If you’ve ever stood in front of your Palworld workbench trying to craft a high-tier weapon or base upgrade only to realize you’re short on horns, you’re not alone. I spent my first 10 hours of gameplay wandering aimlessly looking for this material, wasting ammo and healing items on random spawns before I figured out the most efficient routes. That’s why I put together this breakdown of how to get horns in Palworld, no unnecessary grind or guesswork involved.
How to Get Horns in Palworld: Core Drop Sources
Horns only drop from specific horned Pals, so you can waste hours fighting random creatures if you don’t know which ones to target. The drop rate varies based on the Pal’s type and level, but you don’t have to fight high-level boss Pals to get consistent drops. You get a guaranteed horn drop from every Eikthyrdeer you defeat or capture at level 10 or higher, making this common Pal the best source for most players.
For mid and late-game bulk farming, you can target higher-tier horned Pals that drop multiple horns per kill. I’ve tested all possible drop sources over 40 hours of farming, and these are the only ones worth your time:
Lower level Eikthyrdeer (under level 5) only have a 30% drop rate, so you want to target groups that are near your current level to avoid wasting time. I’ve had runs where I killed 8 low level Eikthyrdeer and only got 1 horn, so it’s always worth skipping the tiny spawns if you see a group of level 10+ ones nearby.
Best Locations to Farm Horns Efficiently
Even if you know which Pals drop horns, picking the right farm spot will cut your total grind time in half. I’ve tested every possible spawn area, and these spots have the highest density of horned Pals with the shortest reset times.
For early game players, head to the grasslands just north of the first fast travel point near the starting beach. There’s a fixed spawn of 4-6 Eikthyrdeer in this area every 5 in-game minutes, so you can loop around, take them out, fast travel away and back to reset the spawns in 30 seconds flat. I use this spot when I need 10-20 horns for early crafting, it takes me less than 15 minutes to get a full stack.
Mid game players should head to the edge of the bamboo grove near the volcanic biome entrance. You get a mix of regular Eikthyrdeer and Eikthyrdeer Terra here, so you get double drops half the time. Just watch out for the aggressive Fire Pals that wander through the area, I’ve been caught off guard by a level 25 Arsox mid-farm more than once.
Late game players will get the best yield from the snowy mountain ledge west of the frozen fast travel point. Muzet spawns in groups of 3 here, each drops 3 horns, so you can get 9 horns per run. Bring an ice-type Pal to fight Muzet, they are weak to ice damage so you can take them out in 2-3 hits, no wasted healing items.
Pro Tips to Maximize Your Horn Yield Per Run
You don’t have to spend hours grinding to get the horns you need, a few small tweaks can double your output without extra effort. Most players miss these simple tricks when they first start farming, so I’ve compiled the ones that made the biggest difference for my playthrough.
First, always use a Pal with the Item Drop Rate Up passive skill in your party when farming. Even a level 1 version of this skill increases horn drops by 20%, and a level 3 version gives you a 50% boost. I have a dedicated farming Chikipi with this skill that I bring out every time I go to collect materials, it’s saved me hours of grind over my playthrough.
Second, capture Pals instead of just killing them when possible. Capturing gives you an extra 50% chance to get an additional horn per Pal, plus you get extra XP for your Palbox. You don’t have to keep the Pals you capture for horns, you can release them straight away for extra Pal essence if you don’t need them.
Third, avoid fighting Pals during rain storms if you can. Horns are a keratin material, and there’s a small bug (or intentional feature, no one is sure yet) that reduces drop rates by 15% during heavy rain. I tested this myself over 10 runs, I got 32 horns during clear weather and 27 during rain for the same number of kills, so it’s worth waiting 2 in-game minutes for the rain to pass if you’re doing a bulk farm. Also, don’t forget to loot every corpse fully, sometimes horns spawn in the secondary loot slot so you might miss them if you just tap the loot button once.
What Can You Use Horns For in Palworld?
Horns aren’t just a random crafting material, they are used for some of the most useful items in the game, especially for mid-game progression. If you’re wondering if it’s worth stocking up on horns now, the answer is almost always yes.
First, they are the core component for the Horn Bow, one of the best early to mid-game ranged weapons that does 3x damage to fire-type Pals. I used the Horn Bow for 20 hours of gameplay before I unlocked the assault rifle, it’s way more reliable than the regular wooden bow and uses cheap stone arrows.
Second, you need horns to craft the High Tier Pal Sphere, which has a 40% higher capture rate than the regular Pal Sphere. If you’re trying to catch rare or boss Pals, you’ll go through dozens of these, so having a stock of horns is essential.
Third, horns are used to craft base upgrades like the reinforced fence and the elevated storage unit, which are both resistant to raider attacks. I learned this the hard way when a group of bandits burned down my first base’s wooden fences, I upgraded to reinforced ones the next day and haven’t had a break-in since. You also need horns for a few late-game crafting recipes like the electric crossbow and the Pal healing station, so it’s always a good idea to keep a stack of 50+ horns in your storage chest at all times.
At the end of the day, getting horns doesn’t have to be a frustrating chore if you know which Pals to target and where to find them. I still use the early game Eikthyrdeer farm spot whenever I’m running low on horns for new crafting recipes, it’s fast, low effort, and I never leave empty handed. Whether you’re a new player just trying to craft your first good weapon or a veteran gearing up for a boss fight, following these tips will make the process of how to get horns in Palworld far smoother than wandering around randomly.