Northgard is a Viking-themed RTSRTS. Real-Time Strategy — a strategy game where everyone plays at the same time, continuously, instead of taking turns. where the win condition you chase matters as much as the clan you pick. Shiro Games shipped the base game with six primary clans and has since added more through DLC, so the roster now spans the Stag, Goat, Wolf, Raven, Bear, Boar, Snake, Dragon, Horse, Kraken, Ox, Lynx, Squirrel, Rat, Eagle, Lion (from the Cross of Vidar expansion), and Stoat. Each clan leans toward certain victory paths, and the map and game mode push those leanings further. This tier list ranks the clans by how reliably each supports a given victory type and where each shines by map.

The four victory conditions

Northgard offers four standard victory conditions plus map specials.

  • Domination — destroy every enemy Town Hall. The most direct path; rewards sustained military production and iron upgrades.
  • Fame — reach the fame threshold through colonization, prestige buildings, and battles. Rewards wide expansion and the right relic.
  • Trade — accumulate the required Kröwns and build a Lighthouse. Rewards gold income and merchant routes.
  • Lore — research every lore blessing. Rewards dedicated lore production and a defensible position to buy time.

Map specials add a fifth, map-specific condition and should be scouted early.

The clan roster by win condition

Military domination clans

Wolf (Fenrir) is the strongest early military clan. The free first unit, increased base damage on the warchief, and food and Kröwns for killing neutrals make Wolf the premier rush and clearer clan. The berserker unique unit is devastating in the opening years. Wolf’s weakness is the late game: once neutrals are cleared, its economy and Kröwn stocks collapse. It is a top pick for team games and small maps and an outsider in free-for-all.

Dragon (Nidhogg) has the strongest late-game army. Dragonkin with splash damage and a relic that periodically summons a tough Jotnar Draug make Dragon the clan most able to wipe a larger force. Dragon wins through domination only, and it is vulnerable to early aggression before it has a barracks, so it needs a defensible spawn.

Bear (Bjarki) is the best mid-game clan. The free Armored Bear unit, winter bonuses, healing during winter, and a tougher warchief make Bear flexible and hard to push off a tile during cold months. Bear can win through fame or domination and is a strong all-rounder for new players.

Ox (Himminbrjotir) is built around the most expensive warchief in the game and single-slot production buildings with higher efficiency. All Ox units get extra damage and defense at the same cost, and the relic can swing unwinnable fights. Ox is high-skill and map-dependent but a strong mid-game option when it gets a good spawn.

Fame clans

Stag (Eikthyrnir) is the Fame clan. It is weak in the opening years but shines after the third year, when its relic, the Altar of Kings, and fame production bonuses stack into the strongest economy in the game. Stag is the most reliable Fame winner and a top FFA pick, though it draws attention once it becomes the leader.

Boar (Slidrugtanni) is the simplest clan to play and a flexible Fame or Lore winner. Menders replace Healers and produce lore, a wood construction discount and a production bonus on non-upgraded buildings stack, and the Altar of Kings boosts income. Boar is the recommended starter clan.

Goat (Heidrun) runs the highest food income in the game through sheep and feasts, and its relic boosts feast bonuses for the whole team. Goat is the best support clan in team games and a Fame candidate, with no direct battle bonuses.

Trade clans

Raven (Huginn and Muninn) is the trade clan. Raven is the only clan that colonizes tiles with Kröwns, runs harbor trade and sailors for gold, and can launch mercenary raids on coastal tiles across the map. Raven gains bonus damage and resistance from lores and a strong scouting benefit, but it is the hardest clan to master and the weakest in defense. It is a top pick in large team games and an outsider in FFA, where trade victories are rare.

Lore clans

Boar doubles as a Lore winner through its Menders and Altar of Kings.

Bear can win through Lore when it secures a defensible position and leans on winter healing to buy time.

Lion (Kingdom of Neustria) is the late-game lore engine of the Kingdom clans. Its faith- and monastery-driven economy and lore-oriented abilities give Lion strong lore reserves after the third year. Lion is a top FFA pick and weak to early rushes.

Stealth and harassment

Snake (Sváfnir) is the harassment clan. The skirmisher unique unit, Signi’s ranged warchief, Scorched Earth for free resources, and damage bonuses on the right timing make Snake lethal in hit-and-run play. Snake wins through domination only and is a top team-game pick that is frequently banned.

Eagle (Hraesvelg) is the best clearer in the current meta. The clan gathers Kröwns and stone from treasures outside its territory, and Fame bonuses reduce unit food consumption and expand zones. Eagle is a top team-game pick and strong in FFA, though it requires high actions-per-minute.

Lynx (Brundr and Kaelinn) is a hunting clearer built around unique tracking and beast-luring abilities. It is fun but fragile and currently underpowered, needing animals at the start to function.

Specialized and kingdom clans

Horse (Svadilfari) is the flexible all-rounder. Two warchiefs who mine, forge, and build free up villager productivity, alongside strong economy bonuses that make Horse viable at every stage and on every map. It is the most-recommended clan for players who want one pick that works everywhere.

Kraken (Lyngbakr) is a naval-coastal economy clan. The Nord resource summons population when positive or spirit warriors when negative, Valkyries clear well, and the free feast during the Kraken event boosts economy. Kraken is a strong mid-game clan that fades against pure late-game clans.

Squirrel (Ratatöskr) is a support clan built around the Meals mechanic for team-wide temporary bonuses and fast population recovery. It trades raw military strength for strong defensive tools as the Guardian Squirrel. A top support pick in 4v4.

Rat (Dodsvagr) is a late-game monster. Overwork replaces feasts, Shamans heal and strip enemy armor, and the relic unit is extremely tough. Rat is one of the few clans that can field very large warband counts, with discounts that make its army cheap to raise. Rat dominates late FFA but is hard to manage and leans toward domination wins.

Stoat (Kernev) is a Kingdom clan that turns tiles into Duchies, where villagers produce less but do not count toward the population cap, enabling a very large population. Stoat is a Guardian-strong FFA pick but unintuitive and hard to master.

Tier list by game mode

Game mode reshuffles the rankings. In team games (3v3, 4v4), the strongest picks are Wolf, Raven, Stag, Eagle, Snake, Bear, Horse, Goat, Kraken, and Boar, with Lion, Dragon, Squirrel, Lynx, Stoat, Ox, and Raven as situational. In FFA, the late-game clans dominate: Horse, Stag, Kraken, Rat, and Lion are top tier; Eagle, Bear, Dragon, Squirrel, and Stoat are good in the right circumstances; Snake, Boar, Goat, and Ox are playable but weak; and Raven, Lynx, and Wolf are outsiders because FFA rarely rewards early aggression.

The community’s competitive read is consistent: pick a late-game clan for FFA, plan your final victory path in advance, and never become the visible leader without a plan, because the table turns on whoever is ahead.

Map factors that move the tiers

Northgard’s survival layer pushes the tier list as much as the clans do. Maps with harsh winters and scarce food favor Goat and Bear, who shrug off cold and food scarcity. Coastal-heavy maps favor Raven and Kraken. Maps with many neutral tiles favor clearers like Wolf, Eagle, and Lynx. Maps with sparse stone punish Stag, which depends on stone for upgraded buildings, and maps with a single entrance favor Guardian-path clans that can turtle toward a Lore or Fame win.

Scout your spawn before committing. If your clan is map-dependent — Stag, Ox, Lynx — and the spawn is bad, the tier drops a full rank before the first winter.

How to use this list

Treat the tiers as a starting point, not a verdict. Northgard’s balance is generally strong, and every clan can win in the right hands on the right map. The reliable approach is to match the clan to the victory condition you intend to chase: Wolf, Dragon, Bear, and Ox for domination; Stag, Boar, and Goat for fame; Raven for trade; Boar, Bear, and Lion for lore. Then read the map for food, stone, and entrance count, and pivot if the spawn does not support the plan. The clans that win are the ones whose intended path the map and the mode reward, not the ones at the top of a generic ranking.