Valheim 0.218.9 Patch Notes: Ashlands Lands on the Public Test Branch

After what felt like an eternity in development limbo, Ashlands has finally crossed into Valheim, at least for anyone running the Public Test Branch. The southernmost biome is now playable, and it shows up alongside a substantial pile of new enemies, gear, building parts, food recipes, and assorted ways to die in a fire. Patch 0.218.9 is the first proper look at what late-game Vikings will face before the content gets pushed to the main branch.

The Headline: A New Biome

The marquee feature is the biome itself. Ashlands sits at the bottom of the world map, now properly isolated and only reachable by sea. Once you arrive, expect to spend most of your time avoiding lava, which carpets large portions of the landscape. Touching it kills you. Repeatedly.

Several new gameplay systems prop the biome up:

• Cinders rain from the sky, dealing damage to anyone caught in the open without protection.
• Wooden builds can ignite, and the fire spreads. There is also an optional world modifier (part of the new "immersive" preset) that lets fire spread outside Ashlands too.
• Lava platforms let you traverse the molten terrain without taking the express elevator to Hel.
• Charred Fortresses are siegeable, and two new siege machines exist for the job.
• Plantable Ashvines grow on base walls for the home decor crowd.
• Boiling waters around the region mean only the sturdiest ships make the trip south.
• Magical weapon upgrades: combine Flametal weapons with Bloodstone, Iolite, or Jade gems to get blood, storm, and nature variants respectively.

Difficulty sliders are still around if the package as shipped feels too punishing.

Here is the trailer:

New Enemies and Creatures

A new enemy faction called the Charred shows up, alongside other denizens of the wastes.

• Fallen Valkyrie
• Charred Warrior, Charred Archer, Charred Warlock, and Charred Twitcher
• Skugg (enemy turret)
• Morgen
• Bonemaw Serpent
• Volture
• Lava Blob
• Redbeard Dvergr (NPC and enemy)
• Asksvin (tameable and rideable) and Asksvin Calf
• Boss: Fader
• Miniboss: Lord Reto
• Spawners: Monument of Torment, Effigy of Malice

Materials and Crafting Resources

The biome drops a long list of fresh materials. Old Flametal is officially obsolete and gets replaced by Flametal Ore plus a refined Flametal product.

• Majestic Carapace (formerly Queen Drop), Fader Relic (placeholder item)
• Asksvin parts: Hide, Bladder, Tail, Neck, Skull, Ribcage, Pelvis, and Egg
• Morgen Heart, Morgen Sinew
• Bonemaw Scale, Bonemaw Meat, Bonemaw Tooth
• Volture Meat, Volture Egg
• Charred Skull, Charred Bone, Charred Cogwheel
• Pot Shard, Bell Shard, Dyrnwyn Fragments (x3)
• Gems: Bloodstone, Jade, Iolite
• Flametal Ore, refined Flametal, Molten Core
• Sulfur, Ashwood, Grausten, Charcoal Resin, Proustite Powder
• Ceramic Plate, Shield Core
• Celestial Feather
• Plantable Ashvine Seeds
• Lavaiathans as a resource location

Crafting stations also get a stack of extensions:

• Artisan Table: Artisan Press
• Galdr Table: Feathery Wreath
• Cauldron: Rolling Pins, Cutting Boards
• Black Forge: Metal Cutter, Gem Cutter
• Bell as a standalone craftable

Weapons, Armor, and Capes

A massive arsenal lands with the patch. Here is the rundown by category.

Swords and Greatswords

• Dyrnwyn (sword)
• Nidhögg sword, plus Bleeding, Thundering, and Primal variants
• Slayer greatsword, plus Brutal, Scourging, and Primal variants

Maces

• Flametal Mace, Bloodgeon, Storm Star, Klossen

Axes

• Berserkir Axes (base, Bleeding, Thundering, and Primal versions)

Bows and Crossbows

• Bow Fangs: Ash, Blood, Storm, Root
• Crossbow Rippers: base Ripper, Wound Ripper, Storm Ripper, Root Ripper

Spears

• Splitnir, with Bleeding, Storming, and Primal variants

Magic Staves

• Trollstav (blood magic)
• Staff of the Wild, Dundr, Staff of Fracturing (elemental magic)

Shields

• Flametal Shield and Flametal Tower Shield, both available in multiple cosmetic styles

Armor Sets

• Flametal: Breastplate, Greaves, Helmet
• Embla: Robes, Trousers, Hood
• Ask: Breastplate, Trousers, Hood

Capes

• Asksvin Cloak, Ashen Cape

Bombs and Ammunition

• Basalt Bomb, Smoke Bomb
• Grausten Payload, Explosive Payload, Charred Arrow, Charred Bolt, Flametal Missile

Misc gear

• Asksvin Saddle for riding your new reptile mount

Build Pieces and Furniture

Two giant new building sets show up: 25 Ashwood pieces and 26 Grausten pieces. Between them they cover walls (full, half, quarter, arched, decorative, and ones with windows), floors in multiple sizes, pillars (small, medium, and tapered with inverted variants), beams (1m, 2m, and angled at 26° and 45°), arches, roof crosses, stairs (regular and steep), doors, and decorative pieces.

Other build and furniture additions:

• Flametal Gate
• Ashwood Stakewall (defense)
• Stacks: Ashwood Stack, Grausten Pile, Pile of Skulls, Bone Stack
• Furniture: Ashwood Bed, Ashwood Bench, Bone Throne, Lava Lantern, Asksvin Rug, Asksvin Skeleton, Straw, and Small, Medium, and Large Green Pots
• Siege Machines: Catapult, Battering Ram
• Ship: Drakkar
• Shield Generator
• Stone Portal

Food and Mead

A pile of new cooked meals plus a couple of long-lasting meads:

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

World, Lore, and Events

• Ashlands is now cut off from the other biomes, and sea travel is the only way in.
• New locations: Ruins (multiple variants), Redbeard Dvergr Outposts, Putrid Hole, Charred Fortress.
• New events: "The undead army marches" and "The dead have been summoned".
• New stones, new dreams, fresh Munin dialogue, new music, and a new forsaken power.

Fixes and Quality of Life

• Major Healing Mead material fixed.
• Minor Eitr Mead material fixed.
• Text standardized throughout the game.
• Old Flametal items renamed.
• The unlock popup for new items now lingers on screen longer.

How to Opt Into the Public Test Branch

Two routes in, depending on your platform.

Steam

1. Launch Steam and sign in.
2. In your library, right-click Valheim and pick Properties.
3. Open the Betas tab and type `yesimadebackups` into the access code field.
4. Select the Valheim Public Test Branch from the dropdown.

Xbox Insider Hub (PC Game Pass and Microsoft Store)

1. Open the Xbox Insider Hub and sign in.
2. Go to the Previews tab and select Valheim Public Test.
3. Click Join and wait for registration to finish.
4. Install Valheim Public Test and launch the game.

A Word of Warning

The Public Test Branch is an unstable build. Bugs, glitches, and broken saves are part of the deal, so keep your serious playthroughs on the main branch. The developers are actively asking testers to file feedback to help shape the final release. If you are up for a rough ride and want a hand in polishing Ashlands before it ships wide, that is the trade.