How to Find and Defeat the Mistlands Boss: The Queen – Valheim

The fight with The Queen is unique in Valheim as the first boss battle to take place in a Dungeon instance. This guide will go over everything you need to know to find The Queen’s lair, break its seal, and exterminate the Mistlands boss. Strategies for solo players using either a melee and magic build are covered, including the best food, equipment, and tactics to survive the fight.

Where to Find The Queen

One way to discover the location of The Queen’s lair is to find Vegisvir Stones in the Infested Mines left by the Dvergr. This naturally is the fastest way to find her, since you have to raid at least a few Infested Mines to gather materials to craft the key that unlocks The Queen’s dungeon.

You can also encounter the lair while exploring. Look out for tight “claws” of slanted pillars–they jut out above some Infested Mines as well as the Infested Citadel where The Queen resides. If there is just a stairway below the pillars, it is only a regular Infested Mine. However, if there is a massive fortress with two large Wisp Lanterns on top, this marks the entrance to the Infested Citadel where the Dvergr have trapped The Queen.

Unsealing The Queen’s Dungeon, the Infested Citadel

Once you find The Queen’s lair, a poetic lore stone at the entrance will tell you that a specific key called a Sealbreaker is needed to break the Dvergr’s seal on the entrance door. This admission price to the Infested Citadel is designed to force you to tackle all the Mistlands challenges first. In order to craft the Sealbreaker, you will at a minimum have to gather several resources and craft at least three workstations.

Raid several Infested Mines and find 10 Black Cores and 9 Sealbreaker Fragments. (Click for images.)

Loot a Dvergr Extractor from a Dvergr building. (Click for image.)

Craft a Sap Extractor on a Yggdrasil Root near a Workbench. (Click for recipe.)

• 10 Yggdrasil Wood (harvested from Yggdrasil Saplings)
• 5 Black Metal
• 1 Dvergr Extractor

Build an Eitr Refiner near a Workbench. (Click for recipe.)

• 20 Black Marble pieces (mined from Jotun skeletons or Dvergr structures)
• 5 Black Metal
• 10 Yggdrasil Wood
• 5 Black Cores
• 3 Yggdrasil Sap (collected by Sap Extractors over time)

Craft 5 Refined Eitr using the Eitr Refiner. (Click for recipe.)

• 5 Soft Tissue (gathered from Dvergr boxes or Jotun brains)
• 5 Yggdrasil Sap

Construct a Galdr Table near a Workbench. (Click for recipe.)

• 20 Yggdrasil Wood
• 10 Black Metal
• 5 Black Cores
• 5 Refined Eitr

Use the Galdr Table to craft a Sealbreaker from the 9 Sealbreaker Fragments. (Click for image.)

Once you have crafted 1 Sealbreaker, you can use it to unlock any Infested Citadels you find in the world. The key is not destroyed so it can be reused, and once unlocked the Infested Citadel remains open.

The Queen has already spawned in the Infested Citadel the first time you enter. However, to fight The Queen again in the same Infested Citadel, you will need to sacrifice 3 Seeker Soldier trophies at the altar on the upper terrace of the Infested Citadel.

The Queen

This boss moves very quickly and has the widest variety of attacks of any enemy in Valheim to date. In addition to a very large health reserve, The Queen is immune to all status effects except Poison and Burning and has no weak points or vulnerabilities to specific damage types. That said, Mistlands-tier Slashing and Burning damage sources work well in this fight.

As you hack and burn away The Queen’s health, she will start to unleash new attacks and spawn different types of ads. When her health falls below 75%, The Queen will start to use her vomit attack. By the time she is at about 60% health, The Queen will employ every tool she has to exterminate you.

Attacks

The Queen will start with the top 5 attacks in the table below. As her health declines, she will start to use the bottom 4 attacks, as well.

*The Queen’s signature attack is her Vomit Spray. This multi-hit attack can drain a lot of stamina if blocked and deal a lot of direct damage if not. The Poison debuff stacks with each hit. After the Vomit animation, up to 6-8 Seeker Brood are spawned from it to attack the player. For a few seconds after the attack, the ground affected by the vomit causes the Slimed debuff if the player walks near it. The spray can wrap around some obstacles and pillars to get to the player.

All direct damage from The Queen’s attacks can be blocked, but the infliction of status effects like Poison and Slimed cannot be blocked with a shield. The knockback from her hits is substantial, as well. However, the Poison debuff can be blocked with the Staff of Protection magic shield. You can also burn away Slimed areas with an area-of-effect (AoE) fire attack (Staff of Embers or Bile Bombs).

The Queen often will give chase if you run to other terraces to escape. Other times (usually every 5-10 attacks) she will burrow or leap up to a different part of the Citadel, sometimes just a few meters away. Regardless of who chases who, you will know she is nearby from her distinctive low-pitched pulsating chirp. Find her quickly, though. She will regain health over time, and more rapidly if you leave the Citadel–especially if you sleep.

Infested Citadel Layout

The flow of the battle with The Queen and her minions is controlled by the layout of the Infested Citadel. There is very little light, and all but the highest terraces are inundated by Mist. The first time you enter the Infested Citadel, you will find several clutches of Seeker Eggs. Spawners are everywhere except the Foyer (the small room you first entered), so The Queen can call Seekers and Seeker Brood to attack you quickly.

There is a tall, wide pillar rising out of the bottom floor which provides cover while forcing enemy movement into a circle. There are also destructible railings, overhangs, and smaller supporting columns which can be used to block The Queen’s progress until they are destroyed. 

However, the small enclosed Foyer you appear in when you enter the Citadel is indestructible and completely protects you from The Queen’s attacks. It will admit both Seekers and Seeker Brood from either side, but they are forced to enter single file. There is also an indestructible hallway to the left of the Foyer as you enter the Citadel. The Queen is too tall to enter, but her Vomit and Lunging Bite attacks can reach all the way through.

You will find several staircases connecting the various terraces in the Citadel, and The Queen and her Seeker Brood are usually forced to follow them. The wide empty space above the first floor allows you to float down easily (if you are wearing the Feather Cape), but it also allows The Queen to hurl vomit attacks at you from any terrace. Keep an eye out because Seekers will pursue you, and during a Rush Attack The Queen will jump down after you.

Battle Walkthrough

Good preparation can make your assault on the Citadel go more smoothly. The Feather Cape is highly recommended for any build as the Feather Fall buff allows you to jump off terraces without taking damage. Use high-tier foods, with at least one health buff to have a chance of blocking an attack by The Queen without getting staggered. Refresh your food buffs as soon as their timers drop below 50% (which is 12 or 15 minutes for Mistlands foods). Consider bringing a stack of Poison Resistance Mead to help mitigate damage from The Queen’s Vomit Attack and Lunging Bite.

When you enter the Citadel, make sure your food and potion buffs are fresh and your Wisp Light is equipped. Destroy any Seeker Egg clutches as soon as you find them. They will not regenerate. If you get overwhelmed and need time to recover and reapply potions or food buffs, run to an upper terrace or back into the foyer where you are at least temporarily safe.

You can deploy Wisp Torches in the Citadel to push back the mist. However, this can become a waste of time as a lack of light is the greatest limit on visibility and Wisp Torches provide very little illumination. Between you, The Queen, and her minions, the Torches won’t last long, and you will pick up enough loot during the fight that eventually it will become hard to auto-pick up Torch materials to redeploy them. Your equipment slots are better used for weapons, items, and meads.

For most of the battle, it is very effective to engage The Queen on the bottom floor. She turns slowly, but on the straight terraces and staircases she can cover ground much more quickly. Lead The Queen in a circle around one of the center pillars. When not attacking, stay far enough away so her attacks cannot clip through the pillar and hit you. When she spawns Seekers and Seeker Brood to attack, quickly dispatch them before reengaging The Queen. Use an AoE fire attack (Staff of Embers or Bile Bomb) to mop up any Seeker Broods that The Queen does spawn.

Visibility in the base of the Citadel is extremely short, even with a Wisp Light. This means The Queen’s vomit attack can seem to come out of nowhere. Make sure to keep moving so you can stay ahead of it. If not dodged, this multi-hit attack can do enough direct and poison damage to drain most of your stamina if blocked, or most of your health if not. The vomit attack also leaves the ground it hits sticky, and for a few seconds you will get a Slimed debuff when walking across it which severely reduces movement speed. Avoid the area or burn the slime away with a fire attack.

You will likely have to repair your equipment sometime during the fight. It is worth leaving the Citadel briefly as long as you have workstations or a portal nearby. The Queen will regenerate some health before you return, but not much.

More Tips and Exploits

• The castle outside the Infested Citadel houses a secret Dvergr speakeasy (presumably built before the infestation). Break the wood panel on the left side of the stairway leading up to the Citadel entrance. The space inside is large enough for a Portal, the workstations needed to repair your gear, and storage for extra food and potions for the fight. A forward base here will reduce the health The Queen recovers if you are killed or you need to repair and refresh your buffs.

• If you are killed, your gravestone will be in the Citadel. The enemies may move to higher terraces, but they do not despawn. Make sure you turn off Auto Pick-Up (the “v” key by default) so that you can recover your gear without needing to manage your inventory. The enemies drop far more loot than you can carry during the fight.
• When The Queen starts using her Vomit attack to spawn Seeker Brood, lead her into the upper terraces. Let her spawn a couple dozen Seeker Broods here, and then return to the bottom floor. Seeker Broods are slow and will de-aggro when too far away. There is a limit on the number of Seeker Broods that can be in the Citadel at the same time. When that limit is reached, The Queen’s vomit attacks will no longer spawn them.

• Ever burn insects with a magnifying glass? In Valheim, your proverbial lens is Refined Eitr. Each globe shoots out lightning and poison damage. With enough of these, eventually The Queen and her minions can be killed passively. The shots can damage you, as well, so bring Anti-Poison Potions and heavy armor or your Staff of Protection and keep moving. Also, the game eventually will gather Refined Eitr into a single stack if clustered together, so spread them out when you deploy them.
• Note: Certain exploits require The Queen to get stuck in or remain close to the Foyer to work. They are not discussed in this guide because some updates since the Mistlands release suggest these options have been or soon will be patched.

Magic Build Tips

Dealing with both The Queen and her minions will require a lot of magic. Use 2 of your food buffs to boost your Eitr. The best weapon for The Queen and groups of ads is the Staff of Embers, but the Staff of Frost and the Mistwalker sword can be useful for the stray Seeker Brood or Seeker. When hitting The Queen with fireballs, space them out to let the burn damage take full effect as it does not stack. Keep your distance while circling the pillars since The Queen’s Left and Right Slashes can clip through them and hit you.

Make sure to conserve your stamina as much as possible so it is available for evasion or escape whenever needed. The Lingering Stamina Potion is the best choice to keep your stamina full and ready.

The physical defense boost that comes with the Bonemass power is a good choice for the Magic Build, especially if you are decked out in the Eitr-weave armor set. The 100% Eitr regen boost is worth going down to a Bronze Age armor class. The Staff of Protection is a useful crutch until you are experienced with the Magic Build and The Queen’s attack set. Once you have defeated The Queen once and acquire her power, it becomes a very good choice to use if you summon The Queen again.

It can be tempting to use blood magic. Shielded skeletons often provide a useful distraction. However, the Eitr cost to set them up is far too high and The Queen makes short work of them. Even using the Staff of Protection for a personal shield can cost more Eitr than it is worth. Instead, you can use dodge well, reserve 1 food buff for health, and pop a Major Health Potion when necessary.

Melee Build Tips

Bile Bombs are a powerful substitute for the Staff of Embers, so bring 50-100 of them. Their direct damage is low, but their burn damage is much higher than the Staff of Embers. Throw them just a little in front of a horde of Seeker Broods or The Queen herself.

One alternative is the Demolisher. Its slow but powerful and predictable AOE damage is great for Seeker Broods, but it is less effective against full-grown Seekers. Another option is the Himmin Afl. However, while the lightning-based stun is excellent for Seekers outside the Citadel, it burns stamina fast and can be difficult to use effectively on stairs.

The best melee weapons for The Queen are those which fit between The Queen’s attacks. The Mistwalker’s heavy attack is a good choice and deals more damage than the first two swings. It also boosts your visibility in the mist. As for powers, since all the damage you can take is physical, Bonemass is a natural choice to mitigate it.

Make sure to use at least 1 stamina food buff, and try to conserve stamina while evading. Use the Foyer as much as needed to restore stamina or pop a Major Health Potion. The Medium Stamina Potion may be better choice than the Lingering Stamina Potion for emergencies. Just be mindful of the time it takes to drink it.

You cannot stagger The Queen, and her attacks have significant knockback even when perfectly blocked. Instead, dodge into position and counter with a heavy attack. It will be more efficient than a combo of regular attacks as you rarely have time to finish it, and it is the last attack in the combo that is the most powerful.

And there you have it, a complete rundown of The Queen, her lair, and the final battle. We hope you found the info and tips in this guide helpful in planning your own battle strategy! Let us know what you thought of the fight and your own strategies in the comment field below.