Varg

Varg is a minor Norscan Tribes faction introduced in Total War: Warhammer. It is led by Surtha Ek and can be found in the middle parts of Norsca, north of The Old World.

Background
The Vargs are a Norscan Tribe that inhabits the lands on the north-central coastlines of Norsca. According to ancient lore, the Varg may have been Kurgan in origin, their mystical leader Hrothgar Daemonaxe leading them from the East to settle and breed within the lands of Norsca.

Starting Territory

 * The Old World
 * Mountains of Naglfari
 * Trollheim Mountains


 * Mortal Empires
 * Mountains of Naglfari
 * Trollheim Mountains

Diplomacy
As with all Norscan Tribes, defeating this faction's leader when playing as a Norscan faction offers you confederation with them.

Diplomatic traits:



Awakening
Unlike most minor Norscan Tribes that are on the map at the start of the game, Varg can be resurrected by the Warriors of Chaos awakening them if they get wiped out. Skaeling is the only other faction that can make that claim. In order to be awakened, the Warriors of Chaos must win a battle against a settlement in the Mountains of Naglfari after the Varg have been wiped out.

Surtha Ek
Surtha Ek is a minor lord, the leader of the Varg. He often recruits many chariots and cavalry units into his army. In Total War: Warhammer II, the leader of the Tiranoc faction was renamed "Surthara Bel Kec" in Mortal Empires as a nod to Surtha Ek.

Surtha Ek can also gain the special character trait "True Chariot Master" by defeating Settra the Imperishable in battle, which will increase the damage of his Chaos Chariots by 100%. Likewise, Settra can receive the special trait "Surtha Wrecked" for defeating Surtha Ek, which increases his capacity for Skeleton Chariots by 10 and the armor of all chariots in his army by 10.

If the Varg are wiped out and then brought back by the Warriors of Chaos awakening them, they will not get Surtha Ek back but instead be led by a random generic lord.

Trivia

 * Surtha Ek's mastery of cavalry has made him a living meme and figure of infamy among the game's community: his tendency to recruit chariots en masse, combined with the A.I.'s ability to micro them to maximum effect (especially compared to a human player), make him exceptionally deadly in the early campaign.
 * They and the Skaeling were originally the only two Norscan factions on the map without needing to be Awaken the Tribes by the Warriors of Chaos, until the Foundation Update made Norsca a playable race and added more minor factions.
 * "Varg" means "wolf" in Swedish.
 * Archaon, the Everchosen of Chaos, was said to be half-Varg and half-Nordlander, his father having been a possessed champion of the Varg tribe who forced himself upon a cowering innocent during the raid which saw his birth village of Hargendorf burnt in 2390 IC.