Slayer: Crafting, Stats & Best Enchantment for Valheim's Ashlands Two-Handed Sword

Why the Slayer Deserves Your Attention

The Slayer is the Ashlands two-handed sword and a big step up from Krom. Base Slash rises from 150 to 170, and the secondary thrust deals 510 Slash at quality 1. In the Ashlands, that thrust is the best melee attack for deleting individual targets.

More than a damage stick

It is also a capable defensive tool. Parry armor of 128 at zero Swords skill (192 at max) with a 2x parry bonus lets you parry attacks and follow up with the thrust. Veterans call parry-into-thrust the highest single-target melee sequence in the Ashlands.

Light and nimble

The blade provides light, useful in dark Charred Fortresses. At 4 weight and only -5% movement, the same penalty as Krom, it is surprisingly nimble for its power.

How to Get the Materials

Each upgrade costs more than the last. Reaching quality 3 takes 75 Flametal, 20 Asksvin Hide and 12 Morgen Sinew in total; quality 4 takes 120 Flametal, 35 Asksvin Hide and 21 Morgen Sinew.

• Flametal: smelt Flametal Ore in a Blast Furnace. The ore is found across the Ashlands, often near lava flows and in Charred Fortresses.
• Asksvin Hide: Asksvin, the fast, aggressive lizards that roam the Ashlands in packs, drop 2 per kill. Asksvin Hatchlings have a 20% chance to drop 1.
• Morgen Sinew: each Morgen drops 1. They are among the toughest regular Ashlands enemies, so bring strong food and armor.

Black Forge levels

Quality 2 needs Black Forge level 4, quality 3 level 5 and quality 4 level 6. Level 4 means the Black Forge Cooler, Vice and Metal Cutter are built nearby, and level 5 adds the Gem Cutter. The Metal Cutter costs 5 Flametal, 5 Black Marble, 5 Ashwood and 4 Charred Bone.

Combat Techniques and Attack Patterns

Primary combo

Three wide vertical slashes. The first two cover a 90-degree arc at 2.6 range, catching enemies that sidestep. The third is narrower but deals double damage with 20% extra knockback; landing it consistently separates good Slayer players from mediocre ones.

Secondary thrust

The real star: a 3.0-range, 30-degree thrust for 3x damage that outreaches most enemies. Against single targets such as Charred Warriors, Asksvin and bosses, parry their attack, then thrust into the stagger opening.

Groups

The primary swings have no multitarget penalty, so every enemy in the arc takes full damage. The third hit's knockback buys breathing room when surrounded.

Commit to every swing

The Slayer is not a fast weapon: 3.44 seconds per combo and 2.16 per thrust. Positioning and timing matter far more than button mashing. Play hit-and-run: go in, land your damage, back off before the next wave of attacks.

Gemstone Variants: Which Enchantment Should You Choose?

At the Black Forge you can enchant the Slayer with one of three gemstones, each creating a variant with its own effect.

Enchant first, upgrade second

Enchanting resets the weapon to quality 1. Craft the Slayer, enchant it straight away, then upgrade the enchanted version.

Variant costs

Each variant needs a base Slayer, 15 Flametal and 1 gemstone, crafted at Black Forge level 4. Their first upgrade already needs level 5, so build the Gem Cutter.

Upgrades escalate: 15 Flametal and 1 gemstone for quality 2, 30 and 2 for quality 3, and 45 and 3 for quality 4. That is 105 Flametal and 7 gemstones in total, with quality 4 needing Black Forge level 7.

My Enchantment Recommendation

Scourging Slayer (Iolite): best for most players

The 25% Chain Lightning proc adds consistent extra damage, and because it jumps to nearby enemies it partly offsets the narrow thrust arc. The flat Lightning on every hit helps against Slash-resistant enemies, and the blue glow lights your way.

Primal Slayer (Jade): the safe choice

A 20% chance to Immobilize roots enemies in place for free follow-ups, plus a little Poison on every hit. Open with the thrust; if the root triggers, unload the full combo. Against Charred Warriors it can shut down their counterattacks entirely.

Brutal Slayer (Bloodstone): high risk, high reward

You gain 0.2% damage per missing HP point (actual HP, not percentage). Missing 100 HP means 20% more, turning 170 Slash into 204. On a staggered enemy hits can reach 400+, and the doubled third combo hit passes 800. The catch: you must fight at low health, usually behind a Staff of Protection bubble.

Slayer vs Krom and the Nord Greatsword

Upgrading from Krom

Absolutely worth it. A fresh Slayer already out-hits a quality 4 Krom (168 Slash, 504 thrust), and it blocks better too: 64 block armor against 52, and 128 parry armor against 104. If you play parry-thrust, you can parry much harder hits.

Krom's one advantage is availability: Black Forge level 1 and Mistlands materials. Use it through the Mistlands and switch to the Slayer once you reach the Ashlands.

The Deep North successor

In 1.0 the Nord Greatsword takes over. It needs Black Forge level 4, Bloodgold, Frozen Branch and a Mould: Nord Greatsword, and starts at 210 Slash with 76 block armor at the same stamina cost and movement penalty. The Frostfire Greatsword and Thunderblood Greatsword follow it.

Best Armor Pairings and Build Tips

With no shield to fall back on, armor matters more than usual. The Ask set is arguably the best pairing: its stamina reduction bonus tackles the greatsword's biggest weakness, letting you land 3-4 primary swings or a parry plus thrust without running dry. Add a defensive cape and you become a durable frontliner.

Food

• Standard build: 2 health foods and 1 stamina food. High per-hit damage means you rarely attack nonstop, and extra HP absorbs the hits you take while committing to slow swings.
• Brutal Slayer build: 1 health, 1 stamina and 1 Eitr food, so you run lower HP and can keep a bubble shield up.

Mage hybrid

Use staffs while you have Eitr, then swap to the Slayer while it recovers. The thrust is an excellent finisher after elemental damage, and some players keep a Scourging Slayer specifically to pair with Storm staff builds.