Hunting down every member of the Order of the Ancients AC Valhalla puts in your path is a massive, sprawling chore that honestly defines the mid-game experience of Ubisoft’s Viking epic. It’s not just about the combat. You're basically playing a 9th-century detective while trying not to get cleaved in half by a Zealot. Most people hit a wall halfway through. They get stuck on a missing clue or realize they accidentally killed a quest-giver before they were "supposed" to. It’s messy.
Let’s be real: the Order isn't just a group of bad guys. They are the narrative connective tissue between the Eivor's personal saga and the broader Assassin's Creed lore. They represent the precursor to the Templars, and hunting them down is the only way to see the "true" ending of the game. If you ignore them, you're missing the point.
How the Order of the Ancients AC Valhalla Mechanics Actually Work
The system is divided into branches. You have the Wardens of Wealth, Faith, War, and Law. Then you have the Maegesters who sit above them, and finally, The Grand Maegester at the top of the pyramid. You can't just stumble upon the higher-ups. You need clues.
Clues are scattered everywhere. Sometimes you find them on the bodies of dead members. Other times, you have to win a drinking contest in a random village or find a specific note hidden in a tower that looks like every other tower in England. It’s a lot of legwork.
The Zealots are the wildcard. There are 15 of them. They don't hide. They ride around the main roads of England on horseback like they own the place. If you haven't burned the "Kill Order" early in the game at Venonis, these guys will hunt you down actively. If you did burn it, they’ll leave you alone unless you attack them first. Honestly, burning that letter makes the game easier, but it also makes it a bit more boring. There’s a certain thrill to being jumped by a high-level boss while you’re just trying to collect some iron ore.
The Problem With Clue Hunting
Ubisoft tried to make the investigation feel organic, but it often feels like a scavenger hunt where the map is too big. Take the "The Quill," for example. You might have the clue that says they are in Wincestre, but unless you’ve progressed the specific story arc for that region, they basically don't exist in the world. This is a recurring frustration. Players spend hours searching a specific market because a clue told them to, only to realize the target is "locked" behind a main story mission.
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Key Tip: Don't go out of your way to hunt the Order until you've finished the regional alliance map for a specific area. The game naturally feeds you about 60% of the members through the main plot. If you try to do it all manually, you’ll burn out.
Why the Zealots Are the Real Bosses
Zealots are arguably harder than the actual high-ranking Order members. They have massive health pools and unique mechanics. Some use heavy shields that require perfect parries. Others throw flashbangs or use poison.
If you’re struggling, use the Harpoon Impalement ability. It’s arguably the most broken skill in the game. You can yank a Zealot toward you and slam them into a wall for massive posture damage. Or, if you’re near a cliff, just pull them off it. Gravity doesn't care about their power level.
Another thing? The level scaling. If you're Power Level 50 and you run into a Level 250 Zealot like Redwalda, just run. There is no shame in it. Come back when you have the Grit skill so you can heal back the damage you take by hitting them. It changes the entire flow of the fight.
The Identity of The Father
I won't spoil the name here just in case you’re still playing, but the reveal of the Grand Maegester is the most polarizing part of Order of the Ancients AC Valhalla lore. Some people love the historical irony. Others feel it's a letdown after 80 hours of buildup.
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To even get to the final reveal, you have to kill every single other member. That’s 44 people. Once they are all dead, you return to Hytham at your settlement. He’ll give you a final quest called "The Poor Fellow-Soldier of Christ."
This mission is entirely different from the others. There is no boss fight. It’s just a long conversation that recontextualizes why the Order exists and why they eventually become the Templars we see in the Altair and Ezio eras. It’s a slow burn. It’s quiet. It’s very "Assassin's Creed" in a way the rest of the game sometimes forgets to be.
Dealing With the "Bugged" Clues
Let's talk about the stuff that actually breaks. Sometimes a clue won't spawn. This usually happens with the Order members associated with the "Search the Smithy" or "Check the Alehouse" prompts.
If a clue isn't showing up:
- Save your game.
- Completely close the application.
- Reload.
It sounds like basic tech support, but Valhalla’s world state can get "stuck" if you’ve been playing for a long session. Also, check your inventory. Sometimes you’ve already picked up the clue but the menu hasn't updated the quest objective. It’s annoying, but it happens.
The Rewards: Is It Worth It?
Killing these guys isn't just for the achievement. You get Medallions which you trade to Hytham for abilities. The most important reward, however, is the Thor’s Cape. You cannot get the full Thor’s armor set or Mjolnir without finishing the Order of the Ancients storyline.
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Mjolnir is hidden in a mountain in Norway. You can see it, you can hear the lightning, but Eivor won't be able to pick it up unless they are wearing the full set of Thor’s gear. The cape is the final piece. So, if you want to play as a literal god in the post-game, you have to be an assassin first.
Actionable Strategy for Completionists
If you want to clear the list without losing your mind, follow this rhythm:
- Prioritize the Story: Finish the Hamtunscire arc before you stress about the remaining 5 or 6 silhouettes on your menu.
- The Zealot Cheese: If a Zealot is kicking your teeth in, use the Dual Spear meta. Specifically, Fafnir’s Fang and the Carolingian Pike. The reach is so long that most Zealots can't even get close enough to swing their swords.
- Crowd Control: Use your raven, Synin, to scout the exact locations. The "clue" areas are usually highlighted in a gold circle on your overhead map once you're close.
- The Order Menu: Regularly read the descriptions of the members you haven't found. They aren't just flavor text; they literally tell you which town to go to.
The hunt for the Order of the Ancients AC Valhalla features is a test of patience as much as skill. It’s designed to be a slow burn that lasts the entire length of your playthrough. Don't rush it. Let the clues find you while you're exploring, and only start "grinding" them when you have nothing left on the alliance map.
Once you finish, make sure to talk to Hytham one last time. He gives you the Thor’s Cape and finally explains his own history with the Hidden Ones, which ties the whole experience together. It’s a long road, but for the gear and the ending, it's the only way to truly finish Eivor's journey.