Nidhogg is a Norsemyth unit who spews flames in a deadly splash attack that deals both hack and crush damage. As a flying unit, only ranged attacks can harm him.
Nidhogg's devastating attack, huge number of hit points, and high armor almost make him a one-unit army. He can slaughter units and take down buildings with ease, and, being a flying unit, can even take on Titans with impunity. Despite being airborne, the Nidhogg will, however, take splash damage from a Titan while it attacks ground troops. Ranged human units will eventually prevail over Nidhogg, but with dreadful losses, and ranged heroes, his main weakness, can be hard to come by.
However, Nidhogg is not invincible. He cannot regenerate or be healed by any means, so sustained attacks will finish him. Towers and fortresses gain a massive attack bonus against flying units, so keeping Nidhogg in an enemy town too long will wear him down. Ranged heroes such as the Pharaoh (especially the Son of Osiris), Immortal, and Odysseus do serious damage to Nidhogg, and he can die fairly quickly if unsupported. Zeus' Bolt can kill Nidhogg instantly except in the Extended Edition where it only deals damage equal to 2% of his health. The player should therefore protect Nidhogg with an army and avoid direct engagements with Zeus players. If players find themselves losing a battle, they should command Nidhogg to retreat as soon as possible because his slow speed leaves him vulnerable to pursuits from his counters. He is also vulnerable to large masses of powerful ranged myth units like the Vermilion Bird and Phoenix.
Mythology[]
“
Scientific name -- Draco niflheimus Size -- 20' wingspan Diet -- corpses, roots of Yggdrasil
In Niflheim, the Norse Underworld, lives a great dragon or serpent, Nidhogg, whose name means "tearer of corpses". He gnaws on the roots of the world ash, Yggdrasil, waiting for Ragnarok. Yggdrasil is also home to an eagle and to an anthropomorphic squirrel named Ratatosk. Ratatosk ferries insults back and forth between Nidhogg at the ash's roots and the eagle living up in the branches.
Other dragons tasked to destroy the world tree are Grabak, Grafvolluth, Goin and Moin.
”
—In-game help section
Campaign appearances[]
Fall of the Trident[]
Unlikely Heroes - Nidhogg appears as one of Gargarensis' powerful units that will attack the player early into the game. The Nidhogg is directly mentioned by Brokk during its attack.
The Golden Gift[]
Fight at the Forge - Nidhogg may or may not appear in this scenario. Both the player and Eitri (enemy) start in the Classical Age and worship Loki as the major god, and both can advance to the Mythic Age. Both players have the option to worship Hel to advance to the Mythic Age, which gives them access to Nidhogg. However, if either or both summon Nidhogg, it will simply serve as part of the attacking force, and it will not be mentioned in game or in the cutscene.
Loki's Temples - Loki's forces (enemy) starts out in the Mythic Age with Hel as the minor god, and will invoke the Nidhogg god power almost immediately. Like on the previous scenario, Nidhogg appears to be just a part of an attacking force, since it will not be mentioned in game or in the cutscenes.
The New Atlantis[]
Rampage - King Folstag has already tamed Nidhogg during the events of The New Atlantis. During the scenario, King Folstag will attempt to summon Nidhogg to aid them in their battle against Ymir. If the player can hold long enough, Nidhogg will be summoned and come under the player's control. It is worth noting that in this scenario, Nidhogg has a significantly increased attack bonus against the enemy Titan. It is possible for the player to obtain victory by killing the Titan before Nidhogg is summoned. Whether this is the same Nihdogg from Fall of the Trident or a different creature of the same specie, is unknown.
Trivia[]
Nidhogg has the second highest number of hit points of any unit, tied with the Earth Dragon and behind the Titan.
After being invoked, Nidhogg can be attacked during his descent.
Thurisaz Rune (Bragi): increases speed by 12%.
