Core Gameplay

Core Gameplay Guide for Assassin's Creed Valhalla

This guide breaks down the core gameplay loop of Assassin's Creed Valhalla across four progression tiers: Early Game (Power 1–90), Mid Game (Power 90–200), Late Game (Power 200–340), and Endgame (Power 340+). Each tier explains the main loop, combat and interaction systems, progression mechanics, exploration, quests, economy, character/build growth, and endgame structure.

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Early Game (Power 1–90)

Main Gameplay Loop

• Raid & Loot: Sail to enemy territories with your crew to raid monasteries, forts, and camps for raw materials (used to upgrade your settlement) and gear. Raids are your primary source of early resources.


• Complete Quests: Follow the main story arcs in Norway and early England (Rygjafylke, Ledecestrescire, Grantebridgescire). Each arc includes a mix of story missions, world events, and optional activities.


• Explore & Gather: Traverse open landscapes to collect wealth (gear, ingots, books of knowledge), secrets (flyting, drinking games, standing stones), and artifacts (tattoos, treasure hoard maps).


• Build Your Settlement: Spend raw materials and supplies to construct buildings in Ravensthorpe (e.g., the Hidden Ones' Bureau, stables, fishing hut). Each building unlocks new services and missions.




Combat & Interaction Systems



• Weapons & Skills: You start with a simple one-handed axe and shield, plus a few basic abilities (e.g., Stun Attack, Light Bow). Unlock skill nodes from the Raven, Bear, and Wolf skill trees. Early focus: "Brutal Assault" (Bear) for heavy damage, "Chain Assassination" (Raven) for stealth.


• Light & Heavy Attacks: Light attacks are fast; heavy attacks break guard. Use stamina management—dodging and parrying cost stamina.


• Parry & Stun: Time a block just before a hit to parry, opening enemies to a stun attack (light attack after parry). Stun attacks build the stun meter; when full, perform a powerful finisher.


• Ranged: Use the bow for stealth kills, explosive arrows (via abilities), and harassing enemies. Early game bows are weak; upgrade at the Hunter's Hut.


• Stealth: Crouch to enter stealth. Assassinate unaware enemies (one-hit kill if your weapon level is sufficient). Use whistle to lure guards, Hide in bushes, and perform air assassinations.


• Raiding: Call your longship crew to help attack settlements. They will automatically engage enemies, break doors, and carry loot.




Progression



• Power Level: Increases via skill points earned from leveling up (gaining XP from kills, quests, discoveries). Each skill node raises your power by 1.


• Settlement Level: Ranks 1–6. Early game reach Level 2–3 by building essential structures (Blacksmith, Stable, Hidden Ones' Bureau). This unlocks new quests and gear upgrades.


• Gear Rarity: Weapons and armor start as Common (gray) or Rare (blue). Upgrade them at the Blacksmith using leather and iron ore, but prioritize strong weapons like the Varins Axe (from Norway) or the Fyrd Axe.




Exploration



• Sync Points: Climb tall structures (churches, towers) to reveal surrounding points of interest on the map. Always synchronize when new regions unlock.


• Treasure Maps: Loot wealth on the map indicated by golden icons. Each region has three types: gear, ingots (for upgrading settlement), and books of knowledge (new abilities).


• World Events: Small side stories that grant XP and sometimes gear. Examples: helping a farmer fight wolves, solving a mystery with a cursed child.


• Flying Papers: Chase glowing blue papers to unlock new tattoo designs.




Quests & Missions



• Main Story Arcs: Start in Norway with "The Sacking of Chesterton" and move to England via "The Saga of the Northmen." Each alliance arc consists of several quests; you can choose order of regions from the Alliance Map in your settlement.


• Side Quests: Unlock after building certain structures (e.g., the Seer's Hut for drug-induced visions, the Trading Post for river raids).


• World Events: Scattered, non-marked quests. Interact with NPCs to trigger them.




Economy



• Currency: Silver—used to buy gear, resources, and cosmetic items. Earn from selling surplus loot, completing contracts, and looting.


• Resources: Raw materials (from raids) and supplies (from chests, trade) are settlement-only. Leather and iron ore are used for personal gear upgrades.


• Trading: Build the Trading Post to exchange resources for silver, but early game prioritize upgrading gear over selling.




Character/Build Growth



• Skill Trees: Early points should go into: Raven tree for stealth (e.g., "Guided Arrow," "Dominate" skill), Bear tree for durability (e.g., "War Cry," "Battlefield Cremation"), Wolf tree for ranged (e.g., "Blinding Bow," "Explosive Arrow"). Aim for a hybrid build—focus on Raven/Bear for a balanced assassin/warrior.


• Armor Sets: Complete early armor sets like the Raven Clan gear (stealth bonuses) or the Celtic set (from preorder). Mix and match for stat bonuses (head, chest, arms, legs, cloak).


• Abilities: Unlock up to 4 active abilities and equip them via the weapon wheel. Early favorites: "Harpoon Impalement" (drag enemies), "Throw V.A. Trap" (stun), "Dust of Man" (garbage ability, skip).




Endgame Structure (Early Game Perspective)



• Not applicable yet—focus on completing the Norway intro and first two English regions. Do not attempt high-power regions like Snotinghamscire or Essexe.


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Mid Game (Power 90–200)





Main Gameplay Loop



• Alliance Arc Chains: Complete story arcs in several English shires (e.g., Oxenefordscire, Sciropescire, East Anglia). Each arc culminates in an alliance with a local ruler, progressing the larger narrative about unifying England.


• River Raids: After building the River Raid Barracks (settlement Level 4), embark on repeatable raids along rivers in England, Francia, and Iberia for exclusive gear and resources.


• Wealth of Wissen: Collect all wealth in regions to reach full completion. Focus on ingots (to upgrade settlement to Level 5) and books of knowledge for powerful new abilities.


• Cairn Puzzles & Flyting: Engage in brain teasers (stacking stones) and verbal battles to earn XP and skill points.




Combat & Interaction Systems



• Dual-Wielding: At Power ~100, unlock the ability to wield two one-handed weapons or a two-handed weapon in one hand. Key combo: dual daggers for fast attack speed, or a hammer + shield for heavy damage.


• Special Attacks: Use adrenaline (gained from combat) to perform powerful moves like "Meteor Strike," "Are You My Mentor?" (hidden blade strike), or "Ring of Fire."


• Ranged Upgrades: Unlock explosive arrows, poison arrows, and triple shot. Use bows effectively against weak spots on enemies (e.g., bellows, armor gaps).


• Stealth Assassination: One-hit kills become easier with upgraded hidden blade and stealth gear. Use the social stealth (blending with crowds) in larger towns like Lunden or Jórvik.


• Drengr Combat: Face legendary warriors (Drengr) for unique gear. Use parry-heavy tactics; they have unblockable attacks signaled with a red flash.




Progression



• Power Level: Skill points are earned faster. Reach Power 160–200 by completing most of England's story arcs. Prioritize legendary nodes that grant unique abilities (e.g., "Breath of the Bear" increases attack damage at low health).


• Settlement Level: Reach Level 5. Build the Hidden Ones' Bureau (for assassination contracts), the Fishing Hut (for sea challenges), and the Trading Post (for river raids).


• Gear Rarity: Upgrade weapons and armor to Superior (purple) or Mythical (gold) using refined materials from river raids and higher-level chests. The Blacksmith can also re-skin gear at no cost.




Exploration



• World Events: Many events become available, including “The Abbot’s Gambit,” “The Honor’s Path,” and “A Quiet Homecoming.” Complete them for unique rewards.


• Mysteries: Solve animus anomalies (glitched memories) and anomaly puzzles to unlock a secret ending.


• Treasure Hoards: follow maps to dig up massive caches of silver and iron.


• Weald & Marsh: Discover new regions like Suthsexe, Glowecestrescire, and Lincolnscire, each with distinct environments and enemy types.




Quests & Missions



• Main Story Arcs: Recommended order for mid game: Grantebridgescire → Ledecestrescire → East Anglia → Oxenefordscire → Sciropescire → Cent → Essexe → Suthsexe. These arcs introduce key characters (e.g., Ceolbert, Sigurd's relationship) and major decisions that affect the narrative.


• World Events: Many mid-game events are longer, sometimes with multiple outcomes. Example: “The Lord of Lunden” has you choose between two candidates, affecting your relationship with the city.


• River Raids: These are separate from the main game but provide valuable resources and gear. Each raid has an area of operations; you can reset them by returning to the River Raid board.




Economy



• Silver: More abundant now; sell surplus gear (especially duplicates) at shops. Use silver to buy raw materials for settlement if short.


• Refining Materials: Acquire tungsten ingots, nickel ingots, and carbon ingots from river raids and high-tier chests. Use them to upgrade gear from Rare to Superior to Mythical.


• Trading: Build the Aelfred's Trading Post (requires Level 5 settlement) to trade resources for unique items and silver.




Character/Build Growth



• Skill Specialization: Define your playstyle by mid game. For a warrior build, invest in Bear tree (heavy attacks, health, damage resistance). For an assassin, Raven tree (stealth damage, speed, poison). For a ranger, Wolf tree (bow damage, crit chance, headshot bonus). Hybrid builds are viable—e.g., Raven/Bear for a battle-assassin.


• Armor Set Bonuses: Wear complete sets for 2-piece and 5-piece bonuses. For example, the Thegn's Armor set boosts heavy damage; the Brigandine set improves crit after parry. Collect all pieces from specific regions.


• Runes: Equip runes on weapons and armor for additional stats (e.g., +fire damage, +critical chance). Runes can be crafted at the rune forge after building the Hidden Ones' Bureau.




Endgame Structure



• Mid game itself is not endgame, but prepare for endgame by completing all alliance arcs and reaching Settlement Level 5. This unlocks the final story missions and access to powerful gear.


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Late Game (Power 200–340)





Main Gameplay Loop



• Final Alliance Arcs: Complete the remaining story arcs (e.g., Snotinghamscire, Lincolnscire, Hamtunscire) and the main storyline “Family Matters” and “A Fork in the Tree.”


• Drengr and Legendary Battles: Hunt down all Legendary Beasts and Ancient Sarcophagi (the Souls-like bosses) for rare gear and trophies.


• Assassination Contracts: From the Hidden Ones' Bureau, take on contracts that require specific methods (e.g., kill with poison, stealth only) for high-tier currency.


• Church and Monastery Raids: By now, you can clear most regions completely. Focus on earning 100% completion bonuses.




Combat & Interaction Systems



• Advanced Abilities: Unlock abilities like "Raven's Lunge" (teleport to distracted enemy), "Barrel of Trouble" (throw explosive barrels), and "Brainsurging" (control enemy).


• Boss Fights: Late-game boss encounters (e.g., members of the Order of the Ancients, final battles) require mastery of parry, dodge, and stamina management. Use health runes and heavy armor.


• Stealth Domination: With fully upgraded hidden blade and stealth skills, one-hit assassinate even tough enemies. Use smoke bombs and poison to control groups.


• Animal Combat: Some legendary beasts (e.g., the Black Shuck) have unique attack patterns; study and exploit weaknesses.




Progression



• Power Level: Reach ~340 by investing all skill points. The skill tree is vast; you can eventually unlock all nodes across all three trees via repeated leveling (no cap on skill points).


• Settlement Level: Maximum Level 6. Build the hidden treasure room, unlock the best ship cosmetics, and start the endgame river raids with larger crews.


• Gear: Upgrade all favorite gear to Mythical (gold). The Blacksmith can now apply a visual upgrade for free.




Exploration



• All Wealth Discovered: By now, you should have visited every region. Explore the final region, Hamtunscire, which has the most challenging terrain and strongholds.


• Secret Areas: Find the cave with the spear of Leonidas (a reference to previous Assassin's Creed games). Solve the final animus anomaly puzzle to unlock the Isu armor.


• World Events: The final world events often tie into the main story, e.g., “The Cursed Swords” or “The Lost Stone.”




Quests & Missions



• Main Story Climax: The final story arc “Hamtunscire” includes the assault on the royal fortress and the confrontation with the main antagonist. Your decisions across earlier arcs affect the outcome (which characters survive, alliances).


• Order of the Ancients: Track down remaining members via clues. Killing all brings an epilogue mission.


• Legendary Quests: “The Legend of Lugh” and “The Legacy of the Hidden Ones” are late-game post-launch missions that introduce new gear and story.




Economy



• Silver Overflow: You’ll have thousands of silver. Spend on cosmetic upgrades, training new crew members, and purchasing expensive runes.


• Resources: Raw materials and supplies become abundant; sell excess for silver.


• Trading: The final tier of trading post offers unique items like the “Swordfish” weapon and decorative items.




Character/Build Growth



• Master Build: By now, you can have all skills. But focus on synergies—e.g., combine “Perfect Dodge” (Wolf) with “Counter Roll” (Raven) for a flashy dodge-counter build. Or combine “Stampede” (Bear) with “Disorienting Blade” for crowd control.


• Gear Sets: Finalize your build: for warrior, use the “Mentor’s Robe” set (hidden blade bonuses) or the “Draugr” set (health steal). For stealth, use “Raven Clan” set fully upgraded.


• Runes: Equip diamond runes (best quality) on your weapon and armor: +15% attack damage, +10% speed, +20% crit chance.




Endgame Structure



• Late game transitions into endgame after completing the main story and reaching Settlement Level 6. Endgame content is now fully unlocked.


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Endgame (Power 340+)





Main Gameplay Loop



• The Forgotten Saga: Repeatable roguelike mode accessible from Ravensthorpe. Enter the Norse underworld Niflheim, defeat waves of enemies, gain temporary upgrades, and fight bosses. Each run yields exclusive resources (Dreams of the Dead) used to upgrade a special Eivor ability set.


• River Raids (Endgame Variants): Harder river raids in Francia and Iberia with new enemy types (e.g., Frankish knights, Saracen archers). Unique rewards like the Mjolnir hammer and Excalibur sword.


• Mastery Challenges: Complete weekly and daily challenges in the “Mastery” tab (Ubisoft Connect) for bonus XP and cosmetics.


• Revisiting Regions: Finish any leftover mysteries, wealth, and artifacts for 100% completion. Achieve completionist status for all 16 regions.




Combat & Interaction Systems



• Final Boss Gauntlet: In The Forgotten Saga, the final boss is a giant wolf (Fenrir) or Odin himself. Use all abilities at your disposal. Dodge unblockable attacks, use adrenaline for massive damage.


• Godly Powers: In Niflheim, you can unlock temporary God Powers (e.g., summon wolves, lightning strikes) that change combat flow.


• Stealth in Endgame: Stealth is still effective but enemies have high detection; use long-range silent kills and vanish.




Progression



• Skill Mastery: Level past 340 continues granting skill points. Earn mastery points after reaching the cap; each mastery point adds a small buff (e.g., +0.6% melee damage) and unlocks a new cosmetic for your Ravensthorpe banner.


• Settlement: Fully upgraded; no further upgrades. Settlement decorations can still be purchased.


• Gear: All weapons and armor can be upgraded to max level (Mythical 10). New gear from The Forgotten Saga and late-game river raids fills any gaps.




Exploration



• All Regions Complete: Traverse every corner of England, Norway, Vinland, and the mythological realms (Asgard, Jotunheim). The world offers no new areas, but discover secrets like the giant basilisk lair in Glowecestrescire.


• Easter Eggs: Find the cave with the “Mario 64” reference, the “Ghost of Tsushima” tomb, and other pop-culture nods.




Quests & Missions



• No New Main Quests: The main story is done. Remaining quests are from completed arcs (cleanup).


• The Forgotten Saga: This is the primary endgame activity. You can reset runs and attempt higher difficulties for better rewards. Completing all challenges unlocks the “Radiance” outfit.


• Contracts: Complete Hidden Ones contracts repeatedly for XP and silver, but they are finite per week.




Economy



• Resource Abundance: Silver, leather, iron, and raw materials are plentiful. Trade for Titanium Ingots (rare) to upgrade Mythical gear further (beyond level 10).


• New Currency: In The Forgotten Saga, collect “Niflheim Coins” to buy permanent upgrades like extra health or new abilities.


• Endgame Shop: The merchant in Niflheim sells unique items only available there.




Character/Build Growth



• Max Stats: At the ultimate endgame, you have all skills, best gear, optimal runes, and full mastery. There is no further growth—only cosmetic differences.


• Build Variety: Experiment with different weapon combinations (e.g., two spears for reach, dual shields for blocking). Use the respec token (available from the Hidden Ones' Bureau) to try new builds at no cost.


• The Forgotten Saga Build: In Niflheim, you can customize a loadout from your inventory; but you also earn temporary blessings each run. Adapt your style to the blessings you find.




Endgame Structure



• True Endgame: The ultimate challenge is 100% completion (all regions, all items, all achievements). However, Assassin's Creed Valhalla has no seasonal content; endgame is entirely player-driven. The Forgotten Saga provides a roguelike loop for replayability.


• Weekly & Daily: Ubisoft Connect challenges offer minor rewards, but no major content updates.


• New Game Plus: There is no New Game Plus mode; you must start a new save to replay the story with existing gear (not officially supported).

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This guide covers all core gameplay aspects by progression tier. Use it to plan your journey through Eivor's epic saga, from a simple Viking raider to a master of the hidden blade and ruler of a thriving settlement.