Warfare

Each unit may have one of five stances:

• Give Ground slowly pushes the formation line backward, luring the enemy to follow.
• Missile Alert doubles the chance to avoid or block arrows but halves melee defense.
• Balanced is the default stance with no bonuses or penalties.
• Stand Your Ground doubles defense but halves attack speed.
• Push Forward tries to push forward with full force.

Units can be ordered to walk or run. Running covers ground more quickly but affects their Fatigue.

The formation of units can be changed by holding the right mouse button and dragging the mouse to decide the formation depth.

A few units may have additional commands:

• Archers can be ordered whether to fire if there is a chance to hit friendly units or attack only where friendly units aren't at risk.
• Mercenaries and Retinue can be othered to spread out, which makes them harder to hit with arrows and makes them run slightly faster but also reduces their effectiveness in melee.

If a soldier has a shield it will take reduced damage from front attacks but will lose fatigue instead. If a soldier is attacked from behind he takes double damage. These directional mechanics apply to both melee and ranged attacks.

Unit stats

Unit stats

Each unit has the following stats:

• Morale is the willingness to fight. If it reaches critical points some stances become unavailable and if it is depleted the unit will flee from battle. Militia has increased Morale in their home region.
• Fatigue is how rested the unit is. Each point of Fatigue lost reduces Effectiveness by an equal amount. When depleted the unit can no longer run. Fatigue is slowly restored as long as the unit is not doing anything.
• Effectiveness is the attack and defense multiplier. It is increased if the unit is moving or fighting downhill and reduced if the unit is moving and fighting uphill or is surrounded. Archers also lose Effectiveness during rain.
• Attack is how much damage it deals.
• Armor reduces damage done by enemy Attack.
• Shield reduces damage done by enemy Attack from forward attacks.
• Anti Armor reduces enemy Armor.
• Charge gives a bonus to Attack when the initial charge hits the enemy.
• Impaling cancels the enemy Charge bonus and turns it against them but only if the unit is facing the enemy and not moving.

Unit types

Militia recruitment

Retinue customization

The mercenaries hire screen

There are 3 types of units in Manor Lords: militia, mercenaries and the retinue.

Militia are units recruited from among the male villagers. They require weapons depending on the militia type. Each militia is made up of 36 men but can have less if there aren't sufficient weapons. Each soldier will try to equip a Helmet if one is available. If their Burgage Plot is level 3 they will also try to equip a Mail Armor if one is available. There are 4 militia types:

• Militia Footmen require Sidearms and Small Shields
• Spear Militia require Spears and Large Shields
• Polearm Militia require Polearms
• Archer Militia require Warbows

Retinue is made up of professional soldiers and is created when constructing the first Manor building. Every soldier can individually have its colors customized and its armor upgraded at the cost of 9 or 18 Treasury. Initially the Retinue has 5 soldiers and each additional soldier must be recruited manually at the cost of 50 Treasury. The Retinue can have up to 12 soldiers and the limit is increased by another 12 for each Garrison Tower module in a Manor.

Mercenaries

Mercenaries are paid each month with Treasury. They are rallied as soon as they are hired and if disbanded they will leave.

Unit	Attack type	Attack	Armor	Shield	Charge	Impaling
Brigands	Melee	2	5	3	3	No
Light Mercenary Archers	Ranged	2	3	0	0	No
Light Mercenary Infantry	Melee	2	6	3	0	No
Light Mercenary Spearmen	Melee	1	8	8	0	Yes
Heavy Mercenary Archers	Ranged	2	6	15	0	No

3 mercenary companies are available each month. There are 8 possible mercenary companies:

• Local Thugs costs 15 and gives 1 Brigands
• Brigands For Hire costs 30 and gives 2 Brigands
• The Wayward Sons costs 45 and gives 1 Light Mercenary Archers and 1 Heavy Mercenary Archers
• Battle Brothers costs 50 and gives 1 Light Mercenary Infantry and 1 Light Mercenary Spearmen
• The Brotherhood of the Forest costs 60 and gives 1 Brigands and 1 Light Mercenary Archers
• Flock of Crazy Geese costs 90 and gives 1 Light Mercenary Archers, 1 Light Mercenary Infantry and 1 Light Mercenary Spearmen
• Greencaps costs 90 and gives 1 Light Mercenary Archers and 2 Light Mercenary Infantry
• The Ravenous Vultures costs 110 and gives 3 Light Mercenary Infantry