Top 10 Best AC Valhalla Builds [2023]

Players get to control a Norwegian Viking called Eivor in Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, who can be a male or a female leading protagonist. Regardless of what you do in the game, there is more than one way to play it. That is why we have curated AC Valhalla best builds guide and listed our top ten builds to try in the game.

First and foremost, let’s summarize our Top AC Valhalla Builds and compare them in the table below:

Best Assassins Creed Valhalla Builds

Strengthening your character as the game proceeds will help you fight battles and level up faster. You can play the casual way by investing in skills and abilities and wearing high-quality weapons and armor. However, that is not the only way to conquer England in AC Valhalla.

Builds are the core components when we talk about surviving, taking combat to another level, and creating an element that attaches meaning to your character in the game. Creating Assassin’s Creed Valhalla best build requires extensive knowledge about the skill tree, abilities, armor, and weapons. It is because a build can only be created by combining these four elements in the game.

So, knowing the kind of character you want to be; you need to keep the weapon, armor, skills in mind. From the many varying builds to choose from such as AC Valhalla Excalibur build and more, we have accumulated the best according to a player’s individual style, strength, and level.

The Assassin Build

The Assassin Build doesn’t require a lot of stamina and gives more speed. It focuses on stealth, faster movement, and a serious damage impact. To create a perfect assassin build, most of the skills will be unlocked from the yellow skill tree. 

Armor

Equipping two armor pieces of the Mentor’s Armor Set will allow you to have an increase in critical hits. However, if you get your hands on the complete five set pieces, you will also get an additional increase in movement speed. This build is more or less incomplete without a full Mentor’s armor set (regardless of the armor rarity). On a positive note, Mentor’s armor is one of the best armor sets in AC Valhalla. 

Weapons

The weapon choice for this build is comparatively more flexible than some other builds. You can use the Raven Clan Shield which will protect you from attacks and smoke bombs to put your enemies to sleep.

Depending on the situation you are in, if you are not discovered by the enemies then a hidden blade will be your go-to weapon, otherwise, Varin’s Axe will also do. Whatever you pick, we have the following recommended weapons. You can pick other weapons to make this setup one of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s best builds, however, we implore you to go with these for an efficient Assassin build in the game.  

• Raven Clan Shield
• Varin’s Axe
• Hidden Blade
• Smoke Bomb

Skills

• Backstab: This skill will be the most used one while rocking an Assassin build. Whenever Eivor lands on an enemy’s back, the target will get damage done to the defense bar and will also likely be staggered by the attack.
• Advanced Assassination: Taking unaware enemies down is easier when they are at lower levels in the game. However, unlocking this skill will ensure you can do the same for the targets that are on a higher level.
• Explosive Corpse: This skill gives Eivor the ability to rig a dead body and explode it whenever another enemy comes and inspects it. For a stealth build, this is a very useful skill in the field.
• Chain Assassination: There will be moments where you get the opportunity to slay multiple enemies, and without unlocking this skill you will miss out on executing chain assassinating targets. 
• Breakfall: The stealth build requires Eivor to change locations and sometimes it will involve jumping from a height that could be fatal. Unlocking this skill will ensure Eivor rolls automatically while jumping from a height so as to get reduced damage.
• Assassin’s Cantrip: Remaining undetected and killing targets is the primary goal of the Assassin build. However, once you are discovered after performing a successful assassination, you can throw a smoke bomb and vanish in the wind if you unlock this skill.

How To Play

Using the recommended skills, weapons, and armor we have mentioned above, you will be able to remain a stealthy and silent assassin. Staying out of sight and above the ground level should always be prioritized while rocking the assassin build. However, you must avoid direct confrontations with the crowd and must hide or runaway only to strike the enemy back when they are unaware of you. 

The Stealth Build

The stealth build is one of AC Valhalla best builds as it leaves more room for you to widely explore the areas from the shadows and avoid direct engagements with the enemies. The armor set is hardwearing and comes with its fair share of bonuses. If you have two or more pieces from this armor, you will have plenty of health advantages, but having the full set of armor will add to your damage output when you take serious hits. This build is very well-rounded in all aspects and can easily lead you to higher levels in the game.

Armor

Armor is the primary element while creating a build. For a perfect stealth build, we recommend picking up the “The Raven Clan” armor set. It is because the yellow-colored gear or Raven favors the stealthy type of and pure assassin style of gameplay. Moreover, equipping the complete five armor set pieces allows you to deal with increased critical hit damage, which is pretty useful if you want to be stealthy and attack enemies from the shadows. 

So regardless of armor rarity, you will get the following set bonuses if you wear the complete Raven Clan armor set and create a stealthy build.

Recommended Weapons

After wearing a proper armor set that suits the playstyle of your build, weapons are the second important factor while creating a build. For a proper assassin-style AC Vallhalla stealth build, we recommend picking up the following weapons in the game. 

• Hundtoth
• Yngling Seax
• Death-speaker Needler (bow)
• Raider Axe

Skills

Even if you have Assassin’s Creed Valhalla best build armor set and weapons for the Stealth setup, it will not be useful without equipping the proper skills from the Stealth skill tree. The yellow skill tree that you see under the Skills tab of the pause menu is the primary tree you need to invest in. Here are our suggested skills that are suitable for the perfect Assassins Creed stealth build. 

• Backstab: A blow on an enemy’s back will result in increased damage. This will also stagger that particular enemy for a short time, giving you some time to attack again. 
• Advanced Assassination: While taking out small-level enemies will become repetitive and an easy task, it is the higher-level enemies that you need to focus on. The Advanced Assassination skill gives Eivor the ability to assassinate higher-level enemies. This skill also gives a timing-based attack, which also makes sneak attacking quite useful.
• Chain Assassination: Taking out multiple targets is the most important element of stealth build. That is why the Chain Assassination skill must not be ignored. After executing a successful assassination on an enemy, Eivor will get the option to throw an axe at a nearby enemy.
• Auto-Loot: In the heat of taking out enemies via stealth, you will miss out on looting the items from the dead enemies. That is why you must unlock the Auto-Loot skill which allows Eivor to grab the loot when an enemy dies via melee kill or stealth takedown.
• Assassin’s Cantrip: Finally, the stealth build works better if you remain undiscovered. In case you are spotted, having unlocked the Assassin’s Cantrip skill will allow you to vanish by throwing a smoke bomb at your feet.    

How To Play

The name of the build pretty much gives away how you should be playing after equipping the necessary items and gear in the stealth build. You will have to make direct engagements or confrontations with the enemies a secondary objective. It is because the extra critical hit damage that you get after wearing all five armor set pieces will give you enough damage output to take out enemies from the shadows.

That is why you must prioritize eliminating as many enemies as possible by doing sneak attacks and once your cover is blown, try to hide and repeat the same process. Otherwise, if you find less number of enemies in the area, then unleash your biking barbarism on them.  

The Berserker Build

What sets The Berserker Build apart from other builds is the speed. With this build you can attack your enemies fast with a fair amount of damage, it also excels in one on one fights, so fighting a boss is less challenging.

Using The Housecarl’s axe with this build will make your character stronger since it increases attack and critical damage after each hit to up to 10 times and gives 15 attacks. If you get the Viper Bow, it will increase the critical chance to up to 30 and it also increases the damage done with headshots. 

Armor

The Berserker build favors a playstyle that unleashes speedy attacks and critical hits. That is why we believe Mentor’s armor is the perfect fit for it, which also makes the setup one of AC Valhalla best builds. This armor set increases speed and attack after landing critical hits on enemies, which when combined with the weapons mentioned below, will make batting a couple of enemies extremely easy. 

Equipping all five set pieces of Mentor’s armor will give Eivor two set bonuses: landing critical hits increases attack damage and also increases attack speed. Both of these traits are excellent for Berserker since you’d want to attack at great speeds using axe or bow. 

Recommended Weapons

Here is a list of recommended weapons that we believe go well with the “The Berserker build”. You can go with sharp weapons such as an axe or if you fancy an archer in AC Valhalla, then we have also recommended a bow as well. 

• Housecarl’s Axe
• Viper Bow
• Sepulcher Axe
• Death Skald

Skills

Unlocking or picking up the proper skills is the key to getting the most out of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Berserker build. Most of the skills with this build will be from the Melee and Ranged skill trees. 

• Adrenaline Fiend: This skill gives Eivor passive damage and an attack-speed boost whenever one or more adrenaline slots are filled. 
• Adrenaline Upgrade: Unlocking this skill gets +1 Adrenaline Slot to Eivor, which becomes pretty useful while engaging in combat.
• Light Bow Combo: Using the bow after unlocking this skill increases Eivor’s light bow damage by landing consecutive shots on enemies in the field.
• Bow to Melee Link: Switching the weapons between the bow and main weapon will increase the overall damage for a short duration. It is a must-have skill for “The Berskerker” build since you will need to rely on both weapon types.    
• Grit: Faster attacks are the primary focus of this build and this is why having the “Grit” skill allows Eivor to regain the red portion of the health bar by attacking enemies with melee attacks quickly.  
• Warrior Takedown: This skill allows you to alert enemies by executing a takedown attack. Eivor then gets adrenaline-filled which is great for increased attack speed and boosted damage that you get from the Adrenaline Fiend skill.

How To Play

The Berserker Assassin’s Creed Valhalla build heavily focuses on mid to close-range combat. That is why direct engagements are preferred be it using a bow or melee weapon. Other than that, this build shines the best when you have maxed out adrenaline slots, because they buff your damage and speed, giving you more edge while fighting enemies in the field. So, always prioritize doing quick attacks to fill the adrenaline bar and the easiest way would be to use a bow and fire consecutive arrows at enemies. Once you have filled the adrenaline slot to 75% or more, use your melee weapon and take out as many enemies as possible.   

The Poison Build

The Poison build in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla gives your enemies a slow death and makes the overall process of taking them down easy. This build contains skills from stealth (yellow) and melee (red) trees. 

Armor

Using the Thegn Armor set for this build enables more damage but you need to add attack runes to increase damage output. Try adding 2 feeder runes for -3 on weight and 2 feeder runes on thegn’s cloak for another -3, this will help lower the weight which ultimately lowers the stamina consumption.

Weapons

• Death-Speaker (bow)
• Doppelhander
• Sepulcher Axe
• Vordr’s Bite

Skills

• Miasma
• Backstab
• Assassin’s Cantrip
• Perfect Attack
• Parry Damage

How To Play

The primary mode of engagement while rocking AC Valhalla poison build should be to first strike an unaware enemy and then engage in combat. It is because the build contains a mix of stealth and melee skills. 

The Huntsman Ranger Build

Unlike the poison build, the Huntsman Ranger Build allows you to attack from a distance, which is one of the advantages. This build allows you to kill enemies of any level within 1-3 attempts, making this versatile setup one of AC Valhalla best builds. Getting two sets of Huntsman Armor will increase your range damage to 20+ meters and getting the Raven Rune will enable range damage for when you are low on health. Overall, the Huntsman Ranger build in AC Valhalla focuses on the range and allows you to explore more weapons.

Armor

The Huntsman armor set is by far the perfect armor type that favors a ranged build such as Hunstman Ranger in the game. When you equip all five armor set pieces of this equipment, you will get increased ranged damage on targets if you are at a distance of 20 meters or away. Other than that, the armor set also increases the speed of Eivor as well while attacking enemies in the field. 

Recommended Weapons

Here is the list of weapons we recommend picking up. You’d mostly rely on the bow we mentioned here but in certain situations, you will also need to rely on a melee weapon. 

• Fyrd Axe
• Hundtoth Dagger
• Hunnish Bow

Skills

Since the Huntsman Ranger build is based on a medium-long-range engagement with the enemies, most of the skills we have suggested here are from the Ranged (blue) skill tree. 

• Stealth Recon: Knowing where enemies are will allow you to deal headshot hit damage and that is why Stealth Recon skill must be unlocked. 
• Charged Shot: This skill allows Eivor to fire two charged arrows at once using a Hunter bow, dealing a good amount of damage to a target. The drawn bow attack can not be canceled. 
• Bow to Melee Link: Since you will have to rely on a melee weapon at times, unlocking this skill will give Eivor increased damage while switching from a bow to a melee weapon or vice versa.  
• Hunter Bow Combo: After firing an arrow, the next shot will be drawn at a faster rate, allowing you to have a higher damage per second as you keep hitting enemies. 
• Arrow Reinforcement: Broken arrows will no longer be a problem as this skill eliminates loose arrows from getting broken. The arrows can later be collected from enemies and reused.  

How To Play

The Huntsman Ranger build is functional if you manage to maintain your distance from foes and strike them. Unlocking all the skills that we have suggested above should be prioritized as, without these skills, Eivor will be powerless against the foes in the field. Other than that, the “Bow to Melee Link” skill should give you the required melee power to attack enemies should you get into a close combat situation.   

Thor’s Build

When it comes to ranking AC Valhalla best builds, Thor’s build is our favorite. This build is for those who have reached the highest level while playing AC Valhalla. This build will add a bonus to your speed whenever you stun an enemy and will help you level up faster in the game since you are not easy to beat while rocking Thor’s build in the game.

You can use the Mjolnir hammer which enables good chances of stun damage to your enemies. Adding extra stun runes to the hammer will only further increase your chances, and you can add the Blunt Rune or the Great Blunt Rune. The Mjolnir hammer with the shield increases your block. Thor’s Helmet is the ultimate protective gear that you can wear, it also increases speed after you stun an enemy.

Armor

Thor’s Armor is all about doing the maximum stun status effect possible. Wearing all the five-set pieces, regardless of the armor’s rarity, will give Eivor two set bonuses: increased speed after stunning foes and increased ability to stun more enemies easily. Stunning enemies open the window of opportunity to hit back and potentially eliminate a target, making it hard for enemies to strike Eivor back. So, for an efficient Thor’s build, you must get all five set pieces which include Thor’s helmet, Cape, Gauntlets, Battle Plate, and Breeches.    

Weapons

Here is the list of suggested weapons that suits Thor’s build. Of course, the Mjolnir hammer would be the primary weapon of choice because it does the highest amount of stun in AC Valhalla. 

• Mjolnir Hammer
• Briton Shield
• Gungnir (optional)
• Arc of Elan

Skills

Here is the list of skills that we think are critical while creating Thor’s Assassin’s Creed Valhalla build. Of course, you can always unlock more but these ones should not be left out. 

• Terror: After performing a stunning finisher, nearby enemies may run away out of fear. This skill allows you to be effective in crowd control. 
• Adrenaline Fiend: Since Thor’s build depends heavily on melee-based attacks, unlocking this skill allows Eivor to receive a damage boost and attack speed. Adrenaline Fiend skill kicks in when one or more than one adrenaline slot gets filled after combating enemies in the field.
• Berserker’s Mettle: It wouldn’t be fair if you don’t play recklessly after equipping Thor’s build. This skill gives you the liberty to be less considerate when attacking enemies as a partially filled adrenaline bar will not get disturbed even if an enemy strikes Eivor. 
• Stomp: This melee skill gives Eivor the ability to stomp an enemy’s face whenever they fall down to the ground while fighting you. Stomp drains a significant amount of health and can also be used as a final non-lethal blow to take down an enemy. 
• Bow To Melee Link: If you use Mjolnir and Arc of Clan while in combat, having unlocked this skill will significantly enhance your melee and ranged weapons’ power whenever you alternate between the two. 
• Last Chance Healing: As a last-stand measure, unlocking this skill will slow down the time if Eivor is about to get a death blow. This is a must-have skill while rocking Thor’s build as it allows you to stay alive longer.

How To Play

As evident from the weapon choice and skills we suggested above, pure reckless melee combat is the way you should play while going with Thor’s build. Using the Mjolnir hammer, Eivor will be able to stun more enemies which can later be taken out pretty easily. The Arc of Clan is a plus point for players who want to fancy a bow and arrow while using Thor’s build. Overall, you’d have to be up close and personal after going with this AC Valhalla build.  

The Heavy Build

A heavy build puts emphasis on surviving the hordes of enemies, hitting them hard with melee weapons, and just becoming the ultimate Viking you were supposed to be. It all boils down to your understanding of combat in AC Valhalla, however, surviving the assault will be the last challenging thing you will have on your plate after rocking a heavy build.

Armor

For an efficient heavy build in AC Valhalla, it’d be a better idea to use the Brigandine Armor set. Even though it is heavy, it will help you to fight battles against a larger group. Wearing all five set pieces of this armor set will give Eivor two set bonuses: increased armor whenever two or more two enemies surround you and increased melee hit damage. 

Weapons

Here is the list of weapons that go well with the heavy build. You can go with a hammer instead of Excalibur, however, that’d drain more stamina. Also, if you are interested in AC Valhalla Excalibur build, then this setup may give you a glimpse of what the weapon can offer. In any case, here is the list of our favorite weapon picks for this build: 

• Excalibur
• Bloodwulf Shield
• Skadi’s Wrath

Skills

Since you will be engaging directly with the enemies so all of the skills will be from Melee’s (red) skill tree.

• Adrenaline Fiend: This skill is the go-to one for the heavy build. It significantly boosts the damage and attack speed as you accumulate more adrenaline bars, making Eivor a killing machine. 
• Adrenaline Upgrade: The skill increases plus one slot for the adrenaline bar, giving you the liberty of using abilities frequently. 
• Stomp: Unlocking this skill gives Eivor the ability to Stomp enemies, which can also potentially be used to kill enemies while having low health.  
• Perfect Attack: This skill ensures that the next swing of the blade Eivor slashes on an enemy should inflict more damage. The perfect attack skill is triggered by pressing R1 again while performing a weapon swing.
• Parry Damage: Since you’d be combating enemies up close and personal, parrying will be the second most used action besides attacking. That is why this skill will inflict damage every time you perform a perfect parry on an incoming attack. 
• Warrior Takedown: The skill allows you to initiate a melee-based takedown on an unaware enemy by pressing R2. Eivor will alert enemies in proximity but also will gain adrenaline.

How To Play

Using Excalibur as the primary weapon of choice in the heavy build, the playstyle heavily involves attacking and parrying incoming damage. If you get a chance to do a sneak attack, by all means, utilize the opportunity and fill your adrenaline bar so that you can get the damage and attack speed boost while engaging in combat. 

The Fire Build

As clear as the name is, the fire-build in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla allows Eivor to deal fire as the basic hit damage on enemies. We have suggested the complete fire build which consists of armor, weapons, skills, and how you should play after equipping all components of the build. This is a challenging setup to make but at the end of the road, you will have one of AC Valhalla best builds at your disposal.

Armor

For an efficient fire build, we recommend picking up Thegn’s Armor set or Mentor’s Armor set, however, the former is our favorite pick than the latter. That is because Thegn’s armor set is relatively easier to acquire and increases critical hit chance and critical hit damage; which we want in this fire build.

Weapons

You can use a mix of weapons for the fire build, one weapon is the Fyrd Spear which increases speed when you’re dodging. You can also use the Sepulcher Axe which ignites the weapon after critical hits and if you want to increase your speed after every hit, go for the Areadbhair spear. To increase your critical chance, pick up the Spartan Bow. Overall, this build will help you move faster in the game because it focuses on attack and dodge.

Our favorite pick for the fire build in AC Valhalla is Sepulcher Axe. This weapon has a perk that allows you to ignite the axe after landing critical hits on enemies. Other than that, you can pick the following weapons as well.

• Fyrd Spear
• Sepulcher Axe
• Spartan Bow
• Sarcophagus Shield

Skills

The list of skills we have suggested is from Melee’s (red) skills tree. Most of these skills prioritize or favor the usage of the main weapon in the field as opposed to having passive buffs.

• Perfect Attack: The more you use your weapon, the greater you get chance of landing critical hits. That is why this skill will allow Eivor to deal more damage on the follow-up swing weapon attack. 
• Adrenaline Fiend: This skill is the meat of fire build as wielding a fire-axe, and receiving a boost in damage and attack speed will make Eivor menacing Viking in the field.
• Battlefield Cremation: Whenever your fire attacks kill an enemy, the body will continue to burn and will apply the burn status effect to nearby enemies as well. This is a very useful skill while using a fire build.
• Adrenaline Upgrade: Having one more adrenaline slot will ensure that you get to trigger your abilities more often.
• Stomp: Stomping on fallen enemies is a great skill to land a killing blow. That is why this skill suits well with the fire build. 

How To Play

When it comes to playing as a fire build in AC Valhalla, the go-to method should be direct engagements with enemies and dealing as many critical hits as possible. Assuming you use the Sepulcher Axe, then you’d be able to trigger the fire effect of the weapon as soon as you land critical hits, burning your enemies and dealing an enormous amount of damage. Other than that, the skills we recommended will also help you in clearing out waves of enemies in the field easily.

The Warlord Build

As the name implies, this build is fit for a Viking. You can fight the boss and various enemy blockades pretty easily since this build increases your health as your progress in the battles enabling you to fight more enemies and move faster in the game.

Armor

Using the Brigandine Armor set will help fight more than two enemies which is an important aspect for a warlord and if you want to do something different with this build, you can try using the Mentor’s armor set as well because it is lightweight and increases attack after a critical hit. For weapons, you can explore a variety of options, all you need to keep in mind is that you should have something that increases speed, critical chance, and critical hit.

Recommended Weapons

Here is a list of weapons that go pretty well with the Warlord build in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.

• Fafnir’s Fang
• Suttungr’s Claw
• Death-Skald

Skills

Here are the must-have skills you should unlock while rocking the warlord build in the game.

• Adrenaline Fiend: Unlocking this skill is a must if you want to overpower Eivor in terms of damage and speed boost. When one or more adrenaline slots get filled while fighting enemies, you get the passive buffs via the Adrenaline Field skill.
• Adrenaline Upgrade: Having one more adrenaline slot will ensure you get to trigger abilities more often while in combat.  
• Stomp: The stomp can be used as a quick finishing move when enemies are down on the ground. That is why unlocking you must unlock the Stomp skill and bash enemies’ skulls by pressing the R3 button.  
• Perfect Attack: Having a powerful blade or hammer has little functionality if it does not deal decent damage. That is why the perfect attack skill ensures that the next swing of your weapon hits the target with increased damage. 
• Parry Damage: Since you will be taking the fight head-on, having the ability to deal damage while landing a successful parry will prove to be bliss.
• Warrior Takedown: The warlord build demands you to be reckless while engaging in combat with the enemies. However, before entering the direct confrontation, this skill allows you to get quick adrenaline by performing an R2 takedown on a target. 

How To Play

The warlord build in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla requires you to not run away from a fight and engage with the crowd head-on. The Brigandine armor set will provide the extra armor and damage boost when you confront a large group of enemies. Other than that, the Fafnir’s Fang and Suttungr’s Claw are both excellent weapons that will ensure you eliminate enemies without much trouble. 

The Holy Build

The holy build is a unique setup you can fancy in AC Valhalla. This is one of the few builds that not only have a dedicated named armor but the weapons as well. 

Armor

The Saint George armor set comes with most of the weapons and advantages needed in battle.

Weapons

You will need the Saint George’s sword which takes out enemies easily with its high critical hits. For protection, the Saint George’s shield works finely, it also increases the Melee Damage. The bracers increase attack after impaling an enemy and they also add to the speed. Try to get the complete Saint George set as it will make you more powerful and help you during fights with bosses and more. If you are after a named Assassin’s Creed Valhalla best build, then the holy build is the perfect fit for you.

Skills

• Perfect Attack: Since you’d be focusing on getting more critical hits, why not take it up a notch and get more damage with each weapon’s swing? Perfect attack skill grants you to deal extra damage. 
• Sprint Bash: This skill allows Eivor to sprint and tackle an enemy to the ground which later can be followed by a stomp or a few sword slashes before the enemy gets back on their feet. 
• Stomp: This skill can be used to deal with a decent amount of an enemy’s health at the start of confrontation or can be used as a finisher while the health is low. 
• Terror: If striking fear in the heart of enemies’ is your motive for the Holy build, then terror skill is the perfect fit. Enemies will run away from you after you perform a stun-finisher.  
• Adrenaline Fiend: Saint George’s sword is an excellent weapon of choice for the Holy build. However, if you have unlocked this skill, you can deal increased damage and get more attack speed boost whenever one or more adrenaline slots get filled.
• Parry Damage: Parrying attacks become the order of the day if your Assassin’s Creed Valhalla build is centered around direct confrontation. So, unlock this skill and damage enemies by performing perfect parry attacks.

Conclusion

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla offers players the liberty to approach conflict and engage with enemies however they like. However, builds are the fancy way to play the biking era in style. Well, this wraps our AC Valhalla best builds guide. Have you ever tried any of the builds we have mentioned? Let us know more of your thoughts in the comments section below. 

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