How To Play: Vikings

Overview

Ready to raid, pillage, and munch snacks at the same time? You’ve landed at the right place! My friends and I spent a weekend mastering Vikings, and now I’ve got all the battle scars and rule mix-ups to help you. This guide has a quick outline of the game rules, plus the best strategies for winning. How To Play vikings? Read on, and let’s set sail!

What’s in the box

• 1 scoring track board
• 8 large island frames
• 78 landscape tiles
• 1 wheel (with tile price indicator)
• 25 boats
• 65 Vikings (13 in each of 5 colors)
• 5 scoring markers
• 5 player screens
• 80 coins
• 1 cloth bag
• 1 rulebook

How To Play Vikings: Rules Summary

Setup

1. First, each player grabs a player board and places it in front of them. Try to avoid knocking over your drink. Trust me.
2. Shuffle the landscape tiles and stack them where everyone can reach.
3. Spread the boat wheel in the center and fill it with the boat and viking tiles.
4. Each player starts with some coins. Don’t spend them all at once. Actually, don’t spend them at all yet.
5. Decide who goes first. Arguing is optional but highly encouraged for tradition.

Gameplay

1. On your turn, pick a tile and pay the cost. Make sure to groan dramatically if it drains your wallet.
2. Place the tile onto your board. You want to connect islands and create space for your vikings to work.
3. Assign a viking to the new tile if possible. If not, leave them to sulk in a boat for a turn.
4. Repeat turns around the table until the wheel is empty. Then, refill the wheel and keep going. Snacks may be required to keep up the energy.

Winning

1. Once all rounds finish, count up your points. Grab a calculator or borrow a friend who is good at math.
2. Points come from completed islands, villagers in the right spots, and leftover coins. Every viking wants to be in the right job… like all of us, really.
3. The player with the most points wins. The losers must pretend to be happy for them.

Special Rules & Conditions

1. If a tile can’t be placed, put it in your supply for later. Try not to forget about it like last week’s laundry.
2. If you run out of coins, bad luck! You’ll have to take the cheapest tile next turn. No, you can’t sell snacks for coins.
3. Remember, different vikings score points depending on where you place them—watch out for sneaky endgame bonuses.

If you follow these rules, you’ll master How To Play Vikings in no time. Unless you play with my friend Dave, who forgets the setup every single time.

Best Vikings Strategies

Mastering Village Placement for Viking Victory

Choose the Perfect Starting Spot

First, look for spots near resources and ferries. This gives you more flexibility. Also, avoid letting rivals cut off your connection to bonus spaces.

1. Start close to tiles with coins and boats for early advantage.
2. Leave wiggle room for future expansion.

Connect Villages for Sweet Rewards

Always plan your village connections. The trick is to link them using bridges or boats, so you can grab more points.

1. Connect using the shortest route possible.
2. Block opponents but don’t block yourself!

How To Play Vikings: Timing Your Expansion

Expand your network when others are distracted. This way, you can secure key spots before they even notice.

1. Grow when opponents are low on coins.
2. Prioritize spots that offer double returns.

Row Your Way to Victory: Mastering Boats and Workers in Vikings

Keep Your Boats Busy

First, never let those boats sit idle. Boats are your lifeline. Keep them moving and gathering valuable tiles every round. If you wait too long, rivals will scoop up the best spots.

1. Move boats early for prime placement.
2. Prioritize boats with more space for speedy expansion.

Optimize Worker Placement

Next, plan your workers. I once sent my worker to a lonely fjord. Big mistake! Place them close to resources or future village spots.

1. Think two turns ahead for worker placement.
2. Secure workers near needed resources.

Balance is Key

Don’t forget: Boat and worker moves must work together. Try to match boat routes with your worker setup for max points and flexibility. How To Play vikings is all about staying two steps ahead!

Master Tile Drafting to Snatch Victory in Vikings

Grab What Others Want

If you spot a tile that clearly helps an opponent, swipe it! I once took a tile just so my mate Dave couldn’t finish his village. He still doesn’t talk to me much.

1. Watch rivals’ boards every turn.
2. Block high-scoring combos by picking needed tiles.

Balance Short and Long Term

Early on, stick to tiles that give steady income. Later, go for point bombs.

1. Income tiles early, scoring tiles late.
2. Avoid drafting only flashy pieces.

Stay Flexible

Sometimes your plan falls apart, like my attempt at a mega-village last weekend. Adjust on the fly!

1. Keep options open.
2. Don’t overcommit to one strategy.

Want to know How To Play vikings well? Focus on smart tile drafting, and you’ll leave opponents in the dust. Unless you’re playing Dave. He’s still mad.

## Claim Your Throne—And Maybe Some Fish

There you have it, folks! My gang and I have tested every sneaky trick under the Nordic sun, and I can tell you this: Vikings rewards the bold, the clever, and occasionally, the lucky. So remember: pick your villages smart, send those boats out like proud sea-cats, and don’t let your buddy Steve out-draft you (he’s still bragging about that one time). Now you know How To Play vikings with style—get out there, have fun, and may your meeples never fall in the fjord!

Want to know what we think of Vikings? Read our detailed review of Vikings here