On this page6 sections
- Spears are one-handed, fast and throwable, so you get ranged damage with no ammo and can still carry a shield.
- Use them on Pierce-weak enemies like
Trolls; Bonemass is very resistant to Pierce, so always carry a mace. - The
Fang Spear needs only 2 
Silver, against 40 for the 
Silver Sword. - Splitnir is no longer the top spear: 1.0 adds the
Nord Spear and its Thunderblood and Frostfire variants. - Keep an inventory slot free and never throw near cliff edges.
Why Spears Deserve More Respect
Spears are the most misunderstood weapon class in Valheim. Many players craft a 
Flint Spear, struggle with its narrow hitbox on slopes, and switch to swords or maces. That is a mistake: spears are the only weapon that doubles as melee and a ranged projectile without using ammunition.
The shared identity
Every spear has:
- fast one-handed thrusts with low stamina cost
- a 3x backstab multiplier
- a secondary throw for 1.5x your Pierce damage
- a weight of 1.5 at every tier
- the ability to float, which matters when you fight
Serpents from your 
Longship
Built for aggressive players
The 0.68-second thrust ties knives for the fastest primary attack in the game, and spears carry a 2x parry bonus. Parry a Troll, unload three or four thrusts, then dodge back. Against anything weak to Pierce, that rhythm is devastating.
Spears: Honest Pros and Cons
Pros
- Fastest attack speed (0.68s) with low stamina cost per swing
- Built-in ranged attack (throw) that costs zero ammunition
- 3x backstab multiplier rewards sneaky positioning
- One-handed, so you can pair with a shield for extra defense
- Cheapest crafting costs of any weapon line at every tier
- All spears float on water, making ocean combat safe
- Excellent against Pierce-weak enemies such as Trolls and Leeches
Cons
- Narrow 1.9m range and 40-degree arc make hitting on slopes difficult
- Mostly pure Pierce damage; elemental options only on
Splitnir variants and the 1.0 Nord Spear family - Thrown spears can be lost on cliffs or in dense vegetation
- Poor against
Bonemass, 
Seekers and other Pierce-resistant enemies - No AoE or crowd control; strictly single-target damage
- Full inventory prevents thrown spear retrieval during combat
The Flint Spear is secretly the best early-game hunting tool. You can throw it at Deer and 
Boars without consuming 
Leather Scraps on arrows. Craft a Flint Spear before bothering with a 
Crude Bow to save those scraps for the 
Tanning Rack instead.
Spear Combat Mechanics: Stab, Throw, Repeat
The thrust
The primary attack is a short thrust with a 1.9 meter range and a tight 40-degree arc. Each stab pushes you 0.33 meters forward, unique among melee weapons. You close distance naturally, but you can also walk into enemy swings.
No combo, no slow finisher
Spears have no three-hit combo. Every stab is identical at a steady 0.68-second pace, so there is no slow third swing leaving you exposed, and you can stop or dodge at any time.
The throw
The throw deals 1.5x damage with a 1.04-second animation that includes pickup time. You aim it, so you control its height and can hit targets the thrust misses, like Bone Piles below you on slopes. Throw at close range and the spear returns to your inventory when you stand near where it landed.
The throw-stab combo
- Open with a throw to stagger the enemy.
- Rush in and land two or three quick stabs.
- Dodge back and throw again.
Against Trolls, which are weak to Pierce, the stagger keeps resetting their attacks.
Blocking and parrying
Every spear can block and parry. Block armor is lower than a shield's, but confident players can go shield-free. A spear parry grants 5 Adrenaline toward the adrenaline damage bonus.
“Spears are the only weapon in Valheim that lets you deal ranged damage, parry melee attacks, and pair with a shield, all without consuming a single arrow or bolt.
Every Spear Tier: Stats and Crafting Recipes
Spears now span seven tiers from the Meadows to the Deep North. Each follows the same Pierce-first formula with bigger numbers, while stations, materials and block values change as you progress. The comparisons and recipes below come straight from the 1.0 game data.
Early Spears (Meadows to Mountains)
| Stat | Flint Spear |  Bronze Spear |  Ancient Bark Spear | Fang Spear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pierce damage | 20 (+6 per level) | 35 (+6 per level) | 55 (+6 per level) | 75 (+6 per level) |
| Block armor | 4 | 12 | 21 | 30 |
| Skill | Spears | Spears | Spears | Spears |
| Attack stamina | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 |
| Knockback | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Backstab | 3x | 3x | 3x | 3x |
| Durability | 100 (+50 per level) | 100 (+50 per level) | 100 (+50 per level) | 100 (+50 per level) |
| Max quality | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Movement speed | -5% | -5% | -5% | -5% |
| Weight | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Crafted at | Workbench | Forge | Forge 3 | Forge 3 |
Late Spears (Mistlands to Deep North)
| Stat |  Carapace Spear | Splitnir | Nord Spear |  Thunderblood Spear |  Frostfire Spear |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pierce damage | 115 (+6 per level) | 135 (+6 per level) | 170 (+10 per level) | 180 (+10 per level) | 148 (+10 per level) |
| Block armor | 48 | 57 | 66 | 66 | 66 |
| Skill | Spears | Spears | Spears | Spears | Spears |
| Attack stamina | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| Knockback | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Backstab | 3x | 3x | 3x | 3x | 3x |
| Durability | 250 (+50 per level) | 300 (+50 per level) | 400 (+50 per level) | 400 (+50 per level) | 400 (+50 per level) |
| Max quality | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Movement speed | -5% | -5% | -5% | -5% | -5% |
| Weight | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Lightning damage | - | - | - | 45 (+5 per level) | - |
| Fire damage | - | - | - | - | 12 (+3 per level) |
| Frost damage | - | - | - | - | 88 (+3 per level) |
| Crafted at | Black Forge | Black Forge 3 | Black Forge 4 | Black Forge 4 | Black Forge 4 |
Throw Damage at Quality 1 (1.5x stab)
| Flint Spear | 30 Pierce |
| Bronze Spear | 52.5 Pierce |
| Ancient Bark Spear | 82.5 Pierce |
| Fang Spear | 112.5 Pierce |
| Carapace Spear | 172.5 Pierce |
| Splitnir | 202.5 Pierce |
| Nord Spear | 255 Pierce |
Wood
Flint
Bronze
Deer Hide
Troll Hide
Iron
Ancient Bark
Wolf Fang
Black Forge
Yggdrasil Wood
Carapace
Mandible
Ashwood
Flametal
Asksvin Hide
Bonemaw Tooth
Bloodgold
Mould: Nord Spear
TimberwoodTier-by-Tier Breakdown
Flint Spear (Meadows)
At 5 Wood, 10 Flint and 2 Leather Scraps on a level 1 Workbench, it is one of the cheapest Meadows weapons and punches well above its cost. Hunt Deer and Boars with it before you have a bow. Fully upgraded it reaches 38 Pierce (57 thrown), enough for Eikthyr and early Black Forest trips.
Bronze Spear (Black Forest)
A big step up in damage, with triple the Flint Spear's block armor. It costs 5 Wood, 6 Bronze and 2 Deer Hide at a Forge, less Bronze than the Bronze Sword's 8. This spear carries you through the Black Forest and 
The Elder.
Ancient Bark Spear (Swamp)
It needs a level 3 Forge with 4 Troll Hide, 10 Iron and 10 Ancient Bark. It is excellent against Draugr and Leeches, but Bonemass is very resistant to Pierce and will barely notice it. Bring a blunt backup.
Fang Spear (Mountains)
One of the best values in the game: 10 Ancient Bark, 4 Wolf Fang, 2 Leather Scraps and just 2 Silver at Forge level 3. The Silver Sword costs 40 Silver, so the Fang Spear saves Silver for Wolf Hide armor or Frostner. At quality 4 it reaches 93 Pierce (139.5 thrown).
Fang SpearOne-handed weapon · MountainBest Silver value in the game: only 2 Silver
- Pierce damage
- 75 (+6 per level)
- Block armor
- 30
- Skill
- Spears
- Attack stamina
- 12
Forge (level 3): 10 Ancient Bark, 4 Wolf Fang, 2 Leather Scraps, 2 Silver
Carapace Spear (Mistlands)
A Black Forge craft from 10 Yggdrasil Wood, 4 Carapace and 2 Mandible. Mandibles drop from 
Seeker Soldiers, and both Seekers and Seeker Soldiers give Carapace. Note that Seekers resist Pierce, so the spear is not the shortcut against them that older guides claimed; its strength is raw damage on everything else.
Splitnir (Ashlands)
Splitnir needs Black Forge level 3 with 10 Ashwood, 6 Flametal, 2 Asksvin Hide and 3 Bonemaw Tooth. At the Black Forge (level 4) it can become one of three variants, each costing 6 Flametal and one gemstone:
Splitnir the Bleeding: 
Bloodstone
Splitnir the Storming: 
Iolite, adding Lightning
Splitnir the Primal: 
Jade, adding Poison
The variant is a new item at quality 1, so enchant before you spend upgrade materials. Riktig Fulings drop 2 to 3 of each gemstone. See the dedicated Splitnir guide for details.
Nord Spear and Its Variants (New in 1.0)
The Deep North adds the strongest spears in the game. The Nord Spear is forged at the Black Forge (level 4) from a Mould: Nord Spear, 20 Bloodgold and 10 Timberwood. Maxing it costs 80 Bloodgold and 40 Timberwood in total.
Elemental upgrades
- Thunderblood Spear: Nord Spear, 20 Bloodgold and 1
Thunderblood Essence. More Pierce plus Lightning. Maxed total: 80 Bloodgold and 7 Thunderblood Essence. - Frostfire Spear: Nord Spear, 20 Bloodgold and 1
Frostfire Essence. Less Pierce, but heavy Frost and some Fire. Maxed total: 80 Bloodgold and 7 Frostfire Essence.
Oddities
The 
Wooden Spear from Black Forest chests is a novelty with almost no damage. The Abyssal Harpoon also uses the Spears skill, but it is a utility tool (8 
Finewood, 30 
Chitin and 3 Leather Scraps at a level 2 Workbench), not a combat spear.
Nord SpearOne-handed weapon · Deep NorthBase for the strongest spears in 1.0
- Pierce damage
- 170 (+10 per level)
- Block armor
- 66
- Skill
- Spears
- Attack stamina
- 16
Black Forge (level 4): 20 Bloodgold, 1 Mould: Nord Spear, 10 Timberwood
Never throw your spear off a mountainside or into dense vegetation. Thrown spears can be extremely difficult to find once they land. If you are losing spears regularly, lower your vegetation quality in the graphics settings to make them easier to spot in grass. Also, keep at least one inventory slot free during combat so auto-pickup does not prevent you from retrieving your throw.
Spear Upgrade Path
Spears vs the Meta: When to Use Them and When to Switch
The community meta for most of Valheim is mace plus axe. Blunt damage works on more enemies, and a mace covers the spear's biggest weakness. Spears are not worse, just a different tool.
Where spears win
Against Pierce-weak enemies such as Trolls and Leeches, a spear often kills faster than an equivalent sword thanks to its speed and throw combo.
Carry a mace too
Run a spear as your primary and a mace in the second slot. Bonemass is the critical fight: Pierce is nearly useless there, so bring an 
Iron Mace or 
Stagbreaker. The worst feeling in Valheim is reaching Bonemass with a maxed Ancient Bark Spear and nothing else.
Spear or atgeir?
Spears trade the atgeir's spin attack for the throw and a shield. Against groups of Fulings, the 
Black Metal Atgeir is probably better; against one tough enemy, the spear's focused damage wins. The atgeir is two-handed, so no shield.
Multiplayer
Three or four Vikings throwing spears at a Troll is glorious chaos, and stacked staggers can lock down tough enemies. In co-op boss fights, one player parries while the others throw.
Always carry a mace alongside your spear. The spear handles 90% of encounters beautifully, but that remaining 10%, especially Bonemass, will stop you cold with pure Pierce damage. The Fang Spear plus Frostner is one of the strongest mid-to-late game loadouts: the spear covers Pierce-weak enemies while 
Frostner handles everything else with blunt, frost, and spirit damage.
The spear skill levels up from both melee stabs and throws, so use both attacks regularly to build skill faster. Higher spear skill increases your damage, reduces stamina cost, and improves block armor values. At 100 Spear skill, your block armor is 50% higher than at 0 skill. Leveling the skill also makes parry timing more forgiving, which is crucial for the parry-stab playstyle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a spear and shield at the same time?
Yes. All spears are one-handed weapons, so you can equip any shield in your off-hand. This gives you proper block armor from the shield while still being able to throw the spear with your secondary attack. The spear also has its own built-in parry with a 2x bonus, so you can parry without a shield if you prefer the lighter loadout.
What happens if I throw my spear and cannot find it?
Thrown spears land where they hit and can be picked up like any dropped item. If you are close enough, auto-pickup will grab it automatically. If you lose sight of it, try lowering your vegetation quality in settings to reduce grass density. Spears also float on water, so you will not lose them in the ocean. The biggest risk is throwing near cliff edges in the Mountains where the spear can tumble out of reach.
Why can't my spear hit enemies on slopes?
The spear's melee hitbox has a fixed height of 1.5 units and fires from your character's position. On downward slopes, the thrust can pass over low targets like Bone Piles. The solution is to use the throw attack instead. When you throw, you aim the spear's trajectory directly, so you can aim downward to hit targets below you. This is one of the spear's most underrated features.
Is the Fang Spear worth crafting over the Silver Sword?
Absolutely, especially if Silver is scarce. The Fang Spear requires only 2 Silver to craft compared to the Silver Sword's 40. It deals 75 Pierce versus the Silver Sword's 75 Slash plus 30 Spirit, so the sword has more total damage and spirit damage for undead. But if you are already carrying a mace for blunt coverage, the Fang Spear's throw utility and drastically lower Silver cost make it the smarter pick.
What are the Splitnir enchantment variants?
At the Black Forge (level 4) you can turn Splitnir into three variants, each costing 6 Flametal plus one gemstone: Splitnir the Bleeding (Bloodstone), Splitnir the Storming (Iolite, adds Lightning) and Splitnir the Primal (Jade, adds Poison). The result starts at quality 1 whatever your Splitnir was, so enchant before you spend materials upgrading.
What is the best spear in Valheim 1.0?
The Nord Spear family from the Deep North. The Thunderblood Spear adds Lightning to the highest Pierce of any spear, while the Frostfire Spear trades some Pierce for heavy Frost. Splitnir remains a strong Ashlands choice.
Recent Updates
- Updated for Valheim 1.0: added the Nord Spear, Thunderblood Spear and Frostfire Spear, corrected Seeker resistances and Mandible sources, and reorganised the guide for easier reading.