Valheim Copper and Tin Guide: Make Your First Bronze with Fewer Hauling and Repair Trips

Official Valheim workshop scene. Image source: the official Steam store page; © Iron Gate AB / Coffee Stain Publishing.

When you first reach the Black Forest, set a manageable goal: make your first batch of bronze. Connecting mining, transport, and processing gives you a clearer sense of progress than trying to empty an entire copper deposit in one trip. This guide covers the bronze stage in vanilla Valheim on Steam PC. The ModOpen suggestions are for single-player use.

Get ready to mine

Follow the usual progression: defeat Eikthyr, use the hard antler to craft an antler pickaxe, then search the Black Forest for copper and tin. Copper appears in large deposits, while tin can be found along the water. A smelter turns ore into metal, and a forge combines copper and tin into bronze. PC Gamer’s copper guide covers this basic route; the official progression overview also explains the connection between antlers and the pickaxe used in the Black Forest.

Before leaving, check three things: your pickaxe is repaired, your inventory has space, and you know the way home. Start with a deposit that is easy to find again and has a clear return route. Expand your mining area once the processing chain is running.

Split each trip into scouting, mining, and returning

Use your first trip to learn the route and mark locations. When you find copper, mark it on the map, then check nearby water for tin. A large deposit gives you somewhere to return to; you can decide how much to mine based on your current goal.

On the next trip, collect what you need. You can repair an antler pickaxe at a workbench as its durability drops. Mining copper also produces stone, so the load you need to carry will grow. If you set up a repair point near the deposit, give the workbench a roof and surrounding shelter, check that it works, and leave space for temporary storage. Workbench and shelter reference

Each time you stop mining, check which ore you still need, the condition of your tools, and whether this batch will finish your current crafting goal. Bring it home for processing when you have enough, then return for the next batch as your plans expand. This also helps you identify whether mining, transport, or processing is the part slowing you down.

Complete your first bronze production run

If your base does not yet have the processing facilities, prepare them in three steps:

1. Find cores and build a smelter. Search Burial Chambers in the Black Forest for Surtling Cores. Bring lighting and combat supplies, then plan the next trip around how many cores you actually find. A smelter requires 20 stone and 5 cores, and must be built within workbench range. Smelter construction reference
2. Prepare coal. For a small first batch, you can get coal from meat left to burn on a cooking station. For sustained mining, gather the materials listed in the charcoal kiln recipe and establish a coal supply. A kiln needs another 5 cores, so budget for these separately from the smelter’s cores.
3. Build the forge first. After smelting your first piece of copper, check the newly unlocked forge recipe. Set aside the 6 copper needed for the forge and gather the other materials shown in the recipe. Count this construction copper separately from the copper you will turn into bronze. Coal and forge progression reference

Smelt copper ore and tin ore separately, using coal as fuel, then combine the resulting metals at the forge. Each bronze requires 2 copper and 1 tin. Both ingredients must already be smelted. Smelting and recipe reference

Treat a small amount of bronze as the milestone for your first run. Next, open the recipe for the tool or piece of equipment you want to make and list its actual requirements. Track your copper, tin, and bronze separately. Your next mining trip then has a clear purpose: finish that item.

Use ModOpen to simplify repeat trips

If you enjoy finding deposits and planning production, but hauling or repairs keep interrupting you, the ModOpen Valheim page lists options relevant to this route:

What is slowing you down?	Relevant option	How it fits this route
Carrying ore is limited by weight	Zero Weight	Reduce the weight restriction on hauling; organize your inventory slots before mining
Your pickaxe repeatedly needs repairs	Infinite durability	Reduce interruptions caused by tool wear
A building plan requires repeated trips for materials you already have	Set Item Quantity	Adjust material quantities to match the current recipe

Start with the part that interrupts you most. For example, keep finding copper, gathering tin, and smelting the ore yourself while easing the transport burden. If tool maintenance is part of the experience you enjoy, keep the durability rules in place. Choosing options around your current crafting goal makes it easier to control the pace.

When you are ready for your next mining run, visit the ModOpen Valheim options page and choose the option that matches the part of the route you want to simplify.