Norse/Strategic Overview

Strengths
 * Strong infantry component especially in offensive manoeuvres.
 * Good navy.

Weaknesses
 * Poor economic bonuses and almost no Wonders.
 * Very weak cavalry component.

True to their real life counterparts, the Norse of Swords or the Prophets are a faction built primarily around raiding and warfare. Their unique infantry units are among some of the best and are meant for rush encounters, while they are able to amass naval supremacy on the waters. This is helped greatly by their free Level 1 Military upgrade, which allows for a larger population base with which to make war and extract resources. Norse infantry units are ideal for attacking settlements and buildings, but the lack of economic bonuses apart from having a higher pop cap at the beginning of the game drastically limits their ability to boom and expand in the late game.

While the Norse have access to what could well be the most versatile fleet in the game, it is the infantry which forms the main keystone of your military might. Not only do you have highly offensive units such as Vikingr and Hersir, but you also have some units with some rather special quirks. Of these, the Úlfhéðnar probably deserves the most attention, because it is the only sword unit in the game that is capable of cloaking when not moving. This, coupled with its ferocious speed and attack as a sword unit, grants the Norse some very interesting tactica and strategic choices - fight a war of attrition where the superior attack of the Úlfhéðnar eventually overwhelms the foe, or use its stealth capabilities to fight a psychological war against your opponent?

Against factions with strong defensive bonuses, or good counter units, such as the Byzantines, Tibetans or Koreans, the Norse may face problems since these factions often have very strong units or the ability to resist early game raiding so as to reduce your gains from your attacks against them. Further, the lack of proper siege equipment and horse units means that in the long run, the Norse war economy will eventually run out of steam, unless they have managed to achieve some degree of territorial supremacy that more developed enemies can't grow further and are easy prey, especially given that they lack some key upgrades - most notably the higher tier Healthcare ones for increased unit production speed, and the Fortification upgrades to make their Forts more efficient at stabilising borders. For this reason, the Norse are ideal for small maps, especially those which have some water in them. Keep raiding your opponents, and keep up the pressure until they yield, while you use your ships to keep their fishing fleets from feeding their civs. Combining commerce raiding with border incursions, you should be able to gain mastery over your opponents and eventually win in no time.