Although the title of Jarl is eminently honorable, it comes with great responsibility. Know that managing your own settlement 
is a difficult endeavor fraught with hardships, meaningful decisions, and deadly threats. Your life and that of your tribemates can be brought to an abrupt end by harsh weather, famine, cold, untamed wildlife or ferocious animals… and the list goes on. Fear not, however, as the wisdom of the sages and numerous valuable tips are coming to your aid.
This series – The Jarl’s Guide – will help you understand the wild, harsh world around you and support you in your difficult efforts 
Read on, and discover how to deal with various unpredictable situations and how to go down in history as a glorious, respectable Jarl. Valhalla!
Good news, everyone! The Viking Frontiers Playtest will kick off on January 15th
The Playtest will start in less than a week, which means you still have some time to request access and become one of our testers. To do so, please visit the Viking Frontiers Steam Page and click the green Request Access button just above the RECENT EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS section ✅
Truth be told, we simply can’t wait to see the first daredevils who will try their best to survive and develop their settlements among the hostile Nordic hills and woods 🌲 Will you be able to obtain the necessary resources (which we will talk about in a moment)? Will you keep your people safe and gain their trust? And most importantly – will you manage to build a prosperous settlement?
We are also eagerly waiting for your first feedback and general opinions about Viking Frontiers. The Steam Playtest marks the initial interaction of the gaming community with our title, and we rely on you to share your thoughts and ideas, which will help us further improve our game. In the past, you have proven many times what great testers you all are, so we are looking at the calendar with great hope and enthusiasm! 😍
And now - let us get back to the Jarl's Guide
Now that we’ve discussed the Playtest release date, we can focus on your survival 💀 Although the forests, rivers, hills and cliffs surrounding your new home are fraught with danger, traversing them can be extremely rewarding. And it’s not just about the magnificent views! The environment around your settlement is full of valuable resources just waiting to be used. However, before they become long, wooden boards, useful tools, tough metal bars, or delicious dishes, you first need to obtain them.
The raw materials you can possess include various types of plants and herbs, wood, stone, iron ore, wild animal skins and many more. As you can see, this is quite a wide range of goods, so you will have to plan your extraction activities wisely and try to maximize their results. Speaking of efficiency, we have to mention tools, which are a very important element of quick and effective resource acquisition 🪓
Regardless of whether we are talking about picks, axes, saws or other tools, their use will definitely speed up your work. Be sure to remember about them both in the early and later stages of the game! When setting out into the wilderness, check twice if your equipment includes the appropriate items that will make it easier to achieve your goals.
Resources equals development 🧐
Once you enter the world of Viking Frontiers, you will quickly discover that creating any tool or building any building requires access to certain raw materials. When building the first houses of your settlement, which will later provide shelter for your tribesmen, or constructing more complex buildings such as a barn or a forge, you will have to use beams, boards, stones and other building materials. Unfortunately, their quantity is limited and empty warehouses never portends anything good. Ok, but how to make sure your settlement doesn’t lack important resources? 
As stated earlier, the simplest method involves embarking on an expedition around your village and personally gathering resources. However in the future, when your settlement is a bit more developed and has the appropriate number of workers, you will be able to commission work to your subjects.
As a Jarl of a prosperous town, you won’t always have time to go out into the wild on your own to obtain valuable resources, and you will have to let your tribemates do some of the work instead of you 
This is undoubtedly a convenient solution – lumberjacks, hunters and miners will provide you with a constant supply of important goods, which will also allow you to devote yourself to others, more absorbing tasks. Of course, if you miss the wilderness you can still embark on the rescue-gathering journey, but then it will be your choice, not a necessity.
Now that you have all the necessary knowledge about raw resources, their usefulness and ways to obtain them, we can only wish you good luck! Ah, one more thing – do not forget to join the Viking Frontiers Playtest and join us on January 15th. See you then! 👀
Thank you, Vikings! Until next time! 🖐️