The pickaxe is one of the most important mechanics inside Fortnite. You will be using your pickaxe to harvest materials that can be used to build structures or traded for weapon upgrades.
The introduction of building is the biggest factor that made Fortnite stand out among its competitors in the battle royale space. The idea of being able to build structures to barricade yourself or strategically travel the map served as a feature that drew a lot of interested players to the game.
Pickaxes can also be used in the game as a weapon to deal damage. While they are not the strongest weapon, the pickaxe can be utilized early in the game to take down enemies near your drop zone.
Since the pickaxes are displayed so prominently in the game it’s no wonder the developers have released an expansive range of different skins to modify the look of the player’s pickaxe.
Most of these skins can be found inside the store or acquired through challenges, however, some of these skins are no longer available and may never be available again.
Rarest pickaxes in Fortnite
Honorable mention
Reaper
Being one of the first rare skins in the game, the Reaper was thought of by many to be the rarest. Since the demand for the skin ramped up, however, it has appeared in the store on several occasions, becoming more common with every release. The skin is very simple, turning the player’s pickaxe into a scythe. Due to this simplicity not a lot of players purchased it upon its initial release, which became a contributing factor to its rarity.
Minty Axe
Another skin that was incredibly rare upon release, the Minty Pickaxe has lost its scarcity since it was made available to anyone who purchased V-Bucks from a physical store. It looks very similar to the Candy Axe with its unique green glow.
Raider’s Revenge
The Raider’s Revenge pickaxe is a sturdy item with a rough and rugged look. It was revealed in Season One and could be bought in the Item Shop for 1,500 V-Bucks. The pickaxe hasn’t been seen since Dec. 13, 2017, hence its location on this list.
While there are many to choose from, these are some of the rarest and most desired skins in the game with some players willing to spend a substantial amount of money to acquire them.
10) Pot o’ Gold
Released on March 16, 2018, this skin was available for purchase for a limited time in the store at the price of 1,200 V-Bucks. The skin would turn your pickaxe into three-leaf clover with a floating pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. This St. Patrick’s Day-inspired skin belongs to the Green Clover Set.
9) AC/DC
The AC/DC pickaxe skin became available as a battle pass reward from Chapter One, season two. To unlock the reward, players had to reach tier 63 of the battle pass. This skin turns the player’s pickaxe into a forking rod with the two ends being connected by an electrical current. This skin does not belong to its own specific set.
8) Crowbar
The Crowbar was available to players who completed a series of challenges inside The Getaway game mode. Players had to compete in 10 matches of The Getaway, deal 500 damage to jewel-carrying opponents, and pick up a jewel in five different matches. Due to this mode not always being available, getting a hold of the crowbar can be difficult.
7) Tat Axe
The Tat Axe was a Valentine’s Day-inspired skin that could only be purchased during the Valentine’s Day season for 800 V-Bucks. The design is an arrow through a heart wrapped in angel wings. Due to its limited availability, the Tat Axe is one of the rarest skins in the game.
6) Pointer
This simple skin that turns the player’s pickaxe into an arrow was available exclusively to players in China. There is no way to acquire the skin outside the country, so this skin is one of the rarest in the game today.
5) Power Grip
Another Chinese exclusive, the Power Grip turns the player’s pickaxe into an industrial gripping tool painted in yellow and orange. Just like the Pointer, this skin is extremely rare due to it being unavailable outside of China.
4) Pile Driver
empire axe fortnite
The Piledriver is one of the rarest skins in Fortnite due to its limited availability in the shop. Last appearing in the shop on August 22, 2018, the skin hasn’t been seen for quite some time. The Piledriver’s design is a padded mallet with a white eagle decal. As part of the Lucha set, the Piledriver is absolutely a standout pickaxe in the game today.
3) Raiders Revenge
Number three on the list is an item from very early in the game’s lifetime. Raiders Revenge is one of the rarest skins in Fortnite. The pickaxe was only available from the season shop after achieving level 35 in the first season of the game. The pickaxe looks like an ax with a pickaxe blade screwed into the top covered in barbed wire. The skin is part of the Storm Scavenger set.
2) Permafrost
It was released on march 7th, 2018 and was last available 1202 days ago. Unfortunately we can no longer ship items in time for delivery before christmas. I don't think that's meant to happen.
Part of the Harbinger set, Permafrost was only available to players who reached battle pass level 100 and completed the Ragnarok Challenges to unlock stage four Ragnarok during season five. The medieval-looking pickaxe is partially encased in ice and said to be chiseled from glacial ice. Due to the conditions it would take to unlock, Permafrost is one of the rarest skins in the game.
1) FNCS Axe Of Champions
The rarest pickaxe skin in Fortnite is The FNCS Axe of Champions, a skin that is exclusively available to those who won the Fortnite Championship Series. Even with that prerequisite, it gets rarer because you have to be the current champion to hold it. Once another player dethrones you, you will lose access to this one-of-a-kind skin. The pickaxe itself is gold with the FNCS logo on the top.