Gaming Reaper
Valheim is one of the biggest game launches that came out of the left field and took over Steam with the concurrent launches that it got. Week after week, we were getting headlines that Valheim had garnered an additional million players, which just showed how much potential the game had.
There are two reasons why Valheim is so popular. The first is that it incorporates coop very seamlessly. The coop adventure that Valheim presents is just too good to pass up. It allows you to explore, fight, and create alongside your friends as you prove to Odin that you are indeed worthy of being one of his Vikings, one of his chosen few.
The second reason that makes Valheim such a great game is how it handles resources, crafting, and progression. The game takes a lot of inspiration from other games such as Terraria, where certain crafting items will only be unlocked after the prerequisite boss has been defeated and you’ve gotten the materials that you need for progression from the boss.
Using this technique, the developers stagger progression a bit in the game, which allows them to manage resources and make getting them a little more bearable. One of the resources that is going to be needed in stark supply is stone. Stone is something that is going to get more and more precious the longer your adventure goes on because you don’t have the ability to construct stone buildings as soon as you start. That ability has to be earned through progression, which is why farming stone becomes a necessity at later stages.
There are certain things that you unlock at the start of the game that you can utilize in order to make farming stone an efficient task, but it requires a combination of the right tools, the required skills, and the best plan that you can think of.
The Right Tools
Valheim is a game that will punish you severely if you don’t use the right tools for the job. That means being prepared with all the equipment that you need in order to ensure success for every task. This means all equipment that you are going to need, and not just the pickaxe, although that is one of the most invaluable tools that you can have at your side.
A Good Pickaxe
The first thing that you should get is a good pickaxe. The Antler Pickaxe that you get immediately after the first boss is one of the worst tools that you can have, and getting an upgrade for that should be at the top of your list of priorities. The bronze pickaxe will serve you much better as it is faster, does more damage, and lasts a lot longer. If you are planning on getting a lot of stone, then I recommend getting two bronze pickaxes because just one isn’t going to cut it.
Megingjord
Megingjord is one of the most important items that you can get from the merchant, and it is going to be the single most useful item when you want to farm for any resource. Equipping the belt allows you to carry 150 weight more than normal, which is an insane boon when it comes to weight. The item is only purchasable from the merchant found in the Black Forest and takes an accessory slot to equip. It can be equipped alongside all the other armor pieces, so you don’t have to give up the defense to equip this item.
Carts
Carts are one of the most underrated craftables in the game. They can be carried by your lonesome and can carry an insane number of items. If you are in the mood to farm for loads of stone, then you should definitely enlist the help of a cart. It will allow you to make fewer trips and ensure that you get as much stone as you can from every vein that you find.
Required Skills
There is only one skill that is going to make a difference when mining for stone, and that is the pickaxes skill. It determines how much damage you do per swing, how much stamina you consume per swing, and how effectively you hollow out cavers in the ground. This skill goes up the more you use pickaxes, so it should already be at a decent level when you end up farming for stone.
The Best Plan
Valheim appreciates when players take precautions, plan out their moves, and ensure the highest chances of success. This means coming up with a solid plan of action that leaves you at an advantage. The best plan that I have come up with when getting loads of stone is to have an outpost, portals, and ease of access to my base.
I recommend setting up portals between your mining site and your base so that you are able to transfer stacks of items easily and quickly. Setting up an outpost is an important task because it allows you to have a close respawn, which is extremely important as nothing is guaranteed in Valheim. You should also always set up outposts so that you can have a forward base as well as a fallback in case you are separated from your original base for some reason.
It is also extremely prudent to set up teleporters between your bases so that you can pop in and out to change equipment, gather essentials, and ensure that you have a grasp on the entire map. You should also keep a spare set of gear around just in case, as Valheim can be incredibly brutal, and you may not be able to reach the place where you died.
Final Note
With everything in Valheim, it is important to have a backup plan because there is enough unpredictability in the game that it only takes a second for things to go awry, especially if you are spending time in the swamp. Keep an eye out always, and ensure that you are safe, especially if you are adventuring alone.
