Eikthyr is the first boss in Valheim and a massive lightning-wielding stag that serves as your first major test after surviving the Meadows.
While the fight is fairly manageable with early-game equipment, preparing properly makes dealing with Eikthyr’s melee and lightning attacks much easier.
Defeating Eikthyr marks an important point in progression, giving you access to your first pickaxe and the ability to start mining valuable ores.
Eikthyr Altar Location
Eikthyr is summoned at a Mystical Altar in the Meadows, with three possible altar locations generated within 1,000 meters of the world center.
You can reveal the closest altar by interacting with the Vegvisir Eikthyr beside the Sacrificial Stones where you originally enter the world.
The Vegvisir places the altar location directly on your map, allowing you to travel there once you are ready to summon the boss.
How to Summon Eikthyr?
Summoning Eikthyr requires 2 Deer Trophies, which must be offered at the Mystical Altar once you are ready to begin the fight.
With both trophies in your inventory, place them on your hotbar and use them while facing the offering point at the center of the altar.
The Deer Trophies will be consumed and Eikthyr will spawn nearby, so eat your food and finish any preparations before making the offering.
How to Prepare for Eikthyr?
Eikthyr is intended to be fought with equipment available around the Meadows, so you do not need to venture into dangerous biomes for better gear.
I recommend upgrading your preferred weapon and armor beforehand, while bringing a shield for melee or a Crude Bow if you prefer fighting from range.
Eat three of your best available foods and get the Rested bonus before making the offering, as having plenty of health and stamina makes the fight easier.
How to Defeat Eikthyr?
Eikthyr uses three main attacks during the fight, and learning what each animation looks like makes avoiding most of his damage fairly straightforward.
At close range, he can swing his antlers across the area in front of him, but you can block the attack or move away before retaliating.
His first lightning attack fires forward from his antlers and reaches a considerable distance, so move sideways when you see him preparing the blast.
Eikthyr can also rear up before stomping the ground and releasing lightning around himself, which is your cue to create some distance from the boss.
Attack during the openings between these abilities and avoid completely draining your stamina, since you always want enough remaining to block, dodge, or reposition.
Should You Use Melee or a Bow?
Both ranged and melee weapons work well against Eikthyr, and you can comfortably stick with either approach or combine the two during the fight.
We found switching between a bow at range and a Flint Spear for quick jabs up close effective, especially as Eikthyr frequently changes distance.
A Flint Knife works well for melee too, although its shorter reach puts you closer to Eikthyr and makes avoiding his attacks slightly harder.
Eikthyr Weaknesses
Eikthyr has no normal damage resistances, allowing Slash, Blunt, Pierce, and other standard damage types to work without receiving a resistance penalty.
He is susceptible to Spirit damage, but you will not normally have access to weapons dealing Spirit damage when fighting him for the first time.
Because of this, there is no need to build around a particular weakness, and using your strongest available early-game weapon is usually the better option.
Eikthyr Drops
Eikthyr drops 3 Hard Antlers when defeated as well as the Eikthyr Trophy, with both rewards playing an important role in your progression.
Hard Antlers are required to craft the Antler Pickaxe, allowing you to start breaking rocks and mining Copper and Tin deposits for valuable ores.
The Eikthyr Trophy can be hung on Eikthyr’s hook at the Sacrificial Stones, allowing you to select and use Eikthyr’s Forsaken Power.
Eikthyr Forsaken Power
Return to the Sacrificial Stones after the fight and mount the Eikthyr Trophy on its corresponding stone to unlock Eikthyr’s Forsaken Power.
Activating the power reduces stamina consumption from running, jumping, and swimming by 60% for 5 minutes, making it especially useful while exploring.
The power has a 20-minute cooldown and also affects nearby players within 10 meters when activated, allowing several players to benefit simultaneously.
What Happens After Defeating Eikthyr?
Defeating Eikthyr changes more than your available equipment, as it also advances some of the enemy and raid progression within your world.
The “Eikthyr rallies the creatures of the forest” event becomes disabled, while “The forest is moving…” can begin occurring until The Elder is defeated.
Greydwarfs can also begin spawning in the Meadows at night, making your previously safer starting biome slightly more dangerous after Eikthyr falls.
What to Do After Defeating Eikthyr?
Use one of your Hard Antlers at a Workbench to craft the Antler Pickaxe, which allows you to finally start breaking stone and mining ore deposits.
Your progression should then move into the Black Forest, where you can mine Copper and Tin while searching Burial Chambers for Surtling Cores.
These resources provide what you need to begin smelting metals, producing Bronze, upgrading your equipment, and eventually preparing to face The Elder.
Verdict
Eikthyr is a manageable first boss, but the fight does a good job of testing the blocking, dodging, stamina management, and preparation you have learned so far.
His lightning attacks are easy to recognize with some practice, while ranged and melee weapons both provide reliable ways to bring the boss down.
More importantly, defeating Eikthyr opens up mining and Bronze progression, making the encounter your first major step beyond the Meadows.
