tools and armor at your Valheim forge.
After building a basic home and collecting some food, a Valheim forge is one of the first structures you should consider making. Second to the workbench, your forge is a vital crafting station that lets you make the best Valheim armor, weapons, and tools so that you can continue to improve your settlement.
As you sink more hours into your adventures in Viking purgatory, you'll want to upgrade your forge and begin crafting more valuable structures and items. Whether you're ready to start chopping down birch trees with a bronze axe, or you're keen to wield the formidable Porcupine mace, here's how to craft and upgrade a forge in Valheim.
How to craft a forge
How to make a Valheim forge
The forge is similar to the workbench in that it can be used to craft new items, as well as repair them. Most notably, the forge is used to turn your freshly smelted iron, bronze, and copper bars into durable armor and weapons. To make a forge you need:
- Equipment: Workbench
- Coal x4: Overcook meat or place wood in a charcoal kiln. Also dropped by surtlings and found in chests.
- Copper x6: Mine copper ore and smelt it using a smelter.
- Stone x4: Find on the ground.
- Wood x10: Chop down trees.
How to upgrade your forge
How to upgrade your Valheim forge
Valheim boss: Summon and defeat them all
Valheim dedicated server: How to get one working
Valheim seeds: How to plant them
Valheim Elder: Summon and beat the second boss
Valheim boar: How to tame one
Valheim commands: Handy cheat codes
While it's tempting to tuck your forge away neatly in a corner, it's a good idea to leave some room around it. Just like the workbench, you can fill the room with additional structures that level up this heavyweight crafting table, which unlocks more recipes and upgrade options. You can craft and place these items in any order, and once you have one of each, you'll have a level seven forge.
The main thing to remember is that you need to place the structures close to the forge. Keep an eye out for a sparkly line linking the forge to each item to check you've done it correctly (above). Here are all the items you need to fully upgrade your forge, and the resources required for each:
- Anvils: Wood x5, bronze x2.
- Forge bellows: Wood x5, deer hide x5, chain x4.
- Forge cooler: Fine Wood x25, copper x10.
- Forge toolrack: Wood x10, iron x15.
- Grinding wheel: Wood x25, sharpening stone x1 (requires a stonecutter).
- Smith's anvil: Wood x5, iron x20.
The anvils are the best structure to focus on first as they only require a small amount of wood and bronze. The forge bellows are more challenging to craft as this item requires four chains. This item can be found in the Sunken Crypts in the Swamp, and they're occasionally dropped by Wraiths. But be warned: this area is notoriously difficult to traverse. Find out how to survive the biome in Chris' Valheim Swamp guide.
Forge recipes
Forge recipes and level requirements
Once you've crafted a forge you can put your stash of valuable metals to good use. If you're not sure what to craft or repair at your brand new station, here are a few suggestions to help you get started:
| Item | Recipe | Crafting level | Repair level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze armor set (helmet, plate cuirass, plate leggings) | Bronze x15, deer hide x6 | One | One |
| Iron armor set (helmet, greaves, scale mail) | Deer hide x6, iron x60 | One | Two |
| Wolf armor set (cape, chest, leggings) | Silver x44, wolf pelt x16, wolf fang x4, wolf trophy x1, chain x1 | Two | Two |
| Padded armor set (helmet, cuirass, greaves) | Iron x30, linen thread x55 | Two | Two |
| Item | Recipe | Crafting level | Repair level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze axe | Bronze x8, leather scraps x2, wood x4 | One | One |
| Cultivator | Bronze x5, core wood x5 | One | One |
| Item | Recipe | Crafting level | Repair level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Draugr Fang bow | Ancient bark x10, deer hide x2, guck x10, silver x20 | Two | Two |
| Silver sword | Iron x5, leather scraps x3, wood x2, silver x40 | Three | Three |
| Serpent scale shield | Fine wood x10, iron x4, serpent scale x8 | Three | Three |
| Item | Recipe | Crafting level | Repair level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze nails (20) | Bronze x1 | One | - |