Logistics: Food, Wages, Prisoners

Winning battles is easy; paying for the soldiers who fight them is the hard part. As your clan grows, logistics becomes the primary bottleneck to your expansion.

Food and Morale

Food does more than keep your troops alive; it keeps them happy.

• Variety Bonus: For every different type of food (Grain, Meat, Fish, Cheese, Butter, Grapes, Olives, Beer, Dates) in your inventory, your party gains Morale.

• Steward Perks: The Steward skill is essential here. Perks like Frugal reduce consumption, while Gourmet increases the morale bonus from food variety.

A high Steward skill ensures your food stocks last through long sieges.

Managing Wages

Wages are the "silent killer" of many campaigns.

1. Garrison vs Party: Troops in a garrison cost less wages than troops in your mobile party (especially with perks like Castellan).

2. Tier Management: Don't upgrade every recruit immediately. Tier 5 troops cost significantly more than Tier 3. Only upgrade when you have the income to support it.

3. Perks: Look for perks in Stewardship and Leadership that reduce wages (e.g., Frugal, Paid in Promise).

Large armies burn through gold quickly. Ensure you have passive income from Workshops or Caravans.

Prisoner Management

Prisoners are a resource, not just a burden.

• Recruiting: With the Veterans' Respect perk (Leadership 150), you can convert bandit prisoners into noble troops.

• Ransoming: Tavern District -> Ransom Broker. This is a quick way to get cash.

• Influence: Donating prisoners to a friendly dungeon gives you Influence, often more valuable than the gold you'd get from ransoming.

Assigning a companion with high Steward as your Quartermaster can instantly double your party size and reduce costs.

Conclusion

Mastering logistics allows you to campaign longer, siege deeper into enemy territory, and recover faster from losses. Always keep a Quartermaster assigned and your inventory full of butter.