Army Recruitment & Morale Cheatsheet
November 21, 2025
Quick-reference table for keeping armies full and happy.
Army Recruitment & Morale Cheatsheet
When your lines are breaking and your men are starving, you don't need a history lesson—you need a checklist. Use this guide to quickly replenish your ranks and stop mass desertion.
Recruitment Sources
| Source | Quality | Speed | Cost | Note |
| Villages | Low-Mid | Fast | Low | Relations with notables unlock higher tiers. |
| Towns | Low-Mid | Fast | Low | Similar to villages; check the tavern for Mercenaries. |
| Prisoners | Mid-High | Slow | Free* | Takes time to convert. Morale penalty on recruitment. |
| Mercenaries | Mid | Instant | High | Found in Taverns. Expensive upkeep but instant numbers. |
Building relations with village notables is the key to accessing Noble troops.
Morale Boosters
If your morale is dropping, check this list:
Food Variety: Are you carrying Grain only? Add Butter, Meat, Cheese, Dates. (+Food Bonus)
Recent Victory: Fight a small looter party for an easy win. (+Recent Events)
Buy Drinks: In a town settlement, you can sometimes buy rounds (specific mods/features) or just rest to recover.
Garrison: If morale is critically low, garrison troops to prevent desertion, then take them back when morale stabilizes.
Recruiting prisoners is free, but lowers party morale. Balance this carefully.
Common Pitfalls & Fixes
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
| "Crowdedness" | Party size > Party limit | Disband low-tier troops or put them in a garrison immediately. |
| "Starvation" | No Food | Buy grain at the nearest village. Raid if necessary. |
| "Unpaid Wages" | No Money | Sell loot, smith weapons, or sell prisoners. |
| "Disorganized" | Just left a battle/siege | Wait in place or move slowly until the "Disorganized" state passes. |
Emergency Fixes
My army is starving and disbanding!
Stop Moving: Movement burns calories.
Slaughter Animals: If you have livestock (Sheep, Cows, Pigs) in inventory, you can slaughter them for Meat.
Discard Troops: If you have no food and no money, dismiss your T1 recruits to save food for your T6 elites.
Mercenaries are expensive, but they can fill gaps in your line instantly.
For more details, see Army Morale & Leadership.