What is the best way to defend your shelter from fulings?

Defending your shelter from Fulings in Valheim requires a combination of strategic building, proper defenses, and understanding enemy behavior. Fulings are aggressive, fast-moving enemies found in the Plains biome, and they can quickly overwhelm an unprepared Viking. To protect your shelter, you must focus on fortifications, traps, and combat readiness.\n\nFirst, choose a secure location for your shelter. Avoid building too close to Fuling camps or villages in the Plains biome. Instead, set up your base in a nearby biome like the Meadows or Black Forest, where you can establish a strong foothold before venturing into the Plains. This reduces the risk of Fulings wandering into your area and attacking your shelter.\n\nNext, build strong walls and gates around your shelter. Use stone or reinforced wood for durability, as Fulings can easily break through weaker materials like regular wood. Stone walls require a Stonecutter, which is crafted with 10 wood and 2 iron. Reinforced wood walls are made by upgrading regular wood walls with a workbench. Ensure your walls are at least two layers thick to withstand Fuling attacks.\n\nIncorporate defensive structures like stake walls and trenches. Stake walls are crafted with 4 wood and can be placed around the perimeter of your base to slow down and damage approaching enemies. Digging a trench around your shelter is another effective strategy. Use a pickaxe to create a deep, wide trench that Fulings cannot cross. This forces them to take a longer path, giving you time to prepare for combat.\n\nSet up traps and obstacles to further deter Fulings. Place campfires or bonfires near your walls to create a burning barrier that damages enemies. You can also use spike traps, crafted with 4 wood and 2 bronze nails, to deal significant damage to Fulings. Position these traps near choke points, such as gates or narrow pathways, to maximize their effectiveness.\n\nEquip yourself with strong weapons and armor to defend against Fulings. A fully upgraded iron or black metal weapon, such as a sword or mace, is essential for close combat. For ranged attacks, use a Draugr Fang bow with needle arrows, as Fulings are weak to piercing damage. Wear padded armor or wolf armor for maximum protection. Always carry healing mead and stamina mead to sustain yourself during battles.\n\nFinally, consider recruiting allies to help defend your shelter. Tame wolves or loxes in the Plains biome and bring them to your base. Wolves are fast and aggressive, making them excellent guards against Fulings. Loxes are slower but deal massive damage and have high health, making them ideal for tanking enemy attacks. To tame these creatures, feed them raw meat or cloudberries and wait for them to become friendly.\n\nBy combining these strategies, you can create a well-defended shelter that can withstand Fuling raids. Remember to regularly repair your walls and traps, as they will degrade over time. Stay vigilant and always be prepared for unexpected attacks, especially during nighttime when Fulings are more active.\n\nPractical tips: Always keep a backup set of weapons and armor in your shelter in case your primary gear breaks during a raid. Use the hoe to level the ground around your base, making it harder for Fulings to climb over walls. Finally, consider building a watchtower with a clear view of the surrounding area to spot incoming threats early.