Assassin’s Creed Valhalla guide | Upgrading your settlement
From the moment you arrive on the shores of England, Ravensthorpe becomes your home. It may not look like much to begin with, but once you begin to build new buildings on your settlement, a bounty of options become available to you, such as upgrading your weapons, changing your look, gaining access to new missions, and much more. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and it takes time to build your threadbare home into a thriving town. To help you we’ve pulled together some tips to make your Assassin’s Creed Valhalla settlement the best it can be.
Raid for materials
To be able to upgrade your settlement you’ll need to gather raw materials and supplies. Raiding various locations across England is key, so when you see those red axes on the map, sail in on your longboat and give them hell. You’ll often find enough to build two or three buildings for every couple of raids, and by bringing them back to Ravensthorpe, plenty of opportunities will await you. Check out our raiding guide for more information on how to be get the most rewards.
How to build
It’s pretty straightforward to build new buildings in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Every available location will have a signpost next to either an empty space or a sorry excuse for a building. By pressing Triangle/Y next to the sign, you’ll see exactly what the location is and how many supplies and raw materials you’ll need to build it. If you have enough, click away and watch the fruits of your raids come to fruition.
What to build first
Not every building is available to you from the start. As the main story progresses, you’ll have more opportunities to upgrade your settlement’s level. Some of the first buildings you’ll want to build are the Barracks, the Hidden Ones Bureau, and the Stables. The Barracks let you customise your raiding crew, including your most trusted ally: the Jomsviking. Once you’ve picked one, they can be chosen by other players from around the world, and if selected, you’ll gain 100 silver to spend on new items at the Trading Post. Unlocking the Stables will let you upgrade your horse (make them swim, for God’s sake!) The Hidden Ones Bureau is the home of the Assassins that join your clan whilst in Norway. They provide you will a questline that sees you assassinate members of The Order of the Ancients: Anglo-Saxon Templars.
Other buildings that can be built early on are the Fishing Hut and Tattoo Shop (level 2). Unlocking the Fishing Hut lets you go fishing. This is a great source of income as you can sell the fish you catch. If you want to change up Eivor’s look, visit the Tattoo Shop and you can edit her hairstyle, make-up, and tattoos. Another important building is the Shipyard (level 3. Here, you can customise your longship to given it that personal edge.
Spend time getting to know your inhabitants
After you arrive in England and begin to upgrade your settlement, many of your fellow clan members will be available to talk to. Some might just provide you with a sentence here and there about how they are doing, whilst others might offer you quests. Knowing what building is located where can normally be found by the people stood by them, so talk to these folks to find out what benefits there are by constructing their buildings.
Pledge your allegiance
Your Assassin’s Creed Valhalla settlement isn’t just somewhere you can get a haircut. Randvi in the main hall will talk to you about territories in England that you can pledge your allegiance to. The Vikings were all about opportunity, building relationships, and forging their own futures. Pledging your allegiance to new territories opens up a questline in the main story. Whilst there are only a couple to begin with, this will open up after building friendships with the first two.
Get some decorations up
Whilst upgrading your camp provides benefits to Eivor and her progress, it wouldn’t go amiss to decorate your camp. You can change the tree that sits in the middle of Ravensthorpe, the entrance you enter from after a busy day of raiding, and more. If you got the Berserker add-ons in the special editions of the game, these can be used here. It won’t grant you any benefits, but it does make the place look nice.
