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Raiding Twice? A Deep Dive into Monastery Mayhem in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Yes, you absolutely can raid the same monastery twice (or even more!) in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. However, the spoils of your second raid won’t be quite as bountiful as your first. Think of it as diminishing returns for persistent Vikings. Let’s delve into the mechanics of raiding and how it works in the game, along with some tips and tricks to maximize your pillaging prowess.

Understanding Raiding Mechanics in AC Valhalla

Raiding is a core gameplay loop in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. It’s how Eivor and the Raven Clan acquire the necessary supplies and raw materials to upgrade their settlement, Ravensthorpe. These raids typically involve sailing your longship to various monasteries, villages, and military outposts along the rivers of England, blowing your horn, and engaging in glorious (and often chaotic) combat to loot the location.

The first raid on any location yields the most significant rewards. You’ll find chests containing raw materials and supplies, essential for upgrading buildings in your settlement, as well as sometimes finding gear or Books of Knowledge. These upgrades unlock new services, improve your settlement’s appearance, and provide valuable bonuses for Eivor.

Subsequent raids on the same location differ. While enemies will respawn and you can certainly engage in combat again, the major loot chests containing raw materials and supplies do not respawn. However, there’s still a point to revisiting previously raided locations.

Why Raid Again? The Benefits of Repeated Raids

Even though the big chests disappear after the first raid, there are still reasons to revisit raided locations:

Crew Rations: Raided locations will respawn Crew Rations. These are crucial for sustaining your raiding party’s health during long expeditions, especially in the River Raids DLC. Running out of rations can lead to your Jomsvikings falling in battle, weakening your raiding force.
Foreign Supplies (River Raids): If you’re engaging in the River Raids DLC, re-raiding locations becomes essential. While the initial raids provide a large influx of Foreign Supplies, subsequent raids are the primary source for gathering more to upgrade your River Raid Longship and Jomsviking Hall.
Experience and Skill Points: Combat is a major source of experience in AC Valhalla. Re-raiding provides opportunities to engage in combat, level up, and earn skill points to improve Eivor’s abilities.
Resource Gathering: While the main chests don’t respawn, regular lootable chests and containers containing silver, leather, and other crafting materials do respawn. These resources are valuable for upgrading your gear and purchasing items from merchants.
Practice and Fun: Sometimes, you just want to unleash your inner Viking and engage in some good old-fashioned pillaging. Re-raiding provides a readily available source of action and mayhem.

River Raids: Infinite Replayability

The River Raids DLC takes the concept of re-raiding to a new level. These raids are designed to be highly replayable. You’ll explore procedurally generated river maps, raid various settlements, and face challenging River Champions. The key difference here is the focus on Foreign Supplies as the primary reward for repeated raids. These supplies are used to upgrade your River Raid Longship and Jomsviking Hall, making your raids more efficient and your Jomsvikings more powerful. You will also get gear from the River Raids.

The Rivers will reset once all the River Champions are defeated and the River Raids story line has concluded. Vagn will comment on it. This allows for even more raiding of locations and Foreign Supplies.

Maximizing Your Raiding Efficiency

Here are some tips to maximize your raiding efficiency, whether it’s your first raid or your tenth:

Upgrade Your Settlement: Prioritize upgrading your settlement to unlock essential services like the Blacksmith and the Seer. These upgrades provide significant benefits for your raiding endeavors.
Upgrade Your Gear: Invest in upgrading your weapons and armor to increase your damage output and survivability.
Recruit Strong Jomsvikings: Recruit high-level Jomsvikings to bolster your raiding party. Stronger Jomsvikings can carry more rations, deal more damage, and withstand more punishment. Upgrading the Jomsviking Hall allows you to hire better-ranked Vikings.
Master Combat Techniques: Learn to parry, dodge, and utilize different weapon combinations to effectively defeat enemies.
Utilize Your Longship: Use your longship to your advantage during raids. You can use it to break down barriers, provide cover fire, and quickly transport your raiding party.
Manage Your Rations: Keep a close eye on your rations and replenish them whenever possible. Running out of rations can lead to your Jomsvikings falling in battle, weakening your raiding force.
Focus on Objectives: Prioritize looting chests containing raw materials and supplies. Don’t get bogged down in unnecessary combat.
Explore Thoroughly: Search every nook and cranny of a raided location to find hidden chests and resources.
Adapt Your Strategy: Adjust your raiding strategy based on the location and the enemies you encounter.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Raiding

Here are some frequently asked questions about raiding in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla:

Do enemies respawn in raided locations? Yes, enemies will respawn in raided locations after a short period of time.
Do chests respawn after being looted? The large chests containing raw materials and supplies do not respawn. However, smaller chests and containers with silver and other resources do respawn.
What is the purpose of raiding? Raiding is the primary way to acquire raw materials and supplies to upgrade your settlement, Ravensthorpe.
How do I start a raid? Sail your longship to a monastery, village, or military outpost, and a yellow raid icon will appear. Approach the shore and press the raid button to initiate the raid.
What are Jomsvikings? Jomsvikings are customizable Viking warriors that can be recruited to join you on raids.
How do I recruit Jomsvikings? You can recruit Jomsvikings at the barracks in Ravensthorpe. You can also recruit other players’ Jomsvikings.
What happens if a Jomsviking dies during a raid? If a Jomsviking dies during a raid, they will be unavailable for future raids for a period of time.
What are River Raids? River Raids are a DLC game mode that allows you to explore procedurally generated river maps and raid various settlements.
What are Foreign Supplies? Foreign Supplies are a resource obtained through River Raids that are used to upgrade your River Raid Longship and Jomsviking Hall.
How do I upgrade my River Raid Longship? You can upgrade your River Raid Longship by spending Foreign Supplies at Vagn’s shop in Ravensthorpe.
How do I upgrade my Jomsviking Hall? You can upgrade your Jomsviking Hall by spending Foreign Supplies at Vagn’s shop in Ravensthorpe.
Do River Raid locations respawn? Yes, River Raid locations will respawn after you raid them.
How do I refresh River Raids? You have to completely finish the River Raid section before it’ll reset. It resets after you defeat all of the River Champions on the different rivers.
Can you run out of raids in AC Valhalla? Raids are infinite, but resources aren’t.
What’s the point of River Raids? River Raids is a high power level feature and is intended to be played and replayed multiple times for gear and Foreign Supplies.

Conclusion

While the initial thrill of looting a monastery might not be replicable on subsequent visits, there’s still plenty of reason to revisit previously raided locations in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Whether you’re grinding for resources, leveling up your character, or simply enjoying the thrill of combat, raiding remains a core and engaging activity throughout the game. And if you’re looking for more engaging activities and opportunities to level up your understanding of gaming, consider exploring the resources available at the GamesLearningSociety.org. Go forth, Eivor, and raid on!

Can you raid the same monastery twice?