Ashlands Guide: Resources, Enemies & How to Survive Valheim's Endgame Inferno

The moment your Drakkar crests the final wave and the Ashlands coastline fills your screen, you know everything has changed. Ash rains from a burning sky. The water itself boils. The ground is a cracked wasteland of scorched ruins and flowing lava, crawling with the undead Charred army. This is Valheim's final frontier, and it is absolutely ruthless.

The Ashlands is a crescent-shaped island at the southernmost edge of the world, completely separated from every other biome by boiling ocean. It follows the Mistlands in progression and represents the current endgame. You will need to have defeated The Queen to even reach it, and once you arrive, the biome will test every skill you have developed across hundreds of hours. In my experience, this is where most players hit a wall for the first time since the Swamp. But with the right preparation and knowledge, it becomes one of the most rewarding biomes in the game.

Getting to the Ashlands

Your journey begins at sea, and it is not a friendly one. The water surrounding the Ashlands is boiling hot. Every ship you have built before this point, including the Longship, will be destroyed within minutes. Only the Drakkar can survive the voyage, and crafting it requires defeating The Queen first.

The Drakkar is built at a Workbench using 100 Iron Nails, 30 Ceramic Plates, 50 Finewood, and 25 Yggdrasil Wood. To unlock Ceramic Plates, you first need to upgrade your Artisan Table with the Artisan Press, which requires the Majestic Carapace dropped by The Queen. The Drakkar has 3,000 durability, 32 storage slots, and 9 seats, making it the most durable and spacious vessel in the game. It is also the only boat immune to boiling water damage.

When planning your route, sail toward the center of the map rather than the far east or west edges. The landmass does not extend to the map borders, so sailing from the edges means a longer journey through dangerous rock spires, Bonemaw Serpents, and Volture attacks. Bring at least 10 Wood on your ship for emergency repairs at the rock spires along the way. The Drakkar is tough, but Bonemaw attacks can whittle it down faster than you expect.

If you fall into the boiling water as a player, heat accumulates over about 28 seconds while swimming before you start taking 50 pure damage per second. Flametal Armor's 40% heat resistance extends this window significantly and reduces damage to 30 per second, but the best advice is simply: do not fall in.

Establishing Your First Base

Your first priority after landing is survival infrastructure. You need three things immediately: a Shield Generator, a portal home, and shelter. Bring these materials on your first voyage:

For the Stonecutter: 4 Stone, 2 Iron, and 10 Wood. For a regular portal: 10 Greydwarf Eyes, 20 Finewood, and 2 Surtling Cores. For the Shield Generator: 5 Iron, 5 Copper, and 1 Shield Core (crafted at a level 2 Artisan Table). Also bring Bone Fragments for Shield Generator fuel.

The Shield Generator is non-negotiable. Cinder rain constantly falls in the Ashlands and will set wooden structures on fire and destroy builds over time. The generator creates a 30-meter spherical dome that blocks cinder rain, projectiles from Charred Marksmen, and even lava fireballs. It runs on Bone Fragments or Charred Bone as fuel (holds 10, consuming 1 per 500 damage absorbed). Fire spreads between wooden structures in this biome, so build with Grausten whenever possible.

Once you find Molten Cores from Putrid Holes, your next priority should be crafting a Stone Portal. This game-changing structure requires a Stonecutter and costs 10 Greydwarf Eyes, 30 Grausten, and 2 Molten Cores. Unlike regular wooden portals, Stone Portals allow you to teleport with ores, metals, Dragon Eggs, and every other previously restricted item. This single upgrade means you never need to sail out of the Ashlands again. Stone Portals connect to wooden portals using the same naming system, but remember: you can only transport metals through the Stone Portal side. Going back through a connected wooden portal with metals in your inventory will not work.

Creatures of the Ashlands

The Ashlands has more hostile creature types than any other biome: 11 unique enemies plus a miniboss and the biome boss. Most creatures here are resistant to pierce and immune to poison, so leave your needle arrows at home. Spirit, frost, and lightning damage are your best friends. Blunt and slash also perform well against most enemies.

The Charred faction makes up the bulk of enemies you will encounter. Charred Twitchers are the weakest, throwing rocks at range before closing for melee. They spawn from Monuments of Torment scattered across the biome, so destroy these spawners on sight. Charred Warriors are stronger melee fighters, while Charred Marksmen fire devastating arrow volleys from range. The Charred Warlock is the most dangerous of the four, dealing ranged magical damage and continuously spawning Twitchers during combat. Prioritize Warlocks in every encounter. All Charred drop Charred Bones and Charred Skulls.

The Morgen is the Ashlands equivalent of a Troll: massive, fast, and devastating in melee. It springs from the ground when you get close and uses a rolling movement to close distance quickly. It drops Morgen Hearts and Morgen Sinew, both essential for crafting. The Fallen Valkyrie is arguably the most terrifying creature here, a flying enemy that alternates between melee swoops and ranged fire and poison attacks. She drops the valuable Celestial Feather.

One of the most important mechanics in the Ashlands is creature friendly fire. Unlike every other biome, certain enemies here damage each other. Morgen and Fallen Valkyries deal friendly fire with all their attacks. Lava Blob explosions damage nearby creatures. Even fortress Skugg turrets and Bonemaw Serpent spit can hit other enemies. Skilled players learn to use this to their advantage, kiting large groups into each other and letting them thin their own ranks.

Asksvin are wolf-like creatures that charge in groups of two or three. They are the only tameable creature in the Ashlands. Tame them with Smoke Puffs (found scattered on the ground), breed them to produce adorable Asksvin Calves, and craft an Asksvin Saddle (requires Flametal) to ride them. Tamed Asksvin have no carrying capacity limit, making them invaluable for collecting Flametal from lava fields. Voltures roost on piles of Asksvin bones and attack from the air. They drop Volture Meat, Volture Eggs, and Feathers. Mine their nests for Asksvin skeleton parts used in decorative furniture. Lava Blobs explode when you get close, dealing massive blunt and fire damage. Bait them into exploding and dodge through the blast using i-frames, or shoot them from a distance.

Survival Strategies That Actually Work

The single best survival tip for the Ashlands is this: walk, do not run. Running burns through your stamina rapidly, and when an enemy catches you with an empty stamina bar, you are dead. Walking preserves your resources for the moments that actually matter, dodging a Morgen lunge, parrying a Warrior, or sprinting away from a two-star pack. Your stamina is your lifeline. Treat it that way.

Spawnproofing is your second most powerful tool. Any player base structure blocks enemy spawns within a 20-meter radius. Campfires are the cheapest option, requiring no Workbench and only 5 Stone and 2 Wood. Place them every 25 to 30 meters along your travel routes to create permanent safe corridors where enemies simply cannot spawn. This transforms the biome from an overwhelming gauntlet into manageable segments.

When choosing weapons for exploration, spellcasting is arguably the easiest approach. Bring two Eitr foods and one stamina food, keep a Staff of Protection bubble active at all times, and use Staff of Frost to slow enemies while dismantling them. The freezing effect is devastating here because it turns the Ashlands' biggest threat (getting swarmed) into a manageable situation. For melee players, the Mistwalker and Frostner both excel thanks to their spirit and frost damage. Most Ashlands creatures are not specifically weak to frost, but the slowdown effect is worth its weight in Flametal.

Use the Bonemass Forsaken Power whenever you encounter starred enemies, Morgen, or Fallen Valkyries alongside large packs. The damage reduction will save your life more than any other power. Travel along coasts to reduce enemy encounters since creatures only spawn on solid ground. Mark cleared Putrid Holes on your map as safe recovery spots where you can regenerate health and stamina. And if Dvergr camps are nearby, flee toward them when overwhelmed: the Dvergr will fight alongside you against Charred enemies, as long as you do not accidentally hit them or their structures.

Mining Flametal: The Dangerous Grind

Flametal is the cornerstone resource of the Ashlands, used in virtually every weapon, armor piece, and many building structures. It comes from two sources: Flametal Ore veins sitting in lava fields, and fortress chests. The veins are more abundant but far more dangerous to access.

Flametal Ore veins sit on Lavaiatans, living columns in the middle of lava pools. To reach them, you throw Basalt Bombs into the lava to create temporary platforms that last about 30 seconds before sinking. Craft plenty of these at a Workbench: each batch of 5 costs 1 Asksvin Hide, 1 Asksvin Bladder, and 3 Proustite Powder. You need the Blackmetal Pickaxe to mine the ore. No new tools are introduced in the Ashlands, so your Blackmetal tools work for everything.

Here is the critical detail most guides bury: Flametal veins are living creatures, like the Leviathan in the Ocean. After you start mining, the Lavaiathan will groan, shift upward slightly, and then sink into the lava, taking any remaining ore with it. You have a limited window, so efficiency matters. Use The Queen's Forsaken Power for increased mining speed. Place a Shield Generator near the base of the column to block lava fireballs that would knock you off your platforms. Clear or spawnproof the surrounding area so creatures do not interrupt your mining. Wear the Feather Cape for increased jump height when hopping between platforms as the lava rises and falls.

Once you have mined the ore, it drops onto the lava surface. This is where tamed Asksvin become invaluable. Unlike your character, Asksvin have no maximum carrying capacity. Craft an Asksvin Saddle, ride your tamed Asksvin across the lava using Basalt Bomb platforms, and collect all the dropped Flametal without worrying about encumbrance. Smelt the ore in a Blast Furnace with Coal to produce Flametal bars. Note that Flametal cannot be teleported through regular wooden portals, but it can go through Stone Portals, which is why building one early is so important.

The easier (and safer) source of Flametal is Charred Fortress chests, which often contain significant quantities alongside gemstones and gold. For players who find lava mining too punishing, fortress raiding can be your primary Flametal source. You will need a total of 234 Flametal bars to craft one of each base weapon and armor piece, and a staggering 920 to fully upgrade everything. Plan accordingly.

Raiding Charred Fortresses

Charred Fortresses are the Ashlands' main dungeons, and they are unlike anything else in Valheim. These massive stone structures are impenetrable by normal means, defended by Skugg turrets on all four corners, and packed with Charred Warriors, Marksmen, and Warlocks inside. They are also the only source of gemstones (Bloodstone, Jade, Iolite), Bell Fragments for summoning Fader, and the Charred Cogwheels needed to build Catapults.

Your first fortress must be breached with a Battering Ram, crafted from Flametal, Bronze, and Ashwood. Drag it into position like a cart, fuel it, and ram through the main gate. However, experienced players strongly recommend a different approach: do not break the gate at all. Instead, build a ladder or staircase over the wall using a Workbench or Stonecutter. A Hoe with stone also works. The fortress walls and gates are indestructible to enemies, so if you leave the doors intact, the fortress becomes the most secure base location in the entire biome once cleared.

Before entering, destroy the Skugg turrets on all four corners using a Staff of Embers, arrows, or the Staff of Fracturing from closer range. These turrets hit hard and will shred you if you try to fight enemies inside while being pelted from the walls.

Armor, Weapons & Gear Progression

The Ashlands introduces three full armor sets, two capes, and an enormous arsenal of weapons. Your gear progression should follow a specific order to maximize survivability.

Arrive in your best Mistlands gear. The Mistwalker sword and a parry-capable shield are excellent starting weapons. Your first crafting priority should be the Flametal Armor set, the heavy armor option with the highest raw armor value in the game. At quality level 1, the full set provides 114 armor with 40% heat resistance at the cost of 10% movement speed. It requires a Black Forge level 3 and costs 56 Flametal, 9 Asksvin Hide, 12 Charred Bone, 4 Refined Eitr, and 1 Morgen Heart. The heat resistance is not just a nice bonus; it meaningfully extends your survival time in boiling water and reduces lava damage.

The Ask Set is the mobility-focused alternative with no movement speed penalty, ideal for ranged builds and players who rely on dodging. The Embla Set (Robes of Embla) is designed for magic users, providing Eitr regeneration similar to the Eitr-Weave Set from the Mistlands but with higher armor values. Two new capes complement these sets: the Ashen Cape reduces stamina usage, while the Asksvin Cloak increases your speed when running with the wind at your back and reduces dodge stamina cost.

The weapon system introduces a brilliant gemstone mechanic. Base Flametal weapons can be augmented with one of three gemstones found in Charred Fortresses. Bloodstone weapons deal increased damage as your health drops, a high-risk, high-reward option. Jade weapons have a 15% chance to completely immobilize enemies on hit. Iolite weapons add lightning damage for AoE potential. Community consensus is clear: Jade (root/immobilize) and Iolite (lightning) are the strongest choices, while Bloodstone is the riskiest and generally weakest of the three.

For weapon recommendations, the Thundering Berserkir Axes are the community favorite for melee: fast, devastating against both groups and single targets. Pair them with the Root Ripper crossbow (Jade variant) to immobilize dangerous enemies before closing in. For magic users, the Staff of Fracturing is considered the best overall damage staff, while Staff of the Wild provides excellent sustained damage. Before crafting Ashlands weapons, upgrade your Cauldron with Rolling Pins and your Black Forge with the Metal Cutter to unlock level 4 upgrades for your existing Mistlands gear. This gives you an immediate power boost while you collect gemstones.

Resources, Food & Points of Interest

Beyond Flametal, the Ashlands provides a wealth of new resources. Ashwood comes from Scorched Trees (cut with any axe) and is used for building structures and furniture. Grausten is mined from rock formations and ruins with a Blackmetal Pickaxe and serves as the primary fireproof building material. Charcoal Resin drops alongside Ashwood. Proustite Powder comes from Lava Blobs and Unstable Lava Rocks (shoot the rocks with arrows to avoid explosion damage). Sulfur can be mined from Sulfur Arches and drops from Lava Blobs.

Three pickable plants are found throughout the biome. Fiddleheads grow sheltered near ruins. Smoke Puffs sit on the ground and on rock peaks, and are also used for taming Asksvin. Vineberry Clusters grow on the sides of ruins and are the only new plantable crop; harvest their seeds and grow them on cultivated soil near build pieces in any biome. The Ashlands introduces 15 new foods and two new meads (Lingering Healing Mead and Lingering Eitr Mead, each boosting regeneration by 25% for 5 minutes). Upgrade your Cauldron with Rolling Pins and Cutting Boards (requires Flametal and Ashwood) to unlock these recipes.

Putrid Holes are small cave dungeons marked by Asksvin bones at their entrances. Inside you will find loot chests, Molten Cores, ancient pots, and Vegvisir runestones that mark the locations of Lord Reto (the miniboss) and Dyrnwyn fragment altars. Always explore Putrid Holes thoroughly and mark them on your map. Cleared Putrid Holes make excellent safe recovery spots.

Dvergr camps appear throughout the Ashlands, manned by the red-bearded rogue variety. They are neutral unless provoked and will fight Charred enemies alongside you. Their crates sometimes contain Flametal and other valuable resources, but breaking their gear turns them hostile. Use Dvergr camps as emergency rally points when overwhelmed, just be careful not to hit them with stray attacks.

Lord Reto, Fader & the Dyrnwyn Sword

Lord Reto is the Ashlands miniboss, and he is brutally tough. To find him, search Putrid Holes for special Vegvisir runestones that mark "mysterious locations" on your map. You need to discover three of these locations total. Two will contain rock structures with altars holding a Dyrnwyn fragment (the tip and blade fragments). The third contains the Tomb of Lord Reto, where defeating him yields the Dyrnwyn Hilt Fragment. Expect two-star Charred enemies at the mysterious locations as well. Combine all three fragments at a Black Forge to craft the Dyrnwyn, a stunning fire and slash damage sword that is one of the most powerful weapons in the game.

Fader is the Ashlands biome boss, a massive dragon-like creature with devastating melee and ranged attacks. His Vegvisir runestones can be found at the tops of large ruins and inside Charred Fortresses. Summoning him requires 3 Bells, each crafted at a Black Forge from 3 Bell Fragments (9 fragments total, found in fortress inner towers). Place the 3 Bells on the thrones at his arena to begin the fight. Fader uses spinning melee attacks, ground stomps, and summons fireballs from the sky. His Fissure and Wall of Fire attacks have friendly fire, so positioning near other enemies can work in your favor. After defeating him, he drops the Fader Trophy and Fader Relics (which will have a purpose in the Deep North update). His Forsaken Power grants +300 carrying weight and +10% movement speed, an incredible utility power for all future gameplay.

Raid Events & Final Tips

The Ashlands adds two new raid events to worry about. "The undead army marches" brings waves of Charred Marksmen, Warriors, and Twitchers. "The dead have been summoned" appears to be an exclusively Twitcher assault. A well-placed Shield Generator and Grausten walls will handle both, but make sure your base is defended before exploring deep into the biome.

A few closing tips that can save your sanity. Always mine Flametal veins near solid land when possible; if a deposit is deep in a lava field, mark it and come back with more Basalt Bombs. Carry materials for a Workbench and portal at all times so you can create forward operating points as you push deeper inland. The Ashlands is not meant to be conquered in a single session. Take your time, build infrastructure, and chip away at it methodically. This is the hardest content in Valheim, but it is also the most rewarding. Every fortress cleared, every piece of Flametal armor forged, and every gemstone weapon crafted represents a genuine achievement. Embrace the grind, and the Ashlands will give you the best endgame experience Valheim has to offer.