
Your militia in Manor Lords can be used to fight over territories and defeat bandit camps that pop up around the map. In some strategy games, military-type enemies are essentially created out of nothing and have one job; stand around until it's time to fight. Things work a bit differently in Manor Lords.
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PostsTo make a militia, you will need to have enough villagers in your territory, and then supply them with the weapons necessary. In this guide, we are going to over how to make a militia. Overall the process is fairly simple, as there is a limited amount of troop types available in the game.
Manor Lords is currently in Early Access on Steam and as such, the content is subject to change. We will update these articles as required.
How To Create Units
To create militia units, head to the Army tab at the bottom of your screen, which looks like two swords crossing. Here, you can see all the units that you have, as well as a plus icon, which allows you to create even more.
There are four types of militia units that you can create. Below, you can check out each one, as well as what weapons they require to function.
Unit Type
Weapons
Footmen
Swords
Small Shields
Spearmen
Spears
Large Shields
Polearms
Polearms
Archers
Warbows
After selecting a militia type, you will see a number in red below their image. This denotes how many you can have. For example, in one unit, you can have 36 archers. If you only have 20 bows though, the number will display as 20/36.
These soldiers come directly out of your village! If you lose any in battle, you lose villagers.
How To Make More Weapons And Armor
Armor isn't necessary to make a unit, but weapons are essential. As such, we suggest taking care of weapons first before making armor for your troops to wear. Below, you can check out each weapon type, along with where it's produced.
Once you have weapons, you can then unlock the armor-making node on the development tree and make some armor for your militia.
Weapon
Production Location
Required Materials
Sword
Blacksmith
2x Iron Slab
Spear
Blacksmith
1x Iron Slab
1x Plank
Polearm
Blacksmith
1x Iron Slab
1x Plank
Warbow
Fletcher
1x Plank
Small Shield
Joiner's Shop
1x Plank
Large Shield
Joiner's Shop
2x Plank
These are all types of burgage plots. All production types will unlock once you reach the second level burgage plot.
When these weapons are made, they will then be taken into households with militia members. To check out how the resources are spread, click on any house and look at the armaments section; this will display the armor and weapons that are used by members of the household.
How To Rally Your Militia
With your troops organized, it's time to rally! This is done by clicking on the troop from the rally menu and then clicking on the rally icon, which looks like a little flag. This will allow you to set a rally point, which is where members of the militia will go.
The rally point can only be set within the territory that the members are from, but once they have gathered, you can send them anywhere you want. This includes territories owned by others, as well as unclaimed territories.
How To Use Your Militia
There are a few options that you can click on while in control of your militia. These can be seen below.
Order
Description
Give Ground
Moves backward, which lures the enemy.
Missile Alert
Troops watch for missiles, which increases ranged defense and lowers melee defense.
Balanced
This is neutral with no stat changes.
Stand Your Ground
This is a defensive pose that increases defense and reduces attack frequency by half.
Push Forward
Your soldiers will push forward! No stat changes.
Disband Unit
The militia will disband and return to their jobs.
Shoot At Will
Archers will aim directly at the enemy (instead of in a volley). This decreases ranged accuracy but increases it up close.
Friendly Fire Mode
Enable friendly fire, allowing your troops to potentially harm each other.
Run To Positions
Your militia will run to their destination which causes fatigue.
Hold
The militia will stop and reform their shape.
How To Attack
To attack, you simply need to highlight the units (you can select more than one) and right-click on the destination. This can be a location to move to, as well as an enemy troop or camp.
What Is The Retinue?
After building the manor, you have access to the retinue. This is essentially an improved group of troops that you can customize. There can only be 12 people in this unit, but if you click on retinue within the Army panel, you will have the option to head to "Retinue Customization".
By building more manors, you can get more retinues.
From here, you can set the armor that each member wears, which can either be purchased locally or with money from your treasury (which can be increased by taxing your villagers).
You will also be able to hire more members, as well as customize their armor and clothing colors. Overall, this is a great group of soldiers to send out if you are going into a tough battle, such as one over a territory.
How To Hire Mercenaries
Lastly, let's take a look at hiring mercenaries. This is a great way to get some troops formed if you don't have enough manpower or weapons available.
Mercenaries are paid for out of your treasury, which is similar to retinue upgrades. Overall, if you have enough tax money coming in, you should be able to hire a band of mercenaries to help in battle.
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