There are loads of different building materials in Valheim. The Viking survival game allows you to build a ridiculous number of different castles and structures, even at this early stage of development. However, one of the weirdest building materials in the game is the Stone Wall. It takes more than just rocks to build your castle, and the recipe for the Stone Wall doesn’t unlock until you’re a fair way into the game. Luckily, building out of stone in Valheim isn’t as difficult as you may think.
How to Build with Stone in Valheim
To build stone walls and structures in Valheim, you’re going to need to unlock the Stonecutter. This is a mid-game task, since crafting the Stonecutter requires you to mine iron from Sunken Crypts in the Swamp biome. Once you’ve got one, you can build stone walls, floors, pillars, stairs, and arches.
The iron requirement to craft the Stonecutter is annoying, but not overmuch. If you’ve already defeated the Elder, you can head to the Swamp and enter swamp dungeons called Sunken Crypts. Within you’ll find Muddy Scrap Piles, which can be mined with the pickaxe to drop iron scrap. This is the most consistent way to gather iron, though you can find some Scrap Piles throughout the entirety of the Swamp, if you want to progression-skip a bit.
Why would you want to build stone structures in Valheim? Obviously, stone is going to provide much, much more durable walls and fences when compared to wood. This is good for moving a base towards more dangerous environments, or no longer needing to really worry about defending your base. Plus, stone tends to be about as visually interesting as you’d expect. It just looks better for building castle environments.
Other than building stone walls and structures, you’ll also want the Stonecutter to make the Sharpening Stone. Sharpening Stones provide a very cheap upgrade for the Forge, and they can be carried through portals. That means no more getting stuck without a way to repair your equipment. Plus, the cutter also allows you to craft the Hearth and Paved Road. The Hearth is a fantastic campfire upgrade since it has more cooking station slots, though it’s not exactly space efficient.
Interested in more upgrades for your Valheim home? Check out some of our other cosmetic guides for the game!