Valheim Capes: All Capes Compared, Crafting Recipes & Progression

Why Capes Matter More Than You Think

Capes fill the fourth armor slot, and most players treat them as an afterthought. That is a mistake. Most give little armor, but their effects change how you play: Frost Resistance ends mead-chugging in the Mountain, Feather Fall turns Mistlands cliffs into a playground, and the Ashen Cape out-armors some low-tier armor pieces.

The basics

• Every cape weighs 4.0 and upgrades to Quality 4.
• Most gain +1 armor per upgrade; the Ashen Cape gains +2.
• Repairs are free, and your cape will never break before your weapons do.

The real decision is which effect best complements your armor and play style. Valheim 1.0 has 11 capes. This guide covers the eight from the Meadows to the Ashlands in detail, plus the newer additions.

Early Game Capes: Deer Hide Cape and Troll Hide Cape

Deer Hide Cape

Your first cape, crafted in the Meadows at a level 2 Workbench from 4 Deer Hide and 5 Bone Fragments. It adds a point of armor and has no effects. The materials come easily from hunting Deer and smashing Skeletons, so there is no reason not to wear one.

Troll Hide Cape

Available in the Black Forest, crafted at a level 2 Workbench from 10 Troll Hide and 10 Bone Fragments. Its armor is equally low, but it counts toward the Troll Set. Wearing all four pieces (Troll Leather Hood, Tunic, Trousers and this cape) grants the Sneaky effect, +15 to Sneak. Useful for a stealth build; otherwise unremarkable.

Both are placeholder gear. Craft one, wear it, and forget capes until the Mountain, where your first truly impactful cape waits.

Mid Game Capes: Wolf Fur Cape, Lox Cape and Linen Cape

Wolf Fur Cape

The Mountain is where capes start earning their keep. The Wolf Fur Cape is the first with a game-changing effect, Frost Resistance, so you can explore without constant Frost Resistance Mead.

Craft it at a level 2 Workbench from 6 Wolf Pelt, 4 Silver and 1 Wolf Trophy. The trophy is the tricky part: Wolves drop it only 10% of the time.

Frost Resistance prevents both Cold and Freezing, and even overrides the Frost weakness from being Wet. It does not stack with Frost Resistance Mead, Yagluth's Forsaken Power or other Frost Resistance gear: you either have it or you do not.

Lox Cape

The Plains unlock the Lox Cape: 6 Lox Pelt and 2 Silver at a level 2 Workbench. It has the same Frost Resistance as the Wolf Fur Cape, so the two are functionally identical. Its higher durability is irrelevant in practice, so pick whichever you prefer visually.

Linen Cape

Crafted from 20 Linen Thread and 1 Silver at a level 2 Workbench, the Linen Cape has the highest durability of the mid-game capes and six colors: Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, White and Gray.

It has no special effects at all. There is no gameplay reason to pick it over a Frost Resistance cape unless you value looks on your armor stands.

The Feather Cape: Valheim's Most Beloved Cape

Ask most Valheim players for the best cape and they will name the Feather Cape. Available in the Mistlands, it grants Feather Fall: no fall damage and fall speed capped at 5 m/s. Jump off the tallest cliff and land like a leaf, sprinting in the air to steer your glide.

Recipe and trade-off

Craft it at a level 1 Galdr Table from 10 Feathers, 5 Scale Hide and 20 Refined Eitr. It also has Frost Resistance, so it directly upgrades the Wolf Fur and Lox Cape. The downside: it makes you Very weak to Fire (2x damage).

That rarely matters in the Mistlands, but in the Ashlands you will want Fire Resistance Barley Wine.

Where it shines

• Mistlands traversal: climb a tall rock and glide instead of walking blind through fog.
• Building: a slip from a tall structure no longer means death.
• Mountain shortcuts: many players keep one in their inventory long after switching capes.

Ashlands Capes: Asksvin Cloak and Ashen Cape

The Ashlands bring two capes that finally challenge the Feather Cape. They offer different play styles, forcing a real choice for your cape slot.

Asksvin Cloak: the mobility option

Crafted at a level 2 Galdr Table from just 6 Asksvin Hide and 2 Morgen Sinew, it is the cheapest Ashlands-tier craft. It gives:

• Wind Run: with the wind at your back, up to 25% more movement speed and up to 100% less running stamina. Even partial wind helps, and in Ashlands storms nothing keeps up with you.
• Frost Resistance.
• 15% less dodge stamina.

It pairs beautifully with the Ask Armor Set's stamina and mobility focus, turning you into an agile assassin. For overland travel, combine it with Fenris Armor's +9% movement speed.

Ashen Cape: the combat powerhouse

Crafted at a level 3 Black Forge from 6 Asksvin Hide, 2 Morgen Sinew and 5 Flametal. Its armor is in a different league from other capes, more than some early helmets. It also cuts attack stamina by 10% and block stamina by 20%, and has Frost Resistance.

The block stamina cut is the standout. Charred warriors attack in groups, and blocking more hits before running dry can decide a fight. Pair it with Flametal Armor for a tank build that trades blows with anything in the Ashlands.

New Capes in Valheim 1.0

Valheim 1.0 brings the cape count to 11 with the Moose Hide Cape, the Cape of Oden and the Cape of the Caller. Compare their stats below before replacing a cape whose effect you rely on, such as Frost Resistance or Feather Fall.

Which Cape Should You Use? Recommendations by Stage

1. Meadows and Black Forest: wear whatever you can craft. Use the Troll Hide Cape only to complete the Troll Set; otherwise the Deer Hide Cape is fine.
2. Mountain: craft the Wolf Fur Cape immediately. Frost Resistance is survival here. The Lox Cape works just as well if you get Lox Pelts first.
3. Mistlands: switch to the Feather Cape and keep it until the Ashlands. Fire Resistance Barley Wine covers its weakness.
4. Ashlands: choose by build (below).

Ashlands picks by build

• Tank melee in Flametal Armor: Ashen Cape. The extra armor and block stamina cut help you hold the line against Charred swarms.
• Rogue in the Ask Armor Set: Asksvin Cloak, for its dodge and movement bonuses.
• Mage in the Embla Set: either works, but the Ashen Cape's armor offsets light mage gear.

The veteran move is to carry all three late capes and swap: Feather Cape for building and traversal, Ashen Cape for combat, Asksvin Cloak for exploring and retreats. It costs three inventory slots and the flexibility is worth it.

Frost Resistance: How It Actually Works

Five of the eight classic capes give Frost Resistance: Wolf Fur, Lox, Feather, Asksvin Cloak and Ashen. Frost Resistance halves incoming Frost damage (0.5x) and, more importantly, blocks the Cold and Freezing effects entirely. That is what makes the Mountain playable without Frost Resistance Mead.

Rules to remember

• It does not stack. A Wolf Fur Cape plus Frost Resistance Mead is no better than either alone, so your mead slot is free for other potions.
• It beats the Wet debuff. Your cape overrides the Frost weakness from rain, which is why these capes matter so much in Mountain storms.
• Only the Feather Cape has a catch: Very weak to Fire in exchange.

Both Ashlands capes having Frost Resistance puzzled players in a fire biome. Many speculated it was preparation for the Deep North, the frozen biome that arrived with 1.0.