The October 29 expansion introduces one civilization built for raids and another capable of controlling the battlefield through defence. These first steps help explain their tools without inventing miracle build orders.
Find opportunities around the map, strike vulnerable positions and turn military pressure into an economic advantage.
Longhouse as a centrepiece of the economy
Heroic Sagas provide lasting rewards
Sacred Groves encourage territorial control
Mobile infantry and evolving armies through the ages
RESILIENCE AND CONTROL
Scots.
Stabilise food production, defend key positions and choose when a prepared force should counterattack.
Highland Cattle and Fishponds support food supply
Tower Houses and castles defend positions
Mustering Hall shapes army composition
Gallowglass, Border Reivers and stealth-forest ambushes
VIKINGS / FIRST MATCHES
How to start with the Vikings
Your strength is initiative, but aggression cannot replace a working economy. Scout early, support Longhouse production and prepare raids against villagers or resource areas outside the main defence.
Send small groups to identify the opponent's priorities. If the enemy builds towers or gathers superior units, retreat and change targets. Losing an entire army to kill one worker is rarely a good exchange.
Pay attention to Heroic Sagas. Their persistent bonuses can shape the rest of a game. Sacred Groves also reward moving out of your base and contesting parts of the map. Keep adapting your units as you advance through the ages.
Practice objective
Carry out two small raids, preserve as many units as possible and check whether enemy villagers had to stop gathering. Pressure, not an immediate knockout, is the goal.
SCOTS / FIRST MATCHES
How to start with the Scots
The Scots need stable food production to keep units coming while opponents run short of resources. Get comfortable with Highland Cattle and Fishponds, then defend key approaches without spending every piece of wood on fortifications.
Tower Houses help secure important positions but do not replace a field army. Scout the enemy composition and use the Mustering Hall to steer your troops toward the Highlands or Lowlands approaches.
Stealth forests can create ambush opportunities. Gallowglass and Border Reivers help define the faction, although effectiveness will depend on map, opposing army and balance changes.
Practice objective
Protect two external resources, keep villagers gathering and prepare a counterattack after successfully resisting pressure.
THREE MATCHES / LEARNING ROUTE
Make every game an experiment
Match one: play against AI and recognise the new buildings. Match two: practise just one defining mechanic. Match three: play a complete match and check whether scouting or economic production broke down.
No universal build order is established for every map and matchup. Adapt decisions to the information revealed by your scout rather than promising a fixed attack time.
UPDATE 17.0 / CRUCIBLE
Co-op and a save compatibility warning
Crucible gains two-player co-op, additional upgrades, modifiers, progression options and Conqueror and Custom modes. Some missions require Raiders of the North.
Update 17.0 also adjusts balance, maps and technical systems. Official patch notes warn that older saved games and replays will not load after upgrading; finish important matches before installing the update.
Four practical habits
01 · Scout before committing
Reveal food, mines, access routes and exposed positions. When you do not know where the opponent is moving, attacking and defending become guesses.
02 · Keep villagers working
Do not interrupt worker production without a reason. Your army needs a steady flow of food and wood before special units can matter.
03 · Practice one mechanic per match
Focus on Heroic Sagas with the Vikings or Highland Cattle and Mustering Hall with the Scots rather than memorising every technology immediately.
04 · Review the reason for each result
Check unused resources, troop losses, surprise attacks and missed scouting opportunities. That review teaches more than copying an opening blindly.
