Food, Morale & Wages Management

A successful campaign requires more than battlefield tactics; it requires logistical mastery. You must balance the morale of your men against the wages you pay them, all while ensuring they are fed.

The Morale System

Morale determines if your troops stay and fight or run away.

• Base Morale: Affected by party size and leadership.

• Food Variety: Provides a significant passive bonus.

• Recent Events: Winning battles boosts morale; losing battles or starving lowers it.

• Wage Payment: Failing to pay wages is a morale catastrophe.

Wage Management and Scaling

As your troops upgrade, their daily wages increase exponentially.

• Tier 1 Recruit: Very cheap.

• Tier 5/6 Elite: Expensive (e.g., 15-20+ denars/day).

• Mounted Troops: Require horses and often higher wages.

Strategy: Do not upgrade every recruit immediately if you cannot afford the upkeep. A large army of Tier 2 troops is cheaper than a small squad of Tier 6 knights and often sufficient for bandit hunting.

Bankruptcy Prevention

If you run out of gold:

1. Sell Prisoners: Ransom them at the nearest tavern.

2. Sell Loot: Sell weapons and armor.

3. Donate Troops: Go to a friendly town/castle (even one you don't own) and "Donate Troops" to the garrison. This removes their wage cost from you and gives you Influence.

Prisoner Management

Prisoners slow you down and don't fight, but they are worth money.

• Recruiting: You can recruit prisoners to replace losses, but this lowers party morale (-1 per recruit usually). Use this sparingly or counter it with food variety.

Marching Attrition

Be aware of environmental effects.

• Snow/Forests: Slow movement speed increases the time between towns, meaning you need more food for the same distance.

• Disorganization: After a battle, your party is "Disorganized" and moves slowly. Ensure you have supplies to wait it out.