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Valheim Walkthrough: Start to Deep North

By Jellyfi · Last reviewed 2026-09-17 · Checked on version 1.0.12

Language: English中文

Key points

Work out which stage you are in, then solve the one problem in front of you — you do not have to read the whole site first.
New save? Start with the first day, the biome progression order, combat basics and death recovery.
Stuck rather than under-geared? Check food, the Rested buff and mead before you craft another armour piece.
The main route runs Meadows → Black Forest → Swamp → Mountains → Plains → Mistlands → Ashlands → Deep North.

A Viking longship under a black and white striped sail on open water, a warrior standing at the bow — Official screenshot · Iron Gate Studio (Steam store page)

From your first small hut to the final challenge in the Deep North.

Guide sections

Getting Started
Valheim beginner guides for your first day, main progression order, crafting, combat and corpse runs, so you get home alive and can head out again.
5 guides
Survival & Building
Valheim guides to bases, food, farming, mead, the Rested buff, portals, sailing and traders, so your home supports exploring instead of slowing it down.
8 guides
Biome Progression
Valheim biome guides for Black Forest, Swamp, Mountains, Plains, Mistlands and Ashlands: what to prepare, what to gather first, when to face the boss.
6 guides
Boss Guides
Valheim boss guides from Eikthyr to the final fight: summoning items, gear and food prep, attack patterns and how to read each arena before you commit.
8 guides
Deep North
Valheim Deep North guides: the 1.0 resource and event route, how to craft the Intricate Key, and how to handle the Kall Fimbulbringer fight.
3 guides
Multiplayer & Maintenance
Valheim co-op and upkeep guides: hosting and joining, agreeing on rules for a long-running world, choosing a 1.0 save, and fixing mods after an update.
3 guides

About this guide

This site breaks Valheim's main progression route into guides you can use straight away: work out which stage you are in, then solve the one problem in front of you. You do not have to read a whole manual first, and you do not have to grind materials down a gear checklist.

Playing for the first time? Start here

Valheim First Day: Survive Night One: get tools, shelter, food and a spawn point done.
Valheim Progression Order by Biome: work out what to do now and what the next biome needs.
Valheim Combat Basics: Block and Dodge: learn to defend, hit in short bursts and keep stamina to escape.
Valheim Death Recovery: Get Your Gear: turn a corpse run into a prepared rescue.

Sunlit grassland with a tall oak and several brown-maned beasts moving through the grass — Open Meadows: the biome a first playthrough starts in · Official screenshot · Iron Gate Studio (Steam store page)

Continue your main route

Black Forest: Valheim Bronze Age: Copper, Tin, Gear → The Elder boss guide
Swamp: Swamp progression guide → Bonemass boss guide
Mountains: Mountains progression guide → Moder boss guide
Plains: Plains progression guide → Yagluth boss guide
Mistlands: Mistlands progression guide → The Queen boss guide
Ashlands: Ashlands progression guide → Fader boss guide
Deep North: Deep North progression guide → Intricate Key crafting guide → Kall Fimbulbringer boss guide

Not sure what is stopping you? Check these first

When nothing seems to die fast enough, the answer is not always one more armour piece. Check food, the Rested buff and your mead first.

If you have the resources but cannot use them, read crafting and repair. If nothing ever makes it home, check portals and your sailing routes.

Planning a long run with friends? Agree on co-op and server rules first. Coming back from an older version? Read the 1.0 save and world choice guide and the mods troubleshooting guide.

All sections

How this site uses its sources

This is unofficial guide content. Game mechanics follow official information first, and specific play advice is compiled from traceable community sources. A "recommendation" is one workable plan, not the only or strongest way to play. Sources stay in the text, and vanilla standard survival is the default. Unverified drop rates, exact damage numbers and speedrun times are never presented here as settled facts.

Boss quick table

Every summon item, health pool and damage profile in one sortable table. Click a column heading to sort.

#	Name	Biome	Summon	Weak to
1	Eikthyr	Meadows	Deer trophy ×2
2	The Elder	Black Forest	Ancient seed ×3	Fire
3	Bonemass	Swamp	Withered bone ×10	Blunt, Frost
4	Moder	Mountain	Dragon egg ×3	Fire
5	Yagluth	Plains	Fuling totem ×5
6	The Queen	Mistlands
7	Fader	Ashlands	Bell ×3
8	Kall Fimbulbringer	Deep North	Malicious Blood ×3

Start here

Valheim First Day: Survive Night One
A clear Valheim opening route for tools, shelter, food and a bed on day one, plus the jobs that are not worth rushing before your first night.
v1.0.12
Valheim Progression Order by Biome
The Valheim progression route from Meadows to Deep North, with each stage's goals and the checks that tell you when you are ready for the next biome.
v1.0.12
Valheim Base Building: Your First Base
How to build your first practical Valheim base: picking a site, roofing, venting smoke, structural stability, production layout and emergency supplies.
v1.0.12

All guides

Every published guide on this site, grouped by section.

Getting Started

Survival & Building

Biome Progression

Boss Guides

Deep North

Multiplayer & Maintenance

Frequently asked questions

What order should I do the biomes in?

Meadows, Black Forest, Swamp, Mountains, Plains, Mistlands, Ashlands, Deep North. Being allowed to explore ahead is not the same as being able to live there — each stage opens resources and crafting conditions, not a quest arrow. Full detail in the progression order guide.

How many boss fights are there?

Eight, ordered by main progression stage from Eikthyr through to the final fight. Every page starts from the summon or entry condition, then gear, food and an exit route — see the boss guides.

What does a portal cost, and what cannot go through one?

20 Fine wood, 10 Greydwarf eyes and 2 Surtling cores per portal, and you build one at each end. On standard settings certain ores, metals and special items block an ordinary teleport, so read the item tooltips before planning a long route — portals guide.

Do I have to start a new world for 1.0?

No. Old saves still work, but new biome generation only completes properly in unexplored ground, and 1.0 achievements track from the new version, so bosses you beat earlier may need beating again. Back up before you update — 1.0 save and world guide.

How many foods can I have active at once?

Three different food effects at once, each giving different health, stamina and Eitr. Eitr gear needs Eitr food, which costs you health and stamina slots — food guide.

What should I get done on day one?

One goal: somewhere to return to after dark, and repaired tools to head out with the next morning. Copper, furniture and a full gear set are not day-one jobs — first day checklist.

Can my friends play when I am offline?

Not on an in-game hosted session — that needs the host online. If the world has to stay up without you, that is what a dedicated server is for — co-op and server guide.