Northern Legends can feel overwhelming for newer alliances, but the right approach can turn even an inexperienced group into a stable regional power. This guide focuses on practical, achievable strategies that help newer alliances secure regions, grow safely, and enjoy the scenario without being crushed early by top-tier alliances.
Avoid High-Conflict Regions Early
Regions that unlock early—especially small boots regions near the initial spawn areas (e.g., Vandali, Eburacum, Segovia, Halicarnassus)—often become immediate battlegrounds for top alliances.
If your alliance is still learning or lacks numbers, avoid these hotspots. Instead:
Choose less contested nearby regions
Or wait for delayed-unlock regions like Carthago or Ravenna, which offer the same small boots bonus but open later and are easier to secure
Playing smart early prevents wasting troops and morale on unwinnable fights.
Oversettling to Secure a Region
“Oversettling” means deliberately placing many villages in a target region right after it unlocks.
This tactic works because:
It increases your alliance’s population quickly
It discourages stronger alliances from trying to take over (too slow and costly)
It helps secure essential powers early
Oversettling helps you build a safe foothold for the rest of your round.
Choosing Between Small and Great Powers
Small Powers (like Small Boots and Small Trainer) are highly contested and usually fought over by pre-made, experienced alliances.
For newer alliances:
Competing for Small Powers is often unrealistic
Instead, target Great Powers—they have the same effect but 1.5× weaker, and apply to the entire avatar, not just a region
They are far easier to hold and still provide a meaningful advantage
This lets you grow without constantly fighting elite alliances.
Focus on Defensive Powers
Defensive powers are vital for alliances with limited troops. They protect your villages and make your territory expensive to invade.
The most important ones:
Small & Large Confusion
Makes catapult targeting inconsistent, causing attackers to waste siege waves.
Architect
Greatly increases building durability, requiring many more catapults to destroy your villages.
Eagle Eyes
Reveals more detailed information about incoming attacks, helping identify heroes, chiefs, and troop compositions.
Combining Great Architect + Small Confusion makes your villages extremely difficult to crack. Most attackers give up unless they’re fully committed.
Build Defense Hubs & Scout Networks
Defense hubs are clusters of villages dedicated to defense. They help newer alliances resist enemy pressure and hold regions.
Defense Hub Tips
Position hubs in central or strategic villages
Keep heavy defense stacks ready
Use defense forwarding between cluster villages
Make your hubs costly to conquer—time and resource pressure discourages attackers
Scouting Network
Scouting is essential for survival.
Your alliance should:
Keep 50+ scouts in every village
Maintain larger scout stacks in capitals and key offensive/defensive villages
Appoint a dedicated “Scouter” to track enemy movements and reinforce scouting across your cluster
A good scouting network prevents surprise takeovers.
Choose Your Battles
Don’t try to fight everywhere. Once your alliance secures its core regions:
Assess every conflict’s risk vs. reward
Fight only when the region is worth the cost
Avoid draining your troops on battles you cannot win
Selective fighting keeps your alliance strong and avoids burnout.
Use Diplomacy
Diplomacy is a powerful tool for newer alliances.
Benefits include:
Non-aggression pacts to protect your core region
Breathing room to grow safely
Opportunities to cooperate with stronger neighbors
Potential long-term partnerships
Diplomatic relationships often matter just as much as troop numbers.
Capitalize on Timing & Play the Long Game
In Northern Legends, timing is everything:
Expand into newly unlocked regions early, before stronger alliances arrive
Build durable village clusters near your core area
Focus on long-term infrastructure instead of fast aggression
Newer alliances thrive when they grow steadily instead of trying to conquer the entire map too quickly.
Keep Morale High & Celebrate Progress
Enjoy the process. Celebrate small victories such as:
Securing a region
Defending against a raid
Holding a power
Building a strong cluster
Positive alliance morale keeps players active and engaged. Each Annual Special brings new lessons—your alliance will improve every round.
Final Tip
With smart settling, defensive play, careful region selection, and strong coordination, a newer alliance can absolutely thrive in Northern Legends—even without aiming for server-wide domination.