Part of the Commanders Series:
- Commanders Guide: How skills and talents work (Start Here).
- Sunset Canyon Guide: One of his three builds targets it directly.
- Civilizations Guide: Ragnar is not the Viking starter — see below.
Quick Answer
Ragnar Lodbrok is a legendary commander built around mixed troops — his talents and skills reward bringing a varied march rather than a pure one, which is unusual and genuinely useful. He runs three distinct builds: open field, Sunset Canyon, and city assault. Because his active carries both offensive and defensive buffs, anything that boosts rage generation makes him substantially better.
A Common Mix-Up
Ragnar is frequently listed as the Vikings' free starting commander. He is not — Björn Ironside is the Viking starter. Ragnar is a legendary you acquire separately, most often through golden chests in the Tavern. See the civilizations guide for the full starter list.
Mixed Troops Are the Point
Most commanders demand one troop type and waste half their kit if you bring the wrong composition — see troop types and counters. Ragnar inverts that: Armed to the Teeth boosts damage specifically when you field mixed troops.
That makes him unusually easy to fit into a developing account, and it means he pairs cleanly with almost anyone rather than only with same-type commanders.
The Three Builds
Open field
Work the Attack tree for Effortless and Fight To The Death, both of which raise the damage your troops deal.
From the Leadership tree, the key nodes are:
- Fresh Recruits — more troop capacity
- Armed to the Teeth — the mixed-troop damage bonus
- Strategic Prowess — defence after using a skill
- Hidden Wrath — extra rage when attacked
Sunset Canyon
A variant tuned for the arena, where troops are equalised and commander investment is everything. See the Sunset Canyon guide for how the mode works.
City assault
Built for conquering cities: Buckler Shield to cut counterattack damage, Unyielding to increase your own counterattack damage, and Armored Joints to reduce all damage taken. This is the build for hitting defended targets, where counterattack is what actually kills marches.
Rage Is His Multiplier
Ragnar's active carries his offensive and defensive buffs, so the more often it fires the better everything gets. Pair him with commanders or equipment that boost rage generation and you keep those buffs up more of the time — see the equipment guide and talent trees.
This is the single most useful thing to understand about him: he is not a burst commander whose skill you fire once, he is a sustained-buff commander whose uptime you want to maximise.
Is Ragnar Worth Building?
Yes, particularly for a flexible roster. Mixed-troop tolerance means he never becomes the wrong commander for the march you happen to have, and three viable builds means he adapts as your account changes.
A Ragnar Lodbrok Prime exists as a separate commander — see the Prime commanders guide.
FAQ
Is Ragnar Lodbrok the Viking starting commander?
No. Björn Ironside is the Vikings' starter. Ragnar is a legendary acquired separately, usually from golden tavern chests.
What troops should Ragnar use?
Mixed troops. Armed to the Teeth specifically rewards a varied march, which is unusual in this game.
What is the best Ragnar talent build?
Attack tree for Effortless and Fight To The Death, plus Leadership for Fresh Recruits, Armed to the Teeth, Strategic Prowess and Hidden Wrath. There are separate Canyon and city-assault variants.
How do I make Ragnar stronger?
Increase rage generation. His active carries the buffs, so uptime is the whole game.
Is there a Ragnar Prime?
Yes, and it is a separate commander built from scratch, not an upgrade to the one you own.
Key Takeaways
- Björn Ironside is the Viking starter — Ragnar is a separate legendary.
- Built for mixed troops, which makes him unusually flexible.
- Three builds: open field, Sunset Canyon, city assault.
- Rage generation is his multiplier — his active carries the buffs.
- Buckler Shield, Unyielding and Armored Joints for hitting cities.