Rapiers of Valheim

Twelve craftable rapiers spanning the Meadows through the Deep North. Fight with two precise thrusts followed by a descending slash, with custom fencing poses, advancing footwork, and a different hilt and blade for each weapon.

Features

• Twelve weapons using Valheim's Swords skill, with crafting recipes and four quality levels.
• Two thrusts and a third slash by default. Heavy attacks play at 1.2× native speed. A successful parry while wielding a rapier unlocks one 2× heavy attack within two seconds. Both heavy attacks lunge about 2.5 metres.
• A fencing guard with the free left fist braced against the hip. Legs retain Valheim's normal blocking pose and movement animations. Native blocking is retained when using a shield or other offhand item.
• Piercing damage on thrusts; the third slash converts the physical damage to slashing while retaining elemental damage.
• Veilneedle: an iridescent blade, reflective silvery-black guard and pommel, black leather grip, and Mistwalker-style blade mist that clears nearby Mistlands fog while equipped.
• Aurora Needle: northern colors and an open silver guard, with damage based on the native Frostfire sword.
• Golden Rune Rapier: dark forged steel, a green leather grip, a gilded guard, and gold runes along roughly the lower half of the blade, with damage based on the native Thunderblood sword.
• Corrected right-facing guards on Aurora Needle and Golden Rune Rapier.
• Configurable damage, stamina, reach, attack styles, and footwork.

Requirements

Prepared and checked on Valheim 1.0.16 for Windows with:

• BepInExPack Valheim 5.4.2333
• Jotunn 2.30.2

The Deep North weapons require game content from this version. Older Valheim versions are not supported by this release. Other operating systems and later dependency versions have not been verified.

Installation

Mod manager — recommended

1. Select Valheim and your preferred profile in Gale, r2modman, or Thunderstore Mod Manager.
2. Install Rapiers of Valheim and its listed dependencies.
3. Launch the game through that profile's modded launch option.
4. Reach the main menu once to generate the configuration file.

For a local release ZIP before publication, use your manager's local-mod import feature if available. Otherwise, open the profile folder and copy the ZIP's BepInEx/plugins/AlternatingRapier folder into the profile's BepInEx/plugins directory. Install the two dependencies separately in that profile.

Manual installation — Windows

1. Close Valheim. Back up your characters, worlds, and existing mod configuration before updating a modded installation.
2. Install BepInExPack Valheim using the instructions on its package page. The contents of its BepInExPack_Valheim folder belong beside valheim.exe.
3. Install Jotunn in BepInEx/plugins/Jotunn according to its package instructions.
4. Extract this ZIP and merge its BepInEx folder into the Valheim installation directory.
5. Check that this file exists:

Valheim/
  valheim.exe
  BepInEx/
    plugins/
      Jotunn/
        Jotunn.dll
      AlternatingRapier/
        AlternatingRapier.dll

1. Launch Valheim and reach the main menu. Check BepInEx/LogOutput.log for Loading [Rapiers of Valheim 1.0.2] and the weapon registration messages.

The mod's models, textures, and inventory icons are embedded in its DLL. No Blender files or separate asset installation is required. BepInEx and Jotunn are downloaded separately.

Updating from Alternating Rapier

This is the renamed release of Alternating Rapier. The plugin ID, item IDs, DLL name, and configuration filename are preserved for existing items and settings.

Close the game, then replace your previous AlternatingRapier.dll. Keep only one copy in the active profile or manual installation. If an older test build is directly inside BepInEx/plugins, remove that old DLL after backing it up; do not leave it alongside the new subfolder copy. In a manager, disable or remove the old Alternating Rapier package before enabling this one.

Keep your existing configuration if you want to retain your settings. To restore release defaults, move the old configuration file to a backup location while the game is closed, then launch once to generate a fresh file.

Weapons and crafting

These are the initial crafting costs with the default recipes. Discover the materials and use the required crafting station to see a recipe.

Upgrades use the station's Upgrade tab and require higher station levels. The two Deep North rapiers consume a Nord sword only when first crafted. Their upgrades to quality 2 / 3 / 4 cost 10 / 20 / 40 Bloodgold and 1 / 2 / 4 of the matching essence, respectively. Their required station levels are 5 / 6 / 7; availability of those station levels in normal progression still needs an in-world release playtest.

Aurora Needle and Golden Rune Rapier inherit native sword damage values at registration, converted to rapier piercing damage. Their own rapier attacks are used; they do not copy every special mechanic of those native swords.

Controls

Use your normal Valheim bindings:

• Primary attack: thrust, follow-up thrust, then slash.
• Secondary attack (middle mouse by default): heavy thrust at 1.2× native animation speed. Successfully parry while wielding a rapier, then begin a heavy attack within two seconds to use the previous fast 2× thrust. Each parry grants one fast heavy attack; another parry refreshes the window. Ordinary blocks and failed parries do not grant it. Unequipping the weapon, death, or stagger clears the opportunity. Both speeds retain the 2.5-metre lunge and normal secondary-attack stamina cost. Obstacles or interruptions shorten the lunge; it requires clear ground.
• Block: fencing guard with the free left fist resting against the hip. Legs use Valheim's normal blocking pose and movement animations. Normal blocking movement speed applies. With a shield or offhand item, native blocking takes precedence.

Configuration

After the first launch, edit:

BepInEx/config/com.keeto.valheim.alternatingrapier.cfg

For a mod manager, this file is in the active profile. Close the game before editing it, then restart to apply changes.

ElementDamage affects a weapon's assigned element; it does not add an element to a physical-only weapon. Aurora Needle's setting controls frost; its native fire component remains. Existing configuration values take precedence over new defaults. When upgrading from 1.0.0, your existing AnimationSpeed becomes the parry follow-up speed; the new NormalAnimationSpeed starts at 1.2. There is no need to delete your config.

Compatibility and test status

Version 1.0.2 retains the gameplay code and assets from 1.0.1, which passed automated parry-window/timing tests and an isolated game launch. Tests verify one-use windows, expiry, refresh, clearing, per-player state, and speed handling at 1.2× and 2×. Runtime fixtures confirmed successful-parry hook installation, native animation playback and the full 2.5-metre lunge at both speeds, all twelve weapon registrations, recipes, mist effects, and the existing guard pose. The 1.0.2 build and package are validated separately. Full in-world parry/combat, progression, save/reload, and multiplayer acceptance tests remain outstanding.

Multiplayer and dedicated-server operation are not yet verified. If testing multiplayer, install matching versions and dependencies on every client and the server, and keep gameplay settings consistent. This release does not synchronize configuration automatically. Other mods that change sword attacks, player animation, item registration, or these recipes may conflict.

Troubleshooting

• No weapons or recipes: confirm both dependencies are active, launch the modded profile, and check the log for registration errors. Also check that the recipe materials are discovered and the station has the required level.
• Duplicate-plugin warning: search the active profile's BepInEx/plugins tree for extra copies of AlternatingRapier.dll, including earlier test-build folders.
• Settings seem unchanged: check the active profile's configuration, close the game before editing, and restart. An existing value overrides a new default.
• Veilneedle does not clear mist: equip it in hand; the effect is not intended to operate from inventory or while sheathed.
• Attack or pose conflict: reproduce in a clean profile containing only this mod and its two dependencies, then re-enable other mods in groups.

When reporting an issue, include the mod and Valheim versions, the affected weapon, reproduction steps, your mod list, and the relevant BepInEx/LogOutput.log excerpt.

Uninstalling

Back up your saves first. Unequip and remove the mod's items from characters and worlds you intend to load without the mod, then close Valheim and disable the package or remove its DLL. Keep the configuration backup if you plan to reinstall.

Credits

Rapiers of Valheim is an independent Valheim mod. Thanks to the BepInEx and Jotunn projects. Native game effects and materials are referenced from the installed game at runtime. The package icon uses renders of the actual Embercoil and Golden Rune models over an AI-assisted title and background.

Support

If you enjoy Rapiers of Valheim and would like to support my work, you can support me on Ko-fi. Donations are optional and always appreciated.

Changelog

1.0.1

• Heavy attacks without a recent successful parry now play at 1.2× native speed.
• A successful parry while wielding a rapier unlocks one fast heavy attack at the previous 2× speed, if started within two seconds. Ordinary blocks and failed parries do not grant the bonus; repeated parries refresh rather than stack it.
• Both heavy-attack speeds retain the 2.5-metre lunge, collision handling, and existing stamina and damage values.
• Adds NormalAnimationSpeed and ParryWindow settings. Existing AnimationSpeed values become the parry follow-up speed, so upgraded configs receive the slower normal heavy automatically.
• Keeps the hip-fist pose and native blocking leg animations.

1.0.0

Prepared first public release of Rapiers of Valheim, previously developed as Alternating Rapier.

• Includes twelve craftable rapiers, from Wood Rapier through Aurora Needle and Golden Rune Rapier.
• Includes the two-thrust-and-slash combo, configurable fencing animations, advancing footwork, and fencing block pose.
• Uses the native closed-fist finger pose while blocking, with a raised, inward-facing wrist braced against the hip.
• Restores Valheim's native leg pose and movement animations while blocking following in-game feedback on the experimental shuffle. The fist-on-hip guard, attack footwork, and 2.5-metre heavy lunge remain.
• Adds a faster secondary heavy attack: 2× animation speed and a 2.5-metre lunge, with obstacle sweeps, interruption handling, and configurable speed/distance/duration. Travel fits the accelerated thrust, with a default maximum duration of 0.25 seconds (about 0.18 seconds in the native animation fixture).
• Includes tiered recipes and four item quality levels, with Deep North recipes based on Nord swords, Bloodgold, and matching essences.
• Includes Veilneedle's reflective silvery-black guard and pommel, black leather grip, native blade mist, and nearby fog clearing.
• Includes Golden Rune Rapier's shorter rune section and the corrected right-facing guards for both Deep North rapiers.
• Updates Veilneedle's item description to match its appearance and mist enchantment.
• Adds Thunderstore metadata, package artwork, installation instructions, configuration help, and crafting reference.
• Preserves existing item IDs, the plugin GUID, DLL name, and configuration filename for compatibility with Alternating Rapier test builds.

This package is staged for release. Full in-world progression, combat, save/reload, and multiplayer testing remains to be completed before publication.