Valheim looks open but it is really a ladder. Each biome hands you a metal, each boss hands you a key or a tool that opens the next biome, and skipping a rung mostly gets you killed. Here is the whole order in one place.
Follow this and you will never be stuck wondering what to do next.
The order, start to finish
- Meadows to Eikthyr. Learn the basics, get the antler pickaxe.
- Black Forest to The Elder. Copper, tin, bronze, portals. He drops the swamp key.
- Swamp to Bonemass. Iron from crypts. He drops the wishbone.
- Mountains to Moder. Silver, wolf gear. She drops dragon tears for the artisan table.
- Plains to Yagluth. Black metal, barley, flax.
- Mistlands to The Queen. Eitr and magic, carapace gear.
- Ashlands to Fader. Flametal and the current endgame.
The Ocean sits alongside all of it. The moment you have a boat you can sail anywhere, and sailing is how you reach most of these biomes in the first place.
What each boss actually gives you
This is the part that matters. Bosses are not optional side content, they are the gate:
- Eikthyr gives the
Antler pickaxe. Without it you cannot mine anything. - The Elder gives the Swamp key, which opens sunken crypts and therefore all iron.
- Bonemass gives the Wishbone, which finds silver and buried treasure. No wishbone, no silver.
- Moder gives dragon tears, which build the artisan table and unlock the next crafting tier.
- Yagluth opens the way toward the Mistlands.
- The Queen and Fader are the current endgame.
The rule that keeps you alive
Do not enter a biome in the previous biome’s armour. The difficulty jumps are steep and Valheim does not soften them. If a biome feels impossible, you are almost always one tier of gear behind, not bad at the game.
Where to start
If you are brand new, begin with the Meadows guide, then work through the Black Forest. Get your food sorted early, because it is the single biggest thing keeping you alive.
Happy adventuring!
