The Mistlands update has brought a new boss to Valheim: the Queen. This powerful creature boasts more health than any previous boss and the capacity to deal incredible amounts of damage, making her the biggest challenge in the game to date. While tracking the Queen down is similar to other bosses in Valheim, the following fight is unique.
There are a few things that players need to keep in mind before attempting this boss fight, especially for those just getting into the new Mistlands area. For those Valheim players looking to track down and defeat the Queen, this guide is here to help.
How to Find and Summon the Queen in Valheim?
The Queen can be found in a way similar to other bosses in the game: through the use of a Vegvisir. For the new Mistlands area, these special runestones are hidden within Infested Mines, the abandoned mines that are guarded by Seekers. Unfortunately, not all Infested Mines will have a Vegvisir and players will have to explore quite a bit before finding the right location.
Once they manage to locate one, however, just interacting with it will add the Queen's location to a player's map. This location could be anywhere from relatively close to across the entire map of Valheim. For the latter, there are other summoning locations for the Queen in a single game world and another option may be closer.
The Queen stands out among bosses in that she can only be fought in her lair, known as the Infested Citadel. This building has a unique appearance with a massive, locked door that players need to open in order to begin the fight. The Sealbreaker is the only item in the game that can open the Queen's lair and this can be assembled at the new Galdr Table in Valheim with the use of 9 Sealbreaker fragments.
How to Defeat the Queen in Valheim?
The challenge for those looking to tackle the Queen is daunting. This creature has 12,500 health points (2,500 more than the previous reigning boss in Valheim, Yagluth) and the ability to deal slashing, piercing, and poison damage to players depending on the style of attack. In general, the Queen deals massive amounts of damage and knockback, often tossing the player straight across her lair even if the move was parried. Seekers are also almost constantly spawned throughout the fight, distracting the player, dealing damage, and even restricting movement.
What are the Queen's Attacks?
The Queen has attacks that can deal 100 Slash damage, 130 Slash damage, 150 Pierce, and 140 Pierce and Poison damage. This means that players should rely on the power granted by Valheim's third boss, Bonemass, when tackling this boss.
Range of the Attack | Description | Type of damage |
Close | Slash with individual arms | Physical |
Close | Extend the head and bite | Physical and Poison |
Close | Stab at the ground with four arms | Physical |
Mid-range | Spews multiple projectiles that hatch into Seeker Broods upon impact | Physical and Poison |
Anywhere | Burrows into the ground to reemerge elsewhere in the arena | N/A |
Anywhere | Emits a large roar and summons two Seekers | N/A |
Mid-range | Rapidly closes the distance and performs a wide slash | Physical |
How Best to Prepare for the Queen?
Defeating the Queen requires preparation. This includes bringing Major Healing Meads, Poison Resistance Meads, and the right food items. The three meal options that players bring to this fight should each give to a particular category: Health, Stamina, and Eitr. Great options for these would be the Misthare Supreme (85 Health, 28 Stamina), the Mushroom Omelette (28 Health, 85 Stamina), and Seeker Aspic (28 Health, 14 Stamina, and 85 Eitr).
When it comes to armor and weapons, it has to be Mistlands tier and upgraded. Due to the quickness of the Queen and her capacity for dealing massive amounts of damage, the Carapace Armor set brought through the Mistlands update is a player's best bet. As far as weapons are concerned, it can be a challenge to get multiple swings off on the Queen and so the Krom Longsword is a good option to deal a decent amount of damage and roll away. The Carapace Shield and Mistwalker Sword are also great options, especially when dealing with the smaller Seekers that will spawn.
Even for those players that haven't pursued Valheim's new magic system, the Staff of Embers is a great way to disperse the smaller Seekers and deal damage to the Queen as well. This weapon can be of great use when the amount of Seekers spawned starts to get out of hand or when players get stuck in a corner. Another addition that players should consider is the Feather Cape which negates all fall damage.
The Boss Fight Strategy
Instead of entering the arena and fighting out in the open, staying close to the protected entrance should be the strategy for the Queen. This boss moves surprisingly quickly, summons Seeker help often, and deals massive damage making open combat very difficult to manage. By staying close to the entrance, dealing damage with either the Staff of Embers or the new Krom Longsword in Valheim, and quickly ducking into the tunnel, players can replenish their health and stamina and still whittle away at the boss. At the moment, this entrance area prevents this boss from attacking.
Upon reengaging this boss, the Queen will almost always perform a roar which leaves her open to attacks while Seekers fly in for support. Normally, for situations such as this, Valheim's bows and new crossbow would be especially useful but, because the Queen is resistant to Pierce damage, they do little damage. Instead, using the game's new staffs (Staff of Frost and Staff of Embers) can supplement the damage bows typically would deal.
As long as players recover their health and stamina at the right time, avoid being pinned by smaller Seekers or the Queen herself, and don't get greedy attempting to deal damage, this fight can be managed in a reasonable amount of time. Players can also create a base just outside the Infested Citadel in order to further improve their odds of success in this fight. For those players looking to summon the Queen again, they need only bring three Seeker Soldier trophies up to the altar within the Citadel.
Valheim is available now for PC, and releases in early 2023 for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.