Is Northgard: Definitive Edition Worth Buying Over the Base Game?

Buy Northgard: Definitive Edition if you want immediate access to the full suite of solo Conquest paths, the Cross of Vidar narrative campaign, and complete faction drafting for competitive multiplayer. If you have not played Northgard before and want to confirm whether you enjoy its deliberate, survival-focused pacing, purchase the base game first.

Purchasing the base game allows you to test the resource management and harsh winter survival mechanics at an entry-level price. However, if you plan to play extensively, buying the Definitive Edition upfront avoids the higher cumulative cost of purchasing post-launch clans and expansions individually.

Content Breakdown: Base Game vs. Definitive Edition

The base edition of Northgard contains the fundamental mechanics required to play standard matches, while the Definitive Edition bundles all post-launch gameplay factions and major story expansions.

• Base Game: Includes the original eleven-chapter campaign, Rig's Saga, and the six original Viking clans: Eikthyrnir (Stag), Heidrun (Goat), Fenrir (Wolf), Huginn and Muninn (Raven), Bjarki (Bear), and Slidrugtanni (Boar). It features the standard Domination, Fame, Lore, and Commercial victory conditions.
• Definitive Edition: Includes the complete base game alongside the Cross of Vidar expansion campaign and all DLC clans released through the game's post-launch cycle.

How DLC Clans Affect Conquest and Multiplayer

The main advantage of the Definitive Edition is its expanded clan roster. Rather than offering minor statistical tweaks, DLC factions feature asymmetric mechanics that alter how you gather resources, expand borders, and manage combat:

• Clan of the Kraken (Lyngbakr): Discards standard commercial setups for Wyrd resources, coastal sea spirits, and submerged territory colonization.
• Clan of the Dragon (Nidhogg): Relies on thrall sacrifices and draconic gauges to gain military advantages, requiring careful population turnover.
• Clan of the Horse (Svafrnir): Deploys twin warchiefs, Brok and Eitria, who mine resources and forge Clan Relics directly on the map.
• Clan of the Lynx (Brundr and Kaelinn): Uses companion mythical felines and hunting trophies to control zones without standard scouting dependencies.

These mechanical variations directly expand Conquest mode, Northgard's procedurally generated solo and cooperative challenge mode. Each faction features a custom Conquest upgrade tree with unique passive modifiers and mission challenges. Owning the full roster unlocks distinct progression paths for every clan, multiplying the playable PvE content. For multiplayer, owning every clan ensures you can counter-pick opponent setups across varied procedural maps.

Campaign Comparison: Rig’s Saga vs. Cross of Vidar

The Definitive Edition adds the Cross of Vidar expansion, significantly changing the single-player campaign experience:

• Rig's Saga (Base Game): Functions as an extended tutorial across eleven missions. It teaches the core mechanics of surviving blizzards, rat infestations, and earthquakes while introducing standard base building.
• Cross of Vidar (Definitive Edition): Introduces non-Viking administrative factions, such as the Kingdom of Neustria, alongside dedicated Faith and piety systems. The mission design features multi-front warfare and fortified settlements, requiring tighter economic micro-management and greater tactical flexibility than the base campaign.

Choosing the Right Edition

Match your purchase to your budget and how much time you intend to spend on specific game modes:

If you enjoy tactical real-time strategy games where economic survival, villager happiness, and winter penalties matter as much as military combat, the Definitive Edition provides the highest long-term value. If you prefer high-APM skirmishes without settlement-survival constraints, test the base game before committing to the full bundle.