There are many ways to approachValheim’s combat, crafting, and survival mechanics, due, in no small part, to the variety of weapons and skills that are available in the game. However, there is one skill inValheimthat players may choose to ignore, as it is often considered to have too steep of a difficulty curve, and that skill is fishing.
Taking the time to upgrade the fishing skill, and using it throughout each biome, can lead to some top-tier food buffs, which can be extremely useful during theendgame biome boss fights inValheim. However, since there are plenty of other ways to gather food, many of which are more convenient than fishing for it, pursuingValheim’s fishing skill isn’t for everyone.
Is Fishing in Valheim Worth It?
Part of what gives fishing inValheimits steep accessibility curve is that obtaining the rod and bait that are required to fish isn’t always a natural part of progression, since doing so requires players to first find the NPC Haldor, a trader who randomly spawns in the Black Forest biome. Unless players are using predeterminedmap seeds forValheim, finding Haldor, or any of the other trader NPCs, can be a daunting task.
Players can collect fish without a fishing rod or bait if the fish happens to get stuck on land or a boat. Players can even build a fish trap to force that to happen, though this alternative to proper fishing is considered an exploit that may not be acceptable onmultiplayer servers forValheim.
Valheim’s Fishing Skill Is a Big Investment
Even after purchasing a fishing rod and bait from Haldor, there’s still a lot more work to be done before players can start catching the tasty fish that can be cooked into some of thebest food buffs inValheim. Indeed, players will need to spend some time leveling up their fishing skill by catching fish throughout the Meadows biome, as fish from later biomes typically require increasingly more stamina to be reeled in.
While players can reduce the amount of stamina consumed when bringing in a fish by having a high fishing skill, the stamina cost can never be fully mitigated. Players will thus have to eat food in order to catch fish, and this cycle can feel frustrating and counterproductive. Considering that players can grow crops and tame animals inValheimwith minimal sustained effort, it is reasonable for them to forego the ridiculously high investment cost that is required to get the fishing skill to a point where it pays off.
These other sources of food do require time and resource investments, but, unlike fishing, tamed animals and planted crops are passive and renewable sources of food that pay off their investment cost almost immediately. Not to mention, since players must maintain ahigh fishing skill level inValheimif they hope to catch better fish and have access to stronger food buffs, dying can become a major setback, as it causes players to lose some of their earned skills.
Why Players Shouldn’t Sleep on Fishing in Valheim
This is all to say that fishing is an incredibly big investment, which is why this skill isn’t for everyone. However, players who are willing to make that investment will be able to catch a variety of lunkers, including the elusive Tetra fish in the Mountains biome,the slippery Pufferfish in the Mistlands biome,and even the Magmafish in theAshlands biome. Players can then use those fish to make some of the best food buffs in the game, which can be an incredible resource to share among teammates and may be the difference between life and death during a boss fight.
