Like its skins, Fortnite’s Pickaxe (or Harvesting Tool) cosmetic type has been in the game since the battle royale’s launch in 2017. Since then, players have witnessed the introduction of over 840 axes and tools for them to buy and collect, but they haven’t all been easy to nab. Some have been a part of older Battle Passes, expired promotions, and limited-time challenges. Thus, these valuable items will likely never be available ever again. To know if you own one of these legendary cosmetics, here are the 10 rarest Pickaxes and Harvesting Tools in Fortnite, listed in alphabetical order.
What are the rarest Pickaxes and Harvesting Tools in Fortnite?
AC/DC
AC/DC is considered extremely rare due to it being available exclusively from the Season 2 Battle Pass. To make matters more complicated, only those who reached Tier 63 during that time could own it. The grind was certainly worth it, as electrical currents move between the Pickaxe’s metal conductors at all times. That said, as Battle Pass items don’t come to the Item Shop, players desperate to own it can only hope a recolored version gets announced in the future.
Armature
Similar to Black Widow, Armature is one of few cosmetics that has seemingly been retired by developer Epic Games. The Pickaxe first debuted in the Item Shop during Season 7 at the low cost of 500 V-Bucks but has not been in a single rotation since. Armature’s disappearance is even more baffling when considering its dedicated Tech Ops skin has been on sale numerous times in the last few years.
Axe of Champions
Arguably the rarest Pickaxe of all, the Axe of Champions essentially functioned as a trophy for players who won a Fortnite Champion Series in Chapter 2. Owners could even use this golden accessory in-game, but it wasn’t guaranteed to stay in their inventories forever. Like any other trophy, the Axe of Champions would then be passed on to the Champion Series winner of the following season. That means Arena competitors had to constantly fight to maintain ownership of the axe until the Axe of Champions 2.0 Harvesting Tool was introduced in Chapter 3.
Related: The 10 rarest Fortnite Back Blings, and how to get them
Drumbeat
The Drumbeat Harvesting Tool is another cosmetic that has apparently fallen off the face of the Earth. It first came to the battle royale within the Flower Power set in Season 5 and was only up for grabs in the shop for two days. Although the rest of the Flower Power set still makes occasional appearances, Drumbeat has been absent for more than 1,400 days. If it pulls off a miraculous comeback, potential buyers can then nab Drumbeat for 500 V-Bucks.
Instigator
Yes, its design is underwhelming and basic, but Instigator is actually the first and rarest promotional Pickaxe in the game’s history. The tool was only offered to players who had an active Twitch Prime subscription during Season 3. As Fortnite hasn’t held a Twitch Prime promotional giveaway since 2018, it is extremely unlikely you’ll ever see this red blade in future matches.
Onslaught
Speaking of firsts, the Epic-rarity Onslaught Pickaxe became instantly valuable when it was rewarded as part of Fortnite’s first Battle Pass-exclusive challenges in Season 4. These challenges involved having to unlock certain parts of the Omega skins at different levels of the pass and obtaining three ultimately earned players the Pickaxe. Although it hasn’t been available since the season ended, Omega did receive a brand new skin and Pickaxe in May 2022, Omega Knight and the Knight’s Torment Harvesting Tool.
Permafrost
The Permafrost Pickaxe was also a part of Battle Pass challenges, as it could be obtained by partaking in the Ragnarok challenges during Season 5. However, it was much harder to unlock than Onslaught. The pass required players to amass a whopping 250,000 XP throughout the season to own Permafrost and most of Ragnarok’s alternative styles. As the game’s weekly challenges now dish out about 15,000 XP, current players can only imagine the lengthy grind Season 5 Battle Pass owners had to go through.
Raider’s Revenge
Of course, this group of 10 wouldn’t be complete without the ancient Raider’s Revenge. As one can guess, the Pickaxe was introduced all the way back in Season 1 and was only for sale in the short-lived Season Shop. This marketplace was a combination of both the Battle Pass and Item Shop, as players could only purchase certain cosmetics after they’ve reached their required levels. Raider’s Revenge was the last cosmetic that could be obtained from it, unlockable at Level 35 for a ridiculously overpriced 1,500 V-Bucks.
Stealth Angular Axe
The Stealth Angular Axe wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for Fortnite’s passionate player base. In 2018, Epic partnered with NVIDIA to grant those who purchased select NVIDIA graphic cards a swath of exclusive cosmetics. As this essentially meant players would have to give up hundreds of dollars for a graphics card and the items, each cosmetic in the NVIDIA set was first considered extremely rare. However, as the set would later go to hit the Item Shop, big spenders were quick to criticize Epic and their broken promise. As a result, the developer made it up to NVIDIA customers by giving them the one-of-a-kind Stealth Angular Axe in 2019.
Tooth Pick
Despite making 27 Item Shop appearances, Tooth Pick manages to grab the last spot on this list. After arriving in Season 1’s Item Shop for 800 V-Bucks, the item would continue to be in Item Shop rotations until apparently starting a never-ending hiatus in January 2019. It certainly had nothing to do with its design, as fans adored its sharp sabertooth blade and wooden club. With it being more than 1,300 days since its last shop appearance, Tooth Pick may be lost in the ether until the end of time.
