Age of Empires IV: Raiders of the North — Vikings and Scots Strategy Guide
Age of Empires IV: Raiders of the North — Vikings and Scots Strategy Guide
Age of Empires IV’s Raiders of the North expansion adds two new civilizations, Vikings and Scots, to the Anniversary Edition roster, each built around a distinct playstyle. Here’s how to approach both in your first games, plus what else the expansion brings to the table.
Vikings: Raid Early, Transition to Kingdoms Late
Vikings lean on fast melee infantry and early naval strength, backed by a Longhouse-based economy that keeps population costs low in the opening minutes. The strongest Viking games start aggressive: get a longship advantage on the water before your opponent’s navy comes online, and use that control to harass resource gathering along the coast while your Longhouses keep churning out cheap infantry. As the game moves into its later stages, Vikings shift toward a more conventional kingdom composition of knights and trained militias. Their civilization bonus, built around heroic ‘Sagas,’ grants lasting power that rewards committing to objectives early rather than playing a slow, defensive game, which fits a civ whose whole identity is built around pressure.
Scots: Turtle Up, Then Grind Out the Win
Scots are the defensive counterpart to the Vikings’ aggression, built around disciplined infantry and heavily fortified positions. Their food economy runs on Highland cattle and fishponds rather than farms alone, which gives them more flexibility about where to settle. The civilization’s signature building, the Mustering Hall, lets players weight their army composition toward Highland or Lowland strengths depending on the matchup; Highland leans into raiding and mobility, while Lowland trades toward more conventional, gunpowder-backed armies. Against aggressive civs like the Vikings, walling early and investing in economy buildings before committing to a Mustering Hall choice is usually the safer opening.
Crucible Mode Gets Four New Missions
Raiders of the North isn’t just a two-civ pack. The expansion’s Crucible mode adds four new missions, including a seaborne raiders scenario and one built around civil war among Scottish clans, playable solo or in two-player co-op. New Objectives, Boons, Perks, Mutators, and civilization-specific Talent Tracks give both new civs extra depth outside of standard multiplayer, and two new biomes, Scottish Heathland and Tundra Summer, round out the new content alongside fresh architecture, music, and language work for both factions.
Matchup Notes for Your First Games
If you’re picking up either civ for the first time, treat the Vikings as a civ that wants you making decisions under time pressure; every minute you spend not raiding is a minute your opponent spends catching up. Scots reward patience instead: a Scots player who survives the early aggression of a civ like the Vikings or the existing Mongols usually ends up with the stronger late-game army. Expect the matchup between the two new civs specifically to come down to whether the Viking player can close out the game before Scottish fortifications make a direct assault too costly.
Build Your War Chest
Strategy fans who want more after Raiders of the North should take a look at Sid Meier’s Civilization VII PC and Songs of Conquest PC, both in stock now and worth a look if you want a change of pace from real-time skirmishes. The full Strategy category at Dragon4Deals has plenty more besides.
