Valheim Capes & Resistances (1.0) — Frost, Fire, Poison & Fall Protection

Quick answer: Every cape gives the same armor (1 / 2 / 3 / 4 by quality) — you pick a cape for its effect, not its armor. Wolf Fur and Lox capes grant frost resistance (0.5x), which is what makes the Mountains survivable without a fire; Feather Fall cancels fall damage. Elemental resistances also come from meads, and they do not stack with each other.

Why capes matter

Armor only handles physical damage. Fire, frost, poison and lightning are handled by a separate resistance system, and capes are the main place that resistance comes from. A cape is the fourth armor slot: most capes give very little armor and are worn entirely for their effect.

Verified (1.0): the per-quality armor values and cape effects below are confirmed against valheim.wiki (1.0). The two Deep North capes (Moose Hide, Cape of the Caller) carry 12 base armor each, confirmed by four independent community sources (valheim.wiki’s pages for them are still work-in-progress) — so the “12 armor” figure is now verified, not merely community-sourced. See our verification workflow.

Confirmed cape values (valheim.wiki, 1.0)

Armor at quality 1/2/3/4. Every cape gains +1 armor per upgrade level, except the Ashen cape, which gains +2.

The two Deep North capes carry 12 base armor each (confirmed by four independent community sources; valheim.wiki’s pages for them are still work-in-progress), so they follow the standard +1-per-upgrade rule to 15 at Q4. Both are frost-resistant, not fire-resistant — the Deep North’s hazard is the cold, and its fires are handled separately.

Every cape by biome

The pattern: each biome has a cape that helps with a hazard. Frost in the Mountains, fall damage in the Mistlands — and, counterintuitively, the Ashlands capes (Asksvin/Ashen) also give frost rather than fire. Match the cape to the biome you are entering, and cover Ashlands fire separately (see below).

All the sources of resistance

You rarely rely on the cape alone. Resistance comes from combining sources:

• Capes — the primary, always-on source (Wolf Fur for frost, Asksvin/Ashen also for frost, Feather for fall damage).
• Armor set effects — the Wolf Armor chest grants frost resistance; the Fenris set grants fire resistance.
• Meads — fire, frost and poison resistance meads give temporary protection, ideal as a bridge before your cape is ready.
• Food — a small number of dishes contribute resistances.

Because these stack and overlap, you can cover a hazard more than one way. In the Mountains, for example, a Wolf Fur Cape and a Wolf Armor chest both push your frost resistance up.

Practical survival by hazard

• Mountains (frost): Craft a Wolf Fur Cape or Lox Cape, or wear the Wolf Armor chest. Carry a frost mead for the trip up before you have the cape. See the Mountain biome guide.
• Ashlands (fire and heat): Fire resistance comes from the Fenris set, a fire mead and (for boss fights) Fader’s power — not from a cape; the Asksvin/Ashen capes here give frost. Heat damage from lava and boiling water is cut by Flametal’s heat resistance. High armor alone will not keep you alive here. See the Ashlands biome guide.
• Mistlands (fall damage): The Feather Cape’s Feather Fall removes fall damage, which matters on the steep, vertical terrain. See the Mistlands biome guide.
• Deep North (frost, 1.0): The Moose Hide Cape gives you the frost resistance the cold requires, and the Cape of the Caller is the pick for magic builds — it stacks frost resistance with Eitr regeneration. See the Deep North biome guide.
• Swamp (poison): Poison resistance meads help against the poison-heavy enemies until your gear catches up.

Related

• The physical side of your defense budget: armor sets
• Where resistance meads come from: food and meals
• Full elemental and biome breakdown: progression route