Get a load of these Assassin's Creed Valhalla tips, whether you're just picking the game up for the first time or you're returning in preparation for the Wrath of the Druids DLC, because it's one heck of a long and complex game. Also, the lengthy prologue means that some crucial aspects in Assassin's Creed Valhalla may not be shown to you for hours anyway, which is where this guide comes in to help. Here are our top Assassin's Creed Valhalla tips.
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1. Use Synin and Odin’s Sight
Perhaps it will sound like a given for Assassin’s Creed players but it’s time to use your abilities again. If you go for the default ‘Explorer’ setting when it comes to quest guidance, you might find yourself aimlessly wandering looking for your next clue. Send up your raven to scope things out, use the focus ability, and a blue line should point the direction to your target area. You’ll then see the zone marked out in clear blue.
Your other useful ability, Odin’s Sight, comes in very handy to find assassination targets but also during raids. Keep blasting your special vision and you’ll spot the lovely gold sparkle of goods to pillage. They’ll then appear as barrels in your compass at the top of the screen. Other treasures will also shine bright gold when you’re exploring so always make sure you keep an eye, especially when it comes to hunting down the ability giving Books of Knowledge.
2. Nab those sync points
This one is another given for the Assassin’s Creed community but it’s worth reiterating that due to the sprawling nature of Valhalla, you need to make sure you are clambering up the nearest eagle symbolled sync points to nab those fast travel locations. The campaign purposefully takes you across nearly the whole map and you don’t want to be the Viking caught out when you forgot to sync in a town that you then need to go back to for a contract for Reda, or as part of the story. Synchronisation points also label up towns and areas of interest on your map so that comes in handy during the campaign too.
3. Upgrade your rations early
The switch back to a renewable health potion system was a bold move from Ubisoft and means that fights can no longer just be won by scuttling away and coming back for more once you’re ready. Instead you have to create rations with picked berries and mushrooms that, thankfully, are plentiful in the world. You can even pick them while you’re on your mount so ride thru nutrition is entirely possible. Food tends to be widely available across Mercia in raw and cooked form via fireside pots but if you’re worried, you can also buy full rations from local vendors. You’ll start out with room for only one set of rations but you can upgrade your pockets with resources. Do this early and you’ll find yourself in less sticky situations.
4. Watch your mushrooms
And while we’re on the topic. Just like in real life, keep an eye on your mushroom intake. While most pickable food is good for you, there are a number of mushroom patches that will take your health. As a rule of thumb, the yellow mushrooms are perfectly fine but if you see some black fungo, which you’ll quite often spot in cursed places, steer clear if you don’t want to watch your health bar plummet. Thankfully Ubi doesn’t appear to be mean so anything you find growing in the area of boss battles and raids will be safe to eat.
5. Smash glass
Everything is a lot more, well, smashable this time around. If something looks weak and fragile, it probably is and that includes the beautiful stained glass of monastery and church windows. While some of them are reinforced with metal to prevent entry, there are usually windows you can smash like a Viking vandal with an arrow or axe to clamber inside. And, if you can’t get in a window, chances are that you can find one to use to shoot the lock on barred doors. Use Odin’s Sight and this rectangle of wood will highlight in red. This is also the case with tantalising fasteners for heavy bags to drop on enemies or weak floors and locking devices keeping ladders just out of reach.
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6. Keep an eye out for flaming pots
Staying on the topic of destruction, you’ll want to keep an eye out for little pots with a flame. They’re usually kicking around in groups and are your explosive gateway to new areas. Doors boarded up with wood and red rock can be blown up if you lob one of these pots in their general direction. Books of Knowledge are often hidden behind such walls so keep an eye out for pots and you’ll usually find a doorway not far away. Keep in mind too that if you throw and miss, go for a little run around and you’ll find that the pot will have respawned to let you have another go.
7. Unlock Advanced Assassination
If you’re erring on a stealthier playstyle now that AC has reintroduced hay and murder ropes across streets, the Advanced Assassination skill is absolutely essential. It’s along the yellow line or, Way of the Raven, on your skill tree and allows you to assassinate even high level enemies if you manage to win at a QTE minigame. All you need to do is tap the assassinate button once to kill and then tap it again when the indicator is in the highlighted area to fell even the mightiest of foes. You can even slay potential bosses before they know what’s hit them.
8. Keep your arrows topped up
So, unlike Assassin’s Creed Odyssey where it was easy to walk around with Kassandra armed with hundreds of flaming and poisoned arrows, that’s just not the case this time around. With no arrow crafting on the fly, you’ll have to find them for your bow. That means looting from racks in camps and castles, and grabbing arrows from dead animals and your slain enemies. They can also be found sticking out of tree stumps occasionally so keep an eye on your surroundings even when you’re in more rural areas. They’ll be there somewhere. Especially if the solution to a puzzle or movement challenge depends on using your bow.
9. Smash pots for loot and snakes
This is just a general point to expand on the sheer destructibility of this world. Boxes and clay pots (not the ones mentioned earlier unless you instantly want incinerated) can be destroyed to grab the loot from inside. They also sometimes protect holes in the wall that you can slide through to find even more loot. And sorry Indy, but occasionally there are slithering surprises hidden in pots. However, once you’ve killed the inhabiting snake, you can pillage them for viper eggs to hand into your Hunting Hut for even more shiny things.
10. Grab treasure hoard maps
If you enjoyed the treasure maps from Black Flag, clearly so did the dev team. Get your hands on a treasure hoard map, indicated by a scroll marker on your map and compass, and you’ll be able to scratch those X marks the spot desires in no time. There’s a treasure hoard map section in your bag from your inventory screen and some scrolls show off a drawn map and the area you’ll find the treasure. Other scrolls will have a letter explaining where the riches have been hidden. The loot will vary but we’ve found schematics for longship customisation.
11. Take time to flyte
*ahem*
Across Mercia you’ll find poets. Bards of tongue and don’t they know it.
Take time with them though, learn your craft, and your charisma bar’s not daft.
Flyting practice gives you charm so spend your time and stray from harm.
(Sorry. Basically don’t overlook flyting - it boosts your charisma which can, in turn, unlock new dialogue options.)
12. You can shoot fish (and blow them up)
Aaaand resuming normal programming, it’s time to shoot some fish. Yes, seriously. While you can of course, well, fish for fish with your line, if you can see them swimming around you can snare them with an arrow if patience really isn’t one of your strong points. You can also throw in one of those explosive pots if you really want to cause some damage to the ecosystem.
13. Ask for help
This is a good life rule but finally if you find yourself in a sticky situation it’s important to ask for help. If you’re close to water in Valhalla you can ask your raid crew to come to your aid by selecting the longship option in your radial menu. As long as you are close to water, your lovely crew will rock up with bows to fire from the water. This can even include Zealot battles so if you’re having a hard time with one of those angry mega bosses, lure them to water - which isn’t hard given how much they love the thrill of the chase - and even the odds somewhat.
