Northgard is a real-time strategy game about leading a Viking clan to settle a new land. Before each match, you choose the clan you'll play as, and that choice shapes how your people grow, research and fight. The Northgard clans range from the ones in the base game to paid add-ons, and each one plays in its own way.
Availability
Base game
Stag (Eikthyrnir)
Extra starting resources and territory Fame help Stag grow its economy early.
- Play style
- Economy and Fame
- Leader
- Brand
- Unique units and systems
- The Hall of Skalds and Skalds anchor a Fame-focused economy.
- PC availability
- Definitive Edition base game
Goat (Heidrun)
A sheep-and-feast economy that starts with extra food production.
- Play style
- Feasts and sheep farming
- Leader
- Harvald
- Unique units and systems
- Sheepfolds, feasts, and the Eldhrumnir relic support a food-focused settlement.
- PC availability
- Definitive Edition base game
Wolf (Fenrir)
Animal kills feed an aggressive warband that costs less Food to maintain.
- Play style
- Early combat and clearing
- Leader
- Egil
- Unique units and systems
- Egil leads a combat-focused clan whose Berserker can colonize cleared zones.
- PC availability
- Definitive Edition base game
Raven (Huginn & Muninn)
Raven pays Kröwns to expand and uses its fleet to explore and raid.
- Play style
- Trade and exploration
- Leader
- Liv
- Unique units and systems
- The Harbor, Sailors, and sea-launched Mercenary raids define Raven's economy and military.
- PC availability
- Definitive Edition base game
Bear (Bjarki)
Bear can keep its economy and army steadier through winter.
- Play style
- Winter endurance and melee combat
- Leader
- Borgild
- Unique units and systems
- Kaija, the Armored Bear, and winter-resilient military units are the clan's signature forces.
- PC availability
- Definitive Edition base game
Boar (Slidrugtanni)
Boar grows through lore, wildlife, and the extra population gained from expansion.
- Play style
- Lore and wildlife
- Leader
- Svarn
- Unique units and systems
- Menders, friendly wildlife, and improved blessings set Boar apart.
- PC availability
- Definitive Edition base game
Snake (Sváfnir)
Snake uses Signy's Scorched Earth and Skirmishers instead of Fame progression.
- Play style
- Stealth raids and harassment
- Leader
- Signy
- Unique units and systems
- Signy, Skirmishers, Scorched Earth, and copied Knowledge support hit-and-run play.
- PC availability
- Definitive Edition base game
Dragon (Nidhogg)
Dragon turns Thralls and sacrifices into a growing economy and Dragonkin warband.
- Play style
- Population, sacrifice, and Dragonkin
- Leader
- Surtr
- Unique units and systems
- Thralls, Dragonkin, and the Sacrificial Pyre build the clan's Dragon Essence system.
- PC availability
- Definitive Edition base game
Horse (Svadilfari)
Two warchiefs replace ordinary miners and smiths, turning crafting into Horse's main strength.
- Play style
- Mining, crafting, and upgrades
- Leader
- Brok and Eitria
- Unique units and systems
- Brok and Eitria do the mining and forging; Völund's Forge supports tool, weapon, and relic crafting.
- PC availability
- Definitive Edition base game
Lion (Neustria)
Lion builds Livability around military camps and spends Faith to recruit its army.
- Play style
- Faith, Livability, and military development
- Leader
- Hildegard
- Unique units and systems
- Hildegard, Faith-based recruitment, Livability, Monks, and Paladins distinguish the Southern Kingdom.
- PC availability
- Definitive Edition base game
Availability
Paid DLC
Kraken (Lyngbakr)
Kraken turns coastal fishing and Wyrd into a growing spectral army.
- Play style
- Coastal fishing and spectral units
- Leader
- Kàra
- Unique units and systems
- Wyrd, the Hörgr, Spectral Warriors, Norns, and Valkyries shape the clan's coastal economy and army.
- PC availability
- Paid DLC
Ox (Himminbrjotir)
Ox invests in a durable, expensive warband that scales with military size.
- Play style
- Late-game military scaling
- Leader
- Torfin
- Unique units and systems
- Torfin can recover Ancestral Equipment; his Throne and the clan's powerful warband support a slower start and stronger scaling.
- PC availability
- Paid DLC
Lynx (Brundr & Kaelinn)
Lynx turns animal hunts into trophies that strengthen its ranged units and lynxes.
- Play style
- Hunting and ranged combat
- Leader
- Mielikki
- Unique units and systems
- Brundr, Kaelinn, Trackers, Hunters, Hunting Trophies, and Lures form the clan's hunting system.
- PC availability
- Paid DLC
Squirrel (Ratatoskr)
Squirrel gathers ingredients and cooks Meals instead of holding Feasts.
- Play style
- Cooking and resource stockpiling
- Leader
- Andhrimnir
- Unique units and systems
- The Stove, Cooks, Ingredients, and Meals replace the usual Feast system; Ratatoskr has its own victory condition.
- PC availability
- Paid DLC
Rat (Dodsvagr)
Rat begins with wounded workers and uses overwork and the Purification Pyre to keep its settlement growing.
- Play style
- Population growth and overwork
- Leader
- Eir
- Unique units and systems
- Eir, the Shaman Camp, Purification Pyre, and Overwork let Rat trade health and corpses for growth and Lore.
- PC availability
- Paid DLC
Eagle (Hræsvelg)
Eagle sends Hawks to scout, then uses Boneyards to recover resources and heal units.
- Play style
- Exploration and scavenging
- Leader
- Grif
- Unique units and systems
- Aviaries, Falconers, Hawks, and Boneyards turn explored zones into a supply network.
- PC availability
- Paid DLC
Stoat (Kernev)
Stoat develops Duchies around Forts and collects Levies to support its settlements and allies.
- Play style
- Duchies, defense, and trade
- Leader
- Nominoë
- Unique units and systems
- Nominoë, Lords, Forts, Duchies, Levies, and Sentries define Stoat's defensive kingdom.
- PC availability
- Paid DLC
Owl (Vördr)
Owl turns wood gathering into Lore and shares its knowledge through branches planted across the map.
- Play style
- Lore gathering and knowledge sharing
- Leader
- Skuld, Verdandi, or Urdr
- Unique units and systems
- Norns, Branches of Yggdrasil, three possible warchiefs, and the Realms Unleashed victory belong to Owl.
- PC availability
- Paid DLC
Hounds (Garm)
Hounds sacrifices workers in Brawler Arenas and grows stronger through combat experience.
- Play style
- Military experience and evolving Berserkers
- Leader
- None; the clan has no Warchief
- Unique units and systems
- Brawler Arenas, Brawlers, Berserkers, and Fallen Souls replace standard military camps and upgrades.
- PC availability
- Paid DLC
Turtle (Hafgufa)
Turtle uses mobile Caravans to gather resources and grows its economy through trade.
- Play style
- Commerce and mobile caravans
- Leader
- Njörd
- Unique units and systems
- Njörd, Shopkeepers, Caravans, and the Andvaranaut Ring support Turtle's trade system.
- PC availability
- Paid DLC
Hippogriff (Gardariki)
Hippogriff uses Braziers and Sindri's forge to build an economy around the Varangian Guard.
- Play style
- Braziers, smithing, and military upgrades
- Leader
- Sindri
- Unique units and systems
- Sindri, Braziers, Furnace Keepers, Varangian Guards, and the Southern Artifice catapult are clan-specific.
- PC availability
- Paid DLC
What a Northgard clan is and how it plays
A clan is the group of Vikings you lead through a match, and each one plays differently from the rest. Each clan brings its own starting bonuses, strengths and weak spots, so your opening changes with the clan you pick. The clearest difference shows up in the lore tree, the set of upgrades you research during a match. Most of its options are shared, but each clan swaps some of them for its own, and those swaps change how the clan plays.
Many clans also bring their own units and buildings. Bear has the Kaija, Dragon has its Dragonkin, and Lynx has Brundr and Kaelinn. Owl brings the Norns, while Hounds field Brawlers and Berserkers. Those extras can change your whole plan, so they are worth learning early.
How warchiefs and Fame shape your clan
Most clans are led by a warchief, a leader who can fight alongside your people. Hiring one usually takes a military camp and a mix of Kröwns and Iron. Horse is the exception, since its two warchiefs are hired at the forge instead, and Hounds have no warchief at all. Losing a warchief in battle is a real setback, so it pays to keep them out of harm's way.
Fame builds up as you play, and it unlocks perks for your clan at set points, such as 200 and 500 Fame. Stag also has a further tier at 1,000 Fame. Snake is the exception: it doesn't use Fame at all, and its warchief Signy grows stronger with age instead. Because each clan's perks are its own, the same Fame total can mean something different depending on who you play.
Which Northgard clans come with the game and which are paid
The original game gives you Stag, Goat, Wolf, Raven, Bear and Boar. The Definitive Edition adds Snake, Dragon and Horse, and it includes the Cross of Vidar expansion, which brings the Lion. That gives you a good spread of playstyles before you spend anything more.
The rest are paid add-ons, and each one unlocks a single clan. You only need to buy the ones you want to play.
Best Northgard clans for beginners and which to try later
Stag and Goat are the picks most often recommended for new players. Stag's starting bonuses and simple food and wood management make it easy to get going, while Goat's sheep give a steady economy, though it builds up more slowly. Bear is another popular choice, with an easy start and a solid economy.
Dragon is one to try once you know the basics. Its Sacrificial Pyre is already in place near your Town Hall, and each sacrifice fills a gauge of Dragon Essence that unlocks bonuses.
Which Northgard clan fits your play style
Think about how you like to play first, since that narrows the field fast. If you enjoy a steady economy, Stag is built around its economy and Fame, Goat around feasts and sheep, and Rat around overwork and population. Squirrel is built around cooking, and Lynx around hunting.
If you want to fight early, Wolf is built around early combat, and Hounds grow through combat experience. Ox is the one for building up a large army late in the game, and Lion centers on Faith and military strength. Stoat leans toward duchies and defense if you'd rather hold your ground.
Raven is about trade and exploration, Turtle about caravans and commerce, and Eagle about scouting and scavenging. Kraken is the one for coastal fishing.
Horse is about mining and crafting, and Hippogriff about braziers and smithing. Boar mixes lore and wildlife, Owl is about lore sharing, and Bear is built for winter endurance. Snake suits stealth raids, and Dragon revolves around sacrifice and its Dragonkin.
FAQ
Which Northgard clan is the strongest?
There isn't one answer that holds for long. Balance patches keep changing clans, and a single match can be won in several different ways. The best clan for you is usually the one whose style you enjoy most.
Do I need to buy every clan DLC?
No. Start with the style you enjoy, then buy only the add-on for a clan that fits it. The base game and the Definitive Edition give you enough variety to learn the basics before you spend more.
What is the Lion clan in Northgard?
The Lion comes from the Cross of Vidar expansion, which adds a second campaign about scattered clans who survive Ragnarök and set out for a new home in the Southern Kingdoms. The Lion is built around Faith and military strength.