Summary

  • Black Metal in Valheim is underutilized, lacking strong crafting purposes like other metals.
  • Black Metal cannot be mined, instead obtained by defeating Fulings, creating a unique challenge.
  • The role of Black Metal in Valheim's progression is questioned, potentially needing a more significant purpose.

While tier progression in Valheim is largely linear, many players feel that the developers haven't utilized Black Metal to its full potential. Compared to Minecraft's take on the sandbox formula, Valheim is a bit more structured – with a clear progression of biomes, bosses, and equipment. Though stubborn players can certainly skip some steps, such as exploring the Mistlands without slaying Yagluth, Valheim is very much designed to be played by respecting the natural order of progression.

Though there are many materials to be found in the Viking afterlife, the ore in Valheim is arguably the most important part of its crafting system. From Copper, Tin, and all the way to Flametal, mining is often the biggest leap a player can make in terms of unlocking new equipment recipes. However, there is a metal in Valheim that lingers throughout the progression tiers, arguably at the cost of another one.

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As pointed out by Jalopnicycle on the Valheim subreddit, Black Metal from the Plains is woefully underutilized compared to Silver, the primary ore of the previous Valheim biome. Whereas Silver is used to create armor sets from the Mountain, Black Metal does not share this purpose. Padded Armor requires Iron instead of Black Metal, and the same is true for Carapace Armor from the Mistlands. While this makes Iron an incredibly valuable resource, the value comes at the cost of Black Metal having an awkward role in Valheim's otherwise linear progression system.

Why Black Metal Is a Missed Opportunity in Valheim

Black Metal differs from the other ores in a major way: it is the only metal that cannot be mined. There are no Black Metal veins to be found in any biome, and players must obtain scraps by defeating Fulings, raiding their villages, or coming across chests in the Plains. While surviving in the Plains in Valheim can be a proper challenge, the fact that Padded Armor only requires Linen and not Black Metal allows players to easily overcome the hurdles of entering a new biome.

Though an argument could be made that the Mistlands in Valheim also miss an ore of their own, most fans would agree that Black Metal would have been a better fit for its Carapace Armor than Iron. As Valheim continues to develop the Far North, it remains to be seen if the developers will stick to Iron (or even Flametal) for the final tier, or if they will consider giving Black Metal a bigger purpose.

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Valheim
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Sandbox
Survival
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Systems
PC-1 Xbox-1
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Top Critic Avg: 85 /100 Critics Rec: 83%
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Released
February 2, 2021
ESRB
r
Developer(s)
Iron Gate AB
Publisher(s)
Coffee Stain Studios
Engine
Unity
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Cross-Platform Play
PC, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Genre(s)
Sandbox, Survival
How Long To Beat
75 Hours
X|S Optimized
Yes
File Size Xbox Series
1 GB (November 2023)
Valheim-Delivers-a-Near-Complete-Viking-Experience-Except-For-One-Big-Detail (1)