There are plenty of guides to be found online for how to be good at Assassin's Creed Valhalla and there is a great deal of value in them by making sure the player's version of Eivor is the biggest and baddest Viking in the business. But what if one isn't content to just be good at the game?
What about players that want Eivor to not just be formidable, but unstoppable? Are you the kind of person that wants to build a character that laughs at armies as their pathetic attacks bounce off of like rubber? Want to hit the attack button three times and be done with boss fights? If so, this is the place to be!
Updated April 29th, 2021 by Stephen LaGioia: The massive Viking epic that is Assassin's Creed Valhalla continues to flourish. This is partly thanks to a steady stream of new quests and DLC content — along with some ironing out of bugs and rough patches. Deep gameplay, a robust campaign, and the promising DLC Wrath of the Druids have allowed the game to continue its momentum several months after release. Given its depth and scale — and new elements released like the Cold Rage skill, being a formidable Viking can be tough to keep up with, especially early on. With that said, let's explore even more helpful tips to help keep Eivor at the top of their game.
15 Tackle Side Missions
Ubisoft's new approach to the AC formula involves a more focused structure when it comes to questing, stressing mainline missions compared to side quests. But while they take more of a backseat in Valhalla, there are still many miscellaneous tasks to tackle when the going gets tough for Eivor.
Whether it's helping a local villager with a job, unearthing Mysteries, doing World Events, or even something as simple as hunting, there's no shortage of ways to get ahead. Doing these is particularly wise in this game, since the experience gained from finishing the tasks all tie to a single Power Level stat.
14 Partake In Raids
When in Rome, or in this case, "Valhalla," do as the Vikings do! One of the most rewarding aspects of this game is raiding. These range from small-scale skirmishes to full-on fortress assaults. With all the opportunities to raid and the bounties of wealth to get from them, this activity should definitely be stressed.
Scout out the map and pinpoint raiding locales. They'll be marked by red battleaxes at various points along rivers. Be sure the fight is manageable, and send the ship over to begin. Though it may not seem too productive at first, the long-term gains from supplies, wealth, and XP are more than worth it. These can be put towards upgrading the settlement and empowering Eivor.
If these tasks get tedious, there's always the newly-added River Raid missions, which send Eivor off to an entirely new, isolated area.
13 Upgrade Your Settlement
The settlement acts as a sort of central hub when it comes to the campaign progression and Eivor's personal growth. It's a sort of minor RTS element that should be managed and upgraded just as it would when playing that type of game.
Upgrades will unlock new tasks, resources, and even stat boosts here and there. Buildings like the Cattle Farm, for instance, will grant ranged damage boosts given from feasts, while a Grain Farm will tack on additional armor to the feast bonuses.
This upgrade and expansion will also open the door for additional buildings, which enables useful features like hunting, fishing, as well as boosts for Eivor's horse and ship. Over time, these additions will make Eivor more versatile, resourceful, and strong.
12 Upgrade Gear Frequently
Ubisoft has streamlined the process of progression and using gear, compared to the more RPG-like Assassin's Creed Odyssey. But while armor swapping and purchasing can be minimal, frequent upgrades are still recommended. Upgrade armor you think is sufficient enough to stick with for long periods of time.
Make a point to pull up the inventory screen and upgrade Eivor's gear somewhat often. Simply clicking on the equipment and pressing "upgrade" will bump up the stats. This can be achieved by obtaining Iron Ore, Leather, and Titanium — found in small loot chests and in the environment.
Meanwhile, make a point to also enhance gear on occasion. This can be done via the blacksmith at the settlement. Enhancements will open up additional upgrade slots along with rune slots. This will allow for further juicing of each piece of gear. Prioritize torso armor, cloaks, and helmets.
11 Buy Legendary Armor Sets
If one wishes to bypass the chores of seeking great armor and upgrading it, Ubisoft offers purchasable gear that's largely considered OP. This is provided one has ample real-life cash to shell out, of course.
The potent Valkyrie, Einherjar, and Niflheim sets can all be purchased from the game's Animus Store without breaking the bank. The entire Einherjar pack, for instance, can be had for 1,500 Helix Credits, or $15. It's certainly an investment that will pay off if an OP Viking is the goal.
The great thing is that these are entire armor sets of the same type, meaning they will grant additional bonuses.
10 Look Up Skills Ahead Of Time
After enough grinding, completionists will manage to get every single skill before the final area of the game regardless. But early on, the skill tree is just a "pick some skills and hope they lead to a good move" kind of deal. Some of these moves drastically change the way the game is played and they cost no ability points.
It's usually best not to play the guessing game. Look up the best skills ahead of time and choose skills with purpose. This will make getting those pesky achievements easier to accomplish earlier on.
Given the "fog of war" of the tree, plotting out the right path can be tough, but it's generally a good idea to go for key stat boosters and combat abilities. Some great choices to look for include Chain Assassination, Brush With Death, and Stomp. It may be a good idea to pull up a completed map of the skill tree online.
9 Find Select Books Of Knowledge
Much like the last tip, players can easily just go toward the closest golden dot on the map and hope that it contains a useful ability scroll and not a crummy one. With only four abilities on the ranged and ability bar, the majority of these talents are going to be wasted efforts.
Make it a priority to track down the books desired before wandering around the rest of the English countryside. Early bosses like Rued give players a difficult decision to make, but the fight itself is a breeze with favorable abilities bound to the controls pad beforehand.
Specifically, some great ones to seek out include Mark of Death in Alkestrad, Rush and Bash in Grantbridgescire, and Rage of Helheim in east Rygjafylke.
8 Track Down Three Sets Of Gear
Each gear set consists of five pieces. Unlike other MMOs and RPGs, there are no half-measures here. There is a bonus conferred when wearing 5/5 pieces, not 3/5 or 4/5. Plus, Eivor looks like total trash when equipping mixed and matched pieces from different sets.
The player will get access to Gunnar after establishing the settlement and he will upgrade Eivor's gear, so be sure to give him the right gear and not wasting time and resources with junk pieces. Real monsters will find three sets: a Raven, Wolf, and Bear set. Doing so offers buffs when changing gear depending on one's preferred weapon.
7 Full Clear Zones
It's not necessary to find all of the collectibles, mysteries, artifacts, and wealth in the world before going on the main quest. In fact, completionists who try will be stymied by select items that are behind doors and walls that don't open until a major plot point occurs there.
So go ahead and finish the main questline in the pledged zone, but after finishing, go ahead, hop on a giant wolf, and collect everything that was missed in the area. Doing so will help set the stage for an OP Eivor for the next zone before getting a new pledge from Randvi.
6 Pledge To Green Areas
Overpowered players do not "challenge themselves." It might be tempting to see a red zone that is rife with resources or soaked with lore, but these can be attended to later. Instead, pledge to areas that are green or white, much lower than Eivor's level. It's good to learn some tips and tricks, but there's no point in breaking too much of a sweat now.
This is not World of Warcraft, the mechanic of diminishing returns is long gone. Shooting a bird is three XP at level one and level 100 alike. So shoot them all down! Killing low-level soldiers with single swings in a green area feels deliciously brutal and the level gain is even faster than in the red areas.
5 Use Lots Of Runes
After finding and upgrading gear, go ahead and throw runes in it. At first, it might feel like each rune is precious and one may fret as to whether they're making the right call. By the thirty-hour mark, after scrolling through a billion "runes of minor (x)" it'll become pretty clear that there is plenty to go around.
The runes almost double the effects of the best builds in the game. After being able to put multiple runes in there, it'll be apparent that runes can be the difference between a pikeman taking half Eivor's health in a single blow — or barely even making a visible dent in the health bar after a full combo.
It should also be noted that Runes can be interchanged when discarding old gear and swapped into the new gear — so no need to worry about squandering good ones.
4 Feast
Perhaps the best test on if these tips are truly overpowered is when first clashing with a Zealot. They are generally encountered way before Eivor has explored most of England, even before they are officially being hunted as part of the main plot.
The difference-maker will likely be a timed bonus that costs a measly 60 silver pieces. Remember that it costs nothing to fast-travel back to base. Refresh the duration of this buff, at all times which adds about 30-ish levels of raw statistics after upgrading the camp. When it runs out, head back home, eat hearty, and get back at it!
To begin the feast, approach the Long House and ring the bell just beyond the main door. It's a pretty simple way to obtain some nice performance boosts for Eivor. These boosts may include stamina, critical chance, melee damage, or various perks.
3 Master One Of Each Weapon
Another huge part of being overpowered is using the right tool for the job. Some bosses, even if they are 100 levels subordinate to Eivor, feel untouchable with an axe or a hammer. In this case, equip a spear or flail and show them who's boss.
By having a complete arsenal of weaponry, Eivor will be prepared for any type of enemy units. This is important because the henchmen change as the zones get higher in level. Don't settle for death by papercuts. Be the rock to their scissors and punish Eivor's foes with the right gadget. As enemies vary and change throughout the game, it's handy to be well-equipped and getting accustomed various unique weapon types.
2 Spend Silver
Silver is so plentiful that at about the forty-hour mark, people will stop smashing crates to collect it. Spend it. If the gear offered by the settlement's merchant doesn't suffice, she also offers upgraded parts for silver that can ordinarily only be found in well-guarded golden locations on the map.
So go on a shopping binge without a second thought. It might cost every last coin to afford the next upgrade, but in big fights, the results will be noticed right away. Enemies won't feel the effect of extra change jingling around in one's pockets.
Be resourceful, but don't shy away from spending coin, as it can go a long way.
1 Get That Weight Down
No, this isn't a section about diet advice, this is about armor and weapon weight. When judging between two pieces of solid gear, go with the lighter choice. It speeds up Eivor's swing and drains a much smaller amount of stamina.
A nimble Eivor can dodge, parry, and retreat far easier, but they can still land some powerful blows with the right weapon.
For the ultimate speed, try going without any weapons at all just to put it to the test and it will be made clear; Eivor's unarmed attacks are so fast that nobody can get their moves off before they give them a knee to the groin. And if these tips have been followed to this point, you probably won't even miss the extra damage when unleashing a blur of fists into your hapless enemies.