Valheim Beginner's Guide

The survival game Valheim has started Early Access on Steam and is already well-received with over 2 million copies sold. The game is constantly attracting new players who are now daring their first steps. 

What is Valheim? In Valheim you play a Nord in a mythical land who tries to win the favour of the gods. To do this, you have to defeat powerful opponents and bosses and prove that you are the strongest warriors.

You start without anything in a big world and have to ensure your survival. To do this, you build your own home, tools, and weapons. The world offers many areas to discover, different biomes, and dangers that you have to face.

Focus On Building Tools & Weapons First

One of your first tasks in Valheim is to build a workbench and to cover it. You can only use it to the full potential once it's covered. Otherwise, it only serves you as a building site with an area of ​​effect.

That's why many players immediately collect wood and build their first home around the workbench. But that's a waste of time because you only need a shelter. A few walls and roofs are enough, the workbench just can't be in the open air.

Use your resources to produce all the important tools. Collect flint early near water areas for the flint axe - it is much stronger than the stone axe. Important for the start are:

an axe, preferably made of flint
a flint spear for hunting that can be thrown with the middle mouse button
hammer for construction
bed for respawning should you ever die
boxes for storage
campfire with a cooking station

Building Parts Can Be Torn Down Again

If you have already built a house around your workbench or accidentally placed parts of the building, you can easily tear them down again. To do this, select the hammer and try to place another part.

If you place this part over an existing one, you can remove already set objects by pressing the middle mouse button. You will get some of the building materials back. This works for normal components such as walls and floors as well as for objects such as the workbench or campfire.

Beat Up Small Trees For Wood

Many players think the only way to pick up wood from the ground without an axe is by looking for branches. However, you can cut the first trees with your bare fists even without tools. Look for smaller trees that are only slightly larger than you. Beat them and after a while, they will be destroyed and you will get a lot of wood for it. Especially useful if you want to build your first tools or buildings.

Another advantage is that this way you can skill in unarmed combat. As you beat up small trees, your ability to use fists increases.

Destroy old buildings to harvest wood quickly. Small ruined shacks found in the world can be a great resource for wood. Create a workbench near the ruined shack and use the hammer to destroy the building.

Repair Costs Nothing

Once you've built your first workbench and your first tool, you can go looking for additional resources. However, your tools will lose their durability and may become unusable at some point.

To prevent this, you can simply repair items on the workbench. That costs nothing in Valheim, unlike in most other survival games. It is possible that costs will still be implemented, but repairs are free, at least in Early Access.

This is especially important when you move away from home to explore new areas or go hunting. You should always repair all your items before going on an expedition.

Weapons Can Reduce Movement Speed

In addition to attack and durability, weapons have another value: movement. This percentage indicates how much a weapon or tool slows you down when you are carrying it and moving with it.

Heavy and larger objects such as hammers or shields make you much slower. Lighter objects like knives don't slow you down at all. Be careful not to carry heavy objects when you are out and about to save your stamina.

If you still want to be armed, you can equip your desired weapons and then put away by pressing the "R" key. Then you move at normal speed and can pull the weapons at any time by pressing the button again.

Weapon Skill

To be more effective with weapons, you need to use them to skill them up. In Valheim, your ability to use weapons or other skills increases by using the appropriate items or performing actions.

When it comes to weapons, however, it is not enough just to hit the air. You have to attack something. Large rocks and stones that you hit are sufficient for this. If you attack a stone with a weapon, your ability increases and you do more damage.

Note that this will reduce the durability of your weapons. So it is better not to train in the middle of the forest, where opponents can appear and catch you with a broken weapon.

Some skills like sprinting, jumping or swimming can also be improved through use. That happens almost on the side, but you can also run or jump in a targeted manner. Skills like sneaking can only be improved when you're near enemies - so just sneak around deers for a few minutes.

Make a Fireplace Inside The House

To make your home cosy, you need a fireplace in the house. The simplest thing is to have a campfire in your house. To do this, you first have to place the campfire on the ground and then build your house around it, or you can remove a part of the ground and build your fire there.

However, it is important that the smoke can escape. So make sure you have a chimney or at least a hole in the wall near the roof. 

You need the fire to make your home “comfortable”. This value is important because it gives you a "rested" buff when you are at home near the fire. The buff improves stamina and health regeneration. The higher the comfort level of your own home, the longer the buff will last.

Floor Tiles Shouldn't Be Used As A Roof

When building your house, floor pieces could tempt you to use them as a roof, as they are practical in shape and allow for simple huts. After all, square houses are very pragmatic.

In Valheim, however, you need a real roof. If you use floors instead, then the house is not considered “shelter” and items like the workbench or your bed are not “roofed over”.

Without a proper roof, you cannot use some of your objects as they don't have protection from the weather.

Get A Pet Early On

In Valheim It's possible to tame a boar and wolf as well. It sure does takes a bit of time and resources to befriend a wolf, so be prepared to lure the animal in a well-known territory with plenty of meat in your inventory. 

As the game is in Early Access the only way you can tame an animal is by feeding it. 

Few More Necessary Tips

Falling trees can kill you. 

You can tame boars with mushrooms.

Picaxe is unlocked after beating the first boss.

Find a trader to acquire a fishing rod.

You can hide your HUD with Ctrl+F3

Use Ctrl+Left click to quickly transfer item in and out of a box.

Use Shift+Left click to split items in smaller stacks. 

When hunting be aware of the wind direction (white lines), moving against the wind can cover your smell from animals.