Northgard: Which Starting Clan Should You Pick for Your Playstyle?

To pick the best starting clan in Northgard, match your preferred playstyle to each faction's primary economic engine, defensive buffer, and intended win condition.

The six core base-game clans each alter standard resource collection, winter survival, and military timing:

• Stag (Eikthyrnir): Best for balanced expansion, high starting stockpiles, and Fame victories.
• Goat (Heidrun): Best for defensive turtling, passive food generation, and surviving harsh winters.
• Wolf (Fenrir): Best for aggressive early combat, clearing hostile tiles, and Domination victories.
• Raven (Huginn & Muninn): Best for gold generation, coastal scouting, and indirect mercenary raids.
• Bear (Bjarki): Best for frontline attrition, winter combat advantages, and territory defense.
• Boar (Slidrugtanni): Best for inexpensive tile colonizing, passive lore income, and Wisdom victories.

Stag and Goat: Economic Foundations

Clan of the Stag (Eikthyrnir)

Stag starts each match with bonus Food, Wood, Krowns, and Lore. This buffer cushions early mistakes and accelerates territory acquisition.

Its unique building, the Hall of Skalds, replaces the standard Brewery to produce both Happiness and Fame. Reaching the 200 and 500 Fame thresholds quickly awards passive production increases and homeland resource shipments. Stag is best suited for players who want to build a stable domestic base before launching a large, well-funded military in year three, or for those aiming to secure an outright Fame victory.

Clan of the Goat (Heidrun)

Goat focuses entirely on food preservation and low-stress winter management.

Instead of relying solely on dedicated gatherers, Goat builds Sheepfolds to harvest passive Food from livestock. This setup frees up villagers to mine Stone and Iron or generate Krowns. Goat can slaughter sheep during severe blizzards for emergency food supplies or run low-cost Feasts to boost domestic and team-wide production. Because it lacks specialized offensive traits, Goat relies on defensive watchtowers and territorial defense while preparing its late-game economy.

Wolf and Bear: Military Control and Attrition

Clan of the Wolf (Fenrir)

Wolf converts aggressive combat directly into resources.

Through its Meat Harvest mechanic, killing neutral wolves and brown bears generates Food, allowing you to sustain aggressive tile clearing without staffing standard farms early. Once you acquire Iron, recruit your War Chief, the Berserker. The Berserker clears dangerous tiles independently and uses the Dominion skill to colonize cleared zones without spending Food. Wolf struggles if played passively: without constant kills and pressure on neutral dens or rival borders, its domestic economy falls behind other factions.

Clan of the Bear (Bjarki)

Bear excels at territorial defense and ignores standard winter combat penalties.

Bear starts with Kaija the Armored Bear, an early-game combat unit that tanks neutral wildlife damage and hibernates in friendly territory to supply passive Food. Unlike other factions, Bear units suffer no combat penalties during winter, turning the coldest months into ideal offensive attack windows. Backed by the Shield Maiden and heavily armored Shield Bearers, Bear wears opponents down through defensive attrition rather than sudden mobility or burst damage.

Raven and Boar: Alternative Victory Routes

Clan of the Raven (Huginn & Muninn)

Raven circumvents standard land-based expansion by utilizing coastal waters and commercial trade.

Raven can spend Krowns instead of Food to colonize new tiles, leaving food supplies available to sustain rapid population growth. Longship Docks allow Scouts to explore ocean routes safely, revealing enemy coastlines without crossing dangerous inland zones. With upgraded harbors and the Sons of Hymir lore, Raven hires Mercenaries to launch surprise attacks on enemy shorelines. This tactic burns rival buildings and forces opponents to commit resources to coastal defense. Raven is less effective on landlocked maps where water access is restricted.

Clan of the Boar (Slidrugtanni)

Boar emphasizes rapid technological advancement and minimal infrastructure maintenance.

Boar's unique Mender's Hut replaces the standard Healer's Hut, generating Lore whenever Menders are not healing wounded units. Combined with the Simple Living perk—which reduces building Wood costs—and the ability to colonize neutral wildlife tiles without clearing them first, Boar expands quickly in year one. Boar gains Happiness from unimproved tiles, reducing the need to spend early Stone on civilian house upgrades so you can prioritize Town Hall development and push for a Wisdom victory.

Next Step: Choose Your Match Setup

Once you select a clan that matches your playstyle, adjust your early build order to its strengths:

1. For Wolf or Raven: Focus on early Gold generation and military infrastructure to trigger Meat Harvest or build early harbors.
2. For Stag or Goat: Prioritize early Wood and food infrastructure to maximize Fame milestones or secure Sheepfold placement.
3. For Bear or Boar: Rush your primary support unit—the Armored Bear or Menders—to secure defensive map positions or accelerate your Lore tree.