In Valheim, you will encounter a lot of enemies on your adventures. But not only when roaming the world should you be careful, even in your base enemies can become dangerous. In the MeinMMO guide, you will learn how to defend and secure your base.
To make your base safer than Fort Knox, a bit of creativity is required, as defensive structures are available in Valheim, but in very limited quantities.
Why is the defense of the base important? In Valheim, there are world events and events that can randomly be triggered after a certain game progress. During these events, various creatures spawn in the immediate vicinity of the player. It can certainly happen that you are sitting unsuspectingly on your Raven Throne and are jolted out of your daydreams by the message “The horde is attacking.”
The approaching goblins, berserkers, and shamans mean business and can dismantle your structures into rubble and ashes in no time. Appropriate plans for defensive structures should therefore be in place before construction begins.
Basic Defensive Structures in Valheim
Compared to other survival titles like Conan Exiles or ARK: Survival Evolved, the building options in Valheim are not very diverse. At this time, there is only one defensive structure in the game that deals damage to enemies: Sharp stakes.
What do Sharp Stakes do? As the name suggests, the stakes are pointed at the end and cause damage on contact. To build them, you need:
- A workbench nearby
- 6 x wood
- 4 x core wood
The pointed trunks stick out of the ground at about a 40-degree angle, providing some safety. Enemies attack the construction and take damage on each hit. You can repair the damaged stakes afterwards with a hammer.
Sharp stakes cannot be placed on foundations and other constructed objects. Building can also fail on hills or natural ramps. The easiest way to build them is if the ground is flattened beforehand.
How do I get Sharp Stakes? Sharp stakes are unlocked as soon as you have core wood. In our guide to core wood in Valheim, you will find out where to find it and what else you need it for.
Slits for Archers
You should not underestimate the enemies in Valheim. Especially not when they come in a group. A defense tower is ideal for fighting enemies with bow and arrow from an elevated position.
How do you build a defense tower? The most important thing about such a tower is the elevated position, cover options, and a large field of vision. Since enemies attack the lower part of the tower, it should be built of stone.
The slits should also be made of stone. To build these, a block of high stones should be placed. Then, 1×1 stone blocks should be placed at an interval of two blocks. This creates the slits behind which you can find cover.
Why are slits important? Later in your adventure, you may be attacked by dragons. These will be announced with the message “A cold wind blows from the mountains.” The dragons circle around you and attack from the air with an icy breath that can cause a lot of damage. Therefore, take cover behind the slits and fight them with bow and arrow.
A Wolf Pack as Base Security
Once you search for silver and other treasures in the mountains, you will also encounter wolves. The aggressive animals can be tamed and then used to defend the base. In the MeinMMO guide, you will learn how to tame wolves in Valheim.
How do wolves defend the base? A lone wolf can quickly be taken out by enemies. Breed a pack of at least five animals. Once the wolves are grown, you can command them to follow you with “E”. Ensure that the wolves do not stay near sharp stakes, as they often bump into the stakes and can die.
If you defend your base with stakes and wolves, you should set up two lines of defense. The outer area will use the stakes, protected additionally by palisades. Inside, the wolves patrol and attack enemies that have breached the first ring.
To have the wolves guard the inner area, look at them and press “E”. If the message “Wolf is not following you” appears, they wander freely. To prevent the animals from straying too far, you should keep the gates closed and have a complete wall erected.
An Earth Wall Causes Confusion Among Enemies
The most effective way to defend your base in Valheim is by building an earth wall. It is not visually appealing and costs you a lot of stones, but enemies will not breach it.
How is an earth wall constructed? With a hoe, the ground can be raised in Valheim. You will need stones and a lot of stamina. The stamina can be increased by consuming mead. How to brew mead is explained in our guide to fermentation in Valheim.
Since enemies do not spawn near campfires, you can place several campfires in the inner area of the earth wall. In our tests of the defensive structures, skeletons spawned during the event “Skeleton Surprise” outside the earth wall and stood in front of the wall for almost two minutes before disappearing again.
Why do enemies not attack the earth wall? When you build an earth wall, it is not counted as a player-built object in Valheim, but rather counts as part of the natural environment. If the earth wall is several meters high and too steep, it is impossible for enemies to penetrate it. Only flying enemies like dragons or Deathskitos, which you should be most afraid of, can overcome the earth wall.
The four presented defense strategies are suitable for both solo players and groups. A mix of the different options secures the base very well. Many players invest a lot of time in expanding their own base. How such a base can look is impressively demonstrated by a solo player: He has spent 200 hours building his base in Valheim and it has become magnificent.
How do you secure your home in Valheim? Let us know in the comments.
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