‘Northgard’ Guide: Tips, Tricks And Strategies For Beginners

“Northgard” is an interesting colony sim and RTS hybrid that pits players in session-based matches against AI or other people.

There’s plenty of stuff to learn here, but before diving deeper into the game’s more intricate mechanics, here are some important things that every beginner should know about first.

Clan Selection

As in all strategy games, each of the Viking clans in “Northgard” has unique strengths and weaknesses, and playing around these is essential to winning. The Eikthyrnir, simply known as the Stag Clan, generate more Fame than others, while the Wolf Clan have access to powerful Berserker units that spice up the way they fight.

The Bear Clan is arguably the best one for beginners since it negates much of the negative effects tied to the game’s winter mechanics. It also has access to an armored bear unit early in the game that’s suited for territory defense.

Basic Build Order

The most common build order in “Northgard” is as follows:

• Scout Camp
• Woodcutter’s Lodge
• Food Building
• Dock
• Second Woodcutter
• Second Food Building
• Mine

This is a solid starting build order that can kickstart a clan’s economy for the early game. However, since every map is randomly-generated, players may have to switch things up depending on what tiles they start out with. Send two Scouts to explore five or six areas, and then turn them back into normal villagers afterward.

Make a Training Camp depending on how many wolves are in the surrounding, and then train two Warriors. Turn them back into normal villagers after clearing out ambient enemies.

Victory Conditions

There are five victory conditions in the game by default: Domination, Fame, Trade, Wisdom and Map Special. Players should ideally focus on the condition that favors their clan’s strengths.

The Stag Clan, for example, can go for the Fame and Trade condition since they have special units that correspond to their respective objectives. Victory by Domination or Wisdom is still possible, but they’ll be at a notable disadvantage compared to other specialized clans.

Additional Tips

• Villager occupations can be swapped freely except for soldier roles
• Stone and iron are limited so spend them wisely
• Organize feasts whenever food is in surplus to boost productivity and prevent rats from spawning
• Trade Posts generate money even without trading with other factions
• Send a raiding boat to collect Fame instead of Lore once the mid-game begins
• Always have a Warchief ready
• Always be ready to defend against emergencies like Helheim invasions and coastal raids.