You've probably spent hours trekking across the snowy peaks of Norway or the muddy fields of Cent, wondering if that shiny new axe you just looted is actually worth the upgrade materials. Honestly, it’s a mess. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is massive. Like, "too big for its own good" massive. And tucked away in that sprawling map are the AC Valhalla legendary weapons, items that aren't just stat sticks but actual game-changers that fundamentally shift how Eivor handles a crowd of Saxon soldiers.
Most people think "legendary" just means gold-colored gear. It doesn't.
We’re talking about the heavy hitters. Gungnir. Mjolnir. Excalibur. These aren't just things you find in a random chest behind a breakable wall. They require ridiculous quest lines, boss fights that will make you want to throw your controller, and a level of patience that most of us just don't have on a Tuesday night. But if you want to stop feeling like you’re hitting enemies with a wet noodle, you need to know which ones actually matter and how to trigger the endgame triggers that unlock them.
The Reality of Mythical Gear
Let’s get one thing straight: you can beat this game with the Varin’s Axe you get in the first ten minutes. Ubisoft designed it that way. But playing through the late-game DLCs like Dawn of Ragnarök or facing the Zealots without a proper legendary loadout is basically asking for a headache. The AC Valhalla legendary weapons are defined by their unique perks. While a standard Flail might give you a speed boost after a hit, something like the Spear of Leonidas (yes, the one from Odyssey) gives you a raw damage buff just for having a filled adrenaline bar.
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It’s about the synergy.
If you’re running a Raven-aligned build but using a Bear-aligned legendary hammer, you’re leaving damage on the table. You’ve got to match your skill tree nodes to the gear. Most players ignore the "Passive" nodes in the constellations, but that’s where the real power lives. If you have Excalibur, you better be specced into Way of the Bear, or you’re just carrying around a very heavy, very shiny paperweight.
Excalibur and the Trial of Patience
To get Excalibur, you have to find the 11 Tablets of Treasure of Britain. It's a slog. You’ll be diving into caves, solving platforming puzzles that feel a bit too much like Tomb Raider, and hunting down specific Zealots like Hrothgar and Heike.
Hrothgar is a beast. If you’re underpowered, his health pool feels infinite.
Once you get all the tablets, you head to Myrddin's Cave in Hamtunscire. The moment you pull that sword from the stone, the game changes. Why? Because Excalibur has a hidden mechanic: Heavy Finishers and Crits blind everyone around you. In a game where crowd control is usually limited to abilities, having a weapon that literally flashes-bangs a group of pikemen is broken. In a good way.
Is Mjolnir Actually Worth the Grind?
Thor’s Hammer is the one everyone wants. Obviously. But here is the catch that most guides won't tell you: you can’t actually get it until the main story is basically over. You need the full set of Thor’s Armor first. That means killing all three Daughters of Lerion—Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia.
Cordelia is a nightmare. Her lightning teleports are erratic.
After you kill them and find the secret stash in East Anglia, you still have to finish the entire Order of the Ancients questline. Every. Single. Member. Only then, when you return to Norway and head into the mountains of Hordafylke, can you interact with the hammer. It’s a literal endgame reward. It’s fantastic for clearing out the remaining side content or the "Forgotten Saga" DLC, but don't expect to use it to kill Basim. You’ll already be the Jarl of Ravensthorpe by the time you're swinging it.
The Spear Meta: Gungnir and Beyond
If you talk to any high-level player, they’ll tell you the same thing: Spears are king. The reach is ridiculous. In the world of AC Valhalla legendary weapons, Gungnir (Odin’s Spear) stands at the top of the mountain. It has an extended reach perk that makes the hitbox significantly larger than the physical model of the spear.
Basically, you’re hitting people who think they’re safe.
You find it in the Goinnhellir cave in Hordafylke, but only during or after the quest "A Brother's Keeper." If you try to go there early, the door is just... shut. No trick around it. If you pair Gungnir with the Gae Bolg from the Wrath of the Druids DLC, you become an unstoppable whirlwind of lightning and reach. Gae Bolg triggers a lightning shock after three consecutive hits. Since spears are the fastest heavy weapons in the game, you’re proc-ing lightning every few seconds. It’s arguably the most "meta" loadout in the entire game’s history.
The Forgotten Gems: Bows and Short Swords
Everyone focuses on the big flashy stuff, but the Nodens' Arc hunter bow is arguably more "legendary" in its lore. You can’t even get it through normal combat. You have to go to a specific lake in Eurvicscire and hit an indestructible ore rock at exactly the moment the sun sets. It’s a weird, old-school Easter egg that feels like something out of a 90s RPG.
Then there are the Short Swords. Fans begged for these for a year before Ubisoft finally added them.
- Joyeuse: Found in the Siege of Paris DLC. It poisons enemies after five consecutive hits.
- Durandal: A powerhouse for those who like the "Way of the Raven" speed.
- Egbert: Technically a superior weapon that scales, but its stun damage is so high it feels legendary.
Short swords fixed the combat for people who felt the Greatswords were too sluggish. They allow for a "dodge-and-weave" playstyle that mimics the older Assassin's Creed titles. If you’re tired of the heavy, clunky swings of a Dane Axe, head to Francia. The effort is minimal compared to the Thor grind.
Why Some "Legendaries" Fail the Test
Not every gold-tier weapon is actually good. The Iron-Star flail? Annoying to use. The spin-up time gets you killed on higher difficulties like Aesir (Nightmare). Some of the Ubisoft Connect rewards, like the Basim's Sword, are cool for nostalgia but get outclassed by mid-game gear you find in Sciropescire.
You also have to consider the "weight" stat. A lot of the AC Valhalla legendary weapons are incredibly heavy. If your weight is too high, your stamina regenerates like molasses. If you’re dual-wielding two heavy shields or two greatswords, you better be a parry god, because you won’t be dodging more than twice before Eivor starts gasping for air.
Actionable Strategy for Your Loadout
Stop hoarding your Nickel and Tungsten ingots. Seriously. You get enough of them by the end of the game to fully upgrade at least six or seven weapons. If you find a weapon with a perk that fits your style—like "increased speed when low health"—commit to it.
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The real path to power isn't just finding the weapon; it's the Rune slots.
- Prioritize Speed Runes: Even the slowest hammer feels better with two Great Haste Runes.
- Weight Reduction: If you’re using Excalibur, use runes that drop its weight so you can actually dodge.
- Element Overlap: If you use a weapon that procs fire, wear armor that increases fire damage. Don't mix fire weapons with poison armor. It's counterproductive.
Go back to Norway once you hit Power Level 250. That’s usually the sweet spot where you can survive the areas holding the high-tier gear. Hunt the Zealots early if you can, because their loot helps bridge the gap between "decent" and "god-tier."
Final thought: don't sleep on the Dual-Wield Heavy perk in the Bear skill tree. It lets you carry two-handed weapons in each hand. Dual-wielding spears is technically the strongest build in the game, but dual-wielding shields is the most fun. Try both before you settle into the endgame.
Next Steps for Your Odyssey:
- Check your inventory for the "Treasure of Britain" tablets; you might already have a few from random cave explorations.
- Travel to the Ravensthorpe cartographer to buy maps for the remaining gear locations if you're missing specific ingots.
- Focus on the "Wrath of the Druids" DLC early if you want the Gae Bolg spear, as it's accessible much earlier than Mjolnir or Gungnir.