There's a lot to take in when players first start playing Tribes of Midgard, and it's likely that they'll be so busy protecting their base early on that they don't have much time to worry about all the extras. That said, players are going to need to take advantage of these other resources eventually if they want to survive longer and get farther in the story. At some point, they may come across a Golden Altar, but it's very unclear what this is for or how to use it. It has to do with one of the most important currencies in the game, Golden Horns, so it's important to understand its function.
Tribes of Midgard has roguelike elements, meaning players don't get to keep everything they find if they die or choose to start over. Golden Horns are an exception to this rule, as players can hold onto them if they manage to leave via the Bifrost. These can then be spent either in the in-game shop or at a Golden Altar.
Using the Golden Altar, players can trade Golden Horns for Runes at a 1:1 rate. These runes provide powerful passive bonuses to the player, and there are a total of 30 to choose between. At any given time, the player can have at least five runes equipped, but certain Tribes of Midgard classes like the Warden start with six slots. They can also unlock more rune slots as they play through the game. While these can work wonders to make a run go much farther than it otherwise would, it's important to note that they are not permanent and players will lose them when they start a new saga.
By contrast, some of the items in the Tribes of Midgard in-game shop provide permanent progression, be they cosmetic or recipes for new items to craft. It's generally recommended that players spend their Golden Horns here first, but if there's nothing particularly interesting then it's fine to spend them on runes. Doing so will give the player's character a huge boost to power early on, though this benefit might level out once players start finding runes out in the wild.
That's all there is to using the Golden Altar. Players wanting to find it and trade some Golden Horns for Runes need simply look for the large hut inside of their village. It also appears on the map as a horn icon. Spending Golden Horns at the Golden Altar is also a good way to get the Golden Egg, a mysterious rune that players have yet to find the true use of. Players can put any extra runes in the war chest if they are playing Tribes of Midgard with friends.
Tribes of Midgard is available now on PC, PS4, and PS5.
