welcome to watch mojo
and today we're counting down our picks
for the top 10 most epic vikings battles
not my brother never have been
for this list we're going over the
series most intense fights and
skirmishes
because many of these battles affect the
plot there will be spoilers ahead
if there's a huge fight from the show
that we missed let us know in the
comments
number 10 the heathen army vs ayla we
might be bending the truth a little to
call this a battle because it's an
absolute slaughter
although most of it doesn't even happen
on screen it's still satisfying
not such a great army after all my lord
bishop
after king ayla has ragnar executed his
sons rally
every norse king and army they can to
come back for revenge
ayla arrives full of confidence
especially after seeing how apparently
small the
heathen army is can we not expect to
dispose of these heathens quite easily
that's why it's so rewarding to see his
smug smile
slip as more and more vikings swell the
hillside
god helps us
i don't think he can seeing all the sons
of ragnar and many major characters
united and yelling ragnar's name is pure
hype
[Applause]
no force in the universe could have
saved ayla from brutal revenge
number nine the battle of the sen
following his first raid on paris
ragnar and several other viking earls
and kings return for another attack
i hate my uncle
i want to kill him however this time
ragnar's brother rolo was waiting
having joined the franks rollo has
constructed several forts along the
river sen
the original plan was for ragnar and his
allies to split their forces
to attack from multiple points but
everything goes sideways once rollo
unveils a chain linking the two forts
he proceeds to set enemy ships on fire
while hitting lagrethus forces with
crossbow bolts
it's a disastrous battle for the vikings
but the spectacle is still excellent
and your death is on its way number
eight the wessex ambush
during ragnar and king horox invasion of
wessex the group is relaxing when
they're suddenly ambushed
[Music]
one of horrock's sons immediately loses
his life
the vikings are forced to form shield
walls while their foes expand their
arrows
and if you fall surely oden will take
you to valhalla
[Applause]
it's a short but ferocious skirmish that
marks one of the few times that the
english take the vikings by surprise
this battle also marks athelstan's first
real fight
although it may be small in the grand
scheme of things clever uses of tactics
such as the opening of the shield wall
to trap the english soldiers
make it a memorable one
number seven the siege of katagat
ragnar's sons have fought amongst
themselves plenty of times
but perhaps the most memorable bout is
the one that sees bjorn ironside try to
retake katagat from king ivar
it's a massive two-pronged assault on
the city with bjorn assaulting a gate
held by ivar
while harold and fitzerk attack
elsewhere
there are siege weapons wall climbing
and even a flamethrower
of sorts the initial assault sees ivar
victorious
as his mind proves a match for bjorn's
might when he traps his brother within
the walls
however those same walls are penetrated
later when ivar's wife betrays him and
allows the attackers inside
there is a secret way into the town
i've created it for his own escape it's
how i got out
this battle marks the downfall of ivar
his exile
and the rise of bjorn as king of katagat
number six rescuing queen quintreth not
every awesome battle in vikings involves
well vikings
king ekberg has plans for mercia in
order to achieve his ends he needs queen
queenthruth who's being held hostage by
rebels
ten men to the gates attack prince
aethelwolf and a small group of soldiers
are sent in to save her
while the bulk of the forces engage in a
battle at the gate ethel wolfe gets into
an extended fight with a man
sent to kill the queen
at the same time quenthrith fights off
the jailers that attempt to end her life
and the life of her son
it's a desperate and exhausting fight
for all involved
that does a superb job of immersing you
in the action
what took you so long number five the
battle of flames
king alfred and uber made for an
extremely dangerous team in the battle
of martin
why is the ground burnt uber comes up
with a devious plan to use against the
vikings
selecting a burnt field for their
battlefield after it's set on fire
the vikings are trapped by the flames
with little hope of retreat
the battle is notable for important
story beats like the death of bishop
hegmond and
the disappearance of lagertha but what
really makes it stand out is the
striking imagery
beautiful music and breathtaking
cinematography
it's a pretty damn gorgeous battle
number four uber vs king frodo when
another force of vikings is set to
attack alfred's kingdom
uber goes to negotiate he's in favor of
giving up land in exchange for loyalty
[Applause]
while two of three royals present at
negotiations agree with the plan
king frodo does not in order to reach a
decision
they engage in single combat this is a
fight to the death
the two are incredibly well matched
while uba gets in a few early hits
both fighters soon become so injured
they're barely able to walk
this fight is one of the most lengthy
and well choreographed one-on-one
battles in the whole
series by the end of the bout you'll be
chanting uber's name
right along with the spectators number
three the first battle of york
three words ivar the boneless okay we're
getting a little ahead of ourselves
after sons of ragnar captured the town
of york the saxons led by ethel wolfe
and bishop hegmond attack
the first half of the battle sees the
saxons fall into various smoke-shrouded
deadly traps
but when ivar takes to the field that's
when things get
crazy
after being knocked off his chariot he
intimidates the saxons by proclaiming
his name and yelling at them
the fact that ivar spends the rest of
the rainy battle laughing and shouting
and deranged glee is both
awesome and terrifying
the strategy the atmosphere and his
sheer brutal charisma make this
a fantastic clash number two the naval
battle
of brothers they can't be with us
undeterred by his defeat by rolo on the
sen
ragnar has his forces portage their
boats around the forts
this leads to a battle on the water with
platforms attached to boats
every major character present gets a
moment to shine
the atmospheric and haunting music lends
the battle a sense of weight
yet the highlight is the final
confrontation between ragnar and rolo
the two brothers last fight begins with
swords but soon devolves into a
fistfight
as each beats the other within an inch
of their lives
neither one dies but ragnar is forced to
retreat
and both they and the show are forever
changed by the event
let them go
before we unveil our number one pick
here are some honorable mentions the
battle of wessex
bjorn becomes ironside and rollo is
nearly killed
[Applause]
the battle on the beach a short battle
that perfectly illustrates viking
tactics
the battle of repton the sons of ragnar
defeat the son of eckbert
the second battle of york that hammer
viking is definitely going to valhalla
civil war lives are lost visions are had
and ivar rises to power
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number 1 the siege of paris the end of
season 3 sees ragnar wage war in paris
it is so amazing that we couldn't choose
just one part of the massive battle
we had to include the whole thing
the opening engagement features huge
siege towers assaulting the walls of the
city
in a spectacle that's equal to any film
then there are the smaller attacks on
the covered bridge
featuring a grisly spiked wheel used by
the defenders
finally there's ragnar's brilliant plan
to fake his own demise
and infiltrate the city in his own
coffin
[Applause]
not only do most of the characters get
standout moments
but the siege is also crucial to the
story in terms of scale
and scope vikings has never been more
epic
i win do you agree with our picks
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