Assassin's Creed Valhalla FAQ: Reindeer Antlers, Wolf Mount, Arrows, Heal
Our quick-reference beginner's guide to Assassin's Creed Valhalla and its sometimes-confusing opening hours.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla is a huge game with tons of different systems. And to confuse matters even more, it features an extended Norway prologue where many things we've come to expect from the series are inaccessible — so regardless of whether you're an old hand at Assassin's Creed or a newcomer to the franchise, you're almost certain to end up feeling a little lost either way at first.
Below, we've rounded up a few of the frequently asked questions we've seen around and asked ourselves while playing, and provided answers to help you out if you're stuck on the same tricky bits we found ourselves puzzling over, such as:
- Where to find Reindeer Antlers in Assassin's Creed Valhalla
- How to change your mount in Assassin's Creed Valhalla
- How to stealth kill in Assassin's Creed Valhalla
- How to change arrows in Assassin's Creed Valhalla
- How to heal in Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Where to find Reindeer Antlers in Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Early on in Eivor's home of Fornburg, you receive a request from a village hunter to prove yourself by gathering reindeer antlers.
However, for the start of the game, this is a more difficult task than you'd think.
First off, reindeer are found in the hills to the east, south, and northeast of Fornburg. I've had the best luck searching south and east, near the Elk of Bloody Peaks optional boss.
You're looking for the male reindeer - ie the ones that actually have antlers - to shoot with your hunter bow.
What's confusing however, is that reindeer don't drop the antlers you need every time. To collect the three that you need, you'll need to persevere, track, and hunt many of the roaming beasts.
How to change your mount in Assassin's Creed Valhalla
If you're asking this, you're probably still in Norway wondering when you can use your sweet preorder giant wolf mount.
Hold your proverbial horses! This is done using a different system than changing between the male and female Eivor.
You can change your mount to a wolf, as well as customise your regular horses, once you reach England later in the story, at the stable in Ravensthorpe.
How to stealth kill in Assassin's Creed Valhalla
One thing I found confusing right at the start of the game was the notable absence of the Assassin's Creed series' signature stealth kills.
For a good while when you're schlepping around Norway, Eivor isn't too great at doing things quietly. When you sneak up on one of Kjotve's unsuspecting raiders, your only option is to wail away like you would in any other fight.
All becomes clear however once you progress the story a little further. Soon a couple of new characters will be introduced, and you'll unlock the Hidden Blade and ability to perform stealth kill assassinations.
How to change arrows in Assassin's Creed Valhalla
As you wander the frozen Norwegian wilderness, you'll probably notice Eivor collecting different types of arrows.
But if you draw your bow and try to switch to these different arrow types - as you would in previous Assassin's Creed games - nothing happens.
This is because bows and arrows work a little differently in Valhalla. There are three different types of bow: Hunter Bow, Light Bow, and Predator Bow.
The different types of bows use different types of arrows, and this is why you can't switch between them.
You start with a Hunter Bow, but an easy way to grab a good early game weapon is to visit the Ubisoft CONNECT store at the main or pause menu and get the Spartan Light Bow for 100 coins.
Swap your bow type, and you'll change arrows; simple.
How to heal in Assassin's Creed Valhalla
The healing in Assassin's Creed Valhalla is similar to Horizon: Zero Dawn. You collect berries and other food and flora to fill your healing pouch, which can then be used to heal in battle by pressing right on the D-Pad.
In Norway, you're either looking out for simmering pots of food - which are usually found in settlements - or bushes of Cloudberries.
You can eat food or Cloudberries straight away to refill your health bar if you're injured.
To upgrade your healing capability, collect iron and leather from the open world, then upgrade your pouch in your inventory.
Another way to fill your healing pouch quickly is to buy rations from a trader in settlements like Fornburg or Stavanger.