Although battles take a back seat to city building, they are an important part of Manor Lords. To lead your army to victory, you must learn the best battle formations and strategies in Manor Lords.
Best battle tactics and formations in Manor Lords
Manor Lords combat isn't as complex as Total War or other real-time strategies, but it still requires you to use proper formations to outsmart the opponent. I'm a fan of archers (although they're not as powerful as I'd like them to be), although if you don't use them like I do, battle formation is much less important.
If you don't use archers, your battle tactics are simpler, at least until new troops arrive. In that case, put faster units like spearmen on your wings so they can catch the opponent's archers faster. Even if the enemy doesn't have ranged units, fast units on wings will do a better job of flanking the enemy. The center is reserved for units in heavy armor that can hold their ground, especially when raiders attack. Having said that, having archers for more varied strategies is always a good idea.
Best defensive strategy and battle formation in Manor Lords
Archers are perfect for a defensive formation in Manor Lords because they are mobile and force enemies to act against them. My default method in battle is a defensive approach unless the enemy has more archers than I do. In that case, I'm the one who has to pursue them.
As shown in the image above, I have archers holding my wings, forming a U-shape with melee fighters in the center. The strategy is simple – start contact with the nearest archers, forcing enemies to go after them. If they try to face them, I will move archers slowly away from the center to have a clear path for their arrows.
When the enemy approaches, I will move them behind the spearmen/swordsmen who will advance to cover them. Ideally, enemy troops will be spread out in a failed attempt to catch my archers on the wings. If they ignore the archers and go straight to the center, that's even better for me because the archers will have more time to shoot them.
Related: Manor Lords Early Access Review
Best offensive strategy and battle formation in Manor Lords
Offensive strategies are much simpler than defensive ones in Manor Lords (until the cavalry is introduced anyway). In this case, my goal was to get as close as possible as quickly as possible to break the ranks of the enemy archers by placing melee units in front and archers in the back. Give archers to shoot at will, because you need more accuracy in the middle.
The main reason to get out of your comfort zone and rush the enemy is to avoid getting slaughtered by archers. If your opponent is waiting for you and doesn't run to you, your first option is side or attack from one side. Move around an enemy, making sure you are out of range of the archer. The idea is to force the opponent to change formations and beat moving.
Now that you have learned about the best battle formations and strategies in Manor Lords, find out the Best ways to improve influence in Manor Lords – 5 Tips and Tricks on Pro Game Guides.
