You’re standing in the middle of a muddy Saxon town, and some guy is calling you a pig. Not just a pig—he’s rhyming it. Welcome to Assassin's Creed Valhalla flyting. It’s the Viking equivalent of an 8 Mile rap battle, but with more mead and significantly higher stakes for your social life.
Most people treat flyting like a throwaway minigame. They click through the dialogue, try to match a rhyme, and move on. That’s a mistake. Honestly, if you aren't flyting your way across England, you’re playing the game on hard mode without even realizing it.
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What exactly is the point of flyting?
Basically, it’s how you build Charisma. Think of Charisma as Eivor’s "get out of jail free" card. As you win these verbal duels, your Charisma level ticks up.
High Charisma unlocks dialogue options that let you skip boss fights, lower the price of information, or convince people to do what you want without swinging an axe. It’s the difference between paying 500 silver for a clue or just charming it out of someone for free.
How the mechanics actually work
Don't just pick the meanest insult. That’s how you lose your silver. You’ve got to match three things:
- The Rhyme: This is the obvious one. If they end with "blue," you need to end with "shoe" or "through."
- The Rhythm: This is where people trip up. You need to match the "beat" or syllables of their sentence. If they give a quick, snappy one-liner, don't respond with a paragraph.
- The Meaning: If they call you a coward, your response should be about their lack of bravery, not their bad hair.
You’ve got a timer ticking down, so you have to think fast. If you're nervous, just bet the minimum 100 silver. Once you get the hang of it, always bet the max. It’s basically free money once you understand the patterns.
The weird ones you’ll encounter
Most flyting matches follow the "I insult you, you insult me" formula. But Ubisoft threw in a few curveballs that’ll catch you off guard if you’re just mindlessly clicking.
Augusta the Cheerful in Lunden is the most famous outlier. She doesn't want to trade barbs. She wants a "compliment battle." If you try to roast her, you’ll lose. You have to be nice. Tell her she’s the "picture of elegance, beauty and grace." It feels weird as a Viking warrior, but that’s the win condition.
Then there's Fergal the Faceless in Grantebridgescire. He’s a bit of a joke. He’s so bad at flyting that you literally cannot lose. You can pick the worst, most non-rhyming options, and the crowd will still cheer for you because he’s just that pathetic.
Where to find the best flyters
You’ll see a blue mask icon on your map. That’s your signal.
- Alvis in Fornburg: Your tutorial. Don't skip him; he teaches you the fundamentals of matching cadence.
- Manning, Fighter of Wolves in Rygjafylke: He’s your first real challenge. He’s huge, so naturally, you should mock his "spine" or his "thick" arms.
- Hogg the Burly in Oxeneforda: He’s obsessed with strength. Tell him he has the "brain of a donkey" and you're golden.
- Stigr the Amorous in Snotinghamscire: This one gets... flirtatious. If you’re into that, it’s a fun change of pace.
The high-stakes flyts: Gods and Squirrels
It gets weirder. If you travel to Asgard, you can flyt with Thor. Yes, the God of Thunder. He’s surprisingly bad at it. He mostly just yells. You just need to point out that he’s a "fool of a god" to win.
But the real MVP is Ratatosk. He’s a talking squirrel in Jotunheim. He’s fast, he’s high-pitched, and he’s actually one of the harder opponents because the rhythm is so frantic. Honestly, losing a rap battle to a squirrel is a low point for any Viking, so stay sharp.
Is it historically accurate?
Actually, yes. Flyting wasn't just something Ubisoft made up to fill time. In Norse and Old English culture, "flit" was a real thing. It was a ritual exchange of insults. Even the gods did it in the Poetic Edda. It was a way to show off your wit and intelligence in a society that usually focused on who could hit the hardest with a hammer.
A quick cheat sheet for the tough ones
If you’re stuck on a specific opponent, remember these winning responses:
- Jungulf in Repton: Call him a "milksop" and a "louse."
- Lady Ellette in Essexe: Tell her that her verses "put all who hear them to sleep."
- Borghild in Eurvicscire: She’s drunk. Tell her she’s "telling lies" because of the ale.
Why you shouldn't ignore your Charisma level
By the time you reach the later stages of the game, like the arcs in Snotinghamscire or Wincestre, having a Charisma level of 4 or 5 is a massive advantage. There are moments where you can avoid entire skirmishes just by having a silver tongue. It saves time, saves your health potions, and makes Eivor feel like a much more well-rounded leader rather than just a blunt instrument of war.
If you've been skipping the blue masks, go back and do them. Most take less than two minutes. The silver you gain is decent, but the dialogue options you unlock are the real prize.
Next Steps for Your Playthrough:
Check your current Charisma level in the character menu. If you're below level 3, head to Lunden or Quatford immediately to find an opponent. Most flyting matches are located near the main longhouse or the local tavern of any major town. Save your game right before you start—that way, if you mess up the rhyme and lose your bet, you can just reload and try again without losing your hard-earned silver.