Gather wood, stone, and your first crafting materials
Quick answer
Start with 18 wood and 6 stone: enough for one hammer, stone axe, and workbench. Pick branches and loose stones first, then chop Beech for more wood. Collect flint along Meadows water and hunt boars for the leather scraps needed for a bow.
See it first · Use Beech for your first larger wood supply ↓
Checked on screen · Oct 16, 2026 · Valheim 1.0 per the video title
4:11–4:46 · 35 sFelling a Meadows tree with the stone axe and splitting the logCredits
“1.0 Valheim Beginner's Guide: How To Survive Your First Day” by MrCoreRPG · Sep 7, 2026 · Valheim 1.0 per the video title (uploaded Sep 7, 2026, two days before the Sep 9 launch)
Independent creator · no partnership implied
Before you start
Large rocks are a later mining job. If the object has no pickup interaction, look for the smaller loose stones rather than trying to break a boulder with the axe.
- Walk the open ground and edge of a Meadows treeline. Interact with branches for wood and the small loose stones for stone.
- Craft the stone axe once you have its materials. Continue the loop until you can make the hammer and place the workbench.
- Return to the build area, use the materials, and make the next trip from there.
Look at a loose stone or a fallen branch until “[E] Pick up” appears. In our play the branch first left a wood log on the ground, and a second E collected it.
Clip credit & limits
Kingy silent clip (15.5 s) recorded October 23, 2026 on Valheim Steam build 25909357, Windows · game © Iron Gate. Open the clip (15.5 s, no sound) ↗
Recorded on Valheim 1.0.20 with a new character in a new world. Auto-pickup was on (V toggles it); every branch we picked left its log on the ground for a second E.
Checked on screen · Oct 16, 2026 · Valheim 1.0
0:28–0:35 · 7 sPicking up a loose stone at the starting stonesBeside a chained standing stone at the starting circle, pick up a small loose rock at its “Stone [E] Pick up” prompt without a pickaxe; “Added Stone” appears.
Fusion ThunderFull video ↗Credits
“How To Build Your First Workbench in Valheim 1.0 | Ultimate Beginner's Guide.” by Fusion Thunder · Sep 15, 2026 · Valheim 1.0 (uploaded Sep 15, 2026)
Independent creator · no partnership implied
Mechanics sources: Valheim Wiki: MeadowsValheim Wiki: Stone
Stuck? How do I get stone without a pickaxe?
Hint 1
Stop hitting the big rocks. Your first stone is already lying on the ground.
Hint 2
Small loose stones in the Meadows, including around the starting stone circle, have a Pick up prompt. Large rocks need a pickaxe, which comes later.
Point at a tree to check its name before chopping. The stone axe can cut Beech; it can also cut Fir and Pine, but you do not need to enter the Black Forest just to build a starter home. Birch and Oak are unsuitable for ordinary stone-axe harvesting.
Choose a tree with room to step away. Move out of its path when it begins to fall, let the logs settle, then chop the logs into collectible material. Falling trees can kill you, so keep the cutting area away from your bed and workbench.
Take manageable loads home and repair the axe when you return. Save some ordinary wood for fire fuel instead of spending the final pieces on extra walls.
Checked on screen · Oct 16, 2026 · Valheim 1.0 per the video title
4:11–4:46 · 35 sFelling a Meadows tree with the stone axe and splitting the logChop a Meadows tree with the stone axe until the trunk falls beside its stump, then chop the log into sections; “Added Wood x10” appears.
MrCoreRPGFull video ↗Credits
“1.0 Valheim Beginner's Guide: How To Survive Your First Day” by MrCoreRPG · Sep 7, 2026 · Valheim 1.0 per the video title (uploaded Sep 7, 2026, two days before the Sep 9 launch)
Independent creator · no partnership implied
Mechanics sources: Valheim Wiki: ToolsGamesRadar+: Valheim beginner tipsValheim Wiki: Wood
When a recipe or equipment upgrade calls for a level 2 workbench, build a chopping block adjacent to the bench. Place it within two meters and check that the bench now displays level 2.
That improves the station; your existing gear does not upgrade automatically. Open the Upgrade menu with the item and its listed materials in your inventory, then choose the equipment you want to improve.
10 Wood + 10 FlintHammer; within workbench rangeChecked on screen · Oct 18, 2026 · Valheim 1.0
0:36–0:56 · 20 sPlacing a chopping block beside the workbench and seeing level 2With the hammer, choose the Chopping Block (10 Wood, 10 Flint) and place it right against your workbench, then open the workbench: its level star now shows 2.
Fanarotis GamingFull video ↗Credits
“How to Upgrade Workbench to Level 2 in Valheim” by Fanarotis Gaming · Oct 12, 2026 · Valheim 1.0 (uploaded Oct 12, 2026, after the Sep 9 launch)
Independent creator · no partnership implied
Mechanics sources: Valheim Wiki: Chopping blockValheim Wiki: Crafting menu
- Eat, equip a usable melee weapon, and hunt boars close enough to return easily. Let an isolated boar approach rather than pursuing it into unfamiliar ground.
- Collect the leather scraps for a crude bow. Craft it at the covered workbench, then make wood arrows there.
- Find a deer with a clear shot. Approach quietly, stop before it flees, and draw the bow fully before releasing. If it runs, reset the approach instead of spending your whole stamina bar chasing it.
- Collect both the meat and hide. Keep any deer trophies for the later Eikthyr objective.
10 Wood + 8 Leather scrapsWorkbench level 18 WoodWorkbench level 1Checked on screen · Oct 16, 2026 · Valheim 1.0
5:28–5:40 · 12 sShooting a deer from range, then collecting the meatFrom a Meadows hillside, draw your bow on a distant Deer; once it falls, pick up the drop and “Added Deer Meat” appears.
Chupacabra TutorialsFull video ↗Credits
“HUNT DEER & GET A BOW FAST! 🏹 Valheim 1.0 Beginner Hunting Guide” by Chupacabra Tutorials · Sep 18, 2026 · Valheim 1.0 (uploaded Sep 18, 2026)
Independent creator · no partnership implied
Mechanics sources: Valheim Wiki: Leather scrapsValheim Wiki: MaterialsValheim Wiki: Crude bowGamesRadar+: Valheim beginner tips
You’re ready when…
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