Valheim Biomes

The key to Valheim’s progression lies in its biomes. They each come with their own unique challenges and enemies. The further you go, the harder those challenges get. And in return for tackling them, you’ll be rewarded with stronger gear and new resources to use in crafting. We’ve put together helpful tips that will help you thrive in each of the game’s biomes.

You can find those tips by clicking on the headings below. And in-between, you’ll get quick overviews of what you can expect there.

Meadows

The Meadows is the starting and safest biome. It exists to help you familiarize yourself with the game and teach you the basics of building and securing a base. The enemies there are easy to defeat with the most simple weapons. And the biggest challenge is simply not getting overwhelmed with how wide and open the game is.

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To Do Checklist

• Craft basic tools and weapons: Stone/Flint Axe, Flint Spear, Crude Bow.
• Clear out an area with Ocean access and start building a base there.
• Interact with the Eikthyr Vegvisir to learn the biome’s boss location.
• Place two Deer Trophy on the boss altar to summon Eikthyr; defeat the boss to advance.

Threats

• Boars – an early source of meat. Not overly aggressive and easy to defeat with basic weapons.
• Necks – live near water. More aggressive than boars but even easier to defeat.
• Greylings – aggressive humanoids. This early version is borderline harmless if you have a weapon.
• Eikthyr – biome boss. A giant lightning deer. Easily defeated by using a bow and some dodging.

Black Forest

The Black Forest is the second biome after the Meadows. While technically you can head there right away, you’ll want stronger weapons and armour if you are to survive there. Additionally, the key resources you need to advance to the next tier of gear are Copper and Tin. To mine these ores, you’ll need a pickaxe. Your very first one, Antler Pickaxe, is crafted from the boss drop from Eikthyr in the Meadows.

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To Do List

• Prepare at least Leather Armour before heading into the Black Forest.
• Explore the Burial Chamber dungeons for your first Surtling Cores.
• Use the Antler Pickaxe to mine the biome’s ores, then smelt them to build Bronze gear.
• Fight Trolls to craft a Troll set if you prefer a more agile playstyle.
• Gather Carrot Seeds to get your first taste of Valheim’s farming with the Cultivator.
• Interact with the Vegvisir inside Burial Chambers to locate the biome’s boss.
• Place 3 Ancient Seeds (dropped by Greydwarf Brutes and Greydwarf Nests) on the boss altar to start the fight.
• Locate Haldor the NPC trader.

Threats

• Greydwarfs – stronger versions of Greylings. Have ranged attacks and can swarm you. Also come with Shamans that deal poison damage and Brutes that are bigger and stronger. All of them fear fire, making it easy to avoid them if you have a Torch.
• Trolls – huge, strong, and slow, Trolls are imposing, but once you learn their attack patterns are easy to defeat. Piercing damage and dodging works best against them.
• Bears – the source of the materials for the Bear set and Paws of the Bear. Strong and aggressive, Bears are best avoided until you’re confident in your gear. Like Greydwarfs, they fear fire, so a Torch makes it easy to not fall prey to them.
• Skeletons – basic undead enemies. Can be melee or ranged. Are fairly easy to defeat, especially if you have a good source of Blunt damage.
• Burial Chambers – the main Black Forest dungeon. Your first source of Surtling Cores you’ll need for smelting, and later Portals. Dark, and featuring narrow corridors and numerous undead enemies. Carry a light source and be on the lookout for chests to get some loose treasure.
• Troll Caves – small, one-room dungeons housing Trolls and some treasure. If you’re looking for Trolls to hunt, these are your best bet.
• The Elder – the biome’s boss. Has both ranged and melee attacks. The easiest way to defeat him is by using Fire Arrows while hiding behind the pillars of the arena.

Swamp

The Swamp comes right after the Black Forest. It’s an inhospitable biome where environmental hazards are as dangerous as the enemies. You’ll be dealing with a lot of Poison damage there, while constantly getting the Wet debuff that makes it harder to regenerate health and stamina.

Before heading into the Swamp, you’ll want to make sure you’ve defeated The Elder, the boss of the Black Forest. He drops the Swamp Key, that will allow you to make actual progress in the Swamp.

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To Do List

• Make sure you have Bronze-tier weapons and armour. The enemies in the Swamp are more dangerous so you want to be ready for them.
• Create an outpost at the edge of the biome. You’ll be doing a lot of mining in the Swamp, and it’s usually far away from your main base, so constantly going back and forth is not viable. Whether you’ll be transporting your Swamp resources by ship or cart, you’ll want a spot to store them, and maybe a portal back to base.
• Gather Turnip Seeds to unlock a new level of farming.
• Explore the Sunken Crypt dungeons. This is your main source of Iron. You’ll need the Swamp Key to get inside. While there, also collect Withered Bones and read the Vegvisirs to locate the biome’s boss.
• Craft Iron weapons and armour. A lot of enemies in the Swamp are weak to blunt damage, so an Iron Mace is a great option.
• Bring 10 Withered Bones to the Forsaken Altar to summon the Bonemass, the biome’s boss.
• Find the Bog Witch, the Swamp trader.

Threats

• Blobs – jump around and deal Poison damage. Bash them with your blunt weapons.
• Draugr – essentially a stronger version of skeletons. Can be melee or ranged, but don’t do anything too special.
• Surtlings – these fire elementals spawn around geysers and drop their cores. You’ll need quite a few of those for your portals, so get ready to farm them.
• Leeches – hide inside shallow waters and can be hard to spot.
• Abominations – large lumbering tree monsters. They’re tough and look imposing, but once you figure out their attack patterns, they’re not too bad.
• Wraiths – only spawn at night and oftentimes high up in the air. You’ll need quite a few of the Chains they drop, so be on the lookout while inside the Swamp.
• Sunken Crypts – the Swamp dungeon and your main source of Iron. Get ready for narrow corridors, sunken passages, and blocked pathways you’ll need to mine through with your pickaxe. When not mining, you’ll mostly be dealing with the Draugr and their spawners.
• Bonemass – the biome’s boss deals a lot of poison damage. Poison Resistance Mead is pretty much a requirement. A blunt weapon like the Iron Mace is your best bet here.

Ocean

The Ocean is essentially the connective tissue of Valheim. While not a full biome with its own progression and a boss to fight, it still holds challenges and useful resources. Your starting island is pretty much guaranteed to have the Meadows and Black Forest biomes. You may luck into a good Swamp or Mountain, but those aren’t guaranteed, and there’s a good chance you’ll need to sail to reach those. If you’re looking to enter the Ocean, you’ll need at least a raft, but realistically, you’ll want a ship. Our ships guide can help you figure out how those work.

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There aren’t that many types of food you can cook from the Ocean-exclusive ingredients. But what’s there will remain a solid food choice for a long time.

• Cooked Serpent Meat
• Serpent Stew
• Sailor’s Bounty

To Do List

• Stock up on Wood for emergency repairs.
• Have multiple ways to increase and restore your stamina should you fall overboard.
• Mine Leviathans for their Chitin to build an Abyssal Harpoon. This is a utility tool with a variety of uses.
• Hunt Serpents for their Serpent Meat. If you master defeating them early, you’ll get access to food that will remain strong until the very late stages of the game.

Threats

• Storms – while there is no mechanic for taking in water or overturning due to waves, storms make it harder to navigate and they often come with poor visibility. This may lead to you crashing into rocks and getting stranded in the open waters. Be extra careful while sailing in bad weather.
• Serpents – the main monster of the Ocean biome. They tend to follow you and try to damage and sink your ship. Ranged weapons work best against them. If you want to make sure to get their loot, a good idea is to harpoon one when it’s at low help and drag it to shore.
• Deep Waters – a lot of items in Valheim sink and despawn when they fall into deep water. Make sure to not drop any precious cargo in there.

Mountain

The Mountain biome is unlike any that come before it. While it has some tough enemies, the main dangers there are environmental. For starters, you’ll be dealing with a constant Freezing debuff. To fight it, you’ll want Frost Resistance Mead early on. Later, you’ll craft a Wolf Fur Cape, that completely negates the debuff. On top of the mead, you’ll also want to make sure to grab the Wishbone accessory dropped by the Bonemass. It’s the only thing that can help you locate Silver deposits.

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To Do List

• Make sure you’re wearing Iron or Root armour and using Iron weapons. You’ll also want a shield to deal with the wolves and a good bow for the drakes.
• Use the Wishbone to locate and mine Silver deposits.
• Explore abandoned structures to find the Vegvisir that will lead you to the biome’s boss. While there, be on the lookout for Onion seeds that will help your farming.
• Gather 3 Dragon Eggs from drake nests and place them on the Forsaken Altar to summon and defeat Moder, the Mountain dragon boss.

Threats

• Wolves – the most common Mountain enemy. They often travel in packs and deal quite a lot of damage. A good shield can help against them. The tricky part is to not get overwhelmed.
• Drakes – they float in the skies and shoot icy projectiles at you. You’ll need a good bow to shoot them down.
• Stone Golems – pretend to be rocks until you approach. Resistant or immune to a lot of damage types. Use blunt weapons against them, or even a pickaxe, as those deal increased damage to the golems.
• Werewolves – come in different forms. Fenrings appear at night and are weak to fire. Ulvs and Cultists stick to the Frost Caves and instead like fire. Cultists will even attack you with fire magic.
• Frost Caves – the biome’s dungeon is entirely optional. It’s not required to advance and the things you’ll find there are sidegrades. Explore them if you’re looking for a challenge, want to use the Fenris armour or Flesh Rippers, or are looking for the elusive Tetra fish.
• Moder – the big boss of the biome. Will alternate between flying and fighting you on the ground. Use ranged attacks when she’s out of reach and switch to melee when she lands. With some practice, her attacks are easy to avoid, allowing you to deal plenty of damage during the recovery windows.

Plains

The Plains biome comes with Valheim’s first truly unforgiving difficulty spike. While there aren’t any particularly tricky enemies there, those that exist deal a lot of damage. And with how distant the biome is from your starting base, falling there can be a real chore. Before heading for the Plains, make sure you’ve defeated Moder in the Mountain and have an Artisan Table back home, so that you can actually build the new crafting stations.

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To Do List

• Wear the best armour you can, which will likely be Wolf armour, and have Mountain-tier weapons. Frostner is a great option for dealing with the enemies in the Plains.
• Land in a biome adjacent to the Plains and build a portal outpost there. This way your initial encounters with the Plains enemies won’t force you to sail all the way back.
• Raid Fuling villages to get the biome’s key resources – Black Metal Scraps, Flax and Barley.
• Flax and Barley can only grow in the Plains, so set up a well-defended Plains farm to grow these crucial resources.
• Explore the Stonehenge locations to read the Vegvisir that leads you to the biome’s boss. In the meantime, make sure to collect 5 Fuling Totems from Fuling villages to summon the boss.
• Place 5 Fuling Totems on the Forsaken Altar, summon and defeat Yagluth, the biome’s boss.
• Meadows biomes far-enough away from your starting location can spawn Hildir, a trader with some quests for you. Some of her challenges will only be appropriate for a Viking in Plains-tier gear, so this will be a good time to find her.

Threats

• Deathsquitos – small, fast, and deadly. These can kill an unprepared adventurer in a hit or two. You can do the same to them, so using a shield to block their attack and then hitting back is recommended. Alternatively, drink an Anti-sting Concoction to stop them from attacking you.
• Fulings – the main Plains enemies. Come in regular, Shaman, and Berserker. These can be essentially seen as much stronger Greydwarfs. Hit hard and tend to swarm you when they can. You simply need good gear and combat fundamentals to defeat them.
• Lox – not overly aggressive giant beasts. Drop very good meat and can be tamed to become mounts. Their attacks are powerful but slow. Avoid them and then retaliate.
• Growths – black tar blobs of the biome. Strong, annoying, and not crucial to progression. Avoid them as much as you can and then return to the biome with stronger gear later when you’re hunting for base decorations.
• Viles – a stronger undead version of bears. Allow to unlock a lighter sidegrade for the Plains’ main Padded armour set.
• Yagluth – the biome’s boss deals a lot of fire damage. Fire Resistance Barley Wine is a must. Apart from that, you want good armour, weapons, and healing to defeat the boss.

Mistlands

The Mistlands is easily the trickiest biome to navigate. To see anything at all, you’ll need a way to dispel the mists that give the biome its name. The main way to do it is by using a Wisplight. You’ll be able to craft it after you defeat Yagluth, the Plains boss. He’ll drop a Torn Spirit you’ll craft into a Wisp Fountain that will attract Wisps at night. After collecting some of those and building your Wisplight accessory, you’ll be able to enter the Mistlands.

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To Do List

• Equip a Wisplight and Plains-tier weapons and armour. Make sure to have both melee and ranged weapon options.
• Create an outpost within the Mistlands. Since this biome generally spawns far away from your main base, you’ll want to set up a portal and some defenses right away. Look for a secluded spot with some flat land for future farming and access to Ancient Roots.
• Raid Dvergr compounds for Dvergr Extractors to build your own Sap Extractors and unlock Eitr-related gear.
• Place Sap Extractors on the Ancient Roots, and cultivate a Magecap and Jotun Puffs farm nearby. These resources can only be farmed within the Mistlands.
• Cook some Eitr-rich food and explore the new magic options available in the biome to expand your arsenal. Many of the late-game challenges are made much easier by using magic.
• Raid the Infested Mines dungeons to get some Black Cores for your crafting. Additionally, search them for a Vegvisir leading you to the Infested Citadel where you’ll find the biome’s boss, and grab all the Sealbreaker Fragments along the way to get inside there.
• Build a Sealbreaker at a Galdr Table from 9 fragments to enter the biome’s Infested Citadel and fight The Queen there.

Threats

• Seekers – these bug-type enemies come in three forms. The regular Seekers are pretty tough and can fly short distances. They’re resistant to physical damage, making them a good target for magic attacks. Seeker Soldiers are huge mini-bosses and so should be approached with extra caution. And Seeker Broods are the tiny swarmers you’ll only encounter inside the biome’s dungeons.
• Gjall – flying spawners that deal fire damage and spawn numerous Ticks. Your best bet for dealing with them are piercing weapons and tricks like luring them towards Dvergr outposts.
• Dvergr – these dwarves are neutral to you by default and will even help you fight the biome’s monsters. You will, however need to rob them of some exclusive resources, making a confrontation inevitable. When you do, get ready for a fight, or lure some other enemies to help you deal with the dwarves first.
• Infested Mines – the biome’s dungeons are infested with Seekers, but the biggest challenge is actually navigating their labyrinthine pathways without missing any secret passages.
• The Queen – the capstone boss of the biome is a formidable foe. Your best bet is to adopt a magic playstyle when dealing with her. Melee fighters will need to do everything they can to maximize their survivability. We have a dedicated guide for fighting The Queen.

Ashlands

At times it feels like the Ashlands exist purely to mock those who thought the difficulty spike of heading into the Mistalnds was too harsh. The biome is as distant as it is inhospitable. In fact, we have a guide dedicated specifically to preparing for the journey to the Ashlands, on top of the usual tips for how to survive there.

Before you can reach the fiery biome, you’ll need a Drakkar ship, as it’s the only one that can withstand the boiling waters around it. To build one, you’ll need an Artisan Press station crated from the Majestic Carapace dropped by the Queen.

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To Do List

• You’ll want to assemble more gear than usual when setting out for the Ashlands. You’ll ideally want both the melee and magic armour sets from the Mistlands, a selection of spells, especially Staff of Embers and Staff of Protection, and the Mistwalker sword.
• Before landing, make sure to create a portal outpost on any tiny rock near the shore. Since there are no adjacent biomes, it’s the only way to ensure a quick return trip should you fall once you disembark within the Ashlands proper.
• Protect your base with Shield Generators and use Stone Portals to transport previously portal-locked goods. Raid Putrid Holes to get the Molten Cores needed for them.
• Mine Flametal Ore usually found inside lava pools to upgrade your gear. Basalt Bombs will help you reach them safely.
• Raid Charred Fortresses for more resources, precious gems that unlock additional spells and weapon upgrades, and the Vegvisir that will lead you to the biome’s boss – Fader. You’ll need 3 Bells to summon him. Bell Fragments are also found inside the fortresses.
• Explore Mysterious Locations to locate the Tomb of Lord Reto and craft the Dyrnwyn sword.
• Place 3 Bells around the altar shown to you by the Vegvisir to summon and fight Fader. You’ll need the loot from him to advance to the game’s final biome.

Threats

• The Charred – these are essentially fire skeletons and come in multiple versions. They’re tough and numerous. Your best option for dealing with them when you first arrive to the Ashlands is the Mistwalker sword, as it deals increased damage.
• Bonemaws – stronger versions of regular Serpents from the Ocean. Will try to destroy your Drakkar and be a general nuisance. Frost Arrows and Staff of Frost work well against them.
• Asksvin – oversized and overbuffed versions of the Neck monsters from the Meadows. Can be tough to bring down, but can also be tamed, allowing you to ride through lava.
• Voltures – swarming bird enemies. Extremely fast, so if you see them, don’t try to run. Stop to deal with them. They’re weak to frost damage but are also afraid of fire. Having a Torch out will make them less likely to attack you.
• Fallen Valkyries – fairly rare and tough enemies. Are weak to spirit damage but have both ranged and AoE attacks, making it tough to get to them in melee.
• Morgens – large skeletal monsters. Their attacks are best avoided by dodging. Mistwalker works wonders against them. So is any source of Lightning damage.
• Lava Blobs – they’re like the blobs from the Swamp, but on fire.
• Putrid Holes – these tiny dungeons usually have some loot and oftentimes a few of the precious Molten Cores. They also each have a Morgen hiding under the floor, so be prepared to face one when you step inside.
• Charred Fortresses – these large fortifications come swarming with the Charred, have long-range ballistae defending the walls, and enemy spawners inside. You’ll need siege equipment of your own, or some exquisite cheese tactics to enter and clear a Charred Fortress.
• Fader – this huge dragon deals a lot of fire and physical damage. You’ll want to maximize your fire resistance and have great armour when engaging him. Be sure to have a lot of healing on you. Using a Trollstav can make the fight significantly easier.

Deep North

Since the biome will be coming together with the game’s full release in September, we can’t currently help you master its challenges. We do have a guide that will help you prepare for what you’ll likely be facing there.