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The first boss · Survival journey

Defeat Eikthyr and unlock your first pickaxe

Pre-1.0 reference · not revalidated for 1.0 · Evidence scope ↓

Quick answer

Use the glowing Vegvisir at the starting stone circle to locate an Eikthyr altar. Bring two deer trophies, food, repaired equipment and a plan for getting back. Defeat the boss, collect the hard antlers, and craft an antler pickaxe at a workbench.

Find the first boss altar, prepare a recoverable fight, read Eikthyr’s attacks and turn the hard antler drop into a pickaxe.

Research-based guide · Pre-1.0 mechanics reference; 1.0 compatibility is not yet verified · Version & review context

Before you start

  • A claimed bed and sheltered workbench; use the first-shelter guide if either is missing.
  • Two deer trophies in your inventory. Hunt deer with your first bow and keep hunting until you have both trophies; they are not guaranteed from every kill. Deer hide and boar trophies are different items.
  • Repaired equipment, food ready to eat, and a weapon whose controls you already know.
  • A map-enabled world for the map directions below. In a no-map world, use landmarks and retrace your approach.

Find the altar before carrying the offering

At the Sacrificial Stones where you arrived, interact with the small glowing Vegvisir beside Eikthyr’s stone. It marks a nearby summoning altar in the Meadows. The trophy hook at the starting circle is for the reward after the fight; it is not the summoning altar.

Our recommended preparation is a scouting trip with the trophies left at home. Walk the arena and route back, remove nearby threats, and choose open ground where you can see the boss. Keep the fight away from your home and storage.

Mechanics sources: Valheim Wiki: EikthyrGamesRadar+: Eikthyr and the first pickaxe

Prepare for one controlled attempt

A crude bow and wood arrows let you work at a distance; a melee weapon with a wood shield is an alternative if you have practised blocking. Neither choice replaces food or stamina management. Our recommendation is to rehearse with the weapon on ordinary Meadows enemies before spending the trophies.

Use food and the Rested effect before leaving. Wear your available armor, repair the weapon and shield or bow, and pack spare food. Our suggested first bow attempt starts with 80 wood arrows: four crafting batches costing 32 wood. This is an allowance for misses, not a guaranteed minimum or maximum; carry another batch if your practice shots are inconsistent. Leave backup food and a spare weapon at your bed for a recovery trip.

Recipes for this step
MakeMaterials per craftStation
1 × Crude bow10 Wood + 8 Leather scrapsWorkbench level 1
20 × Wood arrow8 WoodWorkbench level 1
1 × Flint spear5 Wood + 10 Flint + 2 Leather scrapsWorkbench level 1
1 × Wood shield10 Wood + 4 Resin + 4 Leather scrapsWorkbench level 1

Summon once, then make room to respond

  1. At the marked altar, place the two deer trophies on a quick-use slot and use that slot while aiming at the offering altar. Wait for the summon; do not repeat the offering.
  2. For the opening exchanges, watch before attacking. Eikthyr can swipe with his antlers, fire a forward lightning attack and release a lightning stomp around himself.
  3. Keep a route into open ground. Reposition around the forward attack; make distance when he prepares the surrounding stomp. If staying close, face the boss and block or dodge according to the attack and your equipment.
  4. Take a short attack opportunity, then let stamina recover. With a bow, stop drawing when you need to move. With melee, stop swinging before you exhaust the stamina needed to defend.
  5. If control of the fight is slipping, use your scouted escape route and recover. Chasing the last sliver of health is less valuable than keeping enough stamina for the next attack.

Mechanics sources: Valheim Wiki: EikthyrGamesRadar+: Eikthyr and the first pickaxe

Pick up both rewards and make the tool

Eikthyr drops his trophy and three hard antlers. Bring the trophy back to its hook at the starting stone circle, hang it, then interact with the stone to select the Forsaken power. Pick up a hard antler to discover the antler pickaxe recipe.

Return to the sheltered workbench with wood and a hard antler. Craft the pickaxe below, then store the spare antlers for replacements. Your next useful objective is a short Black Forest trip for cores and ore, rather than another boss summon.

Recipes for this step
MakeMaterials per craftStation
1 × Antler pickaxe10 Wood + 1 Hard antlerWorkbench level 1

Mechanics sources: Valheim Wiki: EikthyrValheim Wiki: Antler pickaxe

You are ready when…

0 of 3 ready

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When something goes wrong

The offering is rejected.

Check that you are at the summoning altar and using two deer trophies. The standing reward stones at the starting circle are a different location.

The pickaxe recipe is missing.

Pick up the hard antler yourself, gather wood and use a sheltered workbench. The trophy does not substitute for an antler.

You died and the boss is still nearby.

In a world that drops recoverable gear, eat from your reserve, rest and approach deliberately. Retrieve equipment before trying to finish the fight. Avoid repeated empty-handed runs; stronger death modifiers can permanently remove items.

Next stepGet cores, copper and tin

Sources & checks

Default survival rules · 1.0 release context checked 9 September 2026. Each source carries its own check date below; those dates do not certify every mechanic on this page for the current build. Shopping targets, route choices, and combat tactics are editorial recommendations. No firsthand gameplay test is claimed. How to read the evidence.

  1. Valheim Wiki: Eikthyr

    Altar location, two deer trophies, three attacks, trophy and three hard antlers, and the trophy power unlock.

    Community reference · Checked . Full relevant indexed page text or table inspected. Community mechanics reference; no matching gameplay snapshot was captured.

  2. Valheim Wiki: Antler pickaxe

    Antler pickaxe recipe, mining copper and tin, and workbench repairs.

    Community reference · Checked . Full relevant indexed page text or table inspected. Community mechanics reference; no matching gameplay snapshot was captured.

  3. Valheim Wiki: World Modifiers

    Portal-item modifier changes restrictions; death penalties and map settings vary by world.

    Community reference · Checked . Full relevant indexed page text or table inspected. Community mechanics reference; no matching gameplay snapshot was captured.

  4. GamesRadar+: Eikthyr and the first pickaxe

    Two deer trophies, three hard antlers and the first pickaxe progression.

    Community reference · Checked . Independent guide inspected directly; used to corroborate the offering, boss rewards and preparation advice.