How to Defeat Lord Reto: Ashlands Miniboss Strategy, Gear & Dyrnwyn Reward

What Makes Lord Reto So Dangerous

Lord Reto is, without question, the most punishing melee enemy in all of Valheim. This Ashlands miniboss is the final obstacle standing between you and the legendary Dyrnwyn sword, and he does not mess around. He permanently spawns as a 2-star creature, the only named enemy in the game with stars, which puts his health at a staggering 7,500 and his damage output in one-shot territory. Even with fully upgraded Flametal Armor and the best food in the game (Piquant Pie, Mashed Meat, and Fiery Svinstew for 300 health), a single clean hit from Lord Reto can kill you outright.

He belongs to the Demon faction and lurks inside a small, dark dungeon called the Tomb of Lord Reto. The cave itself is cramped, with indestructible pillars in the middle that become both your greatest obstacle and your best friend during the fight. Only one Lord Reto exists per world, and he does not respawn after being killed. This is a one-and-done encounter, so you want to come prepared.

His moveset mirrors that of a Charred Warrior, but scaled up to absurd levels. He is strictly melee with no ranged attacks, which is the one saving grace in this fight. He walks slowly, never runs, and has a 1.6-meter engagement range. If you can maintain distance, you can control this fight. If you let him get close, you are almost certainly dead.

Understanding His Attacks

Lord Reto has four attacks, and learning to read them is essential if you plan to fight him in melee range. His two basic attacks are the Swing (a vertical slash dealing 480 Slash damage in a wide 115-degree arc) and the Thrust (a forward stab dealing 460 Pierce damage). Both are on 3-second cooldowns.

The real danger comes from his feint attacks. The Feint shares the exact same windup animation as his Swing, but he pauses briefly before delivering a different slash for 500 Slash damage. The timing difference between a regular Swing and the Feint is only about 0.57 seconds. Similarly, the Thrust Feint mimics his Thrust windup but pivots into an upward swing dealing 420 Pierce, with a 0.631-second timing gap. These feints are specifically designed to catch you if you dodge on the first windup. You have time to parry the second swing if you recognize the pause, but rolling will leave you exposed unless you completely exit his 3-meter attack range.

Veterans will tell you: if you see him start an attack animation and then briefly hesitate, do not roll. Wait for the actual strike and either parry at the correct moment or simply be far enough away that it misses entirely.

Resistances and Weaknesses

Lord Reto's one true weakness is Spirit damage, which deals 1.5x damage against him. This makes the Mistwalker sword an excellent choice if you want to go melee, and it explains why Spirit-damage weapons remain relevant deep into the Ashlands.

He takes normal damage from Blunt, Slash, and Lightning. He is resistant to Pierce, Fire, and Frost (all at 0.5x damage), which rules out a lot of the Ashlands-tier weapons you might be tempted to bring. He is completely immune to Poison, Chop, and Pickaxe damage. This means the Staff of the Wild's Poison component does nothing to him directly, though the root effect itself is what makes that weapon so powerful in this fight. Frost weapons will not slow him down due to his Frost resistance, making them largely obsolete here despite what you might expect.

Finding Lord Reto: The Mysterious Location Quest

Before you can fight Lord Reto, you need to find him, and this is a quest in itself. His tomb is the third and final stop in a chain of three Mysterious Locations scattered across the Ashlands. Each location contains a Dyrnwyn fragment needed to craft the legendary sword, so you will be collecting rewards along the way.

The chain begins inside Putrid Holes, the cave dungeons found throughout the Ashlands. Roughly 25% of Putrid Holes contain a Vegvisir stone that reveals the first Mysterious Location on your map. You may need to clear 4-5 Putrid Holes before finding one, so be patient.

The first Mysterious Location is a small Grausten ruin with no natural entrance. You will need to break through the wall with a pickaxe to access the interior. Inside, you will find the Dyrnwyn Tip Fragment on an altar along with 4 Molten Cores. There is also a Vegvisir stone here that reveals the second location.

The second location is a series of Grausten arches with an open altar holding the Dyrnwyn Blade Fragment and 4 more Molten Cores. Another Vegvisir here points to the third and final location.

The third Mysterious Location is another sealed Grausten ruin. Break through the wall again to find the entrance to the Tomb of Lord Reto dungeon, along with the usual 4 Molten Cores. Every Mysterious Location is guarded by a Monument of Torment (Elite) that spawns exclusively 2-star Charred enemies, so expect a serious fight just to reach each one.

Be warned: these three locations can be spread across completely different islands in the Ashlands. Some players report spending 2+ hours just traveling between them. Set up portals as you go, and bring materials for a workbench and bed near the tomb entrance. You will likely need them.

Your Reward: The Dyrnwyn Sword

After all that effort, you earn the right to craft Valheim's legendary flaming sword, the Dyrnwyn. It is a one-handed sword crafted at a level 4 Black Forge using the three fragments plus 20 Flametal and 1 Bloodstone. The sword provides an orange glow, making it a functional light source in dark areas.

At quality 1, the Dyrnwyn deals 145 Slash and 10 Fire damage on its primary attack, with a 3-hit combo where the final hit does double damage and 20% extra knockback. Its secondary attack delivers a devastating 435 Slash and 30 Fire at 3x damage. It weighs only 0.8, costs 16 stamina for primary attacks and 28 for secondary, and comes with a -5% movement speed penalty.

Here is the honest truth: the Dyrnwyn is currently underwhelming for the effort required to obtain it. Its Slash damage is only slightly higher than a base Nidhögg (an Ashlands sword you can craft much more easily), and the 10 flat Fire damage is less than what a Torch provides. The community consensus is that this sword needs a better Fire-to-physical damage split to justify the legendary quest behind it. That said, it may receive significant buffs in future updates, and there is speculation it could become powerful in the Deep North where fire damage may be especially effective against frost-themed enemies.

Only one Dyrnwyn can be crafted per world under normal resource rates, since the three fragments are non-renewable. If you have increased your world's item drop rate setting, additional fragments will drop, allowing multiple swords to be crafted.