Tin is one of the more frustrating resources to gather in the world of Valheim. Though you'll likely encounter the precious resource early on, you will need to progress pretty far into the game before you have access to the tools you need to to mine tin. Tin is also fairly useless by itself, but when combined with copper it becomes one of the most valuable resources in the game. If you're searching the Black Forest and you're ready to advance into the Bronze Age, here's a guide to help you find tin and upgrade your weapons and armor.
When Is The Right Time To Look For Tin
As you explore your immediate surroundings at the beginning of the game, it's possible that tin will be one of the first resources you discover. Unfortunately, none of the tools you can make using stone and flint are strong enough to harvest tin. You won't be able to farm for tin until you've defeated the first boss, Eikthyr, and crafted the antler pickaxe from the hard antlers that the boss drops.
In the meantime, it can be useful to mark any tin deposits you see on your map. To do this, press 'M' to open your map, click on one of the icons on the bottom right, then double click anywhere on the map to leave a marker. It can be helpful to zoom in on the way using your scroll wheel in order to mark the exact spot of the tiny tin nodes you find. Once you've harvested the tin, all you need to do is right-click on the marker to remove it from your map.
Where Do You Find Tin?
Tin is found in small, black deposits along the coastlines and creeks of the starting island. It can be difficult to distinguish tin from the normal stones, especially when they are in shallow water, but if you aim directly at the node it will be identified as tin on your screen.
Tin is considerably denser than other mineable resources like copper. You can typically pull 3-5 tin ore out of a single deposit. The downside is that tin deposits are fewer and farther between, so it's best to stop and mine any tin deposits you see right away rather than leave them for later or mark them on your map, provided you have the antler pickaxe and enough carrying capacity to transport the material.
What Is Tin Used For?
Tin by itself is only used to create one structure: the cauldron. The cauldron is an important cooking tool that you'll need in order to make healing items and poison-resist potions, something that becomes important for the third boss fight. Before you can use the cauldron, you'll need to create a farm and domesticate a boar.
Tin can also be combined with copper to make bronze. Bronze is used to make dozens of weapons and tools through the forge. The first items you should make with your bronze are the bronze axe and the bronze pickaxe, which will speed up your resource gathering considerably.
Before you take on The Elder, it's a good idea to make a full set of bronze armor for everyone in your tribe. While it's best to use fire arrows against The Elder, the next boss, Bonemass, is particularly weak to the bronze mace.