Part 1: The Meadows and Eikthyr | Walkthrough and Progression Guide

This is part one of our Walkthrough and Progression Guide for Valheim. Read on to learn important tips and strategies to master the Meadows and its boss, Eikthyr!

Preparing for the Meadows: List of Key Objectives

Step	Key Objectives
1	Activate Eikthyr's Vegvisir in the spawning circle
2	Gather Wood and Stone to Craft Basic Tools
3	Build a Base
4	Gather Flint
5	Craft Flint Gear
6	Hunt Boar for Leather Scraps
7	Craft a Crude Bow and Wood Arrows
8	Collect Deer Hides and Trophies
9	Craft Leather Armor

Activate Eikthyr's Vegvisir in the Spawning Circle

Start off by activating the Vegvisir beside the spawning circle you started from. This reveals the summoning altar of Valheim's first boss, Eikthyr on your Map (M).

Gather Wood and Stone to Craft Basic Tools

Gathering Stones off the ground

Punching Young Trees for Wood

You can easily collect Wood and Stones off the ground. Picking these materials up for the first time will unlock recipes of basic tools such as the Stone Axe and Hammer. It is important to note that you can also collect wood by punching Young Beech Trees!

Build a Base

Building a base after jumping into Valheim is an absolute necessity for newcomers. Shelter with a Campfire or & Bonfire gives you the Rested Bonus, an essential buff in Valheim that significantly increase health and stamina regeneration.

Learn more about Base & House building by clicking the button below:
House Building Guide

Gather Flint

Once you have established a proper base, your next best move is to start gathering Flint, a type of stone only found near bodies of water.
How to Farm Flint

Craft Flint Gear

Flint allows you to craft nice early game gear such as Flint Spears, Flint Knives, and Flinthead Arrows. The most important tool, however, is the Flint Axe. This particular axe is superior to the Stone Axe in every way, making it easier to chop wood or defend yourself in the Meadows!

Hunt Boar for Leather Scraps

Boars are easy wildlife to hunt because they do not run away when approached. They do, however, engage you in open combat, so be ready for a fight whenever you run into a bunch of them!

Collect Leather Scraps from these animals to unlock important early game recipes. Raw Meat can also be acquired from boars and are cooked in a Cooking Station.

Craft a Crude Bow and Wood Arrows

Crafting a Crude Bow early on is crucial for kiting damage and hunting wildlife. Since deer tend to run off if spooked, sneaking and using a bow from distance can make hunting them easier.

Start off by only using Wood Arrows with your Bow. We recommend saving the Flinthead Arrows you've gathered or crafted so far for the boss fight against Eikthyr since these are very costly to make at this point in the game!

Hunt Deer for Hide and Trophies

Hunting deer is arguably the most crucial objective of this walkthrough because not only does it unlock recipes for Leather Armor Pieces, but their Trophies are also required in summoning the first boss, Eikthyr!

Click the button below for our guide on how to hunt deer in Valheim:
How to Hunt Deer

Craft Leather Armor

After doing all of the hunting said above, you should have all of the necessary ingredients to craft three parts of the Leather Armor Set!

Leather Helmet
Leather Tunic	Leather Pants

Preparing for the Meadows: List of Side Objectives

Priority	Side Objectives
★★★	Gather Raspberries and Mushrooms
★★★	Upgrade your Leather Armor
★★★	Defend your Base against Raids
★★	Hunt Necks for their Tails
★	Build Beehives in your base

Gather Raspberries and Mushrooms

Priority Level:	★★★

Raspberries and Mushrooms are abundant in the Meadows biome. Keep an eye out for these food items whenever you're out in the wild!

Raspberries, in particular, can be used in a few vital Mead Recipes later on in the game — so it is recommended that you start stocking them up in your base as early as possible!

Upgrade your Leather Armor

Priority Level:	★★★

Improving your Leather Armor's defensive score is absolutely crucial early on! Getting these pieces to, at least, level two offers just enough of a difference when you fight Eikthyr at the end of this walkthrough. Carefully explore the Black Forest biome during the day in search of Skeletons, and gather their Bone Fragments to upgrade your Leather Armor.

Defend your Base against Raids

Priority Level:	★★★

Raids are special events in which specific groups of monsters attempt to attack and destroy your base for a certain amount of time. These events can only occur when you are near your base, and can start as early as day three — Always be ready to defend your new home!

Read our guide below to know more about Valheim's Raids and what to do if you get raided:
List of Raids: How do Raids Work?

Hunt Necks for their Tails

Priority Level:	★★

Necks are amphibious creatures that inhabit most of the bodies of water in Valheim, but are especially abundant in the Meadows biome.

Their Neck Tails can be cooked in Cooking Stations, providing good maximum HP and stamina regeneration when consumed with Cooked Meat.

Neck Tails are also an important ingredient of Poison Resistance Mead, a vital potion that is used when exploring the Swamp biome later on. Be sure to stock up on these tails for the future!

Build Beehives in your Base

Priority Level:	★

While not an immediate concern, Beehives in your Base provide a steady supply of Honey. This is an excellent food item early on in the game, and is used to craft a variety of important Mead Recipes.

Consider making two or three as early as now to build up a sizeable stock for the future!

How to Summon and Beat Eikthyr

Once you've cleared all of the Key Objectives above, it's time to summon and defeat Valheim's first boss, Eikthyr!

Click the button below for our in-depth guide on how to beat this particular boss:
Eikthyr Boss Guide

Valheim Related Guides

Complete Walkthrough and Progression Guide

Walkthrough & Progression Guides

Part 1: The Meadows	Part 2: The Black Forest
Part 3: The Swamp	Part 4: The Mountain
Part 5: The Plains