Fists and gloves are probably the most unconventional weapon type in all of Valheim. You can only choose from four different types here, far fewer than in most other categories. In return, their attacks and damage patterns are very broad and give you plenty of options. If you use fists correctly, they can be really strong. Today we take a closer look at this weapon: when you find the different types and which attack patterns you can use. We think fists are definitely worth a try, because at times they are the strongest weapons in a particular biome. You just have to know how to handle them.
Valheim fist fighting basics: combo, kick and parry
Your first weapon in Valheim is actually your fists, which you can also use to defend yourself. They don’t strictly belong to this weapon class, but they follow similar rules. Over the course of the game you can find four more pairs of gloves that further develop your fist skills. More on that below!
Fists have a double combo as their primary attack, with the second hit dealing double damage. The secondary attack, on the other hand, is a kick that also causes knockback and staggers enemies. This is 6x more effective than with normal weapons and gives you an immediate window to attack again. In addition, just like with knives, you can deal 6x damage with an undetected attack from behind. You can read how this works with daggers in our knife guide (Valheim Knife Guide: All Daggers up to the Deep North) . The same value also applies to parrying: if you block attacks perfectly, you deal the highest damage of all weapons!
In general, fists and gloves are fast, precise and easy-to-understand weapons with short range. Dodging and parrying are the keys to success, paired with plenty of stamina and health. It’s best to always wear light armor, as you’ll get the most out of its bonuses. The Fenris set, for example, is perfect, with +15 levels for your fists skill. You can find all sets and their bonuses in our armor overview (Valheim armor: All sets, biomes, and set bonuses at a glance) . Resources are best farmed with friends, so rent your own Valheim server with us.
All fist weapons in Valheim at a glance: from bare fists to Nord Knucklechains
Bare fists: your first weapon in the Meadows
As mentioned, your bare fists are your first weapon in Valheim and also surprisingly good in the first biome! You can hit most small enemies and animals with them and defeat them without much trouble. They deal 5 blunt damage and lack some of the bonuses of real fist weapons, but they’re still enough. With them you can already train your skill to use less stamina and make your attacks stronger.
Paws of the Bear: fist weapon from the Black Forest
You can craft your first real gloves in the Black Forest, the second biome in Valheim. Fitting the local monsters, they are bear claws that deal 25 to 37 slash damage. Later you can make them even stronger, like all weapons. To do this, you have to visit the Forge of Potential (Valheim 1.0 Forge of Potential: Upgrade gear beyond level 4) . To craft them, you need to defeat at least two bears and turn their paws, hide and leather scraps into the gloves. These first fists are a pretty good weapon, even if they don’t necessarily deal as much damage as other weapons.
Flesh Rippers: Fenris claws from the Mountains
You can craft the second pair in the Mountains from Fenris hair, Fenris claws and silver. The Flesh Rippers already deal 60 to 72 slash damage, a clear upgrade over the bear paws. Their long, pointed claws are characteristic. They have the highest knockback of all fists and can stagger almost any enemy type. That’s what makes them so strong! The secondary attack in particular benefits from this.
Vilebone Maulclaws: fist weapon for the Plains and Mistlands
Quite similar to the previous gloves are the Vilebone Maulclaws, which you can craft right afterwards in the Plains from bear hide, vile ribcages, black metal and linen thread. They also have distinctive, thin claws that focus on 20 to 32 slash damage and 60 pierce damage. This makes them versatile and useful against different enemies.
This applies especially to the following Mistlands, where there are no new fists, but these two damage types are particularly effective against Seeker Soldiers and ticks. For the Ashlands that come after, we recommend a different weapon, since you can’t craft new gloves there either and the combined damage of the Vilebone Maulclaws becomes rather weak there.
You can try to upgrade them at the Forge of Potential, but you always have to accept the risk of failure and the weapon breaking. However, the developers are using community feedback to improve the forge somewhat. Especially for weapons as rare as fists, this is very important so you can use them across several biomes.
Nord Knucklechains: fist weapons from the Deep North
In the newest biome, the Deep North, you can finally craft new gloves again. The Nord Knucklechains deal 114 blunt damage, but with new upgrades they also gain 0 to 24 slash damage.
As with all Nord weapons, you first have to find a matching mold. You can get it as loot in the Winding Tunnels, in Mörkhalla or near the Memorials. Then combine this mold with Bloodgold and long claws and harden the item afterwards with five Liquid Frost in the Frost Foundry. After that you can use your new fist weapons! We explain the whole process with molds step by step in our post on Deep North weapons (Valheim 1.0: Weapon crafting in the Deep North with Bloodgold & upgrades) .
The fists get even better with the essences you can get from the warriors at the Memorial. With Bloodgold and more essences you can upgrade them further. Both versions are useful and pack a real punch!
- Frostfire Knucklechains: 80 blunt damage, plus 12 fire damage and 88 frost damage.
- Thunderblood Knucklechains: 122 blunt damage plus 45 lightning damage.
Conclusion: are fists worth it in Valheim?
For a long time, fists weren’t really a good choice in Valheim, and even today you have to bridge some biomes with other weapons until you find a new pair. But when they are available, they are among the best weapons you can have! Above all, their agility, precision and bonus damage make them extremely strong. Combine them with light armor and at times you’re unbeatable. Some bosses can still be tough, and then it’s worth switching to other weapons.
