How to defeat Seeker Soldiers in Valheim

One of the most formidable opponents you will face in Valheim are the Seeker Soldiers; flightless beetle-like elite mobs capable of crushing unprepared adventurers with their enormous mandibles or piercing them with their sharp claws. Moreover, these giant bugs are armored with an incredibly thick carapace, making them moderately resistant to physical damage, such as blunt, pierce, or slash attacks. However tough they might be, Seeker Soldiers are not unkillable. Those who manage to defeat these beastly beetles will be rewarded with valuable insect parts and Seeker Soldier trophies, a resource for resummoning The Queen, the Boss of the Mistlands.

Related: How to destroy ancient swords in Valheim

Best way to kill Seeker Soldiers in Valheim

As noted above, defeating a Valheim Seeker Soldier in close-quarters combat is exceptionally challenging due to their resistance to physical attacks. On the other hand, its tail or rear abdomen area does not share the same armor strength as the rest of its body. However, you would be hard-pressed for a Seeker Soldier to give you leeway to get behind it unless you are already stealthily sneaking about in the first place. Of course, parrying is possible, but counterattacking a giant enraged beetle is far from easy and requires immense practice. Consequently, we recommend you use elemental or magic attacks to defeat Seeker Soldiers in Valheim.

Based on our experience, the best way to easily defeat Seeker Soldiers in Valheim is by using magic weapons like the Staff of Embers or elemental ranged attacks with a bow using fire, frost, or poison arrows. Wielding a Staff of Embers or Staff of Frost can be less costly since Eitr can be replenished. In our case, we found a vantage point in an Infested Mine where the flightless Seeker Soldier could not reach us, after which we proceeded to effortlessly slay them with magic attacks in Valheim. While this strategy might seem cowardly, it is effective for those less skilled with parrying. 

It should be mentioned that Frostner and Mistwalker are strong weapons against Seeker Soldiers in Valheim, but they still require to get into close quarters with the monsters. We tested using the Dead Raiser to have our Skelett fight a Seeker Soldier on our behalf; however, the beetle made quick work of the skeleton. As a result, the Staff of Embers and Staff of Frost are the best weapons for hunting down Seeker Soldiers. The Staff of Frost is ideal if the enemy is in your line of sight. Conversely, the fiery blasts from the Staff of Embers’ projectiles provide excellent AoE damage if your positioning does not allow you to strike your opponent directly.