How Valheim’s Workbenches Keep Bases Safe From Enemies
Crafting is an important part of just about any survival game, and Iron Gate Studio's Valheim is no different. Building a workbench is vital for creating useful tools and materials in the game, but it also has another surprising use. Here's how Valheim's workbenches can keep bases safe from enemies.
One of the key structures for crafting is the workbench. Currently, players can upgrade their workbench to Level 4 in Valheim. Of course, this means unlocking several crafting recipes and placing stations like the Chopping Block and Tanning Rack beforehand. However, upgrading workbenches isn't necessary for using them to keep bases safe. Instead, all players need is a bit of strategic placement and home-building know-how.
Building a base in Valheim is important for survival. The game's world is dangerous and filled with enemies like trolls and greydwarfs. In various in-game events, enemies can spawn and attack a player's home with only a small warning. Players have even reported enemies like Greylings coming into their homes and then leaving. It's hard to feel safe when enemies could spawn in and around a player's base at any time, which is where using a workbench becomes even more useful than simply using it to craft.
The workbench may seem like an unassuming structure in terms of defense, but it's actually pretty useful in Valheim. This is because the workbench is one of several structures players can use that prevent enemies from spawning nearby. Many of these structures, like beds and bonfires, keep enemies from spawning within about 20 meters of them. While this doesn't mean an enemy won't come near this structure, it at least guarantees enemies won't spawn within this radius - so players are fairly safe as long as they're nearby.
The workbench is pretty easy to craft in Valheim, which makes it an ideal structure to use for warding off enemies. While some story-based events in Valheim can have enemies attacking a base, the workbench is usually pretty efficient for keeping away monsters otherwise. Players simply need to craft a lot of workbenches and place them within 20 meters of each other, essentially creating a wall where enemies can't spawn. With strategic placement around the base, it will keep players (and their homes) much safer.
Admittedly, this will make a base look pretty ugly. Depending on the size of the base, players could end up using dozens of workbenches. However, it's a fairly easy way to ensure enemies won't spawn in a player's home in Valheim, so the ugliness may be a small price to pay for the peace of mind.