On this page7 sections
The 
Staff of the Wild may be Valheim's most misunderstood weapon. On the public test branch it was genuinely weak, and players wrote it off because Ashlands enemies shrug off poison. Iron Gate buffed it heavily before release, but the reputation stuck, so most players are sleeping on one of the strongest weapons in the game.
A summoner staff
It is not just a damage tool. You fire a green projectile that deals Blunt and Poison on impact, and a thorny root sprouts where it lands. Each root attacks everything nearby for roughly 25 seconds, and you can have up to 10 at once. Stack a few in one spot and the Ashlands feels manageable, even solo.
- The roots are the weapon: each pins enemies with a 10% immobilize chance and deals heavy Blunt damage.
- Unlock it by picking up
Jade, found in Charred Fortress chests or dropped by the Riktig Fuling (2-3 per kill). - Upgrades raise only the projectile; root damage scales with Elemental Magic skill, so a quality 1 staff is enough for a long time.
- Pair it with
Dundr and the 
Staff of Protection for a full Ashlands mage kit. - Use no more than 3-4 roots in tight spaces like
Morgen caves to avoid a despawn bug.
Staff of the WildTwo-handed weapon · AshlandsAshlands summoner staff: roots lock down and wear down whole packs
- Blunt damage
- 20 (+20 per level)
- Poison damage
- 20 (+20 per level)
- Block armor
- 48
- Skill
- Elemental Magic
Galdr Table (level 2): 15 Ashwood, 10 Fiddlehead, 3 Celestial Feather, 1 Jade
How to Unlock the Staff of the Wild
The recipe unlocks when you pick up Jade. You don't need to spend it; holding one is enough. The usual source is a Charred Fortress, one of the most dangerous places in the game.
Finding a fortress
Charred Fortresses sit inland among the Ashlands lava fields, never on the coast, and each is marked by a green beam of light. Every world has 20. Charred Chests in the central tower can contain Jade, and the Riktig Fuling drops 2-3 per kill.
Getting inside
Charred Warriors, Charred Marksmen and 
Charred Warlocks guard the walls, so bring strong armor and food. Rather than break the 6000 HP gates:
- Build a wooden ladder over the walls, or
- Dig under the tower wall with a pickaxe; the outer walls are three layers of 1500 HP, but the tower walls only one.
Careful with the 
Bell Fragment altar inside: it has 10 HP and no resistances, so one stray swing destroys it for good.
Galdr Table level 2
The 
Galdr Table costs 10 
Black Metal, 20 
Yggdrasil Wood, 5 
Black Cores and 5 
Refined Eitr. Level 2 needs a 
Rune Table nearby (10 
Black Marble, 5 Yggdrasil Wood, 10 Refined Eitr). 
Unfading Candles give level 3 and a 
Feathery Wreath level 4.
Your very first Charred Fortress is the hardest. Once you clear one and grab a 
Bloodstone, craft a 
Trollstav. You can then approach future fortresses and summon trolls from outside the walls to clear the garrison for you. Then stroll in and collect the Jade at your leisure.
Crafting Recipe
Ashwood
Fiddlehead
Celestial FeatherStaff and Projectile Stats by Quality Level
Each upgrade adds a big chunk of projectile Blunt and Poison, while the Eitr cost stays flat at 55, so upgrades are pure damage with no extra drain. At 0.3 weight it is one of the lightest weapons in the game, at the cost of a 5% movement penalty.
Projectile Damage by Quality
| Quality 1 - Blunt | 20 |
| Quality 1 - Poison | 20 |
| Quality 2 - Blunt | 40 |
| Quality 2 - Poison | 40 |
| Quality 3 - Blunt | 60 |
| Quality 3 - Poison | 60 |
| Quality 4 - Blunt | 80 |
| Quality 4 - Poison | 80 |
| Eitr Cost (all levels) | 55 |
| Adrenaline (all levels) | 3 |
| Durability (Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4) | 200 / 250 / 300 / 350 |
| Weight | 0.3 |
| Movement Speed | -5% |
Summoned Root Breakdown: Your Personal Army
The projectile is just delivery; the roots are the weapon. Each one is a stationary turret that attacks every enemy in melee range, and with 10 active the damage output is enormous.
Immobilize
Every root attack has a 10% chance to pin an enemy for 10 seconds. With several roots hitting one target, it triggers constantly. A Morgen that would normally chase you relentlessly gets locked down and battered, even though it resists Blunt.
Durability
Each root has 250 HP and lasts 23-25 seconds. Enemies rarely target them directly but hit them with area attacks and stray projectiles, so roots double as body blockers that soak shots meant for you.
What upgrades actually do
Upgrading raises projectile damage, not root damage. Roots scale with your Elemental Magic skill, so a quality 1 staff summons at full strength and you can save your Jade.
Summoned Root Stats
| Health | 250 |
| Blunt Damage | 70 |
| Poison Damage | 40 |
| Chop Damage | 20 |
| Pickaxe Damage | 20 |
| Knockback | 40 |
| Backstab Multiplier | 4x |
| Immobilize Chance | 10% (10 second duration) |
| Duration | 23-25 seconds |
| Max Active | 10 |
| Fire Resistance | 0.5x (resistant) |
| Poison/Chop/Pickaxe | Immune |
“The Staff of the Wild went from 'why would anyone use this' to 'how did I ever solo the Ashlands without it' the moment I realized the roots are the weapon. The projectile is just delivery.
Combat Strategies and Best Combos
The staff shines in hit-and-run play: fire roots at a chokepoint or near a pack, then kite away while they work. Ashlands enemies come in large, relentless groups, so damage that stays behind when you move is invaluable. Drop three roots near a pack of Charred Marksmen and sprint to safety.
The Dundr combo
- Open with roots to create a zone of control.
- Drop a Staff of Protection barrier over yourself and the roots.
- Weave in Dundr blasts while the roots keep enemies pinned.
Against Morgen this is devastating: the roots block and hold it while Dundr's Lightning, which Morgen is weak to, finishes the job. Players report roughly 5-second Morgen kills at max quality and skill.
Roots as distraction
Charred Marksmen often shoot your roots instead of you. One root tossed near an archer group can tie up the whole cluster while you reposition.
Shield your roots
You can cast the Staff of Protection barrier directly onto roots. Against splash damage this greatly extends their lifespan, turning temporary summons into durable frontliners.
Blocking and Parrying: The Hidden Defensive Stats
For a staff, its blocking is surprisingly solid: 48 block armor at 0 Elemental Magic skill, with a 2x parry bonus that doubles it on a well-timed parry. Block force grows with quality, so higher-quality staves push enemies further on a block.
Adrenaline
Attacks give 3 Adrenaline, blocks 2 and parries 5. It will not replace a shield, but you are not helpless when something reaches you between casts. A parry followed by a root at your feet can turn a desperate moment around.
Blocking Stats
| Block Armor (0 skill) | 48 |
| Block Armor (100 skill) | 72 |
| Parry Block Armor (0 skill) | 96 |
| Parry Block Armor (100 skill) | 144 |
| Parry Bonus | 2x |
| Block Force (Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4) | 20 / 25 / 30 / 35 |
| Block Adrenaline | 2 |
| Parry Adrenaline | 5 |
Staff of the Wild: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Creates persistent summons that fight independently, freeing you to kite or attack with other weapons
- 10% immobilize on every root attack locks down dangerous melee enemies
- 10 roots at once provide unmatched crowd control and area denial
- Roots act as body blockers, intercepting projectiles aimed at you
- Players report it kills Morgen faster than Dundr at quality 1, despite Morgen being weak to Lightning
- Extremely lightweight at 0.3 weight
Cons
- Roots are stationary and cannot chase fleeing enemies
- Poison is wasted on Poison-immune Ashlands creatures such as
Charred Warriors, 
Fallen Valkyries and Lord Reto - 55 Eitr per cast is expensive; requires strong Eitr food to sustain
- Summoning 10 roots in enclosed spaces (like Morgen caves) can cause despawn bugs
- Root damage scales with Elemental Magic skill, not staff quality, making early use feel weak
- Two-handed weapon prevents shield use (though roots compensate for defense)
Should You Upgrade? Managing Your Jade Supply
Jade is one of the rarest Ashlands materials. It comes from Charred Fortress chests, where it competes with Bloodstone and 
Iolite for slots, and from the Riktig Fuling at 2-3 per kill. Every Jade spent here is one you cannot use on Jade-enchanted weapons:
Root Fang
Root Ripper
Primal Slayer
Primal Berserkir AxesThe honest recommendation
Keep it at quality 1 for a long time. Your main damage source, the roots, scale with Elemental Magic skill rather than staff quality. Spend Jade on a nature-enchanted weapon first and upgrade the staff once you have a surplus.
Full upgrade cost
Costs escalate with each level. Quality 3 takes 30 Ashwood, 16 Fiddlehead, 12 Celestial Feathers and 4 Jade in total. Quality 4 needs Galdr Table level 5 and brings the total to 45 Ashwood, 22 Fiddlehead, 21 Celestial Feathers and 7 Jade. Celestial Feathers drop from Fallen Valkyries, 2-3 per kill.
Avoid spawning the maximum 10 roots inside Morgen caves or other tight enclosed spaces. There is a known bug where roots summoned in cramped areas can fail to despawn properly, which breaks the staff until you leave the area. Use 3-4 roots at most in indoor fights and save the full army for open-field encounters.
Recommended Mage Loadout for the Ashlands
In a dedicated mage build, the Staff of the Wild is your primary weapon. Pair it with Dundr for single-target Lightning and keep the Staff of Protection on your hotbar for the barrier. Wear the Eitr-weave set or the 
Robes of Embla for Eitr regeneration, and prioritize Eitr food, since each root costs 55.
The combat loop
- Spot enemies at range and fire 2-3 roots into their path.
- Raise the Staff of Protection barrier.
- Switch to Dundr for priority targets.
- Swap back and refresh any expired roots.
With practice you hold a near-permanent zone of control that makes the Ashlands far more survivable solo than it has any right to be.
Recommended Ashlands Mage Loadout
Feather Cape or 
Asksvin CloakBoth resist Frost; the Feather Cape adds slow fall but makes you very weak to FireFrequently Asked Questions
Does upgrading the Staff of the Wild increase root damage?
No. Upgrading the staff only increases the projectile's blunt and poison damage and the staff's durability. Root damage scales with your Elemental Magic skill level, which increases through natural use. Save your Jade for other weapons unless you specifically want more projectile impact damage.
Is the Staff of the Wild useless because Ashlands enemies resist poison?
This is the biggest misconception about the staff. The Poison part of the projectile is wasted on Poison-immune enemies, but the roots deal mostly Blunt damage, which most Ashlands enemies take normally (Morgen resist it). The roots are the main damage source, so Poison immunity barely matters in practice.
Can enemies destroy the summoned roots?
Technically yes, but enemies do not deliberately target roots. Roots can take collateral damage from area attacks or intercept projectiles. With 250 HP and fire resistance, they usually survive their full 23-25 second duration unless caught in heavy crossfire. They are completely immune to poison, chop, and pickaxe damage.
Where do I find Jade to craft the staff?
Jade is found in Charred Chests inside Charred Fortresses, and the Riktig Fuling drops 2-3 per kill. Look for the green beam of light marking each fortress; there are 20 per world, always inland. The central tower has at least one guaranteed chest, with up to 3 more along the tower walls at varying odds.
Can the Staff of the Wild reach quality 4?
Yes. Older guides said Galdr Table level 5 was not available, but the staff's max quality is 4. Quality 4 needs Galdr Table level 5 and costs 15 Ashwood, 6 Fiddlehead, 9 Celestial Feathers and 3 Jade for that step alone.
Recent Updates
- Updated for Valheim 1.0: corrected the Riktig Fuling Jade drop, removed the outdated quality 3 cap, fixed cape resistances, and reorganised for easier reading.