Every Valheim biome after the Meadows asks for something you picked up in the one before it. Walk in empty-handed and the biome makes you pay for it.
Biome
Items
Meadows
Every new world starts here. Boars, deer and berries make it a safe place to build your first base.
- Progression Order
- 1st
- Boss
- Eikthyr
- Mini-Boss
- -
- Dungeons
- -
- Hostile Creatures
- Boar, Greyling, Neck
- Passive Creatures and Fish
- Deer, Perch, Pike
- Key Resources
- Wood, Fine Wood, Flint, Stone, Raspberries, Mushrooms, Dandelion
- What You Need
- A Workbench and basic tools are all you need to start. Eikthyr's Hard Antler makes the Antler Pickaxe, which mines Copper and Tin in the Black Forest.
- Hazards
- Mild. The creatures here are the weakest in the game, though later bosses add tougher night spawns from other biomes.
Black Forest
Dense pine forest where Copper and Tin open up Bronze. The first real fights start here.
- Progression Order
- 2nd
- Boss
- The Elder
- Mini-Boss
- Brenna (Smouldering Tomb)
- Dungeons
- Burial Chambers, Troll Cave, Bear Cave, Smouldering Tomb
- Hostile Creatures
- Greydwarf, Greydwarf Brute, Greydwarf Shaman, Troll, Bear, Skeleton
- Passive Creatures and Fish
- Deer, Perch, Pike, Trollfish
- Key Resources
- Copper Ore, Tin Ore, Core Wood, Surtling Cores, Blueberries, Thistle, Carrot Seeds
- What You Need
- An Antler Pickaxe for the Copper and Tin deposits. The Burial Chambers hold the Surtling Cores you'll want early.
- Hazards
- Greydwarfs gather in numbers, Trolls roam the trees and Skeletons guard the Burial Chambers.
Swamp
A boggy swamp where poison is everywhere. Scrap Iron is hidden in the crypts.
- Progression Order
- 3rd
- Boss
- Bonemass
- Mini-Boss
- -
- Dungeons
- Sunken Crypts
- Hostile Creatures
- Draugr, Draugr Elite, Blob, Oozer, Leech, Wraith, Abomination, Surtling, Skeleton, Writhan
- Passive Creatures and Fish
- Giant Herring
- Key Resources
- Scrap Iron, Ancient Bark, Guck, Turnip Seeds, Withered Bones, Chains
- What You Need
- A Swamp Key from The Elder to open the Sunken Crypts, a pickaxe to clear the Muddy Scrap Piles inside, and Poison Resistance Mead before you step in.
- Hazards
- Poison from Blobs, Oozers and Leeches. Wraiths haunt the swamp at night.
Mountain
Snowy peaks where Silver hides under the drifts and the cold bites from the first step.
- Progression Order
- 4th
- Boss
- Moder
- Mini-Boss
- Geirrhafa (Howling Cavern)
- Dungeons
- Frost Caves, Howling Cavern
- Hostile Creatures
- Wolf, Drake, Stone Golem, Fenring
- Passive Creatures and Fish
- -
- Key Resources
- Silver Ore, Dragon Eggs, Obsidian, Crystal, Freeze Glands, Wolf Pelts
- What You Need
- Frost Resistance Mead to keep the Freezing effect off you, and Bonemass's Wishbone to find the Silver veins buried under the snow.
- Hazards
- Freezing from the first climb, plus Wolves, Drakes and Stone Golems.
Plains
Wide golden grassland that looks peaceful and isn't. Fuling villages, Lox herds and the Deathsquito make it a big step up.
- Progression Order
- 5th
- Boss
- Yagluth
- Mini-Boss
- Zil & Thungr (Sealed Tower)
- Dungeons
- Sealed Tower
- Hostile Creatures
- Fuling, Fuling Berserker, Fuling Shaman, Lox, Deathsquito, Vile
- Passive Creatures and Fish
- Grouper
- Key Resources
- Flax, Barley, Cloudberries, Black Metal Scrap, Tar, Lox Meat, Lox Pelts
- What You Need
- Your best armor, because Fulings and Deathsquitos punish a weak build.
- Hazards
- Deathsquitos are infamous, and Fuling villages are full of fighters.
Mistlands
A misty highland of black marble and deep fog. Eitr and magic arrive here, along with fights you can barely see coming.
- Progression Order
- 6th
- Boss
- The Queen
- Mini-Boss
- -
- Dungeons
- Infested Mine
- Hostile Creatures
- Seeker, Seeker Soldier, Gjall, Tick
- Passive Creatures and Fish
- Hare, Anglerfish, Pufferfish
- Key Resources
- Black Marble, Black Cores, Sap, Soft Tissue, Sealbreaker Fragments, Royal Jelly, Carapace
- What You Need
- A Wisplight or Wisp Torches to clear the mist, both unlocked by beating Yagluth. Refined Eitr, made from Sap and Soft Tissue, is the crafting material for the gear here.
- Hazards
- Thick mist hides what's coming, and the Infested Mine is home to Seekers.
Ashlands
A scorched land of lava and ash held by the Charred army. Flametal is the prize, and the sea around it is a hazard of its own.
- Progression Order
- 7th
- Boss
- Fader
- Mini-Boss
- Lord Reto (Tomb of Lord Reto)
- Dungeons
- Putrid Hole, Tomb of Lord Reto
- Hostile Creatures
- Asksvin, Bonemaw Serpent, Charred Warrior, Charred Marksman, Charred Twitcher, Charred Warlock, Fallen Valkyrie, Lava Blob, Morgen, Volture
- Passive Creatures and Fish
- Magmafish
- Key Resources
- Flametal Ore, Sulfur, Molten Cores, Bell Fragments, Charred Bone, Asksvin Hide
- What You Need
- A Drakkar, which you can build after beating The Queen, because the boiling water destroys wooden ships. A Shield Generator keeps cinder rain from wrecking your base.
- Hazards
- Lava lakes fill the inland, cinder rain damages and ignites wooden structures, and fire spreads from piece to piece.
Deep North
The last stretch: a frozen coast of snow, ice floes and seals where the cold never eases.
- Progression Order
- 8th
- Boss
- Kall Fimbulbringer
- Mini-Boss
- -
- Dungeons
- Winding Tunnels, Mörkhalla
- Hostile Creatures
- Greydwarf, Greydwarf Shaman, Skeleton, Moose, Barka, Elaking, Eyeless One, Gammeltroll, Krigen, Hexen
- Passive Creatures and Fish
- Seal, Northern Salmon
- Key Resources
- Frostcores, Petrified Tissue, Frozen Branches, Ice, Moose Hide, Seal Pelts, Lingonberries
- What You Need
- Frost Resistance Mead, because the cold never lets up. Some gear starts as moulds, which you turn into casts and forge at a Frost Foundry.
- Hazards
- Freezing weather day and night.
Ocean
The open sea between every landmass. Leviathans, Serpents and fish live here, and there's no boss.
- Progression Order
- Any stage
- Boss
- -
- Mini-Boss
- -
- Dungeons
- -
- Hostile Creatures
- Serpent
- Passive Creatures and Fish
- Leviathan, Tuna, Coral Cod, Pufferfish
- Key Resources
- Chitin, Serpent Scales, Serpent Meat
- What You Need
- A boat. Nothing else gets you across.
- Hazards
- Serpents hunt these waters, and swimming drains stamina until you drown.
The Order of Valheim's Biomes and What Each Boss Opens Up
The land biomes run in boss order: Meadows, Black Forest, Swamp, Mountain, Plains, Mistlands, Ashlands, then the Deep North. The Ocean ties them together. Each boss hands you the one thing that makes the next biome workable, and that chain is the real shape of the game.
- Eikthyr's Hard Antler makes the Antler Pickaxe, the first tool that can mine Copper and Tin.
- The Elder's Swamp Key opens the Sunken Crypts, where the Scrap Iron is.
- Bonemass's Wishbone helps you find the Silver buried under the Mountain snow.
- Yagluth's Torn Spirit builds the Wisp Fountain, and Wisps are what clear the Mistlands mist.
- The Queen's Majestic Carapace is the key part of the Artisan Table upgrade, and that upgrade makes the Ceramic Plates a Drakkar needs.
The bosses page covers how to summon and beat each one.
Meadows and Black Forest: Build a Base, Then Chase Copper and Tin
The Meadows are the one biome where nothing is out to ruin your day, so put your first base here and take your time. Boars, Necks and Greylings are what you'll meet. Kill Eikthyr, grab his Hard Antler and you're ready for the forest.
The Black Forest is where the Copper and Tin ore sits, and the Antler Pickaxe is how you dig it out. Hit the Burial Chambers first, since they hold the Surtling Cores you'll want early.
Swamp and Mountain: Bring the Right Mead Before You Go In
The Swamp is the first biome built to wear you down. Poison is the weapon of choice for Oozers, Blobs and Leeches, and Poison Resistance Mead is how you stay standing. You unlock it in the Black Forest, so make it before you cross over. Muddy Scrap Piles block the crypt corridors, and a pickaxe clears them.
The Mountain swaps poison for cold. Freezing sets in as soon as you start climbing, and Frost Resistance Mead cancels it. Drakes roam the high ground, and Dragon Eggs are one of the resources you'll find up there.
Plains and Mistlands: Tougher Fights, Then Less Sight
The Plains look gentle and play rough. Fuling villages are full of fighters, Lox herds roam the open ground and the Deathsquito has earned its reputation. Go in with your best armor. Black Metal Scrap is the prize, and the Plains also give you Flax, Barley and Tar.
The Mistlands take your eyes away. Wisplights and Wisp Torches push the mist back, and both unlock once you beat Yagluth. Black Cores and Sealbreaker Fragments are in the Infested Mine, which is also home to Seekers. This is also where Eitr and magic arrive. You'll refine Sap and Soft Tissue into Refined Eitr, the crafting material for Mistlands gear, and the food page shows which meals restore Eitr.
Ashlands and Deep North: Boiling Seas and Weather That Never Lets Up
Wooden ships don't survive the boiling water around the Ashlands, so don't sail one there. Build a Drakkar. Once you land, cinder rain wears down structures and fire spreads between wooden pieces, which is why a Shield Generator belongs at any base you plan to keep. The Charred Fortresses hold the Bell Fragments you need for Fader. The crafting stations page covers the Artisan Table upgrade you need for Ceramic Plates, so finish it before you leave.
The Deep North is the Ashlands' opposite: it's freezing all day and all night. Frost Resistance Mead is the safe bet. Some gear starts as moulds, which you turn into casts and forge at a Frost Foundry, and the Winding Tunnels hold the Frostcores.
The Ocean: Where You Sail, What Lives There and What Can Kill You
The Ocean has no boss and no dungeons, so it's the one biome you cross rather than clear. You'll need a boat for that.
Two creatures make the trip worth it. Leviathans look like small islands, and their Chitin is the only Chitin in the game. Serpents are the dangerous ones, and they drop the Serpent Scales and Serpent Meat you'll want.
Biome Mistakes That End Runs
- Forgetting a pickaxe in the Sunken Crypts. Muddy Scrap Piles block the corridors, and you can't get past them without one.
- Climbing the Mountain without Frost Resistance Mead. Freezing starts as soon as you start climbing, and the mead is what stops it.
- Sailing a wooden ship to the Ashlands. The boiling water destroys it.
- Building a wooden base in the Ashlands without a Shield Generator. Cinder rain and spreading fire eat it alive.
- Swimming out from shore. Stamina drains fast, and you can drown.
FAQ
Where do you get Surtling Cores in Valheim?
Surtlings drop them, and the Swamp is where you'll meet Surtlings. Earlier, the Burial Chambers in the Black Forest hold cores too, so check there first.
What do you need to mine Silver in Valheim?
An Iron Pickaxe or better. A Bronze Pickaxe can't mine Silver, so don't make the trip with it. Silver veins sit in the Mountain, where the cold is, so bring Frost Resistance Mead too.
How do you reach the Ashlands and the Deep North?
By boat. Both sit across the Ocean from the other biomes. The sea around the Ashlands boils and destroys wooden ships, so you need a Drakkar, which you unlock after beating The Queen.
Do you have to beat every boss before entering the next biome?
Not strictly. Nothing stops you walking into the next biome once you can reach it, apart from the boiling seas around the Ashlands. But each boss drop is what makes the next biome practical, so skipping one means exploring underpowered.
Why are Greydwarfs and Skeletons showing up in the Meadows at night?
Beating certain bosses lets creatures from other biomes spawn in the Meadows after dark. Greydwarfs come after Eikthyr and Skeletons after Bonemass, and Fulings, Seekers and the Charred follow later bosses. A safe starting area gets riskier as you progress.