Strategy guide: how to defend against an advanced castle
We break down the best tactics to counter an enemy offensive build-up. The video shows how to deny the opponent's initiative, manage the transition to the Imperial Age, counterattack at the right moment, and exploit troop mobility to turn the situation around.
How does the Harald Hardrada trilogy work?
The Viking Sagas tells the story of Harald Hardrada across three connected campaigns you can play in any order: first Scandinavia, then service in Constantinople, finally the invasion of England. The choices you make in one campaign carry over to the next ones, so it's worth thinking about the consequences before every major decision, not just the immediate victory of the scenario.
Use the Jomsviking if you play as the Danes
The Danish unique unit throws flaming torches at range, ideal against enemy buildings and ships rather than troops. Pair the Jomsviking with a naval rush using longships: the Danes start with an edge at sea, so it's worth pushing that side early instead of waiting for the next age.
With the Saxons, focus on fortified towns
The Saxons get the most out of locking down territory with solid fortifications instead of expanding blindly. The Hearth Troop unique unit opens the fight with a ranged javelin before switching to melee: use it to break enemy formations before they reach your regular infantry.
Is it worth hunting Legendary Treasures?
Every scenario hides at least one Legendary Treasure, a permanent bonus for heroes, army or economy guarded by particularly strong enemies or actual beasts. They're not optional in name only: recovering them noticeably changes the pace of the game, but prepare a dedicated assault group instead of sending in whatever units you have on hand.
Minimize town center idle time
Keep villager production running at all times to grow your economy faster than the opponent: every second the town center sits idle is time the AI or a human player uses to pull ahead.
Deposit resources with economic buildings
Build a mill, mining camp or lumber camp near the resource you're exploiting: villagers can drop off their load there, effectively erasing the distance to the main storage.
Create quick control groups
Select a unit, hold CTRL and press a number to assign it to a control group: from then on you can recall that formation with a single key, without going back to the map with the mouse.
Use ALT to ignore buildings in battle
Holding ALT while selecting military units and right-clicking makes the game ignore enemy buildings and target units directly — useful for hitting archers or bombards hidden behind walls without wasting shots on the structures.
Generate extra gold with trade carts
In the later stages, send trade carts toward allied markets or docks: the longer the trade route, the more gold you earn per trip.
