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Valheim has a steep learning curve, and with every playthrough, you learn something more. However, if you don't have time to learn on the go and instead want to know exactly what to do, this guide is for you. Once you find the perfect spot to place your base as a beginner, the next goal will be to hunt, gather resources, and build up your own little Viking village.
Once you're strong enough, you can summon and fight Elkthyr. Defeating him will unlock the ability to create new tools that will allow you to progress. Sadly, for the most part, new players (including myself on the first run) tend to stop their adventure at this point. However, this is just the beginning, and you can do so much more before you leave your starter base on the first island in Valheim.
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Fight The Elder before leaving the first island in Valheim
Before we dive into things in detail, here's a brief summary of what you need to do before leaving your first island:
- Build basic structures: Workbench, Bed, Campfire, Cooking Station, Tanning Rack, Chopping Block, Beehives, Smelter, Charcoal Kiln.
- Stockpile resources: Copper, Tine, Core Wood, Fine Wood.
- Level up skills: Try to level up as much as you can before leaving.
- Stockpile things you need: Above all else, stockpile everything you need, such as arrows, raw materials, and food.
With that said, it is time to shed more light on everything you need to do before leaving your base.
After a few hours of exploration and killing Elkthyr, Valheim can seem pretty boring. You already have the basics set up now: Workbench, Bed, Campfire, Cooking Station, Tanning Rack, Chopping Block, and maybe a couple of Beehives.
By now, the Meadows tremble when you waltz about in search of prey or resources. You've conquered Necks, Greylings, Boars, and maybe even a few Greydwarfs. Your skills are at a reasonably high level, and now you're bored and wondering what to do next.
Well, the next part of your adventure in Valheim will be defeating The Elder. This boss is located in the Black Forest, where you will need to go next. Be warned, this biome is not too kind to visitors. In my experience, if you're not careful, you will get surrounded without even knowing it.
Even then, you must summon the courage to venture forth into the blackness and face numerous foes, such as Greydwarf Brutes, Greydwarf Shamans, Trolls, Skeletons, Rancid Remains, and the occasional Ghosts. That said, let's talk about what you need to do in the Black Forest.
For starters, you will want to find the Burial Chambers in Valheim. There are many to be found if you know where to look. Look for a small cave-like entrance made out of rock. Once inside, be prepared to deal with Skeletons, Rancid Remains, and Ghosts. I would highly recommend using a Flint spear in combination with a Wood Shield or Wood Tower Shield.
Burial chambers are a labyrinth. They can be small and feature one to three rooms or sprawl out underground and have more than one floor. Without the ability to use your mini-map, you will need to rely on memory to navigate your way within and exit safely.
What you're looking for inside the Burial Chambers are Surtling Cores. They can be used to create the Smelter and the Charcoal Kiln. Using the Antler Pickaxe, you can now mine Copper and Tin. Consider using a Cart if you want to move large amounts of resources at once. After refining Copper and Tin, you can combine them at a Forge to create Bronze. And with that, welcome to the Bronze Age in Valheim.
Once you have enough Bronze, you will be able to create a Bronze Axe, which will allow you to chop down Birch and Oak. This will unlock Fine Wood, allowing you to craft items such as the Finewood Bow and Portals. The former is a very useful tool in battle, while the latter will give unfettered access to fast-travel in-game.
Coming back to the Black Forest, you will need to look for Pines to secure Core Wood. This will allow you to build more elaborate structures that are taller and will offer solid protection against foes. Of course, a Troll will still be able to break down your defences, but it will take longer.
You should now be able to take on foes in the Black Forest of Valheim with ease. Trolls that once terrorized you can be dealt with swiftly. You can even slay them to make Troll Armor, or perhaps use Bronze Armor to become invincible to these low-level creatures.
You can do a few more things, like creating a Cauldron to make better food. You can then make Meads using the Mead Ketill and Fermenter. This will give you a major edge in battle. You can also do a bit of farming if you desire, but that's not important. After you've done all of this, the only thing left to do is fight and defeat The Elder.
If you are lucky, The Elder will spawn on the same island as you. Once you're ready and feel confident enough, you can take on this entity in battle. That said, if the boss does not spawn on the same island, you can use the Karve to cross shallow water or perhaps the Ocean to get to it. Just be careful, as a Serpent guards the waters in Valheim.
That's about everything you can do before you leave the first island in Valheim. I would suggest taking a lot of time and learning the basics, as you need them as you progress. Level up skills as much as you can before heading to the Swamps. They are an unforgiving place, and survival will not be easy.
I would also suggest playing with friends to speed up the entire process. Even if you start from scratch, you can reach The Elder in 15-25 days with ease. While this might be challenging, it is nothing that a group of bold adventurers will not be able to accomplish.
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