The Ashlands are Valheim’s seventh biome: a land of fire in the far south that you can only reach aboard a Drakkar. The sea around it boils, burning cinders rain from the sky and much of the landscape is lava. This guide covers what you need for the voyage, how to protect yourself from fire, how to take the Charred Fortresses and where the road to Fader begins. It applies to Valheim 1.0 after patch 1.0.20 from 15 October 2026.
How to get to the Ashlands
The Ashlands launched on 14 May 2024 with patch 0.218.15. The biome is cut off from the rest of the world, so you can’t walk there, you have to sail south. The waters in and around the Ashlands boil, and only the toughest ship in the game survives them: the Drakkar.
The ships come in this order: Raft, Karve, Longship and Drakkar. A Drakkar takes 100 Iron Nails, 30 Ceramic Plates and 25 Yggdrasil Wood, plus some Fine Wood. You can only build it with the Artisan Press, an upgrade for the Artisan Table unlocked by the Queen’s Majestic Carapace from the Mistlands. That’s why the Ashlands come after her, see our Queen guide. Sailing, wind and shipbuilding are covered in our portals and ships guide.
The biome also added the Stone Portal, a new portal made of stone.
Fire, lava and cinders
In the Ashlands the landscape itself is out to get you. Much of it is lava, and burning cinders fall from the sky, hurting anyone who isn’t protected. Wooden buildings catch fire here and the flames spread, so expect trouble with a wooden base.
Bring Fire Resistance Barley Wine and the best armour you have. Fader’s Forsaken Power also gives you fire resistance, but you only get it after beating him.
Version 1.0 made the Ashlands a little easier. Several enemies spawning at once is less likely, the delay between Charred spawns was adjusted and gear from the biome has higher durability.
Enemies and creatures
Enemies and creatures you’ll meet here:
- Charred: Warrior, Archer, Warlock and Twitcher.
- Fallen Valkyrie, Morgen and Skugg.
- Bonemaw Serpent and Volture.
- Lava Blob.
- Redbeard Dvergr.
- Lord Reto, a miniboss.
The Asksvin can be tamed and ridden with an Asksvin Saddle, and it lays eggs (Asksvin Egg).
Charred Fortresses and siege machines
The biome’s signature structures are the Charred Fortresses. You take them with siege machines, the Catapult and the Battering Ram. Fortresses aren’t just for looting. The central tower of some of them holds the Vegvisir that reveals Fader’s arena, and they’re where you collect the Bell Fragments to summon him.
Flametal and new gear
The Ashlands metal is Flametal. It’s now smelted from Flametal Ore, and the old Flametal from earlier versions is obsolete. Flametal weapons can be combined with the gems Bloodstone, Iolite and Jade to make magical variants.
The Ashlands added more than 30 weapons, three armour sets (Flametal, Embla for mages, and Ask), the Shield Generator and more than 15 foods and drinks. Biome materials: Flametal Ore, Proustite Powder, Sulfur, Bonemaw Tooth, Bonemaw Meat, Morgen Heart, Morgen Sinew, Volture Meat, Smoke Puff, Fiddlehead, Celestial Feather, Charred Cogwheel, Charred Bone and Asksvin parts (Hide, Bladder, Tail, Skull, Neck, Ribcage, Pelvis).
The boss: Fader
Fader waits in an arena called The Emerald Flame. To summon him you need nine Bell Fragments from Charred Fortresses. At the Black Forge you turn them into three Bells (three fragments each), hang them on the three turrets around the altar and activate the altar.
Fire won’t help you. Fader is immune to fire and spirit damage and resistant to pierce, so bows and spears only do half damage. He bites, claws, spins his tail, calls down green-fire meteors, raises spikes from the ground, breathes fire and summons Charred warriors. He drops the Fader Trophy and the Fader Relic. The full fight is in our Fader guide.
After the Ashlands, only one biome is left. Where it is and what awaits you is in our Deep North guide, and the full order is in the biome order overview.
Join our Discord to crew a Drakkar or plan a fortress siege together. Hop in via Discord GamersTogether.
FAQ
In the far south. The biome is cut off from the others, so the only way in is by sea.
The Drakkar. The sea around the Ashlands boils and no other ship survives it. Building one requires the Artisan Press, unlocked by the Queen’s Majestic Carapace.
Bring Fire Resistance Barley Wine and your best armour. Watch out for wooden buildings too, as they catch fire in the Ashlands and the flames spread.
With the Catapult and the Battering Ram siege machines. The fortresses are where you collect Bell Fragments to summon Fader.
No. Fader is immune to fire and spirit damage, and bows and spears only do half damage to him.
Information verified on 19 October 2026. The Ashlands patch notes are on Steam, and more guides are in the Valheim hub.