You've probably spent the last hour punching trees and wondering why your crafting bench is stalled. It happens to everyone. You’re looking at that upgrade requirement, seeing the word Knotroot, and realize your basic Forest Axe isn't doing anything but making a dull thud against those twisty, gnarled vines in the caves.
Honestly, the jump from wood to Knotroot is the first real "gear check" in LEGO Fortnite. If you don't have the right tools, you're just staring at a wall.
Finding it isn't the hard part. It's the preparation. If you wander into a cave with nothing but a dream and some raspberries, you're going to get flattened by a roller or a skeleton with a crossbow before you even swing at a branch.
Where Knotroot Hides and Why You Can't Find It
Basically, you aren't going to find this stuff growing out in the open. Don't bother scouring the grasslands or looking near the shore. Knotroot in LEGO Fortnite only grows inside caves.
These aren't just any caves, though. You’re looking for the Grassland Caves. They show up on your map as little mountain icons once you've walked near them. If you haven't found one yet, just pick a direction and run. You'll eventually see a rock formation that looks a bit out of place with a dark opening.
Inside, it’s dark. Like, really dark.
The Knotroot itself looks like tangled, gray-brown roots growing out of the cave walls and ceilings. It doesn't look like a standard tree. It looks like something that’s been stuck there for a century, twisted and stubborn. But here's the kicker: if you try to hit it with a common (white) axe, you’ll see those dreaded "0" damage numbers.
The Gear Problem: Why Your Current Axe Sucks
You need an Uncommon Forest Axe. Period. There is no way around this. You can’t punch it, you can’t use a pickaxe, and you definitely can’t use that starter axe you made five minutes after spawning in.
To get the Uncommon Forest Axe, you have to upgrade your Crafting Bench first. This is where the loop starts. You need 8 Planks and 3 Shells. Shells come from Rollers—those annoying rock-crabs that hide in the ground and try to steamroll you the second you look away.
Once that bench is upgraded to green status, you need:
- 3 Bones: Hunt some skeletons at night. They’re everywhere.
- 3 Wooden Rods: Throw some regular wood into a Lumber Mill.
Now you have the green axe. Now you can actually harvest Knotroot. It feels like a lot of busywork, but that’s the survival loop. Without that green tool, those cave roots might as well be made of bedrock.
Surmounting the Cave Chaos
Caves in this game are actually kind of terrifying when you're undergeared. It’s not just the darkness. It’s the sheer density of enemies.
Skeletons in caves aren't the pushovers they are in the meadows. They often travel in packs. Some have sticks; others have dynamite. Yes, dynamite. If you hear a fizzing sound, run. Don't look back, just move.
Bring a torch. Better yet, bring a Shield. You can hold a torch in your off-hand while you have a sword in your main hand, which is a lifesaver. If you're playing solo, recruit a villager to come with you. Give them a sword. They are excellent meat shields and can actually deal decent damage while you’re busy hacking away at the ceiling roots.
Harvesting Efficiency
When you finally find a cluster of Knotroot, look up. A lot of the best nodes are hanging from the ceiling. You might need to build a quick staircase or a few floor pieces to reach them. Don’t be lazy here—Knotroot is a finite resource in each cave, though there’s usually plenty to go around for your first few upgrades.
One swing of the green axe should start chipping away at it. It takes a few hits.
Each node drops a handful of pieces. Grab everything. You’ll need way more than you think because once you get back to base, you’re going to be turning most of it into Knotroot Rods.
Turning Raw Roots into Progress
The raw stuff is okay, but the real power is in the Lumber Mill. You’ll take that Knotroot back and process it into Knotroot Rods.
This is the gateway to the mid-game. You need these rods for:
- The Rare Pickaxe: This lets you mine Marble, which is also in those caves.
- The Uncommon Sword: Because your wooden toothpick isn't going to cut it much longer.
- Village Upgrades: Your village level will eventually hit a wall where it demands "refined" materials.
It’s easy to get sidetracked. You go in for Knotroot, see some Marble, realize you can't mine the Marble yet, get frustrated, and leave. Stick to the plan. Get the wood first.
👉 See also: Golden Sun Dark Dawn: Why the DS Sequel Didn't Quite Hit Like the GBA Classics
Why People Struggle
Most players fail because they don't bring enough food or wood into the cave. You need wood to build those stairs I mentioned. If you run out of wood inside a cave, you’re stuck looking at high-up Knotroot you can’t reach.
Also, the heat/cold mechanic can be a thing depending on the cave's location, but usually, Grassland caves are chill. Just watch your hunger bar. Mining and fighting drain it faster than you’d expect.
The Big Picture
Once you’ve cleared a cave of its Knotroot, it doesn't just grow back overnight. Resources in LEGO Fortnite have specific respawn timers that feel a bit inconsistent right now. Some players report they never come back; others see them return after several in-game weeks.
The smart move? Mark the cave on your map. Use a Map Marker (2 Granite) and color-code it. I usually use green for caves I’ve cleared and red for ones that are too dangerous or still have loot.
Getting Knotroot in LEGO Fortnite is basically your "graduation" from the tutorial phase. You stop being a person running around in a shirt and start becoming a proper adventurer with gear that actually does something.
Next time you head out, check your inventory. If you don't see that green axe, don't even bother entering the cave. You’re just giving the skeletons a free target.
Immediate Next Steps for Success:
- Farm 3 Shells from Grassland Rollers to upgrade your Crafting Bench to Level 2 (Uncommon).
- Craft the Uncommon Forest Axe using 3 Bones and 3 Wooden Rods.
- Enter a Grassland Cave with at least two stacks of food and a Torch.
- Harvest the twisted gray roots on the walls and ceilings using your new axe.
- Process the Raw Knotroot into Knotroot Rods at your Lumber Mill immediately to unlock the Rare Pickaxe recipe.
This cycle is the only way to progress into the desert biome and beyond. If you skip the Knotroot phase, you're essentially stuck playing a very pretty version of "walking simulator" while the monsters get tougher and your weapons stay weak. Grab the green axe, find a hole in the ground, and start swinging.