What’s the fastest way to upgrade your workbench in the early game?

Upgrading your workbench quickly in Valheim is essential for crafting better gear and progressing through the early game efficiently. The workbench is the cornerstone of crafting, and upgrading it allows you to unlock advanced recipes and improve your tools, weapons, and armor. To upgrade the workbench, you need to build specific structures around it, such as a chopping block, tanning rack, and adze. Each upgrade requires different materials, so planning ahead is key.\n\nFirst, ensure you have a basic workbench placed in a safe location, preferably near your starting base. To build a workbench, you need 10 wood, which can be gathered by punching or chopping down trees in the Meadows biome. Once the workbench is placed, you can begin upgrading it. The first upgrade requires a chopping block, which costs 10 wood and 10 flint. Flint can be found along the shores of the Meadows biome, so prioritize exploring riverbanks and coastlines early on.\n\nAfter building the chopping block, place it near the workbench to unlock the first upgrade. This will allow you to craft better tools like the flint axe, which speeds up resource gathering. The second upgrade requires a tanning rack, which costs 25 wood, 15 flint, and 5 leather scraps. Leather scraps are obtained by hunting boars in the Meadows biome. Boars are common but can be aggressive, so approach them carefully or use a crude bow to hunt them from a distance.\n\nOnce the tanning rack is built and placed near the workbench, you’ll unlock the second upgrade. This enables you to craft stronger armor, such as the leather tunic, which provides better protection against early-game enemies. The third upgrade requires an adze, which costs 10 wood and 3 bronze. Bronze is crafted by combining copper and tin at a forge, so you’ll need to venture into the Black Forest biome to gather these materials. Copper nodes are large, rocky deposits, while tin is found near water sources in the Black Forest.\n\nTo smelt copper and tin, you’ll need to build a smelter, which requires 20 stone and 5 surtling cores. Surtling cores are found in Burial Chambers in the Black Forest, so explore these dungeons carefully. Once you have bronze, craft the adze and place it near the workbench to unlock the third upgrade. This allows you to craft even more advanced items, such as the bronze axe and pickaxe, which are essential for gathering higher-tier resources.\n\nOne common challenge in the early game is managing inventory space while gathering materials. To address this, prioritize building a chest near your workbench to store excess resources. Another challenge is dealing with enemies like greylings and trolls while exploring the Black Forest. Always carry a shield and a weapon, and consider building a small outpost near resource-rich areas to minimize travel time.\n\nIn summary, the fastest way to upgrade your workbench in the early game involves gathering wood, flint, leather scraps, and bronze efficiently. Focus on exploring the Meadows and Black Forest biomes, and build the necessary structures (chopping block, tanning rack, and adze) to unlock upgrades. By following these steps, you’ll be able to craft better gear and progress through the game more quickly.\n\nPractical tips for speedrunning include marking resource locations on your map, using portals to reduce travel time, and prioritizing upgrades that enhance your resource-gathering capabilities. With careful planning and efficient resource management, you can upgrade your workbench and dominate the early game in Valheim.