Eikthyr Boss Guide: How to Summon and Beat Valheim's First Boss

Eikthyr, the lightning stag, is boss one of eight and the tutorial for everything Valheim teaches afterward: read the telegraph, dodge, punish the cooldown. Beat him and the real game — mining, metal, and the boss order ladder — begins.

How do you summon Eikthyr?

Sacrifice two Deer Trophies at his Forsaken Altar in the Meadows. Deer Trophies drop from hunting deer — a bow makes this far easier than chasing them with an axe. The altar’s location is marked by a vegvisir runestone somewhere in your starting biome; Meadows maps generate three possible altar spots. This is the cheapest summon in the game, so don’t over-prepare.

What are Eikthyr’s stats and attacks?

Eikthyr has 500 HP and takes neutral damage from every element — there is no weakness to exploit, so bring whatever hits hardest.

Attack	Damage	Range / Notes
Antler swipe	20 Pierce	Melee, ~4.5 m, ~5 s cooldown
Charge beam	15 Lightning	20 m ranged, applies Lightning status, ~25 s cooldown
Stomp	15 Lightning	10 m AoE around him, ~40 s cooldown

His two lightning attacks have long cooldowns — that’s your damage window.

What is the best strategy against Eikthyr?

Dodge sideways, then punish. The charge beam is telegraphed and only dangerous in a line; the stomp punishes players who hug him. A bow-and-dodge loop works with zero melee risk, but any flint or bronze weapon kills him comfortably. Manage stamina — eat before the fight per the food tier list, and don’t sprint yourself empty mid-dodge. If you’re brand new, the beginner guide covers the full Meadows setup.

What does Eikthyr drop?

A trophy, three guaranteed Hard Antlers, and his Forsaken Power. The antlers are the point: one Hard Antler crafts the Antler Pickaxe at a workbench, the item that lets you mine copper — the gate to the Black Forest, bronze, and The Elder. Eikthyr’s power cuts the stamina cost of running, jumping, and swimming by 60% for five minutes (all powers share a 20-minute cooldown), which makes it the default exploration power for hours to come. Defeating him also starts the “The forest is moving…” event chain and unlocks Greydwarf night raids in the Meadows — build walls.