Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Beginner Guide: Skills, Raids, Gear & Settlement
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla beginner guide covering exploration, Ravensthorpe, raids, resources, Skill Tree progression, gear, weapons, alliances, abilities and choosing Bear, Wolf or Raven playstyles.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Beginner Guide: Skills, Raids, Gear & Settlement
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Beginner Guide: Skills, Raids, Gear & Settlement
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla follows Eivor from Norway to England, where progression combines combat, exploration, raids, alliances and development of the Raven clan settlement.
Do Not Rush England
Exploration provides:
- Gear.
- Abilities.
- Resources.
- World events.
- Skill progression.
If an area looks useful or interesting, investigate rather than treating every objective marker as something to skip on the way to the next story mission.
Ravensthorpe Is a Progression Hub
Ubisoft’s official Valhalla material emphasizes growing and customizing your settlement.
Settlement buildings can provide useful services and progression benefits.
Examples include:
- Blacksmith services.
- Barracks functions.
- Customization.
- Additional clan facilities.
Raids Supply Settlement Growth
Raiding monasteries and other targets can provide resources used to expand Ravensthorpe.
When preparing for a raid:
- Check the area's strength.
- Use your crew.
- Clear dangerous defenders.
- Collect the major resources before leaving.
Use the Longship
The longship is not only transportation.
It connects exploration, river travel and raids.
Use waterways to approach objectives and discover locations rather than traveling exclusively over land.
Skill Tree
Valhalla's Skill Tree has three major thematic directions:
- Bear: melee and direct combat.
- Wolf: ranged combat.
- Raven: stealth and assassinations.
You Are Not Permanently Locked In
Ubisoft confirms that Skills can be reset freely.
Experiment instead of worrying about creating a perfect build during the first few hours.
Weapons Matter More Than One Number
Valhalla offers many weapon categories.
Test:
- Speed.
- Reach.
- Heavy attacks.
- Dual-wield combinations.
- How much stamina the setup consumes.
Upgrade Gear You Actually Use
Do not spend every material upgrading the first weapon you find if you do not enjoy using it.
Once you find a setup that fits your style, invest more confidently.
Abilities Are Found Through Exploration
Valhalla separates active abilities from ordinary Skill Tree progression.
Explore locations instead of expecting all combat options to appear automatically through leveling.
Use the Raven for Reconnaissance
Your raven helps inspect areas from above.
Use reconnaissance before approaching:
- Fortresses.
- Raid locations.
- Unknown objectives.
Stealth Is Still Useful
Even if you prefer Viking combat, removing several guards before a larger fight can reduce the pressure dramatically.
Use the Hidden Blade and Raven-oriented skills when stealth creates a better approach.
Use Bows
Ranged combat is a complete combat path rather than an emergency option.
Use the bow to:
- Attack weak points.
- Remove distant enemies.
- Open a fight on favorable terms.
Alliances Drive the Story
Progress in England involves forming alliances across different territories.
Treat regional arcs as part of the main structure rather than assuming every alliance objective is optional filler.
Flyting and Charisma
Ubisoft specifically notes that Viking flyting can improve Eivor's Charisma.
Dialogue-focused activities can therefore have practical progression value.
Settlement Before Decoration
Prioritize useful buildings before spending attention entirely on cosmetic changes.
Your settlement should first improve the systems you interact with frequently.
Early Progression Routine
- Advance enough to establish Ravensthorpe.
- Raid for settlement resources.
- Test several weapon types.
- Explore for abilities and gear.
- Spend Skills toward your preferred style.
- Upgrade equipment you actually enjoy using.
- Continue regional alliance arcs.
Common Beginner Mistakes
- Ignoring Ravensthorpe upgrades.
- Rushing through regions without exploring.
- Upgrading weapons before deciding whether you like them.
- Assuming Skills cannot be reset.
- Ignoring ranged and stealth options because Eivor is a Viking.
- Failing to collect raid resources.
Bottom Line
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla progression connects exploration, raids, alliances, Skills and Ravensthorpe. Build the settlement, experiment with weapons and Skill paths, search for abilities and use melee, bows or stealth according to the situation rather than forcing one approach everywhere.