This is my first ever guide, but i don't expect any punches pulled in criticism. This is simply my preferred build and Ive found it to be rather useful. So...let's learn the vikings shall we? -Side note, If your playing on haunted mines, you could be screwed. The Vikings seem to disagree with each other about who gets to go first when entering the mines, so one or two tend to get left above ground, splitting your group and risking easy ganks from the enemy.

This is NOT a pro guide, this is to help new viking players get a running start on playing the vikings and then making their own talent decisions based off of what they have learned. Now, a heads up, you should be keeping these guys together for most of the game. You CAN gank, but try not to be too ballsy as a good Valla can burst down Erik, and then run away, leaving you somewhat crippled. Always be present for teamfights as the fact that there are three o you really helps in intimidation.

This is NOT a micro intensive build. As a matter of fact, just keep these jokers together at all times if you can. The only time you should be splitting them up is if one or two of them are hurt and need to go back to base. Keeping them together also helps when you need to pop your ultimate, the mighty Longboat Raid!

So! a quick need to know is in order.

-Each viking killed only awards .25 worth of a regular hero's death, including xp. (Think Murky)
-This is NOT meepo, just because one viking dies does not mean game over! The others will fight on!
-These dudes start with NO ABILITIES, you have the option of selecting them in your talents, but if you've been paying attention, were not going to do that.
-Sadly, the vikings cannot mount. BUT FEAR NOT! To get where they need to be, or even get the F outta dodge, they can Go!Go!Go! Running 40% faster for four seconds. This actually works in our favor later on.
-Each viking can individually interact with things. Need to grab that last tribute for the raven lord? Have one of the vikings channel it while the other two watch his back! Same thing goes for coin turn ins and Dragon shrine activations.
-Each viking can soak XP as tho each was his own hero! Sorry, what? English plz?... Oh that means you can split them into different lanes and nab more experience for your team!
-Erik, the short redhead, is the ranged speedster of the three. But the tradeoff is his low hp. But his true talent? He can attack whilst moving, similar to the diamondback unit from starcraft.
-Baelog, the mid height dude who looks like he trained Arnold Schwarzenegger is a mid raged sword thrower who deals cleave damage behind his main target. A godsend when laning. Not as speedy as Erik, but not too bad either.
-Olaf, The walking meat-shield who struggles with simple English is rather slow, but makes up for it in his health pool AND a nice charge that plants him right in front of his target.

Your first three talent picks should be fairly self explanatory. Each one buffs a single viking in a significant way. Olaf gets to tank some attacks, Erik keeps those heavy hitting melees out of the way, and Baelog hits faster. At level 10, i have found lojngbaot raid to serve the vikings team fight ability and outright intimidation factor. I CAN see how viking sanctuary could be very effective in skilled hands, but this isn't a guide for pros. This is for people who are just getting into the vikings. After your ultimate, you should nab Impatience is a virtue. This was a hard one for me, as we haven't picked any of their active abilities, but the ability to get speed-run and longboat raid back up and running faster is just too good to pass up. The next talent was another hard choice as well. After heavily testing between Olaf's charge stun and marathon, I decided that 64 KB Marathon is better. It helps immensely in both escaping and chasing down running heroes, whereas large and in charge is riskier AND relies on an 8 second cool down that you CANT SEE. Your level 20 talent is an obvious choice, as beefing your longboat is much higher on the list than a faster re-spawn cool down, which shouldn't even be needed when your running 64 KB marathon.

More of a personal note really, I enjoyed writing up this guide for anyone whop has taken the time to read it, which i really appreciate them doing. If you have any thoughts or tips for me, leave a comment! Let me know what you think! P.S., this ENTIRE guide was written to this song on a loop: Play Video