What’s the best way to avoid wasting time on unnecessary crafting recipes?

In Valheim, speedrunning requires efficiency, and avoiding unnecessary crafting recipes is key to saving time. The game features a vast array of crafting options, but not all are essential for progressing quickly. To minimize wasted time, focus on crafting only what is necessary for survival, exploration, and defeating bosses. This means prioritizing tools, weapons, and armor that align with your biome progression and boss fights.\n\nStart by understanding the crafting progression tied to biomes. For example, in the Meadows biome, you only need basic tools like a flint axe, flint spear, and a crude bow. Avoid crafting items like the club or wooden shield early on, as they are less effective and waste resources. Instead, gather flint and wood to craft essential tools and a workbench, which unlocks further crafting options. This approach ensures you spend resources on items that directly aid your progression.\n\nAs you move into the Black Forest biome, prioritize crafting a bronze axe, pickaxe, and shield. These items are critical for gathering tin, copper, and core wood, which are necessary for advancing to the next tier of gear. Avoid crafting decorative items or unnecessary weapons like the bronze mace unless you specifically need them for a boss fight. Focus on upgrading your workbench and forge to improve your gear efficiently.\n\nIn the Swamp biome, prioritize crafting iron gear, such as the iron mace and iron armor, as these are essential for surviving the harsh environment and defeating Bonemass, the biome''s boss. Avoid crafting items like the iron sledge or iron atgeir unless you have excess resources, as they are not required for progression. Instead, focus on gathering iron scraps and upgrading your forge to maximize your gear''s effectiveness.\n\nTo further optimize your crafting, plan your resource gathering around specific goals. For example, if you need to craft a portal for fast travel, gather the required fine wood and surtling cores in advance. This prevents unnecessary trips and ensures you have the materials ready when needed. Additionally, always carry a hammer and workbench materials to craft on the go, saving time during exploration.\n\nAnother key strategy is to avoid over-crafting consumables. For example, while potions like health mead and stamina mead are useful, crafting them in bulk early on can waste valuable resources. Instead, craft them as needed, especially before boss fights or challenging encounters. This ensures you use your resources efficiently and avoid cluttering your inventory.\n\nFinally, use the wiki or community guides to identify essential crafting recipes for each biome and boss fight. This knowledge helps you avoid crafting unnecessary items and focus on what truly matters. By following these strategies, you can streamline your crafting process, save time, and progress through Valheim more efficiently.\n\nPractical tips: Always prioritize tools and weapons that align with your biome progression. Avoid crafting decorative or niche items unless absolutely necessary. Plan your resource gathering around specific goals to minimize wasted time. Use community resources to identify essential recipes and avoid over-crafting consumables. By focusing on efficiency, you can speedrun Valheim without wasting time on unnecessary crafting.