Valheim’s wildlife isn’t just for admiring – it’s a vital resource for survival and, with a little patience, a fantastic addition to your Viking settlement. Taming animals offers a steady supply of meat, hides, and eventually, even offspring to help with tasks around your base. This guide breaks down the process of taming boars and other animals, covering everything from building the perfect pen to understanding their feeding habits. Let’s get started!

Building Your Taming Pen

The first step to successful animal taming is constructing a suitable enclosure. Don’t underestimate the importance of a well-built pen – a flimsy fence will quickly be demolished by a determined boar or wolf. The best material for your pen depends on the animal you’re targeting. Boars, known for their stubbornness, struggle with roundpole fences and will attempt to break through. Wolves, on the other hand, are surprisingly adept at tearing down roundpole structures, making a combination of logs and planks a more robust choice.

Consider the size of the animal when planning your pen. A larger pen gives them more space to move and reduces the chances of them feeling cramped and agitated. Ensure your pen has a single, easily accessible opening for you to enter and lure the animal inside. This opening should be large enough for the animal to comfortably pass through, but small enough to prevent them from escaping. Importantly, position your pen away from any active campfires. Boars (and many other animals) exhibit a clear aversion to fire, which can disrupt the taming process. A distance of 10-15 meters is generally recommended.

Locating Your Target Animals

Once your pen is ready, it’s time to find the animals you want to tame. Each species has a preferred biome, so understanding where to look is important. Boars, for example, are commonly found in the Meadows biome, while wolves are more prevalent in the Black Forest and Pine Forest. Don’t be afraid to explore – patience is key!

A reliable method for consistently finding boars is to utilize Boar Runestones. These stones, scattered throughout the Meadows, will continually spawn boars as long as you kill them. Regularly returning to a Runestone can provide a steady stream of potential tames. However, be aware that Runestones are finite; they will eventually stop spawning boars, so it’s wise to establish multiple locations. Always keep an eye out for other animal spawn points as well – you might stumble upon a valuable tame while exploring.

The Taming Process: Feeding and Observation

Once you’ve located a boar and gotten it to approach your pen, the taming process begins. It’s vital not to equip a torch when approaching the animal – they’re easily startled and will flee, resetting your progress. Let the boar naturally aggro onto you, and then quickly guide it into your prepared pen. Immediately close the entrance with fences to prevent escape.

Now comes the important part: feeding. Boars, like most animals, respond to food. Start by dropping a piece of meat (pork is a good choice) into the pen. The boar will likely eat it immediately. Pay close attention to its behavior and the visual cues. You’ll notice yellow hearts appear above the boar’s head as it consumes the food. This is a clear indication that it’s eating.

The boar’s state is constantly changing, and understanding these states is key to successful taming. There are four primary states: Hungry, Acclimatizing, Frightened, and Fed. The goal is to consistently keep the boar in the Acclimatizing state. If the boar is Hungry, feeding it will move it to the Acclimatizing state. If it’s Frightened, it will run around, refusing to eat. Maintaining a safe distance while feeding is important – if you’re too close, the boar might become frightened.

Understanding Animal States and Progress

Let’s explore deeper into those animal states. When a boar is in the Hungry state, it will consume any food you drop, and its acclimatizing progress will increase. However, it won’t acclimatize or breed while hungry. Once the boar is frightened, it will run around wildly, attacking anything it perceives as a threat, and it won’t eat. Successfully feeding a frightened boar will move it back to the Hungry state, restarting the cycle.

To track your progress, aim your bow at the boar. A progress bar will appear, indicating the percentage of acclimatization achieved. The more food you provide, the closer you get to 100% acclimatization, and ultimately, taming. This process requires patience and consistent effort. Don’t get discouraged if the boar reverts to a frightened state – simply continue feeding and observing.

Taming and Breeding

Once the boar reaches 100% acclimatization, it will be fully tamed! At this point, it will begin to breed when it has the opportunity, provided it has access to a mate. This means you’ll eventually start seeing baby boars within your pen. Tamed boars offer a sustainable source of meat, hides, and eventually, offspring that can be used to assist with tasks like clearing brush or guarding your settlement.

With the right preparation and understanding of animal behavior, taming boars and other valuable creatures in Valheim is a rewarding and essential part of the game.

Do you find this guide helpful, and would you like to learn how to tame wolves next?