Northgard - 10 Tips & Tricks

1. Use villagers efficiently

Always keep an eye on your population , especially at the beginning! At the beginning, they are not unhappy and new residents arrive relatively quickly. The upper limit is reached relatively quickly, so you should always build enough houses , because every woman/man counts.

2. Plan wisely and proactively

The space in each area is very limited and you have to plan well. You always have to be clear about what might be important. Quarries in particular should be placed first and demolished as soon as the deposits have been mined. After that, other important buildings, such as a hut, can be placed.
Of course, WHERE you place buildings in the individual areas is also important. For example, fishing huts should not be built too far from the pond, but towers can be built as far from the country's border as possible. Enemies take longer to reach the tower and take a lot of damage in the process.

3. Manage resources without loss

Food and wood are particularly important components of the game. They are used up extremely quickly when plagues come, such as earthquakes, rat plagues and, worst of all, snowstorms . The latter is not to be trifled with, as the harsh weather will take everything from you if you have not accumulated enough. Shortly before a snowstorm, take all residents away from "less important" activities and let them collect food and wood. Don't build too many buildings during this time, as this will only cost valuable resources.
Also pay attention to the Kröwns , the currency in Northgard . When these run out, the buildings gradually start to burn. You also won't be able to afford warriors anymore. Trading with the Jötunn or owning several ports can be very lucrative.

4. Increase satisfaction

You will quickly notice that the villagers are ungrateful members of your clan. This is expressed in dissatisfaction , which weakens your production and prevents new recruits from spawning. In every clan there is a building that reduces dissatisfaction and makes your people happy again, for example a tavern, bard or brewery. In addition, later on in the knowledge table you can get different skills depending on the clan that increase satisfaction, such as more satisfaction the more military buildings.
If you want to increase happiness enormously for a short time, you can organize a feast . This not only increases happiness, but also speeds up the entire production. You shouldn't do this too often, though, because the feast becomes more expensive each time.

5. Optimize the division of labor

The good thing about Northgard is that no villager is tied to a job. You can always take them away from their current job and assign them a new task . Residents who have already been assigned can also be turned back into "normal" villagers. This can save your people's lives. Sometimes food is scarce, but all the buildings that produce food are occupied. For example, you can simply select a healer and assign him to the community center or a normal hut, and he will start collecting food again as a normal citizen.

6. Knowledge and skills lead to victory

When I send my sailors on a journey, it is only to generate new knowledge . I also send free settlers to the stones so that they can also gain knowledge. The faster you get to work, the faster you can get important skills in the knowledge table that will improve your production, satisfaction or combat strength.
It is also definitely worth investing the iron you have acquired in your worker groups as early as possible so that they work or fight better. But always keep 10 iron in reserve, because you can always use it for your war leader.

7. Lead warriors victoriously into battle

At the beginning you can get two normal warriors so that they can protect the areas or open up new ones. Soon you start to build up your army, but then soon only the axe throwers and the squires are worth it.
You should also let your war leader (eg the shield maiden) lead the way in battles, because he can deal and take the most damage. But as soon as his life bar drops below half, you should pull him back and let him act in the background. That way he will stay with you for a long time.

8. Fighting Properly

There are many different ways to fight and win . It all depends on your own clan and that of the others. Some rely heavily on their own defense, such as the Bear Clan with the bear that can only stay in its territory. Or there are clans that specialize in attack, such as the Ravens. They can attack from behind with their ships and usually attack your main house. Not only do they weaken production, but they can completely destroy you with just one move if the main house falls.
Often it is not the size of the army that matters, but how well they are already skilled. You shouldn't start skilling in the knowledge table too early, as the first points go towards production. But as soon as the enemies get closer, it would be better to start.

9. Heal quickly and effectively

A very important part of the game is healing . Settlers can be attacked or get sick during the winter. That's why you should build a healer's hut as early as possible and hire a healer who will constantly look after the warriors and other residents.
If an epidemic breaks out again, two healers are better. One healer cannot cope with the flu epidemic and could cost you settlers.

10. How to fight wild animals

Wolves: They are the easiest to fight. A warrior can easily kill a wolf.
Draugr: They are a bit more difficult and you need at least two warriors to wipe them out.
Bear: He should also be fought with several warriors because he is very strong.
Goblins: Just like the Jötuun, they can be friends (trading partners) or enemies if you attack them. Otherwise, they live passively in their territory.
Valkyries: Valkyries were passive until a certain point. But now they also like to visit other areas. That's annoying because they are really strong and you need at least 3-4 warriors to kill them.
Jötuun: If your opponent has gained the favor of the Jötunn before you, you will need a few warriors, but eventually the giant Bláinn will be finished.

You can find more gaming topics in my other blog posts !

Good luck with these Northgard tips! You can buy the game on Steam and find more information on the official Shiro Games website !

May Odin be with you!
Francy