Building a strong and beautiful base in Valheim takes time, effort, and resources. But if you don’t prepare for raids, your hard work can be wiped out by trolls, fulings, and even flying enemies. This comprehensive guide will show you the best defense techniques to protect your home, covering everything from moats to ballista turrets and spawn prevention.

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Understanding Enemy Threats

Before setting up defenses, you need to understand which enemies pose the biggest threats to your base. Here are some of the most dangerous ones:

1. Heavy Hitters (Melee Enemies)

• Lox and Trolls (Log Trolls)
  • Massive AoE (Area of Effect) attacks
  • Can destroy wooden walls and floors in one hit
  • Attack range: up to 8 meters
• Regular Trolls
  • Still dangerous but has a shorter attack range
  • Can throw rocks, but damage is manageable

2. Ranged Attackers

• Skeleton and Dvergr Archers
  • High accuracy and range
  • Can hit weak structures and deal continuous damage
• Fuling Shamans and Spearmen
  • Shamans shoot fireballs
  • Spearmen have powerful ranged attacks

3. Flying Enemies

• Deathsquitos (Plains biome)
  • Super fast and deadly, can reach players even inside bases
  • Will destroy tamed animals in a few hits
• Bats (Mountain raids)
  • Annoying in large numbers
  • Can fly over walls and kill chickens and other tamed animals

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Best Base Defense Strategies

1. Dig a Moat (Classic Defense)

One of the simplest and most effective defenses is digging a moat around your base.

✅ How to build a moat:

• Dig 2-3 meters deep and at least 2 meters wide
• Ensure buildings are at least 8 meters from the moat to avoid damage from Lox trolls
• Prevent access with a gapped bridge (see next section)

🚨 Potential issues:

• Flying enemies can still attack
• Bridges can create a weak point

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2. Gapped Bridge (Safe Entry and Exit)

If you want to cross your moat safely, but keep enemies out, use a gapped bridge.

✅ How to build a gapped bridge:

1. Place a wooden door on the floor.
2. Snap another door against the first one to shift its snap point.
3. Place another floor shifted slightly, creating a gap.
4. Remove the doors, and you’ll have a gap only players can cross (even with a cart).

💡 This method prevents enemies from using your bridge while allowing easy resource transport.

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3. Terrain Walls (Indestructible Barriers)

Instead of digging a moat, you can raise the terrain to form an indestructible wall.

✅ How to build a terrain wall:

• Use a hoe and raise terrain up to 3 meters
• Shape it into a wedge (mobs can’t climb steep slopes)
• Cover it with stone walls or wooden spikes to make it look better
• Add spikes on top to kill flying enemies like bats and Deathsquitos

🚨 Downside:

• Takes a lot of stone
• Requires terraforming, which can cause lag on servers

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4. Inverted Stairs (AI Confusion Defense)

An AI-exploit method that prevents enemies from attacking your walls.

✅ How to use inverted stairs for defense:

1. Place wooden stairs facing outwards around your base.
2. Enemies will get confused and won’t attack.
3. Merge the stairs into stone walls for extra durability.
4. Add spikes underneath for additional passive damage.

🚨 Enemies still attack if:

• You stand too close
• They see a farm animal inside

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5. Ballista Turrets (Mistlands Defense)

Introduced in the Mistlands update, ballistas are automatic turrets that can help guard your base.

✅ How to use ballistas effectively:

• Place inside or on top of walls for protection
• Use in combination with other defenses (not as a standalone defense)
• Keep them stocked with ammo

🚨 Potential Issues:

• Requires ammo and maintenance
• Can be destroyed easily if left in the open

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6. Spawn Prevention (Ultimate Defense)

The best way to protect your base is to stop enemies from spawning nearby.

✅ How to prevent enemy spawns:

1. Place workbenches around your base (temporary solution).
2. Use more permanent spawn blockers:
   • Campfires (bury them with the hoe)
   • Floating Wards (place them in the air and remove supports)
   • Torches inside stone or wooden blocks (best method)

💡 Hidden torches: Place a torch inside a stone block so it prevents spawns without looking ugly.

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Combining Defense Strategies

The best way to defend your base is to combine multiple techniques. Here’s a recommended defense layout:

🔹 Outer Defense:
✅ Terrain walls or a moat for indestructible protection
✅ Spikes on walls to kill flying enemies
✅ Ballista turrets for extra firepower

🔹 Inner Defense:
✅ Inverted stairs to confuse enemies
✅ Stone walls with hidden torches for spawn prevention
✅ Gapped bridge for safe entry

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Conclusion

By combining these defensive techniques, your Valheim base will be nearly impenetrable against any raid or enemy attack.

🔥 Final Tips:

• Use spawn prevention for ultimate security
• Protect against flying enemies with spikes or walls
• Use AI exploits like inverted stairs to confuse enemies
• Ensure your defenses are at least 8 meters from buildings to avoid Lox troll damage

💬 Got a unique base defense strategy? Drop a comment below and let us know how you defend your base! Happy building, Vikings! 🛡️⚒️