Knowing how to build a Manor in Manor Lords is one of the most important aspects of the game. Without it, you won’t have a retinue to hand to help you deal with incoming bandits and raiders. You also won’t be able to implement taxes, which can go a long way to building up your regional wealth.
Manors also look seriously cool. They allow you to build walls around the entrance to your settlement, and while it’ll take a long time before you can essentially have an entirely fenced-off community, you can easily place gates to block any roads leading in and ultimately look much more menacing. It’s also a great way of building up your influence, which is used to claim new regions and expand your empire.
Here’s everything you need to know about building a Manor in Manor Lords including how to build a Manor and what a Manor is used for.
How to build a Manor in Manor Lords
To build a Manor in Manor Lords, you need a settlement level of at least a small village (this is literally the first stage though, as long as you’ve upgraded from the starting tents to actual burgage plots) along with 5x timber, 20x planks, and 15x stone.
On the construction menu, head to the Administration tab second from the right, and select Manor. This will allow you to place your Manor wherever you like.
We’d recommend placing your Manor toward the outskirts of your settlement rather than right in the middle, as this will allow you to build the aforementioned wall, which unfortunately is a touch useless if it isn’t on the border to provide a small hindrance to any incoming invaders.
As long as you have at least one unassigned family, they’ll eventually begin work constructing your Manor. Once constructed, you can select the Manor and click “Open the Castle Planner” to build walls, gates, towers (which add garrison and retinue capacity to your settlement), and a tax office, which is currently only cosmetic. These are all of the upgrades currently available for the Manor, because it doesn’t have any standard upgrades like some other buildings do.
What is a Manor for in Manor Lords?
A Manor has a number of purposes in Manor Lords. First and foremost, constructing it from the off grants you 250 influence right out of the gate and it also raises your administration level by one. As mentioned above, influence is used for laying claim to new regions, but you need 1,000 for every claim you make. There are other ways of earning influence, but building a Manor will get you well on your way.
Perhaps the most important benefit of building a Manor is that you can now tax your citizens. In the currently early access build, two types of tax are available: land tax, which is simply collected from regional wealth, and tithe, which is a great way of earning influence quickly. This is only effective if you have a steady source of food though, as it essentially converts any surplus food into influence.
Having a Manor also means you have a retinue, which means you basically have some soldiers that will deploy and fight for you in battle. You’ll still want to build out your army but these folks can help you out in a pinch. They are a little stronger than your standard soldiers too, so they can turn the tide of a battle.
You should prioritize building a Manor as soon as you’re able to and you have all the other essentials nailed down, as while it isn’t vital for survival, it is mandatory for progression. Also balancing taxes with approval is useful.
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