Choose a weapon and keep stamina for the next attack

Start with the Club you can craft from ordinary Wood, a Wood shield and a Crude bow. Branches and ordinary trees supply Wood; Boars supply Leather scraps; Greylings and Greydwarfs supply Resin. Follow the gathering route and the food route before taking an underfed character into the Black Forest.

Our suggested fresh kit is one Club, one Wood shield, one Crude bow and 40 Wood arrows: 42 Wood, 12 Leather scraps and 4 Resin, using two arrow crafts. That excludes the already-built Workbench, Hammer, shelter, armor and food. Reuse any suitable equipment you already own; this is not a shopping list you must repeat.

The optional Flint spear trades the Club’s blunt damage for pierce. Find Flint along Meadows shores and gather its full recipe before crafting. Equip it and use primary attack for melee; its secondary action throws the weapon itself. Keep the Club available and throw only where you can retrieve the spear without following it into danger.

Mechanics sources: Valheim Wiki: WeaponsValheim Wiki: Crude bowValheim Wiki: Wood arrowValheim Wiki: Flint spear

Damage types matter independently of an item’s total damage number. Mixed weapons and elemental arrows have several components; a resistance can reduce one without reducing another. The tooltip also shows a skill-dependent damage range, so the headline number is not a guaranteed hit.

Grey damage numbers indicate resistance to the damage type, yellow indicates weakness, and white indicates neutral damage. Stagger and unaware-target openings are separate damage bonuses. Compare the same attack under similar conditions and consult the enemy’s reference rather than judging a weapon from one hit.

Mechanics sources: Valheim Wiki: WeaponsValheim Wiki: Damage mechanicsValheim Wiki: SkeletonValheim Wiki: TrollValheim Wiki: Abomination

One-handed weapons can pair with a shield; two-handed weapons cannot. That changes your defensive plan. Learn the new equipment’s block or dodge response before replacing your practiced kit. Use the training yard to compare unfamiliar attack patterns without making the next boss your first lesson.

Our recommendation on slopes is to reposition onto similar elevation when strikes keep missing. Do not spend the whole stamina bar repeating an attack that is passing above or below the target. Walls, trees, allies and livestock should be outside the attack space you choose.

1. Check the bound primary, secondary, block and dodge actions in your controls. In open space, try a primary attack and watch its reach, recovery and stamina use. Then try the secondary once, if the equipped weapon has one.
2. For the first live drill, isolate one unstarred Greyling. Let it finish an attack while you remain out of reach, step in for one primary strike, then step back. Keep the route home behind you and end the drill if another enemy arrives.
3. Add a second hit only when the enemy is still recovering and your stamina reserve permits it. Many weapons have combos, but their timing and secondary attacks differ. A long animation can leave you exposed even when its damage is attractive.
4. If a successful parry leaves a staggerable enemy reeling, use the opening you actually have. Do not chase a knocked-back target through another enemy or demand a full combo before defending again.

Mechanics sources: Valheim Wiki: WeaponsValheim Wiki: Damage mechanics

Attacking, sprinting and dodging draw from the same stamina pool. Regeneration resumes after you stop spending it; walking lets it recover, while holding block slows regeneration. Cold and Wet also reduce recovery. This is why a long sprint directly into a full combo can leave no defense even with a large food bar.

Before approaching, let the bar refill. During the fight, use short attacks followed by walking at a distance the enemy cannot immediately reach. Release block between threats only when that distance is secure. Sprint or dodge when needed to create space, then stop spending stamina once the opening is safe.

Our reserve rule is to keep enough for your planned defense and a short reposition. There is no universal fixed stamina number: your weapon, skill, equipment and chosen action change the cost. Observe the cost of a roll and your usual attack with the actual loadout, and stop attacking before that reserve disappears.

If the bar will not recover, stop attacking and drawing the bow, check Cold/Wet and Rested, and retreat toward prepared shelter. Renew food when allowed. Keep later recovery meads as a planned supply; they are not necessary for the first drill and their cooldowns prevent an unlimited refill loop.

Mechanics sources: Valheim Wiki: Stamina

1. Put the bow and a melee fallback on accessible slots. Equip Wood arrows from the inventory and check the selected ammunition before drawing; save special arrows for the encounter they solve.
2. From a clear lane, hold primary attack to draw and watch the aim tighten. Release to shoot. Drawing improves the shot but spends stamina, so aim before drawing rather than holding a full draw while searching for a target.
3. Practice at a short distance first, then move farther away and adjust the aim for the arrow’s flight. The Crude bow still has spread. A miss is a reason to shorten the range and reset, not to empty the next stack while an enemy closes.
4. If a creature reaches you, use block to cancel the draw without firing. Move into space and equip your melee-and-shield pair before attempting the practiced defensive response. Do not assume that canceling a shot equips your shield.
5. Refill the ammunition stack before travel. Use the Archery target route for structured practice and its specific arrow-return behavior; ordinary field shots are ammunition expenditure.

Mechanics sources: Valheim Wiki: BowsValheim Wiki: Crude bowValheim Wiki: Wood arrow

The backstab bonus is an unaware-target opening, not a reward for standing behind an already-alert enemy. A cautious bow shot or approach can make the first strike useful; once the creature is fighting you, switch to its actual attack rhythm rather than circling for an assumed repeat bonus.

Before a real expedition, choose the appropriate existing bronze, iron or later biome kit. Change one thing at a time during practice: a different weapon, a different enemy, or a different food balance. A higher skill level does not replace biome preparation.

If the lesson fails, return with spare food, Rested and backup equipment. Draw enemies away from the grave, recover the equipment when the approach is clear, and withdraw. Leave room in the pack before pickup; cargo and recovery guidance explains reserve storage and overloaded returns. Restore the spare kit before another attempt.

Mechanics sources: Valheim Wiki: Damage mechanics