Wolf

Wolves are aggressive, medium-sized creatures that move and attack very quickly. They are dangerous not because of high health, but because of their speed, tight attack rhythm, and the way they can overwhelm players in groups, especially starred wolves. A wolf can keep up with a player for a long time, and if the player runs out of stamina there is little room to fight or escape.

Their bite attack comes in three variations: a left-swinging bite, a right-swinging bite, and a lunging bite. Each variation has its own 5-second cooldown, but in practice wolves usually strike in rapid succession before briefly backing off. The attack reaches about 2 meters and covers a narrow horizontal arc, so close-range timing matters. Wolves are also relatively easy to stagger despite their threat, and a fully upgraded Iron Sword can stun a wolf in a single hit.

Because of their speed, the safest responses are usually to control distance or use terrain. Players can try to break line of pursuit by quickly gaining or losing height, or by taking shelter in a cave. Bows are effective, and standing on a high stone or other elevated position lets the player shoot wolves while staying out of reach. If surrounded, wide-area weapons are preferable, such as a two-handed mace, an Atgeir, or a Battleaxe. When several wolves are present, it is best to isolate them and eliminate them one at a time. If a starred wolf is in the group, it should be focused first, since its increased damage can stun a player immediately and kill in only a few hits.

Wolves can be tamed and make strong allies, both when following the player and when roaming around built structures. Taming a starred wolf must begin at night, because nighttime wolves try to despawn during the day. Once taming has started, the wolf will no longer flee and will also eat during the day. If attacked or if another wolf is killed, a tamed wolf does not retaliate; instead it becomes frightened and runs around briefly before returning to normal. Taming takes 30 minutes if enough food is supplied.

Wolves can breed if they are happy and well-fed with Boar Meat or other raw meat, except wolf meat, seeker meat, and bear meat. Breeding also requires another wolf within 3 meters and no more than 4 wolves within 10 meters. Once conditions are met, the wolves build love points until pregnancy begins. Pregnancy lasts at least 1 minute, after which a baby wolf is born. The baby wolf takes 50 minutes to mature into an adult.

Wolves drop Wolf Pelt, raw meat, Wolf Fang, and a wolf trophy. Higher-star wolves drop more of the first three items, while the trophy drop rate remains the same. Star ranking also affects size, with a 2-star wolf being noticeably larger than a 0-star wolf.

A few other practical details stand out:

• Wolves try to fight Serpents.
• Tamed wolves can be transported by boat, but they do not like staircases, so a flat dock works best.
• Wolves can take collision damage if placed on top of a boat, which can instantly kill them.
• When wolves are left in areas where enemies drop meat, they can sustain and multiply quickly, making an area very safe but also creating overpopulation problems.
• Tamed wolves set to follow a player will remain where they are if the player logs out or moves beyond detection range, then resume following when the player returns.
• Wolves have infinite stamina and can swim long distances while following.
• They can stand on steeper slopes than the player, which makes them useful when climbing cliffs.