On this page7 sections
- Wraiths are the only renewable source of
Chain: every kill drops exactly one. - They spawn at night in the Swamp, high in the treetops. Look up for the blue glow.
- Bring
Fire Arrows or a 
Silver Sword: Fire and Spirit deal 1.5x, while all physical damage is halved. - Never bring
Frostner. Wraiths are immune to Frost, so it loses about half its damage. - Farm one large Swamp all night instead of portal-hopping between small ones.
What Makes the Wraith So Dangerous
The Wraith is one of the most feared creatures in the Swamp. This hooded, featureless spectre floats through the air with a blue glow, hits hard with 60 Slash swipes, and halves every type of physical damage. Met at night in 
Bronze or early 
Iron gear, it can end your run in seconds.
Timing makes it worse. Wraiths spawn only at night, so every fight comes with low visibility, the Wet debuff slowing stamina regeneration, and often 
Draugr or 
Blobs already on you. Veterans call it the top reason to avoid the Swamp after dark.
The catch: Wraiths are the only renewable source of Chain, a material you need to progress. Sooner or later, you have to hunt them.
WraithCreature · SwampNight-only Swamp flyer: halves physical damage, weak to Fire and Spirit
- Health
- 100
- Run speed
- 5
Combat Stats and Resistances
| Health | 100 |
| Melee Damage | 60 Slash |
| Attack Range | 2.4 meters, 60-degree arc |
| Attack Speed | Every 2 seconds |
| Aggro Range | 1.8 meters |
| Stagger Limit | 50% of max HP |
| Weak To | Fire (x1.5), Spirit (x1.5) |
| Neutral To | Lightning, Stagger |
| Resistant To | Blunt (x0.5), Pierce (x0.5), Slash (x0.5) |
| Immune To | Frost, Poison, Chop, Pickaxe |
| Faction | Undead |
Where and When Wraiths Spawn
Wraiths have three spawn conditions. Knowing them is the key to finding Wraiths when you actually want them.
1. Swamp at night (the farming spawn)
Wraiths are an uncommon night spawn anywhere in the Swamp, limited to 2 active at once, and they despawn at dawn. They appear at treetop level and float down, often getting stuck on branches above you.
Search at eye level and you will miss most of them. Scan the tops of the ancient trees for the blue shimmer instead, and a good Swamp yields 3 to 4 Wraiths per night.
2. Abandoned Huts (one-time)
A rare, one-time spawn near Abandoned Huts can appear during the day, the only daytime Wraiths in the game. Once killed they never return, so don't plan farming around them.
3. "You feel a chill down your spine..."
After you defeat Bonemass, this event can trigger anywhere, not just in the Swamp. Wraiths spawn very commonly during it (limit of 2), so they may attack your base in the Meadows. It is an excellent chance to farm Chains.
Stop looking at ground level for Wraiths. They spawn at the tops of trees and float down, often getting stuck on branches above you. Look UP for the blue glow. Veterans who use this technique consistently find 3 to 4 Wraiths per Swamp night, while newer players searching at eye level often find none.
How to Fight Wraiths: Best Weapons and Strategy
The Wraith halves Blunt, Pierce and Slash, so your 
Iron Mace, standard arrows and sword all work at 50%. It takes 1.5x damage from Fire and Spirit, and those two weaknesses are the basis of every good Wraith strategy.
Ranged: Fire Arrows (best early option)
Fire Arrows are the best early answer. They cost no iron, only 
Wood, 
Resin and 
Feathers, and their fire portion hits for 1.5x. A bow also keeps you away from the claw swipe. Kite around the indestructible ancient trees, using trunks to break line of sight while you draw the next arrow.
Melee: Silver Sword (best overall)
Silver weapons pair physical damage with Spirit. The Silver Sword's Spirit portion hits for 1.5x, offsetting much of the Slash penalty and leaving it about 80% effective. That makes it the best melee option by a clear margin.
Silver Sword vs Frostner
| Stat | Silver Sword | Frostner |
|---|---|---|
| Slash damage | 75 (+6 per level) | - |
| Spirit damage | 30 (+5 per level) | 20 |
| Block armor | 30 | 30 |
| Skill | Swords | Clubs |
| Attack stamina | 12 | 12 |
| Knockback | 40 | 100 |
| Backstab | 3x | 3x |
| Durability | 200 (+50 per level) | 200 (+50 per level) |
| Max quality | 4 | 4 |
| Movement speed | -5% | -5% |
| Weight | 1 | 2 |
| Blunt damage | - | 35 |
| Frost damage | - | 40 (+6 per level) |
| Crafted at | Forge 3 | Forge 3 |
Avoid Frostner
Frostner is a Silver-tier mace, but much of its damage is Frost, and Wraiths are immune to Frost. Its Blunt is halved too, so only about 50% of its damage lands. That is a poor trade for such an expensive weapon.
Melee: Iron Atgeir (best Iron-tier)
Still in the Iron Age? The Iron Atgeir's reach lets you hit before the 2.4-meter swipe lands, and its spin special can stagger. With a stagger threshold of 50% max HP, a good combo locks a Wraith down.
Parrying with a 
Banded Shield or 
Iron Buckler and countering also works, but the Wraith attacks every 2 seconds with a fast, sweeping claw, so timing matters.
Step-by-Step Wraith Combat Strategy
- 1
Spot the Wraith from a Distance
Scan the treetops for the telltale blue glow. Wraiths emit a quiet snarling hiss when aggravated, but their glow is visible from much farther away. Spotting them first gives you the advantage of choosing when and where to engage.
- 2
Open with Fire Arrows
If the Wraith is stuck in a tree or floating above you, shoot it with Fire Arrows to pull it down and deal strong damage. Two to three Fire Arrows from a decent bow will take a significant chunk of its 100 HP. If it is already moving toward you, back-pedal and shoot while using trees as cover.
- 3
Parry or Dodge the Swipe
When the Wraith closes to melee range, it will use a claw swipe with a 60-degree vertical arc. You can parry this with a shield for a stagger window, or simply dodge-roll to the side. The 2-second attack cooldown gives you a brief window to counter-attack after dodging.
- 4
Finish with Your Best Melee Weapon
After a successful parry or dodge, close in with your melee weapon. Silver Sword is ideal, but any weapon works since the Wraith only has 100 HP. Even at half physical damage, a few solid hits will finish it off. Collect your Chain and, if you are lucky, the
Wraith Trophy.
“Wraiths tend to find you when you least expect them, ambushing you mid-fight against Draugr while you are already low on health. But when you actually go looking for them, they seem to vanish. The trick is simple: look up, stay in one large Swamp, and be patient.
Drops: Chain and the Wraith Trophy
Every Wraith drops exactly 1 Chain, guaranteed, and that is why you hunt them. The Wraith Trophy is only a 5% drop. Veterans with 75 or more kills report just a couple of trophies.
Where else Chain comes from
Chain cannot be smelted, forged or crafted at any station. Your sources are:
- Wraith kills (the only renewable source)
- Sunken Crypt chests
- Swamp chests at points of interest
- Deconstructing hook-and-chain structures at Dvergr Harbors and Excavation Sites
Crypt chests are unreliable: one veteran mined 360 Iron from Crypts and found only 11 Chains. For more than a handful, farm Wraiths. Chain is teleportable, so portal it home after each run.
ChainMaterial · SwampUncraftable Swamp material: Wraiths are the only renewable source
- Weight
- 2
- Stack size
- 50
Workbench
Deer Hide
Forge Bellows
Iron Cooking Station
Coal
Wolf Pelt
Wolf Hide ChestpieceThe four core Chain items (Forge Bellows, Iron Cooking Station, one Hanging Brazier and the Wolf Hide Chestpiece) need at least 9 Chains: 9 Wraith kills or a mix of kills and lucky Crypt chests. 
Black Metal Shields and 
Black Metal Tower Shields use Chain later, so stockpile extras.
How to Farm Wraiths Efficiently
The biggest mistake is hopping between small Swamps. Nights are short, and by the time you portal and search a second spot, dawn has broken. Pick one large Swamp and commit to it for the whole night.
Farming routine
- Choose a big Swamp. More valid spawn area means more Wraiths.
- Set up a base. Build a small outpost or camp beside a Surtling fire geyser.
- Run short patrol loops around it each night instead of covering huge distances. Expect 1 to 6 Wraiths per night.
- Make noise. Chop trees and fight Draugr and Leeches. Combat draws Wraiths to you, which beats creeping around hoping to spot one.
Using fire geysers
Lure a Wraith near a Surtling fire geyser and the fire damage helps finish it. The geyser area also makes a familiar fighting zone, with Coal and 
Surtling Core farming on the side.
Do not portal-hop between multiple Swamps when farming Wraiths. Nights are too short. By the time you load in and start searching, dawn is already approaching. Pick one large Swamp biome, build a simple base, and run patrol loops around it all night. Consistency and patience beat spreading yourself thin.
Recommended Wraith Hunting Loadout
Huntsman Bow
Torch
Poison Resistance MeadNot for Wraiths, but for the other Swamp creatures you will encounterWraith Lore: The Souls That Could Not Rest
The Runestones paint a tragic picture. A warrior who dies with great deeds has a soul that seeps into the earth and nourishes new life. A warrior who dies having achieved nothing has a soul too thin to sink. It rises like hearth smoke, catches in tree branches, and lingers to form a Wraith, a shadow driven by bitterness toward the living.
The lore explains their behavior. They appear in treetops because that is where souls get caught, come out at night because they are shadows, and attack out of jealousy for living warriors who can still earn glory.
The Runestone puts it best: "Should you see one, kill it and count it a mercy." Each Fire Arrow through a Wraith puts a tortured soul to rest.
Wraith FAQ
Can Wraiths spawn during the day?
Only in one specific scenario: rare, one-time spawn points near Abandoned Huts in the Swamp. These are pre-placed spawns that can activate during the day. Regular Wraith spawns are strictly nighttime only and despawn at dawn.
Why is Frostner bad against Wraiths?
Much of Frostner's damage is Frost, and Wraiths are immune to Frost, while its Blunt portion is halved. Only about 50% of its damage lands. The Silver Sword's Spirit damage hits for 1.5x, leaving it about 80% effective.
Can I get Chains without fighting Wraiths?
Yes, but not reliably. Chain turns up in Sunken Crypt chests and Swamp chests, and you can deconstruct hook-and-chain structures at Dvergr Harbors and Excavation Sites. None of these are renewable. Only Wraith kills give a steady, repeatable supply.
Can Wraiths hit me on elevated platforms or treehouses?
Yes. Wraiths are one of the few Swamp creatures that can fly, which means they can reach you on elevated outposts, fallen trees, and treehouses. Other ground-based creatures like Draugr and Blobs cannot reach these elevated positions, but Wraiths absolutely can. This is why they are especially dangerous when you think you are safe on a high perch.
Wraith Data
Exact values from the game files (version 1.0 (build 2026-09-17)).
Stats
| Health | 100 |
| Run speed | 5 |
Resistances & Weaknesses
- chopIgnore
- fireWeak
- bluntResistant
- frostImmune
- slashResistant
- pierceResistant
- poisonImmune
- spiritWeak
- pickaxeIgnore
Attacks
| Melee | 60 slash |
|---|
Base damage on Normal difficulty. 1-star creatures deal 1.5x and 2-star creatures 2x. Spells whose damage comes from a separate projectile are not listed.
Drops
Recent Updates
- Updated for Valheim 1.0: corrected Silver Sword effectiveness against Wraiths, verified Chain sources, and reorganised the guide for easier reading.