Who wants to hack, slash, and raid as a vicious Viking? Well, there are a few things players will need to know first. WhileAssassin’s Creed Valhallacertainly resembles its predecessors, many things have changed and altered, leaving even experienced players having to learn something new. They aren’t alone; with the huge success of the title at release, this game has seen a wave of beginners join the fray.
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Gamers both new and old know how important it is to get off to a good start and how rewarding that can be as the game develops. So here are some tips to make Eivor thebest Viking they can be.
Updated June 12, 2025 by Stephen LaGioia:Despite being well over a year old,Assassin’s Creed Valhallacontinues to draw new players and returning veterans alike. This is thanks to a plethora of fun, rewarding content that continues to expand, with free added content and unique events likeRiver Raids, Odyssey Crossover Stories, and the Isle of Skye. And this doesn’t even factor in the robust DLC packs added since release, which looks to culminate with theepic Dawn of Ragnarok.
Yet, the core experience itself remains deep and elaborate, with a seemingly endless amount of ground to cover, quests to tackle, and goodies to collect. With these factors in mind, it seemed like a good idea to revisit and flesh out this list with moretips and tricks for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla beginnersas well as returning players looking to shake off some rust.
Scout And Survey The Lands Often
The environments ofValhallaare vast and dense to the point where they can be overwhelming at times. Thankfully, there are a couple of useful ways to survey the area and pick up on points of interest fairly quickly. The first is Eivor’sOdin Sight,which is triggered by a simple click of the right analog stick. This yields a pulse wave that briefly darkens the area to highlight objectives, items, and foes nearby.
There’s also theRaven,which acts as an airborne scout for Eivor and can safely detect nearby threats, items, and other points of interest. This can in turn be tagged as waypoints when the Raven is in flight, making navigation and tactical play a bit easier. Simply pressup on the D-pad(“V” on the keyboard for PC)to send the friendly bird.
These are simple actions, but they can go a long way in giving one a greater awareness of the surrounding region.
Don’t Neglect The Drinking Game — Seriously
There are numerous side activities to get lost in when exploring the various towns and villages ofValhalla. One of the more amusing ones is the drinking game, which tasks Eivor with polishing off multiple beverages from a horn as fast as possible. This is done by tapping the prompt button to a given rhythm and responding to direction prompts to stay balanced as the inebriation kicks in.
While this is good for some laughs, it can actually be an easy way to earn quite a bit of coin. In fact, a “big bet” will net a whopping400 silver (betting 200)!Simply ride the big bet and prepare to out-drink the opponent (a task that becomes far simpler through practice). It’s even worth the several bothersome seconds of drunkenness afterwards.
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While this can only be played for coin once per challenger, there is no shortage of them. Just look for thedrinking horn iconin a given town.
Upgrade Quiver For More Arrows At A Time
While there are many things that can be upgraded inValhalla, one of the most neglected (and useful) is the quiver, which holds the primary ranged weapon in the game; arrows.
Make a point to build a collection ofleather, iron ore, and fabric— as these will all be needed for the upgrade — and focus on quiver upgrades. Doing so will add to the number of arrows Eivor can hold at once.
This is a subtle, but highly-useful perk that can make a difference in a heated battle, especially for those who favor stealth and ranged attacks. This can be expanded all the way to30 hunter arrows, 40 light arrows, or 15 predator arrows.
Utilize The Hall Feast
One often overlooked, yet simple way to boost Eivor’s strength and effectiveness in fights is thefeast, which can be held at Eivor’s Ravensthorpe settlement.
To initiate one, simply go to thelonghouseand ring the large bell on the left side of the entrance. These will provide fairly long-lasting buffs, the effects/potency of which can increase when building food-based structures like abakery.
Focus On Adrenaline Slots
Adrenaline slotsare highly useful tools to have at one’s disposal, as they’ll make Eivor far more efficient and allow them to useabilities.Performing actions like headshots with arrows, landing criticals, assassinations, and eating certain plants will refill these slots.
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Focus on ways to keep this meter filled and make a point to do so before going into battles, especially tougher ones. It can make all the difference when it comes to survival and strength. Over time, players can add more adrenaline slots via the skill tree.
Follow The Main Storyline
Following the main quests may sound obvious but it’s also a surefire way to verify the player gets access to everything they need to explore and complete inquests and events.
It also allows for the player to get to know the characters around them andmakes that story all the richerwhilst enabling them to explore the wonderful world around them and perhaps discover some valuable treasure along the way. That and it greatly increases one’s power to the region they’re in, so Eivor can stay on top of the threats in the area and overcome them more easily.
Raid, Raid, Raid
While it’s important to follow the story and explore, sometimes running from one place to the other for a cutscene can get pretty boring.
Unlike previousAssassins Creed’sthe player cancreate and manage their own settlement, building bakers, stables, and merchants to upgrade horses and sell unwanted runes or junk. This is upgraded by gathering material through raiding. Raiding is a nice alternative to questing and a fun change of pace as it allows for some fun, to-the-point action, and ample looting of useful goodies.
Additionally, there’s the fun and convenientRiver Raidsaddition, where players can tackle more quests, gather more goodies, and earn XP by raiding separate regions. Be sure to build aBarracks at Ravensthorpefirst, then seek out a man at the docks namedVagn.
Upgrade Eivor’s Gear
It may seem pretty obvious toupgrade weapons and gearbut many players forget and find themselves dying regularly from enemies that just shouldn’t pose a threat, only to find out their armor could have been upgraded a few times.
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Luckily, the player doesn’t need to go to a Blacksmith or a specific location to begin upgrading their gear. It can be done right in the inventory menu, so it’s advisable to check every so often and see if anything can be made better. The resources required for this areiron ore, leather, and titanium.
However, every so often, theBlacksmith should be visited at Eivor’s Ravensthorpe settlement,as it’ll allow players to expand the limits of armor and weapon upgrades (reaching superior, flawless, and mythical qualities).
Use Sets Of Armor
Many players will find they get certain perks for using armor from the way of theWolf, Raven, or Bear.There aremany discussions as to the most powerfulbut it really depends on the playstyle and techniques of the player, and each alignment type excels in its own way. However, one thing is for certain — always attempt to wear a complete set, and stick mostly with one animal alignment.
Players will often be rewarded extra boosts or abilities when laced withfive pieces of the same armor.This will give the player some useful perks and additional resilience as Eivor gets increasingly set in a particular playstyle. Not only this, but a complete armor set simply looks cool as well.
Practice Controls And Techniques
For those seasoned players,this will not be much of an issue since the controls are pretty similar to the previous games, but for those beginners out there, it’s pretty different from some other popular games and can take getting used to.
Thankfully, Eivor and Sigurd’s wonderful assassin friends will teach the player most of the controls. However, it’s important to practice and get used to these before going into a big boss battle and struggling with the dodge mechanic.Abilities should be practiced when key mappedtoo, as players will want to be accustomed to busting out the right ones in the heat of battle.
