Manor Lords: How to recruit military units? Manor Lords Guide
Several types of troops are present in Manor Lords, which you can use. On the site we will characterize each of them and give you tips on how to obtain them.
Last update: 17 April 2024
Combat-oriented scenarios in Manor Lords will often require recruiting, managing, and leading your military forces into battle. Manor Lords has a few ways in which you can get soldiers. On this page of our guide, we introduce you to every type of unit, describe their assumptions and requirements, and finally, show how to utilize them in battle.
How to recruit militia?
Militia are armed units formed from men inhabiting the settlement. You can recruit soldiers to this outfit from early in the game, but before you form your first unit, a few conditions will have to be met.
To view the requirements for establishing a militia unit, click on the crossed swords icon which is named "Army" from the panel at the bottom of the screen. Alternatively, you can also press the "V" key. In the newly opened window you can look up recruited units along with their manpower strength. After hovering the cursor on the chosen unit, you'll see detailed statistics describing it:
- Equipment;
- Morale;
- Fatigue;
- Effectiveness.
By pressing the plus icon, the recruitment window will appear. On the left side there are tiles symbolizing the 4 basic types of militia. These are:
- Militia Footmen (sword and shield);
- Spear-wielding militia;
- Polearm militia;
- Archer Militia.
After clicking on the type of unit you are interested in, it will be automatically formed and will be added to the list of troops below. This does not mean, however, that the enlisted villagers will immediately abandon their activities and march into battle. Before you can embark, you'll need to place an assembly point.
Click on the selected unit and then press the banner icon. Choose any area on the world map. Enlisted men will abandon their current activities and go to their homes to collect their equipment. After a dozen or so seconds, the entire squad should gather and be ready to fight. If you decide that you no longer need the mobilized unit, you can find the selected group again from the "Army" tab and then click the "Disband" icon. This will make the Militia return to their ordinary, civilian activities.
A militia unit may consist of a maximum of 36 people, but a group of as few as 5 men can be recruited. However, before you can enlist even such a small number, will be necessary to provide the soldiers with needed equipment. In addition to manpower, you will need swords, shields, bows and spears. These are produced by Workshop Extensions, about which you can read more on the How to upgrade buildings? page of our guide. You can see what your army needs in a chart next to recruitment icons.
In addition to weapons, which are mandatory if you want to recruit a military unit, you can equip your warriors with optional armor that will improve their defense. To be able to establish an Extension specializing in producing armor, you'll need to unlock the Armormaking branch of the specialization wheel. You can read more about developing a small town on How to level up your village? page.
How to recruit retinue?
In addition to militia units, you can also maintain a retinue that will consist of professional soldiers fighting on your behalf. First Retinue units appear for free after building a Manor in the settlement.
This starting unit will consist of 5 armed men. They will appear in the "Army" tab from where they can be sent to an assembly point. Each warrior from the Retinue is already equipped and carries his own equipment with him - you don't have to provide it. However, you can change the equipment of your Retinue in the Retinue Configuration screen.
To do this, click on a Retinue unit, and then the brush icon. In this window, you can look up every one of your soldiers and change their appearance. Additionally, from this window, you can recruit more Retinue units, as well as upgrade their equipment. However, to do this you'll need money, and more on this topic and ways of earning can be found on How to increase Wealth? page of our guide.
A lot of Retinue configuration options are still unavailable in the Early Access version. With new updates, we can expect gradual introduction of new elements and mechanics.
Initially, the basic Manor can host as many as 12 Retinue soldiers. To be able to accommodate a bigger group, you'll need to build an extension to your Manor.
How to recruit mercenaries?
Mercenaries are the last type of troops that can join you in battle. These are various warriors for hire whose loyalty and help are bought with Wealth. Although their help has an expiration date, their services may be used to e.g. tip the scales of a battle in your favour.
To hire mercenaries, go to the "Army" tab and then press the plus icon. On the right side there is a button with a hand and coins. After clicking, you will be taken to the mercenaries screen.
Here you will find offers from 3 different teams, along with their names, specializations and a short description. At the very bottom there is also the cost of renting a given unit for 1 month (the cost is paid in advance). The available mercenary units change as time progresses, and you'll learn of new groups appearing by a special message appearing in the upper part of the screen. Once recruited, mercenaries behave the same as other types of troops and will remain at your disposal for as long as you pay them.