Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: A Guide To All Of The Bearded Axes (2024)

Bearded axes are weapons that were favored by many real-life Vikings back in the day—and are similarly favorites among a number of Assassin's Creed Valhalla players. They usually make good choices for those who prefer a more balanced setup, as well as for those who appreciate flexibility and speed.

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Not only do these weapons allow for an agile, versatile style of fighting, but being lighter one-handed weapons means that Eivor will have a hand free for useful tools like shields, daggers, and hammers alongside it. They make a nice complement to various other weapons and shields. As such, they allow Eivor to hack at enemies fairly swiftly and efficiently. But which bearded axe is right for you? Here is a guide to them all.

Updated September 17, 2022 By Ben Jessey: When it comes to weapons in Assassin's Creed Valhalla, bearded axes are some of the most fun to use. After all, they're generally balanced weapons that are pretty fast and deal out a decent amount of damage.

In this guide, we gave you information about each of the bearded axes in the game so you could choose which was right for you. However, since then, the Dawn Of Ragnarok DLC has come out and added another one of these axes to the game. Thus, we've now also added it to our collection.

Raider Axe

The great thing about the Raider Axe is that you don't have to go on a wild goose chase or plunder for it. It is already ready to go in your inventory at the start of the game. The stats for this weapon are on the tepid side, but it's still a better option than going in swinging with your bare mitts.

This Raven axe was made for speed, and its attack is fairly high given its weapon type and early-game availability. This gives it a sort of versatility that makes it flexible for many types of fights; one among many useful tips for new players. Players might be tempted to ditch it as they progress, but this axe can still be quite sufficient fairly deep into the game with upgrades. In fact, bumping it all the way to Mythical status will increase its attack to a respectable 102.

The perk is favorable for fighters who like to mix things up with combos—as it will increase heavy damage after dealing light damage, and it resets once you land a heavy attack.

Base Stats

Varin's Axe

Varin's Axe can be found very early in the game as it is a reward for completing the main story quest called Honor Bound. This takes place in Rygjafylke, Norway, and requires you to fight an easy boss named Rikiwulf. Once he is defeated and you free your clan from the Longhouse, this weapon will be added to your inventory.

Many choose to wield this Bear-aligned weapon for sentimental or nostalgic reasons as it was Eivor's father's axe. But while one might think it won't quite hold up since it is offered so early, Varin's Axe becomes one of the better weapons in the game when upgraded. It also has a useful perk that increases your speed after each successful hit up to ten times.

This can help shift momentum in your favor rather quickly, as Eivor will accelerate a bit in speed until hitting a frenzy of swift weapon swings. It's particularly great for fending off larger gaggles of enemies, and for those who favor a quicker, hack-and-slash style of play.

Base Stats

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Housecarl's Axe

The Housecarl's Axe is a superior bearded axe that, under the right circ*mstances, can really aid you in slaying even some of those tough Zealots early. This Wolf-aligned weapon can be acquired by venturing into Grantebridgescire. It is in a location called Utbech Camp and it can be found along the Great Ouse River in the upper right middle of the region. You have to find the guard who has the key and then you can unlock the door to the central hut where the chest with this weapon resides.

It is often debated whether Housecarl's Axe or Varin's Axe is better for making an overpowered character, and the verdict is that they are so similar there isn't much difference. Both can certainly complement an OP Eivor when upgraded a few times. The perk for this weapon is that Eivor's attack damage will increase after each hit up to ten times. Given that this can ramp up all the way to an additional +15 attack, this axe can really inflict some pain at a fairly quick pace.

Base Stats

Fyrd Axe

The Fyrd Axe can be acquired in a place called Jorvik, specifically Foresti's Rest in the southern part of this area. There is a large building you will have to enter, but the location is friendly so you won't have to fend off any opponents while you retrieve it.

If you look behind a partition, there will be a movable object where the key is located. Next, you have to climb up into the rafters to reach the chest, and unlocking it will add this stout weapon to your inventory. The perk isn't as great as some of the other bearded axes, but its potent attack power largely makes up for this.

The Bear-aligned weapon increases critical attack damage when Eivor has low health. Survivalists thus won't get too much out of this—but those who like to live on the edge or find themselves in dangerous situations will be able to excel with the axe. Disregarding its below-average speed at least, this is one of the best bearded axes Valhalla has to offer.

Base Stats

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Bear-Claw

A fan-favorite axe in Assassin's Creed Valhalla is the aptly named Bear-Claw, and it can only be acquired by buying the Season Pass for the game. It opens up your world to explore Paris and Ireland and gain access to other goodies and quests. However, if these added areas don't interest you, it is probably not worth it to splurge on the Season Pass just for this item—great as it may be.

The perk is quite nifty as eating a ration will temporarily increase your attack, which is perfect when fighting legendary animals and other stronger, beefier foes. It's also pretty handy as its attack power isn't really up to snuff compared to most of its ilk, though it is pretty swift. It's sort of an inversion of the Fyrd Axe.

Base Stats

Thunderer Axe

Added to the Valhalla fold by way of the Taranis Pack, this electrified axe is fittingly modeled and named after the Celtic God of Thunder, Taranis, and is a standout item among a stout Taranis-themed armor pack. This mythical Wolf axe not only looks cool, but it also has the power to back it up—along with a uniquely amusing perk.

When fully upgraded, this weapon stands as one of the most deadly weapons in the game. While it tends to behave a bit more like a two-handed weapon with its slow speed, its super-charged attack and stun power are second-to-none and it turns Eivor into a killing machine. This disruptive axe becomes even more devastating when a foe's defensive slots are whittled away.

This is because its perk enables stun to increase from +15.0 to a whopping +75.0 depending on the defense slots on the target. This makes it the go-to bearded axe for tougher baddies like Elites, Cavalry, and Zealots. It's also unusually light, making it a nice travel item for Eivor, and negating some of its mediocre speed.

Stats (fully upgraded)

Jotnar Cleaver

There are several great DLC weapons in Valhalla, and the Jotnar Cleaver is among the best. You can get your hands on it if you download the large Dawn Of Ragnarok expansion. But that's not all you need to do. You also must first defeat all the Suttungr’s Outriders to get and equip their Jotnar armor. With the armor, you can enter the portal at the Midalstifla dam and fight the secret boss there. Defeat them to acquire the axe.

So, it's a lot of work, but it's worth it, as the Jotnar Cleaver is arguably the best bearded axe in the game. For starters, the weapon's attack and stun stats are amazing. Its critical chance isn't bad either. Plus, the weapon's perk means that when you hit someone, you've got a chance at recovering some adrenaline, which is a nice bonus.

Stats (fully upgraded)

Next: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: The Skills You Should Acquire First