Valheim raids: All raid types and how to survive them

In the Viking-themed survival game Valheim, one of the most dangerous threats you'll face are base raids. If you aren't prepared for these coordinated attacks, hordes of enemies will kill you and heavily damage your base. Therefore, it's important to make sure you're not only aware of what attacks might be coming soon but that you're also ready to defend yourself and your territory from attacks as well. Here's an in-depth guide on everything you need to know about Valheim base raids, including what the different types of raids are, when they can happen, and how to adequately prepare yourself and your base for them.

Valheim raids: How do raids work?

In Valheim, raids can occur once the world you're in has been active for nine days. You'll know when a raid begins when you see an ominous message pop up on your screen in large yellow text, such as "The forest is moving" or "The ground is shaking." The type of raid you'll face depends on how far you've progressed in the world and/or which type of enemy you've killed a lot of recently (more on that later), but something consistent about all of the raids is that a wave of enemies spawn and attempt to kill you and destroy your base for around 2-3 minutes. You can fend the raid off by killing all of the enemies or by waiting the raid out, as once the raid timer ends, enemies run away and despawn.

It's important to note that raids will only occur in a location when you're in close proximity to a base (an area with a bed, campfire, and workbench qualifies as a base). This means that you don't have to worry about any of your bases being attacked while you're away from them, although it does mean that shelters you create while exploring a new biome can be raided.

Valheim raids: All raid types

There are several different types of base raids that can occur in Valheim, and the majority of them are ones that happen as you progress through the game's world and find, summon, and defeat Valheim bosses. Here's a look at the main base raids that can occur:

• Forest creature raid: This is the first and easiest raid that can occur in the game. A horde of boars and necks will attack your base for 90 seconds. This raid can occur until you kill the first boss, Eikthyr.
• Greydwarf raid: An army of greylings, greydwarfs, greydwarf brutes, and greydwarf shamans will attack your base for 120 seconds. This raid can occur until you kill the second boss, The Elder.
• Swamp raid: A large group of draugr from the Swamp biome will attack, supported by a handful of skeletons. This raid lasts for 150 seconds and can occur until you kill the third boss, Bonemass.
• Drake raid: Drakes from the Mountains biome will fly over your base, attacking both you and your structures. Additionally, the raided area will be freezing, which will slow down your stamina regeneration. This raid lasts for 150 seconds and can occur until you kill the fourth boss, Moder.
• Fuling raid: A large raiding party from the Plains biome that consists of fulings, fuling berserkers, and fuling shamans equipped with a variety of different weapons will attack your base. This raid lasts for 120 seconds and will occur until you kill the fifth and final boss, Yagluth.

In addition to the main base raids, there are also some other raids that only have a chance to occur when you've recently killed several of a specific enemy type. The enemies raiding your base correspond to the enemy that you've recently killed.

• Troll raid: A pair of trolls attack your base for 80 seconds. The Elder boss also has to be dead for this raid to occur.
• Skeleton raid: A horde of skeletons and "rancid remains" skeletons attack for 120 seconds. The Bonemass boss also has to be dead for this raid to occur.
• Blob raid: A group of blobs and oozes from the Swamp attack your base for 120 seconds. The Bonemass boss also has to be dead for this raid to occur.
• Surtling raid: A small group of surtlings launch an assault for 120 seconds. The Bonemass boss also has to be dead for this raid to occur.
• Wolf raid: A pack of wolves from the Mountains attempt to hunt you down for 120 seconds. The Bonemass boss also has to be dead for this raid to occur.

Valheim raids: How to defend against raids

Defending yourself and your base from raids can be tricky, but with smart planning, sufficient preparation, and some clever on-the-fly thinking, you'll come out on top. Here are some strategies we recommend, as well as some helpful tips and tricks.

• Build defensible fortifications. Creating stone walls, stakewall palisades, gates, spike traps, and towers that you can shoot arrows from will force foes to deal with these obstacles first before they can get to you or your important base structures. These fortifications will also help funnel enemies into chokepoints that make fighting them easier and safer for you.
• Wear the best armor and use the best shield that you can create. You're going to be outnumbered during raids, so it's important to be able to take a hit. Shields also let you parry enemies as well, which is a good way to dish out a lot of melee damage quickly. I recommend using metal ore to make quality metal protection.
• A good bow and at least a couple dozen arrows is a must-have for base defense. Doing as much damage to the horde as you can before they reach you will significantly improve your chances of survival.
• Eat plenty of food before and throughout the raid. You're going to want as much HP as you can get during base raids, especially during ones that include enemies from the harder biomes. Make sure you go hunting if you need to replenish your food stores.
• Use your hammer to repair structures and defenses damaged by enemies. This tactic will help you keep your walls up as long as possible.
• If you're getting overwhelmed, try and bait the raid enemies into groups of normal enemies that wander the biome that your base is in. Many different enemy types in Valheim will be hostile to each other, and as the saying goes, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
• If there are too many enemies to fight, try to kite enemies away from your base and run away from them. If you're lucky, you'll be able to stall until the raid timer ends.

Questions?

Do you have any other questions about the raids you'll encounter in Valheim? Let me know, and I'll be happy to answer them. Also, for more tips on how to build a sturdy, defensible base, check out my guide on creating Valheim bases and homes the right way.

Valheim is available for $20 on Steam through Early Access. If you haven't yet, I highly recommend getting it as it's one of the best survival games for PC right now. If you do pick up the game, don't miss our beginner's guide to your first days and beyond in Valheim.