Vikings
Infantry & NavalTeam Bonus
Docks cost -15%
Overview
"The Vikings are an infantry and naval civilization with free Wheelbarrow and Hand Cart, tougher infantry, and cheaper warships."
Civilization Bonuses
- 1
Wheelbarrow, Hand Cart free
- 2
Infantry +20% HP starting in Feudal Age
- 3
Warships cost -10/15/20% in Feudal/Castle/Imperial Age
Unique Units
Unique Technologies
Prepare your next matchup
Choose both civilizations for a game plan, key threats and an army composition.
Other Civilizations
AoE Coach analysis
Context & meta
Vikings are an infantry-and-naval civilization built around economy and durability. Free Wheelbarrow and Hand Cart save resources and research time, while infantry gains +20% HP from Feudal Age. On water, warships cost -10/15/20% by age. They can use the multi-projectile Longship, now shared with Danes, Saxons and Varangians, and Bogsveigar adds attack to their Longships and Archer line.
History & balance
The Viking kit combines free Wheelbarrow and Hand Cart with durable infantry and a discounted navy. Chieftains strengthens infantry against cavalry, while Bogsveigar now increases the attack of the Archer line and Longships. Update 185872 gave Vikings Varangian Guards and Mounted Crossbowmen, removed Gambesons and stopped Chieftains from earning gold on villagers, trade units and monks. Longships are now shared with Danes, Saxons and Varangians.
In pro play
On water maps, use the warship discount to sustain production, but scout the opposing fleet instead of assuming Longships win every trade. On land, free economy upgrades support a Castle Age boom or an infantry timing; without Gambesons, Champions are more exposed to ranged fire. Varangian Guards can add pressure and generate gold in combat, while Mounted Crossbowmen open a mobile ranged option. Do not plan an economy raid around Chieftains gold from villagers: that reward was removed.
How to counter it
Vikings have no cavalry bonus and a weak Stable (no Paladin, no Bloodlines historically weak cav), so they are vulnerable to a mobile cavalry game on open maps — Knights raid their economy faster than infantry can respond. Their infantry, however tanky, is slow: Archers and Crossbowmen kite Militia-line and Berserks effectively, and Mangonels punish clumped infantry. On water, the counter is matching them ship-for-ship only with another naval-bonus civ, or transitioning to a land assault via Galley-protected landings. The macro counter is denying the long game where their free eco upgrades compound — pressure early and force them to spend on military before their economy snowballs.