Core Wood Valheim Guide Not Your Average Wood

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Having learned the tricks of the trade regarding games journalism at Veryali Gaming, Alex is now a key member of the Ready Game Survive team, and loves nothing more than grabbing a controller and bracing himself for a devastatingly brutal battle for survival. Outside of traditional survivals, Alex loves immersive RPGs, has spent more time in Skyrim than he dare admit, and he also loves playing guitar.

Valheim Odin’s Trial

Valheim is a brutal survival game that new players will find cruel, and rightly so. As a recently slain Viking, you are sent to Valheim by Odin in a final test to determine if you’re worthy enough to be accepted into Valhalla. You must kill the five bosses of Valheim to beat the game. This simple but fantastic premise allowed Iron Gate Studios to dip into Norse mythology while drizzling their own creative flair on top.

Valheim is a survival game at its core, where players are free to explore a procedurally generated world. Despite being procedurally generated, the world is fascinating to explore, as it feels ancient and magical. Thanks to the beautiful ethereal art style and fantasy theme. Although beautiful, the world is hazardous. You will not only have to contend with a range of wicked monsters but also meet requirements for survival such as hunger and heat.

Like any survival, a game shelter is crucial to fending off these hindrances. But in order to build your dream log cabin, you’ll need Core Wood.

Bottom Line-Up Front

Core Wood is an important building material in Valheim that is obtained from Pine Trees. Pine Trees are only found in the Black Forest and are identified by their tall skinny trunks. Getting Core Wood can pose more of a challenge than you might think. The Black Forest is home to nasty creatures that can easily outnumber you.

Wood cutting is a lot of fun in Valheim, watching the trees tumble down to the forest floor while knocking other trees as they go. There’s something about watching destruction unfold that is very entertaining to watch. However, nothing beats watching a Troll stomp around angrily while knocking trees down.

Collecting Core Wood can be tricky, but with the right tools, such as a Bronze Axe or better, you’ll be able to get your dream log cabin raised and built. Workbenches stop enemies from spawning in its vicinity, so place these down in the Black Forest for extra protection.

Not Your Average Wood

Core Wood is one of four kinds of wood in the game. I’d say it’s a tier two building material used for crafting advanced structures and tools. That said, Core Wood building works very differently from traditional wood structures, including big floors, walls, ceilings, stairs, and other structures. Core Wood allows you to craft mainly log beams of varying lengths.

These log beams can be used to create the skeleton of a building and be placed closely together to build walls and floors. However, to make the perfect log cabin, you’ll need to combine wood and Core Wood structures. Valheim is an unforgiving game that gives you just enough information and tools to survive. However, you will struggle with building your base if you’re not an experienced builder in survival games. That said, the structures in Valheim allow players to create fantastic bases and houses.

You will need more than just a primitive Stone Axe or Wooden Club to defeat the five bosses. I almost always rush to collect flint and create a small base of operations. To speed this further, I repair old abandoned buildings that spawn on the map. This way, I can explore the Black Forest as early as possible.

Core Wood, Core Items

Core Wood isn’t solely used for creating log beams but also for essential survival tools and crafting structures. Here is a list of all the valuable items you can build using Core Wood:

Bronze Pickaxe – A second-tier pickaxe used for cracking open rocks and mining Copper deposits and Tin deposits.
Iron Pickaxe – The third-tier pickaxe that can mine everything that the Bronze Pickaxe can, as well as Silver and Obsidian deposits.
Cultivator – A tool used for basic farming.
Finewood Bow – A weapon that allows you to attack targets from range. This weapon requires both Fine Wood and Core Wood.
Stag Breaker – A powerful two-handed club that can knock back enemies.
Butcher’s Table – This structure upgrades the Cauldron, allowing you to cook new recipes.
Bonfire – A huge fire that provides shelter and warmth to the player; several cooking structures can be placed around it due to its size.
Sharp Stakes – are defensive structures that can be placed around a base or area. They deal damage on contact, which is very useful once the game increases in difficulty.

On top of that, Core Wood can be used to upgrade your tools to make them stronger. Making Core Wood a handy item early in the game.

Wood Cutting a Handy Skill

There are skills for many items and actions in Valheim, from something as simple as running and jumping to ax-wielding and wood cutting. You can increase your proficiency with skills by carrying out its activities. Increasing your Wood Cutting skill will enable you to deal more damage to trees. However, it will not reduce the stamina cost to swing an axe.

You can reduce the stamina cost of using an axe by increasing the axe skill. All you have to do is use axes in combat. I tend to use my axe as a weapon early on in the game. Gathering Core Wood will become much easier as you level up these skills. Therefore it’s good to consider this before venturing into the Black Forest.

I usually spend some time leveling my skills early in the game, as Valheim’s difficulty increases only when defeating the first boss. So I exploit this early game to give myself a head start. I think this is important if you want to collect Core Wood as early as possible.

Here are some essential skills and how to level them to prepare for the Black Forest:

Axes – Use axes in combat. It decreases stamina cost and increases knockback.
Run – sprint to level this skill. Increases speed and reduces stamina cost.
Spears – Use spears in combat. Increases damage and knockback as well as decreases stamina cost.
Wood Cutting – Increases damage to trees.

An Axe For a Viking

No Viking is complete without an axe, and in Valheim, there are a bunch of different axes to craft and wield. You start with nothing at the beginning of the game. However, pick up a few branches and stones and get a Stone Axe. This is the most flimsy and weakest axe in the game. That said, you will still be able to use it to chop down Pine and Fir trees very slowly. This is bad as enemies will converge on your position. I recommend using the Bronze Axe and above to collect Core Wood.

To speed up the tree chopping process, I typically b-line it towards a river or sea if my spawn is nearby. Flint spawns near bodies of water, so I will stroll across a river or beach collecting it. Next, I fashion a Flint Axe together with the use of a Workbench.

Here are some notable axes in Valheim and the trees they can cut down:

Axe	Tree	Chop Power
Stone Axe	Beech, Fir, Pine	20/29
Flint Axe	Beech, Fir, Pine	30/39
Bronze Axe	Birch, Beech, Fir, Oak, Pine, Ancient	40/49
Iron Axe	Birch, Beech, Fir, Oak, Pine, Ancient	50/59
Blackmetal Axe	Birch, Beech, Fir, Oak, Pine, Ancient	60/69

Valheim also features Two-Handed Axes. These axes have more attack power but have a slower swing. However, I recommend sticking to One-Handed Axes for chopping trees as Two-Handed Axes also have lower chop damage to trees. The Bronze Axe is the third Axe you will acquire in Valheim, allowing you to chop down every type of tree in the game.

All axes can be upgraded to improve their chopping power. I recommend upgrading the Flint Axe at the beginning of the game. As this will significantly speed up the wood cutting process in the Black Forest. Exploring the Black Forest can be very dangerous for new players, so speed is everything.

The Black Forest

Core Wood is obtained by cutting down and breaking down Pine and Fir Tree logs. These trees can only be found in the Black Forest and can be cut down with the Stone Axe. Although you can access the Black Forest at any time in the game, it’s a dangerous biome for new players.

The Black Forest is a dense forest that is filled with dangerous creatures and monsters. It’s an interesting place to explore, but I keep my eyes peeled for Greydwarf packs and Trolls. Greydwarfs come in all shapes and sizes. Some can be brutes dealing considerable damage, while others are smaller and attack by throwing rocks at the player, quickly finishing you off after taking a blow from a Brute.

As a result, you will want to be well equipped to explore this area, a set of Leather armor will grant you little armor but enough for just dropping by to chop some trees. I recommend you craft a Flint Spear and Flint Knife, at least.

The Threats of the Spooky Black Forest

The Black Forest has many dangers lurking within. Greydwarfs, Skeletons, and the gigantic Troll. However, I find it easy to take out these creatures early in the game, excluding Trolls. The real threat comes when these creatures swarm around you and fight in packs.

Often I’ll be chopping trees in the Black Forest, and I’ll see a group of Greydwarfs fast approaching. I recommend either running away or finding an enclosed area such as a ruined building to attack from. I could fend off an entire group of Greydwarfs, including a Brute using a singular Flint Spear and this strategy.

Sneaky Skeletons

Skeletons are often equipped with all kinds of weapons and shields, so I find them more dangerous than Greydwarfs. They can easily cut you down early in the game if you don’t have armor. Stay away from Burial Grounds at all costs, as these areas spawn several Skeletons. I have noticed that Greydwarfs and Skeletons will fight, so use this to your advantage to make a quick getaway.

One of the most annoying moments in the game was that I had just found a location suitable to build a base. I ventured to the foot of the Black Forest to collect some wood, and one Skeleton snuck up behind me and killed me, so watch your back!

Black Forest Outskirts

Stay clear of Trolls, as you won’t be able to deal with these creatures until you’ve got some substantial gear. As you can imagine, this can make it very hard to collect Core Wood. As a result, I typically stay on the outskirts of the Black Forest at the beginning of the game.

This does not mean you’re fully safe, as I still encountered packs of Greydwarfs on the outskirts. This created new problems when trying to escape as enemies will follow you over long distances. This gave me second thoughts about setting my base up on the border of the Black Forest biome, so I built my main base further away.

Obtain Core Wood In Peace

There are several ways to decrease the threat of enemies while collecting Core Wood and chopping Pine Trees down. I’ve mentioned Sharp Stakes earlier, but another great way of defending an area from monsters is to use terrain in your favor. Using the Hoe, I’ve built steep walls and ditches to protect an outpost from enemies as they struggle to traverse steep walls.

Consider building a Workbench on the edge of the Black Forest as the Workbench stops creatures from spawning within a twenty-meter radius. This is a great strategy. I take this a step further and build Sharp Stakes in the area to cut off an area from creatures. Although creatures can’t spawn in the vicinity of the Workbench, they will spawn outside of it and encroach into the area.

There is a small chance that Pine Trees will drop a pine cone. Hold onto these as you can grow your own Pine Trees from the safety of the Meadows with a Cultivator. However, this is not a sustainable method as pine cones rarely drop, making it difficult to farm.

Best Methods For Obtaining Core Wood

Chopping The Traditional Way

A Stone Axe may be able to chop down a Pine Tree, but it will take a very long time and time is precious in the Black Forest. A Bronze Axe makes short work of Pine and Fir Trees but don’t just hit trees randomly. Inspect its surroundings. I typically aim for the trees that are bunched up as falling trees will damage other trees as they fall. This enables me to create a domino effect to drop multiple trees simultaneously.

Moreover, it’s best to wait until several trees are on the ground before breaking them down into smaller pieces. As a swing from an axe can hit multiple trees. Carefully aiming for multiple trees in a swing will break them down faster. Consider bringing a Cart with you to haul large amounts of Core Wood with you back to your base.

This method can be dangerous as you’ll need to dodge incoming trees. I often find myself jumping away in different directions as trees tumble and fall. They’re just as dangerous on the ground as in the air. Rolling logs can cause severe damage if they hit you, even when rolling slowly.

This has killed me many times, so ensure that you position yourself safely. Moreover, you can use rolling logs to your advantage, as they will damage rooted trees on contact, don’t forget Pine Trees are very tall, making them harder to dodge.

Leveling Forests with Trolls

This is a riskier method for those who like to live dangerously. I was exploring the Black Forest one day, and I caught one of these lumbering beasts’ attention. It immediately started to follow me with its blank dumb, looking face and towering figure. I’ve seen enough Attack on Titan to know what will happen if it catches me. Before I considered slicing its nape to vanquish the beast, it swung at me, knocking down half of the forest in its wake.

Ding! a light bulb struck me. I started to kite the creature to Pine Trees for it to knock down, and it worked like a charm. Trolls may be strong and dangerous, but they are fairly slow, making it easy to dodge their attacks. As the fallen trees mounted up, it got easier to get it to break down the logs on the forest floor.

This method is much more fun than chopping trees down with an axe. However, stay vigilant around the bird brain Troll as it can catch you off guard. Some Trolls will carry logs and use them as weapons. These are the best Trolls as they strike within a bigger radius. I’ve seen some Trolls hurl huge boulders at me, so bring lots of food and wear armor!

FAQs

Question: Is Valheim Still Being Updated?

Answer: Releasing in February 2021 on Steam’s Early Access, Valheim still has a ton of content in the works. The developers have already released the Hearth and Home update, but there is still lots to come. The Mistlands is the next major update for Valheim that will expand the number of resources in the game and flesh out the Mistlands.

Question: Where is Haldor the Trader in Valheim?

Answer: Haldor, the trader, can be found in the Black Forest. He will never move once spawning in. You can buy useful items such as a Fishing Rod and Megingjord, an item that increases your carrying capacity by 150 units. Haldor will buy Amber, Amber Pearls, Rubies, and Silver Necklaces off the player for coins.

Question: How To Tame Boars, Wolves, and Loxes in Valheim?

Answer: To tame either a Boar, Wolf, or Lox, you must feed it food. You can do this by simply dropping food on the ground. Yellow hearts will appear, confirming that the creature is being tamed.

Final Thoughts

Valheim is a challenging survival game, from combat to constructing buildings. Turning your brain off is easy, as you take in the beautiful scenery as you explore the Meadows, eventually finding the perfect spot for a log cabin. However, collecting the materials to construct such a building is a lot harder than you might initially think.

I think building in this game can be complex due to the range of pieces that are offered to you. It can be tricky to sort out foundations for your base, and the information given to the player is limited. Therefore it’s challenging for new players. Building with Core Wood log beams is somewhat more accessible as you can build the frame of buildings and fill them in with more log beams.

On a closing note, I think the game would benefit from more vegetation variation, although the differing stages of tree growth make forests feel real and alive. I’d love to see more species of trees and, in turn, more items. Moreover, I want the developers to lean on the mythology and sense of wonder you get from exploring the world by adding more points of interest.