The Elder
Boss 2 of 8, fought in the Black Forest. 2,500 health across the whole fight.
How to summon
Greydwarf Brute TrophyPlace Greydwarf Brute Trophy on the altar in the Black Forest. The altar is marked on the map once you find it, and the offering is consumed, so bring a spare set if you plan to fight more than once.
Best weapons
Damage per hit at max quality, after The Elder's own resistances are applied. One entry per weapon skill, so this is a choice of weapon TYPE rather than eight variations on the same mace.
| Item | Effective | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
 Butcher Knife | 1,000 | True 1,000 |
 Staff of Embers | 396 | Fire 276, Blunt 120 |
 Frostfire Crossbow | 395 | Fire 42, Frost 97, Pierce 256 |
 Frostfire Sledge | 369 | Fire 42, Blunt 230, Frost 97 |
 Frostfire Greatsword | 355 | Fire 42, Frost 97, Slash 216 |
 Frostfire Greataxe | 323 | Fire 42, Frost 97, Slash 184 |
 Frostfire Spear | 317 | Fire 42, Frost 97, Pierce 178 |
 Frostfire Atgeir | 317 | Fire 42, Frost 97, Pierce 178 |
Figures are per hit at maximum quality, before skill level, backstab and the boss's armour. They rank weapons against each other rather than predicting a time to kill.
Drops
| Item | Amount | Chance |
|---|---|---|
 The Elder Trophy | 1 | 100% |
 Swamp Key | 1 | 100% |
The Elder
The power of the forest invigorates you. You shall gather its bounties faster, just as you shall regain your own vitality should you lose it.
- Health regeneration +30%
- +60% Chop, Pickaxe damage
Hang the trophy on a sacrificial stone to claim the power. It lasts 300 seconds and can be used again every 20 minutes.
After The Elder dies
The world escalates. These start appearing once the kill is registered:
Progression Order
What the game says about The Elder
At the altar
First of the Forest, King-in-the-Wood Lord over those who dwell at his feet His roots will grow where cities once stood Their blood his wine, their flesh his meat
The dream before
In your dream, the forest rises before you, dragging the trees upward like a cloak, its dark mass hiding the stars. At the mountain's peak, vast antlers frame the moon...
Its last words
Little thing of blood and bone, I should have snapped you like a twig! Now I wither and die, let the great tree have me...
The Elder is boss 2 of 8, fought in the Black Forest with 2,500 health. It takes extra damage from Fire, which is what decides the weapon rather than raw damage numbers — the best option against its resistances is Butcher Knife at 1,000 per hit at max quality. Summon it with Greydwarf Brute Trophy, and expect the world to change afterwards: Draugr, Greydwarf Brute, Greydwarf Shaman start appearing once the kill registers.
Get the Winning Edge
Real-time overlays, automatic match tracking, and exclusive tools — everything you need to climb, free on your PC.
- In-game overlays
- Automatic match tracking
- Desktop-exclusive tools
Help us maintain accuracy! If you notice incorrect stats, missing data, or any issues, your feedback directly improves the quality of our data for the entire community.
How to beat The Elder
What is The Elder weak to in Valheim?
Fire. It ignores Chop, Poison, Spirit, Pickaxe entirely, so a weapon that looks strong on paper can do nothing here. The weapon table above applies those resistances rather than listing raw damage.
How do you summon The Elder?
Place Greydwarf Brute Trophy on its altar in the Black Forest. The offering is consumed on use.
How much health does The Elder have?
2,500 across the whole fight. There is no damage cap or enrage timer, so the practical limit is how long you can keep landing hits — which is why the weapon that beats its resistances matters more than the one with the biggest number.
What does the The Elder power do?
The Elder is what The Elder grants at a sacrificial stone once you carry its trophy. It runs for 300 seconds and then needs 20 minutes before it can be used again, and only one Forsaken power can be active at a time — so it is chosen for the fight ahead rather than kept on permanently.
What changes in the world after you beat The Elder?
New creatures begin to appear: Draugr, Greydwarf Brute, Greydwarf Shaman. Beating a boss sets a world key, and several spawn tables are waiting on exactly that key — which is why a biome you thought you had cleared starts producing things you have never seen. The change is permanent and applies to the whole world, not just your character.