Valheim's solo experience is intoxicating, like downing a huge jug of delicious Viking mead. Getting lost in the wilderness, watching out for falling trees, and spending longer than you should on designing the ideal base are all part of the experience.

RELATED: Valheim: All Aggressive Creatures In The Black Forest And How To Deal With Them

Do you know what's also part of the experience? Dying. Playing as a solo Viking in Valheim is not always easy. You have no one to watch your back for wolves as you mine for silver in the unforgiving mountains, and you'll need to kill that big spooky green boss in the swamps all on your own. Here are some tips that might make solo life a little easier.

Updated On May 22nd, 2021 by Harry Alston: Valheim's first major content update, Hearth and Home, is still a while away. While players wait for fresh content, some have challenged themselves to ace the game flying solo.

Here are some more tips for solo players, including some advanced crafting tips, methods to take down the final boss, Yagluth, and some base-building tips for the perfect Viking stronghold. 

Beware: It Gets Much Harder As A Solo Valheim Player

valheim meadow biome

The start of Valheim is like a pleasant stroll through a national park compared to what happens later in the game. Venturing out as a solo in Valheim is going to be a bit of a grind — you can't hide from it. Although the monsters scale in scariness when there are more players in the game, a good solo player will have to get creative when harvesting resources and defeating monsters.

Take trying to mine copper, as an example. Found in the Black Forest Biome, any time you try and mine up a shiny vein of copper you're going to be beset by Greydwarves. At first, it seems like an impossible task. Put down some fires, though, and you won't be touched. There are lots of other ways to make your life easier, so figure out what you need to survive and be sure to employ it.

Meads, Meads, Meads

valheim forest monsters

Meads are vital if you want to survive Valheim's harsh biomes and boss fights. Health potions are obviously important, although food can be used for HP as well. The main meads you'll need to progress in the game are Frost Resistance Meads (to handle the cold mountains), and Poison Resistance Meads, to make life in the swamps easier.

RELATED: Valheim: How To Brew Meads And Wine

Meads are brewed at the Fermenter, which you can only get once you've acquired some metal. They also take a couple of in-game days to brew, so you'll have to find something else to do while you wait.

Base Building Is All-Important

Valheim Base Woods

Home design and interior decoration might not be every Viking's jug of mead, but it's important that you establish a place of refuge before getting too stuck into the game's content. As a solo player, you will die. Repeatedly. There isn't much you can do about that, as the game scales in difficulty quite quickly, and you'll often find yourself in hairy situations.

What you can do to make the game feel a little less unfair is build a base and store your items inside. Only take what is absolutely necessary with you on any trips into the field. Prepare and prepare again for any of the boss fights, and always be aware that the different biomes pose very different threats.

You need a base for:

  • Smelting and crafting new gear
  • Storing items so a) you don't lose them on death, b) don't lose them because you forgot where you put them
  • Brewing meads
  • Farming bees and harvesting their delicious honey

Craft The Right Weapons And Gear

valheim meadow fight

The Crude Bow. That's it. That's the tip. This weapon is easy to craft within your first couple hours of Valheim, and it will keep you at a respectable distance from your foes. 10 Wood and 8 Leather scraps are all you need.

Next, you should aim for the Stagbreaker. This trusty Sledgehammer is crafted with Wood, Deer Trophies, and Leather Scraps. It's slow but hits with the power of Thor, dealing AoE damage and making short work of those early-game enemies.

Mid-game Weapons To Craft and Collect

Any solo player in Valheim should always be geared to the teeth. They'll have to take on various enemies all on their own. Moving into the mid-game it's time to start acquiring Iron Gear, as well as picking up a Huntsman Bow until you can craft a Draugr Fang (the best bow in the game) later in your Valheim adventure.

Best Mid-game Armor In The Game

This is undoubtedly Wolf Armor, though a player will have to conquer the Mountain biome and Bonemass before it's possible to craft. Wolf pelts and silver are required to craft a full set of Wolf Armor, but its legs, chest piece, and fur cape are easily the best mid-tier armor in the game.

Late-game Blackmetal

As players enter the late game, and good job for getting this far as a solo player, they will want to gear up with Blackmetal weapons and shields. There are a few options, like a sword or Atgeir, that mostly depend on their playstyle. This gear is enough to tackle the final boss in the game and declare yourself victorious over the harsh world of Valheim.

Tips For The Black Forest

valheim forest sea

After dawdling around in the Meadows for some time, hunting boar, and building a base, the next place to visit is the Black Forest. This biome still isn't too difficult as a solo player, as your bow should help you take down the Greydwarves and Skeletons.

RELATED: Valheim: A Guide To The Black Forest

This is also where you'll find two of the essential early game ores: Tin and Copper. These are later smelted together to turn into Bronze. Mining for the materials to make Bronze is no easy task, though. Even with friends, the swarms of Greydwarves can turn what should be a simple exercise into an absolute grind.

  • Build a second outpost on the edge of the Black Forest. This makes running back and forth with a stockpile of ore a bit easier
  • You can skip right over Bronze gear if you want (though you still need a Bronze pickaxe for the Swamp biome) and just go for full Troll armor

Tips For The Swamp

valheim swamp crypt

To progress in Valheim, you're going to have to visit all the biomes, and the Swamp is usually the second one to take a look at. Your Crude Bow should help take down the Blobs and Oozers, although you want to take a Poison Resistance Mead if you want to avoid falling foul to the Leeches in the murky water.

RELATED: Valheim: A Guide To The Swamp Biome

The Swamp biome is where two important things happen:

  • This is where you find lots of Scrap Iron in Swamp Crypts.
  • It's also where you take down Bonemass, the boss who drops the Wishbone, an essential item for finding buried ores.

We also recommend taking a hoe so you can flatten out the ground and remove those stinky leech-infested puddles. Navigating the Swamp biome isn't too difficult if you are prepared for what lies inside. Preparation, like undertaking anything in Valheim, is key.

Tips For The Mountain Biome

valheim mountain biome

One of the reasons this part of the progression is so difficult for a solo player is that the mountains are often quite far from your base. That means only you are carrying all the resources you find, particularly Silver. You can build a cart, of course, but getting it up and down the mountain isn't easy.

  • Frost Resistance Armor or one of your handy meads is a must.
  • Wolves are a bit of a pain to fight on your own, although with a few shield parries you should be able to make short work of even two or three wolves at the same time.
  • You can't transport ore through a Portal, so you will need to carry it by hand.
  • A boat can be a good option to transport ore if the mountain biome is far from your base.

For more tips, take a look at our mountain biome guide.

Tips For The Plains

valheim plains vikings

You need to make sure you're geared to the teeth before handling this biome on your own. Swarms of Deathquitos make this place extremely unpleasant, although it's a necessary challenge if you want to progress into the end-game.

  • Wolf armor, silver weaponry, plenty of food, and potions will all help you here.
  • Deathquitos poison you, so definitely bring some Poison Resistance Meads.
  • This is the only biome where you can plant and harvest Barley like a real farming Viking.
  • This is also the only place where you can find Black Metal Scraps.

Dealing with all the enemies here (the Fuling, the Deathquitos, and ultimately the boss Yagluth) is a real challenge, so come prepared.

How to Kill Eikthyr, The First Boss, As A Solo Player

Eikthyr in valheim
Via polygon.com

Eikthyr is a huge metal stag with a bad attitude. This is the first boss you'll encounter in Valheim, and thankfully, it isn't too difficult to defeat as a solo player. Buff yourself with a nice sleep, grab your shield, sword, and bow, and that's about it.

RELATED: Valhem: Eikthyr Boss Guide

Shoot him from range when the boss is running around like a mad creature, and block its attacks with your shields. Be patient and this boss won't be that hard to defeat. This early boss has very scripted attack patterns that are easy to memorize after a few minutes. Duck, dodge, and attack during Eikthyr's downtime.

Defeating The Elder As A Solo Player

valheim the elder boss

Time for boss fight number two, The Elder. This gangly ent is located in the Black Forest biome and is quite similar to Eikthyr in terms of its two major attacks: a ranged one and a big stomp that deals AoE damage. His constant swarm of minions is incredibly frustrating, especially if you're on your own. It's a lot to handle.

Again, this shouldn't be too difficult as a solo player as long as you are prepared. Well, sort of. There are methods of cheesing this boss fight, like building platforms to escape the minion swarms and root attacks, and honestly, we say go for it. The Elder isn't an easy fight. Use any advantage you can. Flaming Arrows work wonders (the boss is a tree) and you should probably have some Bronze gear ready as well. Here's our full guide on how to take down The Elder.

Defeating Bonemass As A Solo Player

valheim bonemass boss

Well, this is where it gets a bit tougher. Yes, even tougher than the tree guy. Not only is Bonemass located in the Swamp biome (swarming with enemies anyway), the guy is also one of the tougher bosses, with three separate attacks and a whole lot of poison.

RELATED: Valheim: How To Defeat Bonemass

Poison mead is essential, Iron armor will keep you alive, and blunt weapons or a bow are recommend as well. Taking down Bonemass as a solo player is some Dark Souls-level challenge, and you will need to be patient if you don't want to be squished flat. The boss doesn't take damage from arrows, so you'll need to get close and personal at least a few times. Be careful, use a hoe to flatten the ground in the combat area, and build platforms if necessary. Recovering your loot from a tombstone in the swamp is hell. Pure hell.

Defeating Moder As A Solo Player

valheim wyverns boss

Moder is the mountain biome boss. This angry Wyvern drops icicles on your head and sends out a freezing breath attack that will you make you even colder than you already were. This boss is extremely difficult. Set up a portal next to the combat area, because if you die (which you will) you will want to get back to your loot right away and try again.

The Mountain biome is not an easy place to tackle even when you're not fighting a boss. Frost Resistant Meads and decent armor are essential. As a solo player, you're going to have to hit as many shots with your bow as you can. It's slow-going, but you can do it. We believe in you.

Defeating Yagluth As A Solo Player

yagluth in valheim

Despite Yagluth being the final boss in Valheim's current form, there are some pretty simple methods that make defeating this crawling horror a hundred times easier. One or two players figured out a method that involved "harpooning" Yagluth (and the other bosses for that matter), but that has since been patched.

No, to defeat Yagluth you just need a few things: food with good health-regeneration, a Fire Resistance mead (for the meteors and general fire that happens during this fight), and the boss power from Bonemass that reduces incoming physical damage. By the time a player fights Yagluth, they should be pretty stacked in terms of gear: a Blackmetal sword and shield are recommended and bring tasty food that boosts health and stamina, lox meat pies and blood pudding are good options. Here's the full guide on how to defeat Yagluth.

NEXT: Valheim: How To Make Bronze