Summary
Valheimis a survival crafting game based in the eponymous Viking paradise. With well over 5 million total sales,Valheimwas one of the fastest-growing and most popular survival games ever made. With so many people playing, there are bound to be many bases built over time.
While it may seem that bases are both versatile and safe, neither of those assertions is true, as bases require constant maintenance and activity to make them worth it. The best places to build bases inValheimcombine a variety of favorable traits and, most of the time, require some searching to find the right one for new players.
Updated June 03, 2025, by Joe Grantham:Valheim is a game that is still in the early access stage of development and thus receives many updates, both large and small. With each update, players can come up with new ways to improve their bases or else are offered entirely new locations in which to build. The absolutebest locations for a base in Valheimoffer numerous advantages and should ideally pass most safety checks. After all, players will have to defend against raids that get progressively harder throughout the game. Bases should be within reach of vital resources to save players from constantly making long and impractical journeys.
17On A Mountain
Mountain Bases Are Not Only Beautiful But Close To Key Resources
To survive in the mountains inValheim, players will either need Frost Resistance Potions or a Wolf Fur Cape, both of which can be lost. Alternatively, by building a base or even just a small cabin in the mountains, players will be able to shake off the cold with the help of a fire. Here they can store extra potions and maybe some spare capes, and if they ever die while exploring the mountains, they will spawn in safety with the resources required to go back out and reclaim their gear.
Having a base in the mountain biome is also great for farming resources such as silver efficiently, and players might also raise their own wolf pack here after taming two wolves. On top of this, the snowcapped mountains are the most beautiful backdrop for a base, especially seeing as snow rests on the top of exposed building pieces.
16A Tree House In The Swamp
Height Offers Players Safety From The Swamp Floor
The swamp is one ofthe hardestValheimbiomesin the early game, and normally players don’t want to linger there too long with poisonous leeches lurking in the murky water and massive abominations ready to chase them all the way across. However, if players want to farm more iron in the Sunken Crypts or perhaps attempt the Bonemass boss, then having a base in the swamp is ideal.
The only way to make a swamp base inValheim, however, is to build above the dangerous ground surface, up in the trees. Swamp tree houses present a new challenge to even the most experienced builders, but by getting creative, players can create some surprisingly complex bases. The key thing is to build on indestructible trees, as these act like the ground in terms of how foundation and stability work in the game.
15Next To The Sea
Players Can Easily Set Sail & Return With Loot
Traveling by sea might not seem to be the best way to progress, butValheimdoes away with these survival game conventions. Think of the sea as the highway of the world, making normally inaccessible places ideal areas for acquiring resources. With portals, many things open up, but ore and ingots still require a boat to ferry them to productive areas.
Ambitious players may want to avoid harvesting resources on their home continent, with the intention of acquiring important wood and stone on other islands and continents. Therefore, placing a base near the ocean is extremely important for stowing away valuable ships,not to mention fishing.
14Next To A River
Rivers Can Be Used To Access The Sea
Rivers are a vital source ofalways necessary flint, stone, and, most importantly, food. Necks are the perfect food source for aspiring hunters as they provide a secondary health increase in the early stages of the game, with the primary one being cooked meat from boars and deer meat. Neck tails are plentiful and highly nourishing.
In addition to this, if aspiring boat captains miss out on the ocean, they can always use the river as a highway in a similar fashion. Just make sure it is fairly wide, enough at least to navigate with a ship,even a simple one. The best base locations carry with them a variety of water sources that make basic survival a relatively easy task.
13Next To The Spawn Stones
Having A Mini Base With A Portal Allows Players To Change Buffs
If a player’s dedicated bed is ever accidentally destroyed, then they will revert to spawning in the middle of the map, at the spawn stones. Thus, in the case of an emergency, it can be a good idea to have a small base here with a portal connected to the main base.
It is also a good idea as after killing new bosses, players will want to return to the spawn stones in order to place the offering and claim thenew Forsaken Power. Players might also want to regularly switch between their powerups, and having a base with a portal nearby will make this possible.
12Next To The Eikthyr Rune Stone
The First Base Should Be Near The First Boss
Eikthyr is an extremely important boss to fight early,as it allows players to access antler pickaxes and start acquiring copper and tin ore. While this may not seem to be the most important, if large groups require a lot of antler pickaxes, making the base far away from the boss spawn point can be a pain.
Therefore, for ease of access, it is best to locate Eikthyr’s location as soon as possible to make the experience of the early game more efficient and enjoyable. As long as players don’t stray too far in their early exploration, they should naturally be near to Eikthyr.
11In The Meadows
The Meadows Are the Safest Place In Valheim
While an experienced explorer might deem it prudent to construct their base in the black forest or swamp, these areas are far more dangerous and have considerably more enemies. Meadows are scattered around the world ofValheim, and so locating one isn’t particularly difficult for anyone with a ship and some patience.
In addition to this, the spawn point is guaranteed to start in this biome, so players should not be afraid to use this as a primary and safe base for gathering berries,leather scraps, and other important materials. As always, the best place to build a base is somewhere surrounded by the fundamentals. Not only that, but it also gives players a placeto ride their new Lox mounts around safely, and a lack of trees can make sprawling cities with new building materials look exceptional. In the later game, players should try to find a patch of meadows surrounded by other more lucrative biomes.
10An Easily Defensible Area
Cliffsides Can Form Natural Defenses
While the inclusion of pickaxes allows players to terraform to their heart’s content, the standard base is spread out and on flat ground, so finding a suitable area to construct defenses can be a challenge. Instead, go uphill and find a plateau to start building. The terrain will favor the player when the Greydwarfs begin to attack.
The players have a choice betweenmaking defenses themselvesand using the natural terrain to their advantage. While it may seem tempting to do the first, players should save time and consider the second.
9Surrounded By A Pit
Attacking Enemies Will Get Trapped In The Moat
Moats may fit the medieval aesthetic more than the Viking one, but inValheim, many enemies will stop at a large enough depression in the ground. This means that any strategic enough moat can stop the worst enemies from attacking at all, and the small ones won’t chip at the durability of a main base.
It may be cumbersome to construct and live around, but in a proper invasion, the moat can mean the difference between the headache of a death loop and a small inconvenience. Building a ditch is particularly important to stop trolls, which can destroy parts of the base if given the opportunity.
8Anywhere A Bed Is Needed
Beds Count As Respawn Points, So Build Them Where Ever You Go
Bases don’t have to be singular objects, they can spread out and multiply over several biomes to give players safe havens in multiple areas. The swamp and plains are deadly to early players, so a base near those is ideal to stop death loops and unneeded frustration. The best base designs inValheimcentralize the location of the bed, minimizing anger at the difficulty of this Viking survival game.
Players should never be afraid to expand over the entire map; the world is theirs, after all.Workbenches and beds are a standard addition to any base, but fire and a forge are also very nice to have around. Portals make beds even more important, allowing easy access to storage and spawn points across the entire world, and the new cartography table adds an additional way to share information on new bases with other players.
