Eikthyr is the first boss in Valheim, a big stag that throws lightning around. He is not too bad once you know what you are doing, and beating him is what really gets your adventure going. Here is how to take him down.
How to summon him
You summon Eikthyr at the sacrificial stones, the ring of stones near where you first spawn. He needs 2 
Deer trophy hung on the stand there. Deer trophies drop from regular deer when you hunt them, though not every single time, so kill a few and you will get them. Pop the trophies on and he shows up.
What to bring
You do not need anything fancy. A few things make it a lot easier though:
- A bow with wood arrows, so you can chip him from range.
- Some basic armour and a spear or club for when he gets close.
- A stack of food. Bring
Grilled neck tail, Cooked deer meat and some Raspberries so your health and stamina stay topped up.
Not sure what to eat? I put together the best early game foods here.
The fight itself
Eikthyr is a kiting fight. He has no damage weakness, so the winning move is not a special weapon, it is simply never letting him touch you.
Boss fightEikthyr
- Summon with
- 2 Deer trophy on his altar
- Weak to
- None. He resists nothing and is weak to nothing, so bring what you can aim.
- Take with you
- A bow and plenty of arrows, a shield, and three foods
- Drops
- Hard antler and his trophy
What he does, and what you do
- Antler lungeTell: He drops his head and charges straight at youStrafe sideways, never backwards. He commits to the charge, so a step to the left or right leaves him running past you and gives you a free second to shoot.
- Lightning stompTell: He rears up on his back legsGet out of the ring immediately. This one goes off around him in a circle, so distance beats blocking. If you are already sprinting away when he rears, it will miss entirely.
- Ranged lightning boltTell: He plants himself and his antlers cracklePut something solid between you. The rocks around the altar block it completely. If you are caught in the open, raise your shield, it is survivable but it hurts.
What to hit him with
A bow. Honestly, just a bow. He is slow to turn and easy to outrun, which makes him close to a free kill at range, and plain wood arrows do the job perfectly well if that is all you have.
- Fire arrows are the strongest option if you have made them. Noticeably faster kill, and the burn keeps ticking while you reposition.
- Wood arrows are completely fine. They are cheap, you can carry hundreds, and this fight has no time limit.
- A flint spear is your backup for when he closes the gap, but you should not need it much.
The loop is: shoot, let him charge, sidestep, shoot again while he turns around. Circle the altar rocks and use them for the lightning bolt. Slow and steady genuinely wins this one.
What you get for winning
Eikthyr drops 
Hard antler and his trophy. The hard antler lets you craft the antler pickaxe, your very first pickaxe, which means you can finally start mining copper and moving into bronze. Hang the 
Eikthyr trophy on a stand at base and you unlock his power: hold it active and your stamina drains way slower when you run and jump. It is brilliant for getting around.
That is boss number one down. Grab that pickaxe and go find some copper. Good luck out there!
