Northgard is a fantastic real-time strategy game in which you play as Vikings battling for control of a mysterious new continent. You can enjoy a fun story mode adventure, or you can compete against your friends instead.
In Northgard, there are various Clans you can play as, all with different abilities and playstyles. The biggest challenge of this game is trying to survive the harsh winters. It can be difficult trying to learn how to utilize your resources, especially with a limited population to make use of. With that in mind, here are some beginner tips to help you get settled into Northgard.
Updated March 28, 2022, By Luke Ackroyd: Northgard (available on PC, Switch, and other consoles) is regularly updated with new features, such as the Beta release of a multiplayer lobby and rank system. The game has also released exciting new clans to play as DLC to help mix up your strategy.
Northgard continues to grow and evolve. So, here are some more tips for beginners to act as a guide to help you get to grips with this sometimes challenging strategy game. This includes details about the three main game modes, the map-maker, and a complete list of all the current clans you can choose to specialize in.
13 Story Mode Is Great For Learning The Basics
If you're looking for some helpful Northgard tips and tricks, a great place to start is with the Story Mode. You'll get used to the main gameplay mechanics of the game, such as needing to prepare for the dangerous temperature drops of a harsh winter each year. It introduces the main gameplay elements of the game gradually. It also has some unique, fun levels to explore, with different goals to reach. It is beneficial to play out at least the first few levels before jumping into the multiplayer mode with your friends.
The story is also quite interesting too. It's the classic tale of revenge. You play as Rig, a survivor of a tragic and brutal attack upon his clan, seeking to avenge his people and reclaim a mythical Regal Horn. You must set sail to Northgard, encountering various clans during your journey.
12 Normal Mode Vs. Ragnarok
Alongside the Story Mode, Northgard allows you to face off against the AI or your friends in an epic battle to claim control over Northgard. The classic mode for Northgard can be a tough challenge. But you can set the map's difficulty in terms of how hostile each area can be. You can also adjust the size of the map and what victory conditions are available. You can play in teams or let everyone battle it out in multiplayer mode. You have a lot of customization available to make a battle that you and your friends will enjoy. But, if you are looking for an even more significant challenge, then look no further than Ragnarok mode.
In Ragnarok, the entire map has been devastated. The difficulty can now go up to the extreme. Dangerous monsters and beasts will guard almost every tile between you and your enemies. You will have no farmland and need to rely on fishing and hunting instead. It can be tough to survive the challenges the land brings you in a standard game, but in Ragnarok, it can be incredibly tough. There is also now a Volcano tile that will hurl molten rocks into your territory. Make sure to mine these rocks within four months, or they will awaken as dangerous Rock Golems instead. Ragnarok is a fun challenge, but make sure you are ready for it. So, play a few rounds of the standard Northgard mode first.
11 Mods And Custom Maps Are Encouraged
In the game's starting menu, you can find a Creative tab. Within this menu, you will be able to quickly grab mods from the Steam Workshop or upload your own. You can also easily make your own custom maps. You can set the size, how hostile the world is, and what type of terrain it will have. You can also edit what factions are on the map and even decide the height of tiles. The interface is quick to grasp, so get creative.
Mods and custom maps are actively encouraged, and the game gives you everything you need to start working on them. So, if you have an excellent idea for a map, get to work on your design or browse what the community has created so far. This is a great feature that ensures that you'll never grow tired of Northgard.
10 Pick A Clan That Suits Your Playstyle
What makes Northgard a fantastic RTS game is its variety of playstyles. You don't just have to destroy your enemies to win the game. You could aim for fame, wisdom, or trade victories instead. These victory conditions can help you decide what style of play you would enjoy more.
If you want to focus on wisdom and building up lore, you'll enjoy playing as the Slidrugtanni Clan. If you prefer to set sail and attack from coasts, you should play as the Huginn and Muninn Clan. As you play more, you'll develop your style, so give all the clans a try and see what suits you best.
9 Build A Woodcutter's Lodge Right Away
The Woodcutter's Lodge is crucial to ensure you can progress in the early game. Almost everything requires logs to be constructed, so if you neglect to build a lodge, you could find yourself stuck at a standstill. It might be tempting to wait until you discover a forest, as they are the optimal places to have a Woodcutter's Lodge, but you can always move your woodcutters later on. Your focus should be on getting an excellent supply of wood right away.
Alongside the Woodcutter's Lodge, you should also prioritize building a House and a Scout Camp. These are key to expanding your territory and your population, so don't delay constructing them.
8 Keep An Eye On Your Scout
As with many other RTS games, exploration is key to figuring out your strategy. Consider having two Scouts, to begin with, to unlock the initial surrounding area quickly. After that, you can switch one Scout's role to put them to better use elsewhere.
Your Scout will automatically begin to explore new areas on a whim. But, if you specifically select what tile you want them to unlock, they will sprint to that location, speeding up the process. Make sure they search areas that are most beneficial to you. For example, suppose you have a rough idea of where your enemy might be. In that case, you might want to focus on beelining a route to their tile, rather than sporadically unlocking territory elsewhere.
7 Be Selective In How You Expand Your Territory
Every time you expand into new territory, it costs you some of your food supply. This cost will increase with each new territory. It can get expensive very quickly, so be selective in where you claim. You should also avoid buying territory right before winter when you need a surplus of food to survive.
You do not want to spread your mighty Vikings too thin, as then it will be tricky to defend your land. Expand gradually, but don't waste all of your food supply expanding into lands that are not as useful to you as others. You can examine what a piece of territory has to offer before you claim it. You'll want to prioritize lands with food sources early on and later lands with unique abilities.
6 Make Use Of Silos
Beginners need to know that food is vital for survival in Northgard. If you run out of food, your clan will become unhappy and unproductive. Initially, you only can store 500 stock of food. This is fine to begin with, but as the winters get harsher, this will soon not be enough.
Silos are vital. With the limited space you have in each of your territories, make sure that you have room for a silo if possible. Place them next to Farms and Fisherman's Huts to speed up the production process and increase your maximum food supply by 300. Food Silos should be a top priority, especially if you can upgrade them, as they also protect your food from rats.
5 Don't Let Happiness Drop Too Low
The morale of your clan is a vital game mechanic in Northgard. Unlike other RTS games in which you can gain villagers at any time, Northgard needs happiness to allow for a gradual increase in population. If your clan becomes unhappy, no more villagers will spawn. Be wary of the happiness tracker, as the more you expand and grow, the more difficult it becomes to maintain a happy Clan.
The best way to manage happiness is to invest in a Brewery. Each Brewer gives you two happiness. Feasts are also suitable as a last resort, boosting happiness and all other resources. But use these sparingly. They will cost more with each usage, so hold off on feasts, especially in the first year. It is also pointless to do this during winter, as winter will negate the bonuses.
4 Have Some Villagers Available For Repairs
It can be tempting to turn all of your villagers into specialized roles, but make sure you have one or two villagers around at all times. They are helpful for construction and repairs after attacks. If you are out of villagers during a crisis, you can still revert other roles to a villager by sending them to one of your houses.
When you take over a rival's territory, their burnings will begin to burn down slowly. If you have a villager nearby, you can quickly send them along to repair these as well so you can make use of your enemy's buildings without having to waste your supplies rebuilding.
3 Defense Towers Don't Count Towards The Building Limit
You often only have three spaces for buildings in a territory initially. But, your Defense towers will not count towards this building limit, so make sure to build them whenever you can. You're likely not to have a massive army, and they will often be raiding other territories rather than staying at home. This can make defense difficult from random events and attacks. Defense Towers are a great solution to this, keeping your domains safe at all times.
You should place these towers in the center of a territory. Their range will reach all parts of the zone no matter where they are placed. With a Tower in the center, it will take longer for enemies to reach it and attempt to take it down.
2 Be Tactical With Your Battles
Northgard is focused on Norse Mythology, which means you can often encounter quite deadly, fantastical monsters when exploring your surroundings. Fighting in Northgard is relatively simple, as you just need to select your army and select the zone you want to attack. But you shouldn't just let this happen unsupervised.
Be tactical with your battles by micromanaging your warriors. If one warrior has taken the brunt of the attacks, quickly select that individual and send them back to your territory to heal up while the others carry on. Two healers back at the base should be more than enough early on. You only have a limited supply of warriors, so it is crucial to play it safe and avoid letting them die as much as possible.
1 Upgrade Whenever You Can
Since you want to avoid expanding too quickly in Northgard, a good alternative is to make the most of your current buildings. Focus on upgrading your resource buildings first, such as the Woodcutter's Lodge and your Hunter's Lodge. This will allow you to assign more villagers to them and make them more productive.
In such a medieval setting, you won't ever get complicated technological upgrades for your clan, but that doesn't mean that research and development aren't still vital. Make sure you have some Loremasters when you get the chance to gain new abilities focused on your playstyle.