Blackmetal Sword
The Blackmetal Sword is the pinnacle of one-handed swordcraft in Valheim's pre-Mistlands era, delivering a devastating 95 slash damage at maximum quality. Forged from the mysterious Black Metal harvested from the Plains biome's Fuling inhabitants, this weapon represents the cutting edge of Viking metallurgy. Its sleek dark blade and superior damage output make it the weapon of choice for warriors who prefer the speed and elegance of swords over the brute force of maces and axes.
In Valheim's weapon hierarchy, the Blackmetal Sword sits at the top tier alongside the Porcupine and Frostner, though each serves a different combat niche. The Blackmetal Sword deals pure slash damage, which is particularly effective against unarmored or lightly armored enemies. Its attack speed of 1.82 seconds per swing is noticeably faster than the mace class (2.04 seconds), giving it a higher sustained damage-per-second against targets that do not resist slash damage. Against Fulings in the Plains — the primary threat when you first gain access to this weapon — the Blackmetal Sword is extraordinarily effective, often killing standard Fulings in 2-3 hits.
Valheim's biome progression — Meadows → Black Forest → Swamp → Mountain → Plains → Mistlands → Ashlands — places the Blackmetal Sword firmly in the Plains era of your Viking journey. Unlike the Frostner which is crafted at the Forge using Mountain resources, or the Porcupine which requires Yagluth's defeat, the Blackmetal Sword is accessible as soon as you reach the Plains and begin raiding Fuling villages. This earlier accessibility makes it an attractive stepping-stone weapon for players entering the Plains for the first time, providing a significant power spike before the final push to defeat Yagluth.
The Blackmetal Sword requires three materials: Black Metal, Fine Wood, and Linen Thread. Black Metal is obtained by smelting Black Metal Scrap, which drops from Fulings, Fuling Berserkers, and Fuling Shamans in the Plains, and can also be mined from scrap piles in Fuling villages. Fine Wood comes from Birch and Oak trees in the Meadows. Linen Thread is produced by processing Flax in a Spinning Wheel — Flax is found growing in Fuling villages in the Plains. The intersection of these three materials tells the story of a Viking who has mastered the Meadows, conquered the Swamp for Iron tools, survived the Mountains, and now stands ready to challenge the Plains.
In the boss progression — Eikthyr (Meadows) → The Elder (Black Forest) → Bonemass (Swamp) → Moder (Mountain) → Yagluth (Plains) — the Blackmetal Sword becomes craftable after defeating Moder. Moder drops the Dragon Tear, which is required to build the Artisan Table. The Artisan Table in turn unlocks the Spinning Wheel (for Linen Thread) and the Windmill (for Barley Flour). Without the Spinning Wheel, you cannot produce Linen Thread, and without Linen Thread, you cannot craft the Blackmetal Sword. This dependency chain ensures that the Blackmetal Sword is a true late-game achievement.
Crafting Recipe
The Blackmetal Sword is crafted at the Forge, requiring Forge Level 4 (the same level as the Frostner). This means building the Smith's Anvil upgrade at your Forge. The crafting recipe scales through four quality levels, each requiring additional materials and providing increased slash damage.
Crafting Station: Forge (Level 4+)
Requires: Smith's Anvil upgrade (20 Iron + 5 Wood)
Requires: Artisan Table built (2 Dragon Tears) to unlock Spinning Wheel for Linen Thread
| Quality | Black Metal | Fine Wood | Linen Thread | Slash DMG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ★ | 20 | 2 | 5 | 95 |
| 2 ★★ | 40 | 4 | 10 | 98 |
| 3 ★★★ | 60 | 6 | 15 | 101 |
| 4 ★★★★ | 80 | 8 | 20 | 104 |
Total materials for Quality 4 (maximum): 200 Black Metal + 20 Fine Wood + 50 Linen Thread. The Blackmetal Sword has a base durability of 200, a backstab bonus of 3x, and an attack speed of 1.82 seconds per swing — the fastest among endgame one-handed weapons. Its sword moveset consists of a three-slash combo with the final strike dealing increased damage and moderate knockback. The secondary attack is a thrusting lunge that deals 1.5x damage, pierces through multiple enemies in a line, and consumes more stamina. This thrust attack is exceptional for initiating combat from stealth and for fighting groups of lined-up enemies.
Materials & Where to Find Them
Black Metal — Fuling Villages
Black Metal is produced by smelting Black Metal Scrap in a Blast Furnace. The Blast Furnace is unlocked after defeating Moder and building the Artisan Table. Black Metal Scrap drops from all Fuling variants in the Plains: standard Fulings (1-2 scrap), Fuling Berserkers (2-3 scrap), and Fuling Shamans (2-3 scrap). Scrap can also be mined from Black Metal scrap piles found in Fuling villages.
Farming Strategy: The most efficient Black Metal farming method is raiding Fuling villages. A typical village contains 5-10 Fulings, 1-2 Berserkers, and 1 Shaman, plus 2-4 Black Metal scrap piles. A single village raid can yield 15-30 Black Metal Scrap. Build a portal near a village and make repeated raids, allowing the Fulings to respawn every in-game day (approximately 30 real-time minutes). For 200 Black Metal bars, you need 200 Black Metal Scrap, requiring roughly 8-12 village raids.
Combat Tips: Fuling Berserkers deal massive damage and should be engaged with a shield and careful timing. Fuling Shamans cast fireball spells and healing magic — prioritize killing them first. Standard Fulings are relatively weak but attack in groups. Use the terrain to funnel enemies into choke points. A Frostner or Iron Mace with a good shield is the recommended loadout for village raids.
Fine Wood — Meadows
Fine Wood drops from Birch and Oak trees, harvested with a Bronze Axe or better. Each Birch yields 10-15 Fine Wood; each Oak yields 20-25. You need only 20 Fine Wood for Quality 4, which is 1-2 Oak trees. This is the easiest material to gather — most players already have Fine Wood stockpiled from earlier biome progression.
Linen Thread — Flax Processing
Linen Thread is produced by placing Flax in a Spinning Wheel. The Spinning Wheel is unlocked after building the Artisan Table (requires Dragon Tear from Moder). Each Spinning Wheel converts 1 Flax into 1 Linen Thread over approximately 30 seconds. You need 50 Linen Thread for Quality 4, which requires 50 Flax.
Flax is found growing in Fuling villages in the Plains biome. Each village typically has 5-15 Flax plants, each yielding 1 Flax when harvested. Flax does not regrow — it must be found in new villages after harvesting. Build multiple Spinning Wheels (3-4) running in parallel to process Flax quickly. For 50 Linen Thread, raid 4-6 Fuling villages for their Flax crops.
Pro Tip: Flax can be replanted in your own base using a Cultivator (unlocked with Bronze), allowing you to farm it sustainably. However, Flax only grows in Plains biome conditions, so you must build your farm in the Plains or very close to the Plains border. This is highly recommended for long-term Linen Thread production for the entire Padded Armor set and multiple Blackmetal weapons.
Optimal Route
Full Biome Progression
Meadows → Black Forest → Swamp → Mountain → Plains → Mistlands → Ashlands
Step-by-Step Route
- Step 1-3: Standard Progression — Defeat Eikthyr, craft Bronze, defeat The Elder, farm Iron from Swamp Crypts.
- Step 4: Defeat Bonemass — Use Withered Bones to summon. Get Wishbone for Silver mining.
- Step 5: Mountain Phase — Mine Silver, hunt Drakes, collect Wolf Pelts. Craft Frostner and Wolf Armor for Mountain survival.
- Step 6: Defeat Moder — Use 3 Dragon Eggs to summon. Get Dragon Tear for Artisan Table.
- Step 7: Build Artisan Table + Spinning Wheel — Construct Artisan Table (2 Dragon Tears + 10 Wood). Build Spinning Wheel for Linen Thread production.
- Step 8: Plains Exploration — Set up Plains outpost with portal. Raid Fuling villages for Black Metal Scrap and Flax. Build Blast Furnace for smelting.
- Step 9: Craft Blackmetal Sword — Smelt Black Metal, process Flax into Linen Thread, gather Fine Wood. Forge Quality 1-4 at the Forge.
The Blackmetal Sword journey from defeating Moder to Quality 4 takes approximately 10-15 hours of focused gameplay. Village raiding is the most variable factor — some players find dense Fuling villages with abundant Flax and Black Metal, while others must search extensively. Building a portal network near multiple villages dramatically speeds up the process.
Gotchas & Common Mistakes
Gotcha 1: Forgetting the Artisan Table
Many players reach the Plains and start raiding Fuling villages for Black Metal, only to realize they cannot craft the Blackmetal Sword because they have not built the Artisan Table. The Artisan Table requires Dragon Tears from Moder. If you have not defeated Moder yet, you cannot produce Linen Thread, and without Linen Thread, the Blackmetal Sword recipe will not even appear at the Forge.
Gotcha 2: Not Building a Blast Furnace
Black Metal Scrap cannot be smelted in a regular Smelter — it requires a Blast Furnace. The Blast Furnace is unlocked after building the Artisan Table and requires 20 Stone, 5 Surtling Cores, 10 Iron, and 20 Fine Wood. Build this immediately upon reaching the Plains, or you will accumulate stacks of unusable Black Metal Scrap.
Gotcha 3: Fuling Berserker Ambush
Fuling Berserkers are the most dangerous non-boss enemies in the Plains. They have massive health pools, deal enormous damage, and can destroy unprepared players in seconds. Always scout a village before attacking — identify Berserker positions and plan your engagement. Never fight a Berserker without a shield and stamina-restoring food. Their attacks can be parried, but the timing window is tight.
Gotcha 4: Deathsquitos While Farming
Fuling villages are Deathsquito hotspots. When raiding a village for Black Metal and Flax, Deathsquitos will frequently join the fight. Always carry a bow to deal with Deathsquitos before engaging Fulings, or lure the Fulings away from village edges where Deathsquitos patrol. The combination of Deathsquitos and Fuling Shamans casting fireballs is one of the deadliest encounters in Valheim.
Gotcha 5: Destroying Flax by Accident
Flax plants are fragile and can be destroyed by area attacks, rolling boulders, and explosions from Fuling Shaman fireballs. When fighting in a Fuling village, be careful where you swing your weapon — accidentally destroying Flax reduces your Linen Thread yield. Use targeted attacks rather than wide swings when near Flax crops.
Gotcha 6: Forgetting the Spinning Wheel Queue
The Spinning Wheel has a queue system — you can load up to 40 Flax at once, and it will process them automatically over time. Many players load 5-10 Flax and then sit waiting. Instead, load the maximum and go do other activities (raid more villages, mine more Black Metal) while the Spinning Wheel works. Each Linen Thread takes about 30 seconds to produce, so 40 Flax takes 20 minutes of real time.
Free Benefits & Unlocks
1. Blackmetal Tool Set
While farming Black Metal for the sword, you will inevitably collect enough material to craft the Blackmetal Axe and Blackmetal Pickaxe as well. These are the best pre-Mistlands tools in the game, with superior damage and durability. The Blackmetal Axe chops trees faster than any other axe, and the Blackmetal Pickaxe mines ore veins with exceptional speed.
2. Padded Armor via Linen Thread
The Spinning Wheel that produces Linen Thread for the Blackmetal Sword also produces the Linen Thread needed for the Padded Armor set. The Padded Armor set provides 26 armor per piece — the best physical protection before the Mistlands Carapace Armor. While farming for your sword, you are simultaneously farming for the best armor in the game.
3. Fuling Village as Farming Ground
A cleared Fuling village with a portal becomes an infinite farming resource. Fulings respawn every in-game day, providing Black Metal Scrap, Fuling Totems (for summoning Yagluth), Flax, and occasionally valuable drops like gems and coins. Establishing a portal network near 3-4 villages creates a farming circuit that yields all the resources needed for the endgame.
4. Barley and Windmill Access
Fuling villages also grow Barley, which requires the Windmill (also unlocked by the Artisan Table) to process into Barley Flour. Barley Flour is used to craft the highest-tier food in the game: Lox Meat Pie, Fish Wraps, and Blood Pudding. The combined food buffs from these dishes provide 80+ maximum HP and 200+ maximum stamina, which is essential for surviving the Mistlands and Ashlands.
5. Plains Boss Preparation
The process of raiding Fuling villages for Black Metal naturally accumulates Fuling Totems — you need 5 to summon Yagluth. By the time you have crafted a Quality 4 Blackmetal Sword, you will almost certainly have enough Fuling Totems to challenge the Plains boss. The sword itself is an excellent weapon for the Yagluth fight, dealing consistent slash damage to the boss's large hitbox.
6. Swords Skill Progression
Using the Blackmetal Sword extensively raises your Swords skill, which increases damage and reduces stamina consumption for all sword-type weapons. A high Swords skill (50+) makes the Blackmetal Sword even more efficient and prepares you for any future sword-tier weapons added to the game.
The Blackmetal Sword represents the elegance of Viking warfare — swift, precise, and lethal. While the Porcupine may deal more total damage and the Frostner offers crowd control, the Blackmetal Sword's speed and slash damage profile make it the ideal weapon for players who value mobility and finesse. Every swing of its dark blade is a testament to your journey from the peaceful Meadows to the hostile Plains, and every Fuling defeated is another step toward Viking legend.