Valhalla is like nothing we’ve seen in the Assassin’s Creed series before. Instead of the slender fighters, we’re accustomed to from this franchise, we take control of a Nordic brickhouse by the name of Eivor. Valhalla retains the stealth mechanics we know and love but infuses the series with a refreshing focus on all-out brawls. Valhalla is the most brutal, hard-hitting instalment of Assassin’s Creed we’ve seen to date; there are so many new things to learn that even hardened veterans of the Assassin’s Creed franchise could benefit from this beginner’s guide.
From gear to gameplay, we’ve got tips on everything a budding assassin needs to carve a living up in the icy north.
Don’t Forget to Set Waypoints!
Valhalla is the biggest Assassin’s Creed to date, and we mean that literally. Your Viking saga will take you from Norway to England and eventually to unexpected faraway lands beyond. So, even though previous Assassin’s Creeds have had horseback riding, it’s never been more important than now.
Thankfully, you won’t have to manually navigate your way through the harsh landscapes of Valhalla. By activating auto-travel, your horse will automatically follow any major pathways it encounters. You can maximize this feature by setting waypoints.
Without a waypoint set, your horse will ride on forever, following the path of least resistance to infinity. Open up your map and set a waypoint, and your horse will calculate the shortest path (via main roads) to get to where you want to go. Simple, convenient, and (mostly) hands-free!
Focus on Upgrading Rations First
Rations are how Eivor replenishes his/her health points. You may fancy yourself a master fighter who dances around strikes and parries with the grace of a ballerina, but let’s be real: you get hit a lot more than you want to admit. Upgrading your rations keeps you in the fight for longer, and allows you to replenish more quickly in between encounters. As long as you’ve got a ready supply of mushrooms and berries (Remember: use Odin Sight to find nearby food!), then you’ll be prepared for any opponent.
You can only carry one ration at the start of Valhalla. This can make long-form quests a bother since significant damage sustained in the middle of a quest may force you to make a tough decision. Which is to either gather up food to replenish health before continuing your quest or power forward at the risk of early death. Sacrificing some leather and ore to increase your ration storage by just one level instantly allows you to last longer in a fight.
Make Liberal Use of Odin Sight
Odin Sight is apparently the precursor to Eagle Vision, which was the name previous titles in the Assassin’s Creed franchise used to describe an assassin’s ability to scan their surroundings for collectables and key items. Take full advantage of this ability; it will help you complete your missions and identify valuable resources that you’ll need to keep your health up.
One of the key uses of Odin Sight is for identifying and marking nearby enemies. In a game where players frequently find themselves outnumbered, Odin Sight is an invaluable tool for cutting down enemy numbers before a fight breaks out.
Reminder: don’t use Odin Sight in the middle of combat. The animations are rather long and can’t be cancelled, leaving you open to attacks. Instead, use it to mark enemies and aid you in devising a strategy for approaching the next area.
Equip the Raven’s Clan Set ASAP
Equip the full Raven Clan set as soon as you can for an early advantage. It goes without saying that you should always keep yourself equipped with the highest-level gear you can get your hands on. This applies to any role-playing game and is especially true for a combat-focused series like Assassin’s Creed.
One of the first big bosses you’ll encounter is Rikiwulf, an underling of Kjotve the Cruel. The reward for defeating this dual-axe-wielding brute is 4/5ths of the Raven Clan outfit. Not only will these items provide you with a significant stat boost that will prove valuable in your first several hours of play, but they also make up a near-full set.
The complete Raven set will grant you a greater chance of critical hits and improved armour as your health points decrease. You can find the final piece, the helm, by beating the game’s second boss, Kjotve the Cruel himself.
Arrows Are Scarce In Valhalla
The bow is a great weapon in Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla but you need to know that arrows are in shortage in this land. So use it but be sure to make an effort to keep collecting arrows on your journey. Because you will run out. There are three kinds of arrows to match the three kinds of bows, and they are not universal. You’ll need Hunter Arrows for your Hunter Bow, Predator Arrows for your Predator Bow, and Light Arrows for your Light Bow.
You’ll have a chance to collect arrows you shot when you loot or even just get close to enemies or animals you’ve killed. Make it a habit to check the corpses to restock. You can use Odin’s Sight as well to highlight arrows while you’re looting. You’ll usually find them on enemy archers, in towers and on guard platforms.
