(Estimated Read Time: 11 minutes)

Ashlands is now in Valheim, at least for the Public Test Branch. Nonetheless, players can explore the new land, along with its dangers and rewards, before it reaches the default branch. So, here’s what to expect and experience with Valheim Patch 0.218.9 – Ashlands.

What’s in the Valheim Ashlands Patch? (0.218.9)

As the update’s name implies, Valheim Patch 0.218.9 – Ashlands is a major patch that includes a new biome at the bottommost part of the map. Here, late-game players can test their mettle, gear, wits, and skills as they try to survive the hellish land and its dangers. While in Ashlands, players must avoid walking on deadly lava, which also takes up a large portion of the land’s entire landscape. Additionally, you must deal with various new enemies, including a new enemy faction called the Charred. Thankfully, players can find and craft new powerful gear to help them survive and win battles in the Ashlands. For instance, users can choose among different types of new weapons, including one-hand swords, great swords, maces, and dual-wielded axes. New armor sets are also available to help you tank hits (and hopefully survive). Note: Use the difficulty sliders to modify the game’s difficulty to your preference. Apart from these additions, Valheim Patch 0.218.9 – Ashlands includes various fixes and improvements. For instance, the popup for unlocking new items and crafting recipes will linger on the screen longer than before. Watch the Ashlands trailer below to take a quick look at this update:

Valheim Ashlands Patch Notes (Update 0.218.9 - April 22, 2024)

Read the full patch notes for Valheim Patch 0.218.9 – Ashlands below:

New Content

Mechanics

• Beware the skies! Cinders rain down from above in the Ashlands, causing damage to those who are unprotected
• Wooden build pieces can now catch fire in the Ashlands – and the fire spreads!
• A new world modifier that allows fire to spread outside of the Ashlands as well (part of the immersive preset)
• Deadly lava takes up large parts of the landscape; traverse it with your very own platforms
• Lay claim to Charred Fortresses with two new Siege Machines
• New plantable Ashvines will grow on the walls of your base
• Combine your Flametal weapons with gems (Bloodstone, Iolite & Jade) in order to upgrade them to magical weapons (giving them blood, storm, and nature-based effects, respectively)
• The waters in and around the Ashlands are boiling hot, and only the sturdiest of ships can sail them

Creatures

• Enemy: Fallen Valkyrie
• Enemy: Charred Warrior
• Enemy: Charred Archer
• Enemy: Charred Warlock
• Enemy: Charred Twitcher
• Enemy Turret: Skugg
• Enemy: Morgen
• Enemy: Bonemaw Serpent
• Enemy/creature: Asksvin (tameable & rideable)
• Creature: Asksvin Calf
• Enemy: Volture
• Enemy: Lava Blob
• NPC/Enemy: Redbeard Dvergr
• Boss: Fader
• Miniboss: Lord Reto
• Spawner: Monument of Torment
• Spawner: Effigy of Malice

Crafting

• Material: Majestic Carapace (previously Queen Drop)
• Material: Fader Relic (placeholder item)
• Material: Asksvin Hide
• Material: Asksvin Bladder
• Material: Asksvin Tail
• Material: Morgen Heart
• Material: Morgen Sinew
• Material: Celestial Feather
• Material: Bonemaw Scale
• Material: Bonemaw Meat
• Material: Bonemaw Tooth
• Material: Volture Meat
• Material: Volture Egg
• Material: Charred Skull
• Material: Charred Bone
• Material: Pot Shard
• Material: Bell Shard
• Material: Dyrnwyn Fragments x3
• Material: Bloodstone
• Material: Jade
• Material: Iolite
• Material: Flametal Ore (previous Flametal is now obsolete)
• Material/craftable: Flametal (previous Flametal is now obsolete)
• Material: Sulfur
• Material: Ashwood
• Material: Grausten
• Material: Charcoal Resin
• Material: Proustite Powder
• Material: Asksvin Neck
• Material: Asksvin Skull
• Material: Asksvin Ribcage
• Material: Asksvin Pelvis
• Material: Charred Cogwheel
• Material: Molten Core
• Material/craftable: Ceramic Plate
• Materia/craftable: Shield Core
• Plantable: Ashvine Seeds
• Artisan Table extension: Artisan Press
• Galdr Table extension: Feathery Wreath
• Cauldron extension: Rolling Pins and Cutting Boards
• Black Forge extension: Metal Cutter
• Black Forge extension: Gem Cutter
• Craftable: Bell
• Resource location: Lavaiathans
• Misc: Asksvin Egg

Craftable Items

• Weapon: Dyrnwyn (sword)
• Weapon: Slayer (greatsword)
• Weapon: Brutal Slayer (greatsword)
• Weapon: Scourging Slayer (greatsword)
• Weapon: Primal Slayer (greatsword)
• Weapon: Nidhögg (sword)
• Weapon: Nidhögg the Bleeding (sword)
• Weapon: Nidhögg the Thundering (sword)
• Weapon: Nidhögg the Primal (sword)
• Weapon: Flametal Mace
• Weapon: Bloodgeon (mace)
• Weapon: Storm Star (mace)
• Weapon: Klossen (mace)
• Weapon: Berserkir Axes
• Weapon: Bleeding Berserkir Axes
• Weapon: Thundering Berserkir Axes
• Weapon: Primal Berserkir Axes
• Weapon: Ash Fang (bow)
• Weapon: Blood Fang (bow)
• Weapon: Storm Fang (bow)
• Weapon: Root Fang (bow)
• Weapon: Ripper (crossbow)
• Weapon: Wound Ripper (crossbow)
• Weapon: Storm Ripper (crossbow)
• Weapon: Root Ripper (crossbow)
• Weapon: Splitnir (spear)
• Weapon: Splitnir the Bleeding (spear)
• Weapon: Splitnir the Storming (spear)
• Weapon: Splitnir the Primal (spear)
• Shield: Flametal Shield (with multiple styles!)
• Shield: Flametal Tower Shield (with multiple styles!)
• Weapon: Trollstav (blood magic)
• Weapon: Staff of the Wild (elemental magic)
• Weapon: Dundr (elemental magic)
• Weapon: Staff of Fracturing (elemental magic)
• Armour Set: Flametal Breastplate, Flametal Greaves, Flametal Helmet
• Armour Set: Robes of Embla, Trousers of Embla, Hood of Embla
• Armour Set: Breastplate of Ask, Trousers of Ask, Hood of Ask
• Cape: Asksvin Cloak
• Cape: Ashen Cape
• Misc: Asksvin Saddle
• Bomb: Basalt Bomb
• Bomb: Smoke Bomb
• Ammunition: Grausten Payload
• Ammunition: Explosive Payload
• Ammunition: Charred Arrow
• Ammunition: Charred Bolt
• Ammunition: Flametal Missile

Build Pieces & Furniture

• Building Pieces: 25 Ashwood Pieces (Ashwood Wall, Ashwood Half Wall, Ashwood Quarter Wall, Ashwood Arched Wall, Ashwood Decorative Wall, Ashwood Decorative Window, Ashwood Divider, Ashwood Floor 2x2, Ashwood Floor 1x1, Ashwood Decorative Floor, Ashwood Arch, Ashwood Beam 1m, Ashwood Beam 2m, Ashwood Pole 1m, Ashwood Pole 2m, Ashwood Beam 26°, Ashwood Roof Cross 26°, Ashwood Beam 45°, Ashwood Roof Cross 45°, Ashwood Wall 26°, Ashwood Wall 26° Inverted, Ashwood Wall 45°, Ashwood Wall 45° Inverted, Ashwood Stair, Ashwood Door)
• Building Pieces: 26 Grausten Pieces (Grausten Steep Stairs, Grausten Stairs, Grausten Floor 1x1, Grausten Floor 2x2, Grausten Floor 4x4, Grausten Small Pillar, Grausten Medium Pillar, Grausten Tapered Pillar, Grausten Tapered Pillar Inverted, Grausten Small Beam, Grausten Medium Beam, Grausten Small Arch, Grausten Medium Arch, Grausten Wall Arch, Grausten Wall Arch Inverted, Grausten Wall 1x2, Grausten Wall 2x2, Grausten Wall 4x2, Grausten Window 2x2, Grausten Window 4x2, Grausten Roof, Grausten Roof Corner, Grausten Arched Roof (2), Grausten Arched Roof, Grausten Arched Roof Corner (2))
• Building Piece: Flametal Gate
• Defence: Ashwood Stakewall
• Stack: Ashwood Stack
• Stack: Grausten Pile
• Stack: Pile of Skulls
• Stack: Bone Stack
• Furniture: Ashwood Bed
• Furniture: Bone Throne
• Furniture: Lava Lantern
• Furniture: Asksvin Rug
• Furniture: Straw
• Furniture: Small Green Pot
• Furniture: Medium Green Pot
• Furniture: Large Green Pot
• Furniture: Ashwood Bench
• Furniture: Asksvin Skeleton
• Siege Machine: Catapult
• Siege Machine: Battering Ram
• Ship: Drakkar
• Misc: Shield Generator
• Misc: Portal – Stone

Food & Potions

• Food: Cooked Volture Meat
• Food: Cooked Bonemaw Meat
• Food: Cooked Asksvin Tail
• Food: Fiddlehead
• Food: Fiery Svinstew
• Food: Marinated Greens
• Food: Mashed Meat
• Food: Piquant Pie (cooked/uncooked)
• Food: Roasted Crust Pie (cooked/uncooked)
• Food: Scorching Medley
• Food: Sizzling Berry Broth
• Food: Smoke Puff
• Food: Sparkling Shroomshake
• Food: Spicy Marmalade
• Food: Vineberry Cluster
• Mead: Lingering Healing Mead
• Mead: Lingering Eitr Mead

Miscellaneous

• Location: Ruins (multiple)
• Location: Redbeard Dvergr Outposts
• Location: Putrid Hole
• Location: Charred Fortress
• Event: “The undead army marches”
• Event: “The dead have been summoned”
• Lore: New stones
• Lore: New dreams
• Lore: New Munin dialogue
• New music
• New forsaken power
• Terrain changes for Ashlands (Ashlands is now cut off from other biomes, only accessible by sea)

Fixes & Improvements

• Fixed Major Healing Mead material
• Fixed Minor Eitr Mead Material
• Standardised texts throughout the game
• Updated names for old Flametal items
• The popup for unlocking new things is displayed longer

How to Access the Public Test Branch in Valheim?

Valheim players can access the Public Test Branch through Steam or the Xbox Insider Hub app. Below are the steps to access this branch depending on your preferred platform:

Accessing the Public Test Branch Through Steam

• 1. Launch the Steam app and log into your Steam account if required.
• 2. Navigate to your Steam library, and right-click on Valheim in the left sidebar.
• 3. Select “Properties” from the context menu.
• 4. In the Properties window, type “yesimadebackups” (without the quotes) in the Betas field.
• 5. Select the Valheim Public Test Branch from the betas list.

Accessing the Public Test Branch Through the Xbox Insider Hub App

• 1. Launch the Xbox Insider Hub App and log into your account if required.
• 2. Navigate to the “Previews” tab, and then select “Valheim Public Test.”
• 3. Click “Join” and wait for the registration process to complete.
• 4. Once completed, install the "Valheim Public Test” and run the game.

Note: The steps mentioned above are for Microsoft or PC Game Pass users. Remember, the Public Test Branch is an unstable version of Valheim. Users should be aware that playthroughs in this branch generally won't provide optimal gaming experiences because they may contain bugs, glitches, and errors. However, the developers urge Public Test Branch players to submit their findings as feedback to help optimize Valheim Patch 0.218.9 – Ashlands and beyond.