Valheim boasts a varied world with diverse biomes, including dense forests, snow biomes, towering mountains, treacherous swamps, and barren plains. Its enemies are equally diverse, ranging from small creatures that can be tamed, such as boars and wolves, to giant bosses like trolls and dragons. To survive, Viking players must gather resources to craft weapons and armour, as well as construct settlements to withstand the harsh environment and store valuable items. The game’s immersive world presents a thrilling survival experience that keeps players engaged and on their toes.
Successfully defending yourself and your base against raids in Valheim requires strategic planning, sufficient preparation, and quick thinking on your feet. Building defensible fortifications, such as stone walls, stake wall palisades, gates, spike traps, and towers, can force enemies to deal with obstacles before reaching you or your important structures. It can also help funnel foes into chokepoints that make fighting them easier and safer. Equipping the best armour and shield possible is also critical, as you’ll likely be outnumbered during raids. Shields also let you parry enemies, which can deal significant melee damage quickly.
Using a bow and arrows to damage the horde before they reach you can also improve your survival chances. Eating enough food before and during raids is essential, especially during ones that include enemies from the harder biomes. Repairing damaged structures and defences with your hammer can help keep your walls up for as long as possible. If overwhelmed, try to bait the raid enemies into groups of normal enemies that wander the biome, as many enemy types in Valheim are hostile to each other.
If there are too many enemies to fight, kiting them away from your base and running away can buy you time until the raid timer ends. With these strategies and helpful tips and tricks, you’ll be able to defend your base successfully and survive even the toughest raids in Valheim.
Raids
Occasionally player created Viking settlements will be raided by enemy mobs. In Valheim, the occurrence of events is random, with a 20% chance of happening every 46 minutes. When a raid is about to begin, players receive a message announcing its start. The list of raids, including their duration, the in-game message that players receive, and their specific parameters, are listed below.
Boars and Necks
The first raid players will encounter is the Boars and Necks mob, which will attack in the Meadow and Blackforest biomes from the beginning of the game until the first boss, Eikthyr, is defeated. The raid lasts 90 seconds. After defeating Eikthyr, players will face the Greydwarf Variants, which will appear in Meadows, Black Forest, Swamps, and Plains. This raid lasts for 120 seconds and is signalled by the message “The forest is moving…”.
Boar Loot
- Leather Scraps
- Boar Meat
- Boar Trophy
Neck Loot
- Neck Tail
- Neck Trophy
Greydwarf
The raid message begins as “The Forest is moving” the raid lasts 120 seconds. After defeating Eikthyr, a horde of Greydwarves will attack you and continue to do so until you defeat The Elder. These attacks will take place in Meadows, Black Forest, Swamps, and Plains.
Greydwarf Shaman Loot
- Greydwarf Eye
- Greydwarf Shaman Trophy
- Resin
- Wood
- Bukeperries
Greydwarf Brute Loot
- Ancient Seed
- Dandelion
- Greydwarf Brute Trophy
- Greydwarf Eye
- Stone
- Wood
Greydwarf Loot
- Greydwarf Eye
- Greydwarf Trophy
- Resin
- Stone
- Wood
Greyling Loot
- Resin
Draugrs and Skeletons
The raid message begins as “A foul smell from the swamp” the raid lasts 150 seconds. As players progress further in the game and defeat more bosses, they will encounter increasingly difficult raids. The Draugrs and Skeletons raid will attack players in the same biomes as the Greydwarfs, as well as the mountains, after defeating The Elder and until Bonemass is defeated. Skeletons are hostile creatures found in Black Forests and Swamps. They guard Burial Chambers and Ruined Towers and are the animated remains of humans brought back to life through dark magic. Despite being reduced to just bones, they are still formidable foes and will attack players on sight.
Draugr Loot
- Draugr Trophy
- Entrails
Drauger Elite Loot
- Draugr Elite Trophy
- Entrails
Skeleton Loot
- Bone Fragments
- Skeleton Trophy
Drakes
The raid message begins as “A cold wind blows from the mountains” the raid lasts 150 seconds. The Drakes and a freezing debuff raid occurs after defeating Bonemass in the Black Forest and before Moder in the Mountains, the fourth boss, and begins in the same biomes as the Draugr events.
Drake Loot
- Drake Trophy
- Freeze Gland
Fulings, Fuling Berserkers, and Fuling Shamans
The raid message begins as “The horde is attacking” the raid lasts 120 seconds. The bell tolls for the final boss-related horde that can raid in Valheim. These hordes will only attack in Meadows, Black Forest, or Plains and will commence from the defeat of Bonemass until the slaying of Yagluth. The horde comprises Fulings, Fuling Berserkers, and Fuling shamans, making it the most challenging event to survive.
Additional Raids
Apart from the main base raids, there are additional raids that only have a chance of occurring after you have recently defeated a particular enemy type. The enemies that raid your base will correspond to the enemy that you have recently slain. The additional raids only have a chance to occur when you’ve recently killed several of a specific enemy type. The enemies raiding your base correspond to the enemy that you’ve recently killed. For instance, if you’ve killed trolls, a pair of trolls will attack your base for 80 seconds. This raid only occurs if the Elder boss has been defeated. Here are the details
Troll raid
You will face a pair of trolls attacking your base for 80 seconds. This raid only occurs when The Elder boss is already defeated. Trolls drop Troll Leather, Troll Trophy, and Gold Coins.
Troll Loot
- Coins
- Troll Hide
- Troll Trophy
Skeleton raid
A horde of skeletons and “rancid remains” skeletons will attack your base for 120 seconds. This raid only occurs after defeating the Bonemass boss. Skeletons drop Bone Fragments and Skeleton Trophy
Skeleton Loot
- Bone Fragments
- Skeleton Trophy
Blob raid
A raid consisting of blobs and oozes from the Swamp will occur for a duration of 120 seconds, targeting your base. This raid only triggers after defeating the Bonemass boss. Blobs drop Ooze, and Blob Trophy.
Blob Loot
- Blob Trophy
- Ooze
Surtling raid
A small group of Surtlings will assault your base for 120 seconds. This raid only occurs after defeating the Bonemass boss. Surtlings drop Surtling Cores, Coal, and Surtling Trophy.
Surtling Loot
- Coal
- Surtling Core
- Surtling Trophy
Wolf raid
A pack of wolves from the Mountains will hunt you down for 120 seconds. This raid only occurs after defeating the Bonemass boss. Wolves drop Wolf Fang, Wolf Meat, Wolf Pelt, and Wolf Trophy.
Wolf Loot
- Wolf Fang
- Wolf Meat
- Wolf Pelt
- Wolf Trophy
