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Valheim tar locations | How to find tar and defeat Growths in Valheim

The other black gold.

Valheim tar is a new item in Hearth and Home used in several new crafting recipes.

Getting it is a bit tougher than you might think, though. The tar pits themselves are easy to spot, but they’re guarded by a deadly new foe.

Valheim hits Xbox Game Pass.

Where to find tar pits in Valheim

Tar pits only spawn in the Plains biome. Like other areas of interest, where and when they spawn is completely random thanks to Valheim’s procedurally generated maps.

They’re hard to miss when they do spawn, though. Tar pits are, well… big pits full of tar, which tend to stand out. New enemies called Growths tend to congregate around tar pits as well, and defeating them is often an easier way to get tar than harvesting it from pits.

How to beat Growths in Valheim

Growths inflict a slow debuff on you, which makes getting away from them rather difficult. Your best bet for dealing with them quickly is using a bow and, ideally, fire arrows. Growths drop tar when defeated, and while that’s handy, there’s another way to get extra tar during your time on the Plains

How to get tar in Valheim

Normally, you’ll collect tar from tar nodes around the tar pits. If you bring a pickaxe with you, however, you can dig a new pit, then dig a channel to connect it with the tar pit. After the tar drains to your new pool, you’ll find many more tar nodes than usual waiting for you to harvest them.

What is tar used for in Valheim?

Here’s what recipes you’ll use tar for in Valheim:

  • Darkwood gate
  • Shingle roof (two different angles)
  • Shingle roof ridge (two different angles)
  • Shingle roof o-corner
  • Shingle roof i-corner
  • Darkwood pole (2 and 4 meters)
  • Darkwood beam (2 and 4 meters)
  • Carved darkwood divider
  • Darkwood arch
  • Raven adornment
  • Wolf adornment
  • Darkwood chair
  • Round table
  • Long heavy table
  • Hot tub

If you're still getting to grips with Valheim or just started fresh again, we've got plenty of crafting guides to help make the most from your tar and any other materials you come across. Keep hold of any wood and bones you find on your journey as well, since you'll need them for the new cartography table.

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