The Viking Sagas Will Add the Danes to Age of Empires II With Faster Ships and Fierce Siege

The Danes will join Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition through The Viking Sagas, bringing a civilization built around infantry, siege weapons, swift naval attacks, and resource gains from destruction. The faction is designed to pressure opponents on land and sea while keeping its own economy well fed.

In its August 28, 2026 Danes overview, the Age of Empires team detailed the civilization’s bonuses, units, technologies, castle, and wonder. The Viking Sagas is currently available for preorder on Steam, Microsoft Store, and XBOX with a 15% discount. The expansion will also be available for purchase through the PlayStation 5 store on launch day.

Danes bonuses reward food production and destruction

The Danes’ economy gets extra help from the coast and the countryside. Fishing Ships and Villagers will drop off a small amount of additional food, giving the civilization more room to support its military.

Military development also costs less in the right places. Barracks and Siege Workshop upgrades will require less gold, while destroyed buildings will return a small portion of their resource cost. That last bonus gives Danish attacks a little extra bite every time a structure falls.

• Fishing Ships and Villagers provide extra food when dropping off resources.
• Barracks and Siege Workshop upgrades cost less gold.
• Destroyed buildings return a small amount of their resource cost.
• Varangian Guards and Longships move faster.
• The team bonus gives siege weapons increased line of sight.

Varangian Guards and Longships lead the assault

Trained at the Barracks, the Varangian Guard is a shock infantry unit that generates gold while fighting. It is suited to melee combat and raids, and Danish versions move faster, use cheaper Barracks upgrades, and deal more damage as their health falls.

Longships provide the naval half of the Danes’ attack plan. Built at the Dock, each ship fires a volley of projectiles and can threaten enemy warships, soldiers, and buildings. Danish Longships sail faster, which should make coastal raids and quick retreats easier to pull off.

The Mounted Crossbowman adds another option for players who want mobile ranged damage. It fires more slowly than a nomadic bow-based counterpart but hits hard. Most European civilizations can train the unit instead of Cavalry Archers, and the Danes will produce it from the Archery Range.

Jomsvikings bring fire to enemy buildings and ships

The Jomsviking is the Danes’ signature raider. This spear-and-shield fighter can throw torches at enemy buildings and ships, allowing the unit to threaten more than just opposing troops. Its mobility and ability to attack structures make it a natural fit for the civilization’s raiding identity.

Two technologies push infantry and siege damage higher

The Danes have two technologies that reinforce their preferred style of combat. Hamask increases infantry damage as those units lose health, rewarding players who keep wounded warriors in the fight.

Northmen’s Fury gives siege units and siege ships +40% attack against buildings. It also adds +1 range to the Mangonel-line and siege ships, making Danish assaults on fortified positions even more dangerous.

Danish fortifications draw from Viking history

The Danish Castle takes visual inspiration from the Danevirke, Trelleborg, and Jomsborg. It gives the civilization a defensive centerpiece that matches its northern setting without losing the faction’s military character.

At the other end of the progression, the Danish Wonder is the fabled Yggdrasil World Tree. Together with the castle, it gives the Danes a visual identity that reaches from fortified settlements to Norse mythology.

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