A ruler always needs his trustworthy Retinue to take on enemy forces in Manor Lords. As you evolve in 14th-century Franconia, some may not admire your uprising. Bandits and neighboring lords wish to have their place in the world, though this comes at a cost. With a Retinue, your worries can ease, knowing you have an organized force at your disposal.
However, how does a medieval leader in Manor Lords increase their Retinue? Establishing and raising a settlement is one factor, but how can a Retinue grow? To be a monarch, one must utilize their militarized men to the fullest extent against all odds. Here’s what you need to do.
How To Increase Retinue in Manor Lords
Manor Lords players initially acquire a Retinue by erecting their first manor in the game. This is possible by accessing the Construction menu and building the manor via the Administration icon. The starting number for your personnel staff is five, though you can increase it to twelve. Select your Retinue from the Army tab at the bottom of the screen to do this. This pulls up your enlisted troops. Choose the group in question to access the Retinue Customization page. Then, select the paintbrush icon that pops up over the highlighted group to proceed.
You’re then transported to the Retinue Customization menu, where you’re given information on a chosen entourage member. Referring to the screenshot above, our member is Erhart. We can fully personalize him, view his upgrades, and acknowledge his expertise, though the latter is locked out of early-access gameplay. However, under the “Retinue” section of the menu, you can click on the Treasury Plus icon to recruit another member. You’ll need to spend 50 Treasury to permit this transaction. Only then can you increase your personal company’s size.
Treasury is different from your Regional Wealth in Manor Lords. You can acquire additional Treasury by taxing your settlers. Remember, though, that taxing your people will lower their disapproval rating. Maintaining approval from your settlers is imperative to maximize your presence in Franconia. Be mindful of your choices in leadership when working around finances.
Any modifications you make to a member of your Retinue’s outfit will not affect any aspect of your gameplay. In other words, any cosmetic changes, no matter what colors and styles you choose, won’t hinder your rise to power in Manor Lords.
Increase the limit
Even though you may charge into battle with 12 individuals in your court, you can enlarge your advancements. This is done by constructing a Garrison Tower, an attachment for your manor that increases your Retinue. This is a little tricky to navigate, though it’s possible by accessing your manor. As such, click on your principal residence, then select the “Open the Castle Planner” option. This opens the Castle Planner menu, where you can upgrade your manor. To the right of the screen are the manor modules. Under this section, choose the Garrison Tower, though some materials are needed to erect one:
- Timber x10
- Planks x15
- Stone x10
Building a Garrison Tower increases your Retinue’s size by 12, establishing itself with a force of 24 dedicated soldiers. Furthermore, you can grow this number by creating more manors. As you grow into a force to be reckoned with in Manor Lords, you can eventually claim other regions. You can then demonstrate your power by establishing additional manors, thus increasing your chances of conquering more areas across Franconia.
Of course, you can always inspect your troops up close and personally by exploring the third-person camera view. You can only walk and stand beside them as they rally for battle in Manor Lords while early access development continues.
