Tribes of Midgard: Complete Guide

A guide to Norsfell's co-op Viking survival ARPG covering both modes (Saga and Survival), the eight classes, Souls and crafting, Jötnar and Ancient boss fights, and the Valhalla progression system.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the Valhalla Saga update (April 12, 2023) and the Construction Limit Update (May 9, 2023), with a small anniversary event update in July 2023. Since then the Steam page has only posted sales and community events (most recently a 2K Summer Sale in June 2026). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Quick Start

1. Two modes, very different pace. Saga Mode is a timed, replayable defense run with classes. Survival Mode is an open-ended adventure where you build, explore and eventually hunt down the Ancients.
2. Souls are the currency of everything. You earn them by killing enemies and gathering. You spend them on crafting, upgrades and (in Saga) keeping the Seed of Yggdrasil alive.
3. Play with a tribe if you can. Up to 10 players can share a world, and difficulty scales with player count. The devs recommend four or more for Ragnarök-level challenges, but solo is fully doable.
4. Classes live in Saga and Blessings live in both. Level up to pick Blessings, powerful passives and abilities from the Norse gods.
5. Jötnar are giant boss monsters. Fire, Ice, Thunder and Dark Jötnar each need planning. Don't fight them underleveled.
6. Ancients are the real bosses. Fenrir, Jörmungandr, Surtr and Hel, with a secret final Ancient beyond them in Survival.
7. Weapons carry Spells. Each weapon type has its own attack patterns and an active ability. Try them all early.
8. Mounts (added in the Valhalla Saga update) give a big speed boost and unlock at Avatar Level 10 in Survival or Level 3 in Saga.

Modes Explained

Saga Mode

Saga Mode is the "classic" run-based experience. Your tribe protects the Seed of Yggdrasil in a village while the world grows more dangerous each day.

• Days: explore, gather, kill monsters for Souls, and upgrade your gear at the village crafting stations.
• Nights: Helthings attack the village. Defend the gates and the Seed.
• Jötnar: giants periodically march on the village. They're your big mid-run fights.
• Saga Quests: complete them to face a Saga boss (an Ancient). Beating one ends the Saga in victory.
• Endless winter: eventually the world freezes over and survival gets much harder. The longer you last, the better your end-of-run rewards when you take the Bifröst.

Saga Mode is where you unlock and specialize classes. The Valhalla Saga update buffed gate health on higher levels, boosted archer tower damage and standardized event fragment rewards, making it easier to complete all Saga Quests in one session.

Survival Mode (Survival 2.0)

Survival was rebuilt in Season 3 (August 2022) and expanded in the Valhalla Saga update.

• No village to defend. Helthings spawn at night around the world but don't attack the Seed.
• Days last 20 minutes.
• Jötnar live in Arenas you choose to travel to when you're ready.
• Big worlds: you start on a large central continent and later explore the open seas.
• Build a home. Construction pieces come in three tiers, each stronger and needing better materials, on a modular 1x1x1 grid. The May 2023 patch doubled the construction limit per world.
• The Allforge is your central crafting tool. You can place it anywhere at no material cost, but only one per player at a time. Around it you build the specialized crafting stations (weapons, armor, potions/meals, boats and so on) as you unlock them.
• Level cap 50 with a 90-Blessing tree.
• Permadeath toggle (added with Valhalla Saga) for a hardcore run, in solo or multiplayer.
• Endgame: defeat the four Ancients (Fenrir, Jörmungandr, Surtr and Hel), return to the Sanctuary, and follow the new area to a secret final Ancient.

Classes

There are eight classes, used in Saga Mode:

• New classes unlock by completing class challenges. The Valhalla Saga update lowered the unlock requirements for Seer and Warden.
• Each class has its own Blessing tree. Season 3 added two Blessings per class, like the Warrior's Underdog (more damage per nearby enemy), the Ranger's Ricochet (arrows can bounce to more enemies), the Guardian's Pain Release II (speed burst), and the Berserker's Undying Anger (automatic self-revive when downed).

Class choice in a tribe: bring a frontliner who can soak hits (Guardian is the usual pick), a support (Seer), and fill with damage (Berserker, Warrior, Ranger or Hunter). Read each class's Blessing tree before committing; that's where its real identity shows.

Combat Basics

• Weapons include swords, axes, hammers, bows, spears (added in Season 3) and more. Each has a different attack pattern and reach. Spears have long linear reach and the starter Villager Spear only needs wood.
• Spells are built into weapons. Use them on cooldown during big fights.
• Shields block incoming attacks, and a well-timed evade avoids big hits.
• Runes modify your playstyle. Ancient-tied Legendary Runes were strongly buffed in the Valhalla Saga update. For example, the Fenrir Rune now halves durability loss on equipment and doubles your damage while you're below 50% HP. The update also added a mystery Legendary rune whose combo attacks can petrify enemies.
• Temperature matters: cold and hot biomes affect you, so bring the right gear.

Enemies and Bosses

Jötnar

Towering giants you fight in big set-pieces. Steam achievements track defeating each element:

Jötnar respawn and level up, so later encounters hit harder.

Ancients

Variants exist too: the Valhalla Saga update added Blademaster Surtr (sword-focused) and Hexwielder Hel (projectile barrages), and earlier mid-season updates added Saga boss variants for the first Ancients. In Survival, Jötnar and Ancients cap at Level 10.

Progression: Valhalla Level and Golden Horns

The Valhalla Saga update replaced the old seasonal rewards track:

• You earn Valhalla XP in any mode, raising your Valhalla Level up to 50.
• Each level grants Golden Horns, spent in the shop on cosmetics and gameplay items.
• After Level 50, your level shows as infinity and you keep earning Golden Horns.
• The Golden Horn cap was raised from 99 to 999.

Other Systems Worth Knowing

• Cross-play: since the Witch Saga update (January 2023), Steam, Epic Games Store and Xbox players can play together.
• Farming: the Witch Saga update added shovels and planting, so you can grow resources instead of only foraging.
• Mount variants: the Valhalla Saga update added mounts such as Dáinn the Stag and Brother Björn (a bear).
• Building height: construction can stack up to nine stories, and the May 2023 patch doubled how many pieces a world can hold.

First Hours Checklist

1. Finish the tutorial ("A Viking is Björn" achievement).
2. Gather wood, stone and fiber; craft your first weapon and armor.
3. Kill everything nearby for Souls.
4. In Saga, upgrade the village gates and towers before nights get harder.
5. In Survival, place the Allforge somewhere central and build your first crafting stations.
6. Learn your weapon's Spell and practice dodging on normal enemies before Jötnar.
7. Explore to find better materials, camps and dungeons.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Ignoring the Seed in Saga. If it dies, the run's over. Keep Souls flowing into it and defend nights.
• Fighting a Jötunn before gearing up. They scale; take on the easier ones first.
• Solo tribes with split playstyles. Coordinate classes and roles in multiplayer.
• Forgetting temperature. Wear gear suited to cold or volcanic biomes.
• Hoarding Souls without spending. Crafting and upgrades pay off more than a big balance.
• Placing your only Allforge far from resources. You can relocate it; do so when you move on.

Advanced Tips

• Pick Blessings for synergy. Stack damage modifiers that trigger off your class's main attacks.
• Use Legendary Runes from Ancients once you have them. They got significant buffs in Valhalla Saga.
• Turn on Permadeath only once you know boss patterns; it's a big challenge but a rewarding one.
• Use boats early in Survival to reach richer islands.
• Mounts: unlock them as soon as possible for a large movement speed boost.
• Spear kiting: the spear's long reach lets you stay out of melee range of many enemies.

FAQ

Is Tribes of Midgard still being updated? The last major content update was the Valhalla Saga update in April 2023, followed by a construction-limit patch in May 2023. The game remains playable online and offline, with occasional sales and community events.

Can I play solo? Yes. Difficulty adapts to the number of players, although the developers recommend a tribe of four or more for the hardest content.

What's the difference between Saga and Survival? Saga is a run-based defense mode with classes and a winter deadline. Survival is an open-ended building and adventure mode where you hunt the Ancients at your own pace.

How many players can play together? Up to 10 players in online co-op.

How do I unlock more classes? Complete class challenges in Saga Mode. Seer and Warden requirements were reduced in the Valhalla Saga update.

Is there an official wiki? Yes, Norsfell points players to an official wiki and its Discord for help and suggestions.

Sources

• Tribes of Midgard on Steam
• Steam news for Tribes of Midgard (Valhalla Saga, Season 3 Inferno Saga, Season 2 Serpent Saga)
• Tribes of Midgard achievements
• Tribes of Midgard, Wikipedia