Viking Valor Revisited: Unpacking Varangian Harald Hardrada in Civilization VI
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Civilization VI players rejoice! The icy fjords of Norway have a new (yet familiar) face leading them into the ages: Varangian Harald Hardrada. This alternate version of the legendary Viking king offers a dramatically different playstyle compared to his original iteration, emphasizing loyalty, trade, and a unique military presence far from home. Prepare to forge a new Viking empire centered on protecting city-states and reaping the rewards of a stable, internationally-minded kingdom.
Varangian Harald: More Than Just a Pretty Beard
While both versions of Harald Hardrada share a historical namesake and represent Norway, their in-game mechanics diverge significantly. Classic Harald focuses on coastal dominance and rapid naval expansion, epitomized by the powerful Longship. Varangian Harald, however, carves a niche as a protector of city-states, leveraging powerful economic bonuses and unique military units to support and profit from these smaller civilizations.
Leader Ability: Varangian Guard
Varangian Harald’s leader ability, appropriately named “Varangian Guard,” is the cornerstone of his strategy. It grants the following key benefits:
- Coastal Cities gain +2 Gold for each specialty district building. This immediately boosts your coastal economy, providing a strong foundation for early growth.
- Units can be purchased with Faith in cities with a Holy Site district. This unlocks an alternative to production, enabling rapid military deployment, especially during emergencies or wars.
- City-State military units are significantly upgraded when gifted to you. This is where the ability truly shines. When you suzerain a city-state and receive their unique unit (e.g., the Samurai from Kyoto), that unit is immediately upgraded one tier. This can provide you with early access to powerful units that are not yet available to other civilizations.
Civilization Ability: Knarr
Like the original Harald, Varangian Harald benefits from Norway’s civilization ability, “Knarr.” This ability grants:
- Units can enter Ocean tiles immediately. This opens up early exploration and colonization opportunities, allowing you to settle strategically located coastal cities.
- Naval melee units heal in neutral territory. This provides a significant advantage in naval warfare, allowing your Longships (and later, other naval units) to sustain prolonged campaigns far from your own borders.
- Coastal tiles gain +1 Production. This strengthens your coastal cities and allows for faster building of navel units and ships for exploring.
Strategic Implications: Loyalty, Trade, and Global Influence
Varangian Harald’s design pushes players towards a specific, rewarding playstyle. Here’s a breakdown of his key strategic considerations:
- Early Game Focus: Prioritize coastal city placement to maximize the gold bonus from specialty districts. Building Holy Sites is also important to start generating faith for your cities.
- City-State Diplomacy: Invest heavily in envoys and aim to become suzerain of as many city-states as possible. Military city-states provide valuable, upgraded units, while economic and religious city-states bolster your economy and faith generation. Protecting these city-states from aggression should be a top priority.
- Military Strategy: While not focused on naval dominance like classic Harald, Varangian Harald benefits from a strong, mobile army composed of upgraded city-state units. Use your faith to quickly deploy reinforcements and defend your allies. Consider using Norway’s unique unit, the Berserker. A strong melee unit that is effective at raiding.
- Economic Engine: The combination of coastal gold and trade routes (especially internal ones to boost food and production) creates a robust economic engine. This allows you to invest in infrastructure, military, and cultural development.
- Victory Conditions: Varangian Harald is highly adaptable and can pursue various victory conditions. Domination is viable with a strong, faith-purchased army. Diplomatic victories are almost tailor-made for his playstyle. Religious victories are also achievable with focused faith generation.
Why Varangian Harald Changes the Game
Varangian Harald isn’t just a re-skin of the original. He represents a fundamentally different approach to playing Norway, rewarding diplomatic finesse and strategic military intervention rather than pure coastal aggression. He introduces an interesting dynamic in the game where he has to find City-States, become allies, and defend those allies. He pushes players out of their comfort zone and encourages them to engage with the game’s diplomatic and economic systems in meaningful ways.
His arrival expands the strategic depth of Civilization VI, offering a fresh and engaging experience for both veteran players and newcomers alike. Furthermore, understanding game mechanics and decision-making are crucial aspects of gameplay. Resources like the Games Learning Society provide insights into the educational value of games, including Civilization VI, and how they can enhance cognitive skills such as strategic thinking and problem-solving. You can visit the GamesLearningSociety.org website for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Varangian Harald
1. Is Varangian Harald better than the original Harald Hardrada?
“Better” is subjective and depends on your playstyle. Classic Harald excels at early naval dominance and coastal conquest. Varangian Harald thrives on diplomacy, city-state protection, and a more adaptable military strategy. Neither is strictly superior; they simply offer different experiences.
2. What are the best city-states to ally with as Varangian Harald?
Military city-states (Kyoto, Zanzibar) are incredibly valuable due to the upgraded unique units. Economic city-states (Geneva, Hong Kong) boost your gold and production. Religious city-states (Yerevan) enhance your faith generation. The best choices depend on your overall strategy.
3. How does the unit upgrade work exactly?
When you become suzerain of a city-state and receive its unique unit, that unit is immediately upgraded to the next available tier, provided you have the required technology. For example, if you receive a Swordsman and have researched Iron Working, it will instantly become a Man-at-Arms. If you are gifted a Modern Era unit (Infantry), it will be gifted a unit from the Atomic Era (Modern Infantry), which is a big advantage for Varangian Harald.
4. Should I prioritize building Longships as Varangian Harald?
While Longships are still useful for exploration and raiding, they are not as central to Varangian Harald’s strategy as they are for classic Harald. Focus on building a balanced navy to protect your coastal cities and transport your army.
5. How important is religion for Varangian Harald?
Religion is moderately important. Building Holy Sites is important as it allows him to buy units with faith using the Varangian Guard ability.
6. What are some good wonders to aim for as Varangian Harald?
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus for increased Great Engineer charges is a must-have. Colossus and Great Lighthouse enhance coastal trade. Kilwa Kisiwani further boosts city-state bonuses.
7. How should I handle early aggression from other civilizations?
Focus on quickly building up a defensive force, using faith purchases if necessary. Fortify your borders and leverage your naval advantages to deter attackers. City-state allies can also provide valuable defensive support.
8. What is the best starting location for Varangian Harald?
A coastal location with access to multiple resources and nearby city-states is ideal. Look for defensible terrain and fertile land to support your initial growth.
9. Does Varangian Harald have any weaknesses?
His reliance on city-states can be a vulnerability if you are unable to maintain suzerainty. Civilizations that aggressively target city-states can disrupt your strategy. Also, playing as Varangian Harald requires a strong understanding of diplomacy and economic management.
10. Can the city-state unit upgrade happen more than once?
No, the upgrade only happens once when you first receive the unit. Subsequent units from the same city-state will not be upgraded.
11. What is the best government type for Varangian Harald?
Autocracy or Oligarchy in the early game for military bonuses. Then, transition to Merchant Republic or Democracy for economic and diplomatic advantages.
12. Does Varangian Harald get any bonuses to his city-state influence?
No, he doesn’t get any direct bonuses to city-state influence. You still need to invest in envoys and complete relevant civic and technology research.
13. Is Varangian Harald good for beginners?
While his unique abilities require some understanding of game mechanics, Varangian Harald can be a rewarding experience for beginners who are willing to learn about diplomacy and economic management.
14. What DLC do I need to play as Varangian Harald?
Varangian Harald is part of the Leader Pass DLC for Civilization VI.
15. Can you play with both versions of Harald in the same game?
No, you can only choose one leader per civilization in a single game. You must select either the original Harald Hardrada or Varangian Harald at the start of the game.