Valheim can be a challenging prospect for those unfamiliar with its world and creatures. After being dropped into the Meadows biome, players need to quickly acclimate to this hostile place. Greylings will hunt them down, the night will fall quickly, and the wild boars can strike.
While Hugin the Raven will provide information on items and systems, Valheim can still be intimidating for those not accustomed to survival games. For those players looking to tackle the introduction to this game and for some helpful beginner tips, this guide is here to help.
Start Off With The Right Tools
To start the game right, players need to build a Hammer, a Workbench, and a Hoe. These three tools set players up for success and function as the bedrock for building in Valheim. The
The Hammer is where all building begins and is the key to creating basically every structure. It can be created in the player crafting menu for 3 wood and 2 stone and later upgraded at a Workbench. One of the first things that players should use this Hammer for is to create a Workbench (10 Wood).
The Workbench is where the vast majority of items important in the early part of the game can be created. Workbenches need to be roughly enclosed and covered by a roof, but this can be accomplished with a handful of wooden walls and a pair of roof pieces. From the Workbench, players can create a Hoe in exchange for 5 Wood and 2 Stone. This tool is important for leveling ground and laying out areas where players can create complex structures.
Build Your Way to a Flint Axe
Similar to Minecraft, a player's priority upon starting Valheim should be to punch and chop down trees. Wood is a vital part of building in this game, and creating structures and workstations is vital to survival. For the Meadows biome, players can chop down trees three ways: with their fists, with a Stone Axe, and with a Flint Axe.
The Flint Axe is the best available option and can be crafted with 4 wood and 6 Flint at a Workbench. Beech trees are the best option for wood gathering, and they are by far the most common variant in the Meadows. Meanwhile, Flint spawns along the rivers and shores of this biome in Valheim.
Create Your First Base Near the Sacrificial Stones
Players are dropped right in the middle of Valheim's massive world among the Sacrificial Stones. Structures can't be created in the immediate area, but just outside this circle, players should create their first home. Players will have to return to the Sacrificial Stones numerous times, and having a home here will be convenient.
As this will likely be the first structure a player has built, there are a few steps they should follow:
- Create a level plain with the Hoe
- Lay out a rectangular framework of a house
- Leave a corner for a cooking chimney
- Finish the structure with walls and a roof
- Wall off this structure to keep enemies out
This first home should fit certain criteria, including creating comfort (Valheim's mechanic that adds a buff to players), giving players the chance to cook and sleep, and should contain enough room to hold a workbench. None of these are crucial for survival, but having a structure that contains all of these things will make a player's life easier.
Begin Rounding Up Boars
One of the mechanics in Valheim that can benefit players of any skill level is taming. Taming animals in Valheim takes patience and food but provides players with a better, more consistent food source and gives them an ally. There is just one creature that can be tamed in the Meadows biome: the Boar.
In order to tame Boars in Valheim, players should once more level out a small area, but this time surround it with Roundpole fencing while leaving one space open. Once players draw the aggression of a boar, they can retreat slowly back into this area and quickly build the last piece of the fence to trap the boar. Throwing stacks of strawberries or red mushrooms into this area and leaving the Boar alone will begin the taming process (indicated by yellow hearts).
Prioritize Creating a Bow
The Crude Bow is the key to advancing through the Meadows biome. This weapon makes animal hunting easier and can help hasten the resource-gathering grind. Especially important is gathering Deer Hide, as it is the key ingredient in crafting the best armor in the Meadows: the Leather Armor set. Deer are notoriously quick to run, and sneaking up on them and using the Crude Bow is the best way to hunt these creatures.
The Bow, when used with Fire Arrows (8 wood, 8 resin, 2 feathers), is one of the deadliest weapons and will dispatch almost any creature in the Meadows in one shot. The Crude Bow is craftable at a Level 1 Workbench for 10 Wood and 8 Leather Scraps.
Learn to Cook and Balance Meals
For the Meadows biome, the best food options come from hunting Boar, Deer, and abandoned wooden structures. The former two drop Boar and Deer Meat that can be cooked over a fire at a Cooking Station. Players need to place these Cooking Stations over an open fire, and they can place multiple Cooking Stations over a single fire.
Abandoned structures have the chance to contain wild Beehives that can be destroyed. These will drop a Queen Bee that can be converted into a craftable Beehive. These will spawn honey over time, one of the better food items in the game.
Cooked Deer Meat (35 Health, 12 Stamina), Cooked Boar Meat (30 Health, 10 Stamina), and Honey (8 Health, 35 Stamina) combine to form the best available options for those looking for a balanced Viking diet.
Don't be Afraid to Challenge Eikthyr
While the first boss may seem like an intimidating prospect, it is a great challenge for those that have been getting accustomed to Valheim's combat. Eikthyr is a large, electric stag with massive antlers that will charge and launch a stomping, electric AOE attack and a Lightning Bolt ranged attack.
This battle was created to test a player's understanding of Valheim's mechanics and can be made easy with all Leather Armor, an upgraded Crude Bow, and Fire Arrows. Eikthyr has no resistances and so players can feel free to rely on any strategy they want when tackling this challenge. Either way, players should try this fight to measure how well they have progressed thus far.
Valheim is available now on PC and Xbox.