The Baron faction is one of two 'pure' Human factions, meaning these factions predominantly use non-magical Humans for most of their units. This confers the benefit that the Baron does not require unique or hard to acquire resources, relying only on glimmering Gold and hard Iron to build and maintain the Baron's army's. On the other hand this leaves the Baron with few powerful end game options.

The Baron is a faction that lives and dies for the mid game. The Baron lacks any good end game strategy when facing enemy factions that could wipe out a 300 strong army of Humans with but a handful of strong spellcasters or similar.

To win as Baron you need to deny the enemy the chance to reach their end game, deny them their resources and secure towns, hamlets and farms to increase your numbers from conscription.

The Baron faction predominantly uses large groups of elite Infantry, as well as heavy Cavalry and powerful Siege weapons.

The following are basic Baron unique concepts that you should understand.

The Baron & High Lords
In terms of special abilities the Baron and his High Lords, both which are commander units, have functionally the same abilities that you'll be commonly using sans that the Baron has one special ability.

General Special Abilities

• Raise Levies - This is a free action that consume one action point. When preformed in any hamlets, villages or cities they will raise free, low quality, levies. These troops cannot move and the amount that spawn depend on the quality of the village, hamlets will spawn few while cities will spawn many. You have no reason to not spawn Levies and they can hold off smaller groups of independents. Of note: If you intend to 'Raise Hamlet' on a Hamlet you should only 'Raise Levies' after you've rasied the Hamlet, Rasied Hamlets can spawn more Levies than Hamlets.
  
• Raise Hamlet- This action costs 50 gold, doing so on any hamlet or village will upgrade it into a fortified village, this doubles the towns gold income and creates a set of walls and a Iron door for defense. In addition the Hamlet will now provide a additional Two Spearmen alongside a Knight every Spring when Conscription occurs. This makes raising Hamlets a powerful ability, gaining additional free units a year (20 Gold worth a year) plus aprox a 50% a year return on investment (from increased gold income) makes this ability a worthwhile one.
  
• Swift Justice - This ability costs 25 gold and doing so will destroy a brigand's lair and turn it into gallows, this will permanently remove the opportunity for more brigands to spawn on the map. However this ability has no other function.

Baron Only Abilities

• Coronation - This ability only comes into play on the MONARCY era, if you get your Baron into the 'King's Castle' you can spend 600 gold to declare your Baron the new King of Elysium! Doing so confers a new ability listed below, in addition you'll continually be fed Tower Guards for free so long as you remain in your King's Castle, if you leave to another Castle you'll keep getting free units but at a reduced rate.
  
• Raise Castle - Only available if your Baron becomes a King, this is a expensive 600 gold investment that turns any village or hamlet into a fully fledged Castle. This can be a powerful asset as you could possible establish a forward base, however it requires you to dislodge your King and you may be better off just getting a Raised Hamlet.

Conscription
As the Baron you have a unique mechanic where every year any hamlets and villages under your control well send a free leviof troops to you, as is their obligation. Conscription occurs on the first month of Spring of every year.

The following is a list of what applicable holdings grant what amount of conscripted troops.

Farm

Provides: Two Spearmen A Year.

Hamlet

Provides: One Knight A Year.

Village

Provides: One Knight & Two Spearmen A Year.

Motte & Bailet (Upgraded Hamlet)

Provides: One Knight & Two Spearmen A Year.

Ancient Forest

Provides: One Unicorn Knight A Year.

As you can tell, raising Hamlets into Motte & Bailet's significnalty increases your Conscription per year, in addition those annoying Ancient Forest's are suddnely worth a lot more to you. You should take any effort to locate and upgrade any Hamlet's.

The Military
While later sections will discuss more in depth Army strategies, essentially the Baron focuses on armies usually composed of elite forward infantry and rear elite longbowmen for support. Cavalry armies are also possible but are very expensive to build, meaning until either the late game or if you control a large supply of Iron producing facilities you'll usually only have a single dedicated Cavalry army composed of your conscripted Knights.

As the Baron you have access to a wide array of units, predominantly Infantry but also some Calvary and Siege units. Knowing your units strengths and weaknesses is critical. This section will be divided into X categories, based on each unit's composition and role.

Basic Infantry

Spearman



Cost: 50 Gold
Stats: HP: 6, Strength: 4, Morale: 4, Magic Resistance: 4, Armor: 0, Rank: Front.
Weapons: Spear: Initiative: 6, Range: 1, Dmg: 1-4, Piercing.

The Spearman is a standard Human infantry used by most factions, often as early game fodder or mercenary units. This is no different from you.

Spearmen are mediocre Infantry at best, their cheap and expendable but can stand on their own against Independent units, when in sufficient numbers. They won't do well against any real army as their non-existent armor, mediocre Magic Resistance, morale and low damaging weapons will simply not do enough damage or survive long enough to do anything of worth.

Under normal circumstances you would have no reason to purchase Spearmen, considering you have access to more powerful Infantry at only a slightly higher cost, but due to your unique 'Conscription' mechanic you'll receive free Spearmen in large numbers at the start of every new year. With a good amount of territory you'll receive twenty to forty Spearmen a year.

Usage: Early game Spearmen serve as a cheap Infantry unit for your exploration forces, and you'll generally purchase Spearmen until you can acquire a reliable source of Iron to afford more powerful Infantry.

Later game as you get dozens of free Spearmen you can use the Spearmen in multiple more expendable roles, from meat shields in larger armies, garrison forces for distant villages or bases or as cover for cheap commanders exploring distant area's of the continent.

Swordsman



Cost: 50 Gold, 5 Iron
Stats: HP: 6, Strength: 4, Morale: 4, Magic Resistance: 4, Armor: 0, Rank: Front.
Weapons: Broadsword: Initiative: 4, Range: 1, Dmg: 1-6, Slashing.

The Swordsman is identical to the Spearman in all ways save he has a Broadsword in place of a Spear.

The Swordsman is superior to the Spearman in terms of damage, having two extra damage potential. However they only have four initiative, much lower than the spears six.

You have no reason to buy the Swordsman, the Halberdier for example has the same cost yet has physical armor and a higher damaging weapon with with higher initiative.

Usage: Swordsman are employed identically to Spearmen.

Elite Infantry

Pikeneer



Cost: 50 Gold, 5 Iron
Stats: HP: 6, Strength: 4, Morale: 4, Magic Resistance: 4, Armor: 1, Rank: Front-.
Weapons: Pike: Initiative: 2, Range: 2, Dmg: 1-5, Piercing.

The Pikeneer is a reliable support unit, while their weapons are very low damaging for a Elite Infantry, as well as suffering from low initiative, they make up for this by both being cheap and that their Pike has a range of two. This allows the Pikeneers to attack targets up to two row's ahead of it, meaning by being behind the frontline units they can attack through them to hit a enemy target. Allowing your two forward line's of Infantry to be attacking the enemy, instead of only the front.

Pikeneer's automaticly place themselves in the last row in the front row.

If you are going to be using a Infantry heavy army the Pikeneers will form a core of it, a row of these Soldiers behind your frontline will provide a invaluable asset, as well as extra men to fill the gaps as the front collapses, they even work very well in a Cavalry heavy army by being behind the Cavalry. Just don't use them as your only frontline unit, they shine in a support role.

Usage: A row of twenty (4 units) in a standard Infantry army will provide rear melee support to the frontline. Pikeneers can also serve a unique role in Sieges by attacking defenders who are stationed on the wall.

Halberdier



Cost: 50 Gold, 5 Iron
Stats: HP: 6, Strength: 4, Morale: 4, Magic Resistance: 4, Armor: 1, Rank: Front.
Weapons: Halberd: Initiative: 5, Range: 1, Dmg: 1-8, Slashing.

The Halberdier are one of two potential frontline Elite Infantry you'll be using, the other being the Zweihander.

The Halberdier is a solid frontline unit, being cheap to purchase and produce they carry a powerful melee weapon dealing up to eight potential damage with a very good initiative, meaning more often than not the Halberdier will be attacking first.

The Halberdier brings two assets to the table when considering if to use the Halberdier or the Zweihander as your main frontline unit. Firstly the Halberdier is cheaper, costing only five Iron to produce, whereas the Zweihander costs ten Iron. Secondly the Halberdier offers a robust 5 initiative, meaning more often than not the Halbderdier will be attacking first in combat.

Purchase this unit if you want +1 Initiative, and getting the first hit in cheaply.

Usage: Halberdier's serve as a frontline unit, a single row of twenty (4 units) in a Infantry army will serve to tank and dish out damage to the enemy, a second row of units can be employed for when the army is expected to go far beyond the ability to resupply, and attrition may wear down the frontline so that the second line of Halberdiers can take the front places.

Zweihander



Cost: 50 Gold, 10 Iron
Stats: HP: 6, Strength: 4, Morale: 4, Magic Resistance: 4, Armor: 1, Rank: Front.
Weapons: Greatsword: Initiative: 4, Range: 1, Dmg: 1-9, Slashing.

The Zweihander are one of two potential frontline Elite Infantry you'll be using, the other being the Halberdier.

The Zweihander is identical to the Halberdier except in two respects, it costs ten Iron to purchase, five more than the Halberdier, and that he has a different weapon.

The Zweihander uses a Greatsword, while it has one less Initiative than the Halberdier, it deals 1 extra potential damage.

Purchase this unit if you want +1 Damage.

Usage: Aside from the increased damage but less initiative the Zweihander is employed identically to the Halberdier.

Heavy Infantry



Cost: 50 Gold, 25 Iron
Stats: HP: 8, Strength: 4, Morale: 5, Magic Resistance: 4, Armor: 2, Rank: Front.
Weapon: Broadsword: Initiative: 4, Range: 1, Dmg: 1-6

The Heavy Infantry is your most expensive Iron consuming unit barring Siege units.

The problem with Heavy Infantry is their large Iron cost which is on par with buying Siege units. They are a pure defensive tank unit, they are meant to sit up front and absorb a lot of damage while attacking with a above average sword. They get eight health, two armor and a large shield, which provides three more armor, which all serve to heavily mitigate incoming damage and to increase survivability.

The only circumstance Heavy Infantry would prove useful is in conjunction with a siege force, as the Heavy Infantry are far better suited to tanking attacks from enemy siege and ranged weapons.

Otherwise Tower Guards, Pikeneers, Halberdiers or Zweihanders are a far more economical choice.

Usage: A row (4 units) of Heavy Infantry in the frontline of a army can serve as a powerful tanking unit, especially in sieges against enemy siege equipment.

Longbowman



Cost: 50 Gold
Stats: 5 HP. Strength: 4, Morale: 4, Magic Resistance: 4, Armor: 1, Rank: Middle.
Weapons: Longbow: Initiative: 2, Range: 6, Damage, 1-4, Piercing
Dagger: Initiative: 2, Range: 1, Damage: 1-3, Piercing

The Longbowmen are your elite archers, as such they should form a large core of your army irrespective of if the army uses cavalry or infantry.

Longbowmen are cheap, only costing 50 gold, and they are superior to the generic Crossbowmen. The advantage of the Longbowmen is that they have a very long firing range of six tiles and a good damaging ranged weapon of up to four damage.

Longbowmen also enjoy a armor value of 1, and a 1-3 dmg dagger. This gives them some survivability against counter archer fire and some melee potential, however if the enemy is able to engage your Longbowmen in melee then odds are your losing the battle.

The main disadvantage of Longbowmen is that for 50 gold you only get four Longbowmen per purchase.

Usage: A standard Infantry army should employ a minimum of two rows, or forty, Longbowmen (10 units). Three or four rows also function will for army's using Siege equipment or if you can afford it.

Crossbowman



Cost: 50 Gold, 5 Iron
Stats: 5 HP. Strength: 4, Morale: 4, Magic Resistance: 4, Armor: 0, Rank: Middle.
Weapons: Crossbow: Initiative: 2, Range: 5, Damage, 1-5, Piercing
Dagger: Initiative: 2, Range: 1, Damage: 1-3, Piercing

Crossbowmen are usually a upgrade over Archers, however since the Baron employs the usage of elite Longbowmen, the Crossbow is considered redundant for the Baron under most circumstances.

Crossbow men deal one extra possible damage per round, however this is set back by both the more limited range of the Crossbow, five range versus the Longbow's six range, and that the Crossbow must be reloaded after firing, something the Longbow is not hindered by. Also they have no armor whereas the Longbowmen have one.

The only advantage of Crossbowmen is that you get five Crossbowmen per purchase, instead of only four for the Longbowman, this can help if you need more numbers of ranged units than quality.

Usage: Crossbowmen function akin to Longbowmen in placement and usage, two rows (8 units) minimum in standard armies.

Tower Guard



Cost: 50 Gold, 15 Iron
Stats: 7 HP. Strength: 4, Morale: 5, Magic Resistance: 4, Armor: 1, Rank: Middle.
Weapons: Crossbow: Initiative: 2, Range: 5, Damage, 1-5, Piercing
Broadsword: Initiative: 2, Range: 5, Damage: 1-6, Piercing

The Tower Guard is one of the more unique units the Baron has. The Tower Guard is a cross between a Crossbowman and a Heavy Infantry, it is implied heavily that the Tower Guard is meant primarily as a defensive unit to be stationed at castles and bases to defend the walls, and this is a task the Tower Guard can do well, this comes from its good ranged attack and that their armor, shield and above average sword can help fend off attackers that can scale the walls.

The Tower Guard may possibly server as a unique alternative to the Longbowman, by placing a line of Tower Guards in front of your Archers you provide another meatshield for your archers that can actually fire a ranged weapon and do well in melee.

The Tower Guard otherwise is best suited in defending key locations en mass, alongside a compliment of Longbowmen.

Tower Guards will always be the first to man the walls.

Usage: If you want to use Tower Guards defensively then Fifteen (3 units) to Twenty (4 units) Tower Guards will fill the castle walls (depending on castle type), supported by a line of Longbowmen and defensive Siege Equipment.

Offensively a single row of twenty (4 units) of Tower Guards will place themselves in front of Archers, acting as a strong defensive buffer for your weaker Archers will still providing ranged support and powerful melee support against enemies that break through.


Cavalryman



Cost: 50 Gold, 20 Iron
Stats: 10 HP, Strength: 4, Morale: 5, Magic Resistance: 4, Armor: 2, Rank: Front.
Weapons: Lance Charge: Initiative: 5, Range: 1, Damage: 1-10, Piercing. Single Use In Battle
Broadsword: Initiative: 4, Range: 1, Damage: 1-6(+1), Slashing.

The Cavalryman is your standard mounted unit, and is the only mounted soldier you can purchase directly.

On paper the Cavalryman seems like a great unit, and he is. He deals a powerful 1-10 damaging alpha strike, has good armor and a shield to boost that protection while boasting great health and a above average sword.

The critical downside to the Cavalryman is his cost, for 50 gold and 20 Iron you only get three Cavalrymen. Doing the math, in comparison to the cheaper Pikeneers, a single Cavalryman costs about 16 gold and 6 iron whereas a Pikeneer costs only 10 gold and 1 iron. For the Iron cost of a single Cavalryman you could get six Pikeneer's or their infantry equivalent

The point is that Cavalrymen are a luxury item. Until either the late game or if you manage to secure a large iron income you'll only be using Cavalrymen to supplement lost Knights from conscription’s at best.

If by chance you do get a large supply of Iron early on then you should exploit that by producing cavalrymen en mass.

Usage: Cavalrymen are fast and able to punch a big hole in the enemy. Using armies consisting of just Cavalrymen with Longbowmen can easily cut down many a army. If you want a fast reaction force just using a High Lord and Cavalrymen will allow you to traverse four action point worth of land a turn/

Knight



Cost: Free, Conscription.
Stats: 11 HP, Strength: 4, Morale: 6, Magic Resistance: 4, Armor: 3, Rank: Front.
Weapons: Lance Charge: Initiative: 5, Range: 1, Damage: 1-12, Piercing. Single Use In Battle
Broadsword: Initiative: 4, Range: 1, Damage: 1-6(+1), Slashing.
Hoof: Initiative: 4, Range: 1, Damage: 1-4, Blunt.

The Knight is your second of three possibly conscripted units. The Knight is for all intents and purposes a upgrade to the Cavalryman in all respects.

You receive Knights for free at the start of every year, based on how many villages you own, with one village giving one Knight. Knights not only gain more armor, and damage, and other values but also gain a third attack with the horses hoof, dealing up to four damage.

Usage: Knights will form the core of your Cavalry army, since you gain them for free you'll tend to clump them together into a single army. Aside from that their usage remains the same as Cavalrymen, just being harder to replace.

Unicorn Knight



Cost: Free, Conscription. Rare!
Stats: 14 HP, Strength: 4, Morale: 6, Magic Resistance: 6, Armor: 3, Rank: Front.
Weapons: Lance Charge: Initiative: 5, Range: 1, Damage: 1-15, Piercing. Single Use In Battle
Broadsword: Initiative: 4, Range: 1, Damage: 1-6(+2), Slashing.
Alicorn: Initiative: 5, Range: 1, Damage: 1-7, Piercing.
Hoof: Initiative: 2, Range: 1, Damage: 1-4, Blunt.

Unicorn Knights are the final possible conscripted unit you might get. The Unicorn Knight is the ultimate ground unit you can get, but sadly is a very rare unit to get, the only way to get a Unicorn Knight is via holding a 'Ancient Forest'.

Unicorn Knights boast a large health pool, great morale, magic resistance, great armor, extremely high damage weapons and to top it off the Uniform Knight gains a fourth attack via the Unicorn's Alicorn.

Usage: Same as Knights and Cavalry.

Ballista



Cost: 25 Gold, 50 Iron
Stats: 10 HP. Strength: 4, Morale: 4, Magic Resistance: 5, Armor: 0, Rank: Middle.
Weapons: Giant Arrow: Initiative: 1, Range: 16 In Siege, 12 In Battle, Damage, 1-20, Piercing
Shortsword: Initiative: 3, Range: 1, Damage: 1-5, Slashing.

The Ballista is your most basic Siege Weapon and is somewhat common with other Factions. Its nothing fancy and pales in comparison to other Siege Equipment, however it has two major advantages that can make it a powerful asset.

Firstly you get two Ballista's per purchase, no other Siege Weapon offers this. Secondly the Ballista can be used both during Sieges and in normal battles! Furthermore the Ballistas function akin to Siege weapons during a normal battle, thus it gets a free fire period before the real battle starts and it can continue to fire even during normal battle, unlike other Siege Weapons

The ballista packs a punch, if it hits a target. As with all Siege weapons the Ballista is not highly accurate, missing roughly half of its shot. Unlike other Siege weapons it lacks any splash damage however.

Ballista's are definitely a great asset if you can spare to buy some, but they are not the best Siege unit for besieging.

Usage: Employ several Ballistas in your army's to provide pre-battle and during battle support, as well as additional support during Sieges.

Catapult



Cost: 25 Gold, 50 Iron
Stats: 10 HP. Strength: 4, Morale: 4, Magic Resistance: 5, Armor: 0, Rank: Back.
Weapons: Boulder: Initiative: 1, Range: 20, Damage, 1-30, Blunt
Shortsword: Initiative: 3, Range: 1, Damage: 1-5, Slashing.

Most factions consider the Catapult the pinnacle of Siege warfare, however the Baron proves Human ingenuity can trump all else.

You have no reason to purchase the Catapult over the Trebuchet or the Ballista.

Usage: If you somehow have a Catapult, employ as you would a Trebuchet.

Trebuchet



Cost: 50 Gold, 50 Iron
Stats: 15 HP. Strength: 4, Morale: 4, Magic Resistance: 6, Armor: 0, Rank: Back.
Weapons: Boulders: Initiative: 1, Range: 24, Damage, 1-25, Blunt. Burst 3
Shortsword: Initiative: 3, Range: 1, Damage: 1-5, Slashing.

The Trebuchet is the most powerful Siege weapon to exist and among the pinnacle of Human technological advancements. While dealing slightly less possible damage than the Catapult (25 versus 30) and costing 25 gold more, the Trebuchet makes up by it firing three Boulders at the same time!

Trebuchets are fantastic in siege warfare, their multiple boulders breaking apart possibly killing multiple enemies at once. One Trebuchet is equivalent of three Catapults.

The only drawback to the Trebuchet is that it can only be used during a Siege, offensively or defensively. During normal battle it'll simply sit idle, as the crews would have not enough time to set the weapon up for the battle. Also like other Siege weapons the Treb slows down armies, meaning a army using it will move at two AP's a turn.

Usage: Use this weapon to break apart a well defended castle or other defensive position. Otherwise these weapons can deter even the greatest of armies from attacking your positions.


Levi



Cost: Free, Levi From High Lord/Baron
Stats: 5 HP. Strength: 4, Morale: 3, Magic Resistance: 4, Armor: 0, Rank: Front.
Weapons: Spear: Initiative: 6, Range: 1, Damage, 1-4, Piercing.

Standard Levi you receive free upon 'Raising Levi's'. Nothing to write home about and you cannot control them directly. Some Levi's will forgo a Spear for a Sling as a ranged attack.

Levi's can fend off some lower level Independents, but won't do much against hostile army's. But its better than nothing and they are free.

For maximum benefit, if you intend to raise Levi's in a Hamlet, wait until you upgrade it into a Motte. Motte's grant more Levi's than Hamlets.

War Dog



Cost: 25 Gold
Stats: 3 HP. Strength: 4, Morale: 3, Magic Resistance: 3, Armor: 0, Rank: Front-.
Weapons: Bite: Initiative: 2, Range: 1, Damage, 1-4, Slashing.

War Dogs are very situational at best. Since War Dogs are the only non-Human unit you can recruit, they may be somewhat useful when fighting against a faction with conversion mages, such as Voice Of El. They can also be attached to Cavalrymen only armies as War Dogs have the 'fast' attribute on the strategic map, you could situationally use War Dogs to cover retreating Cavalry armies or to defend a location for a short time, leaving a single War Dog behind to force the enemy to engage it for a turn.

They are also very cheap, at 6 gold per Dog, and they are the only unit in the game (afaik) that you can buy on the very first turn.

Otherwise they are a very situational unit.

As the Baron you have access to some basic Mages, you should try and recruit whatever Mages you can to help form a support part of your army, as well as to lead your armies. A Mage is more useful than a lowly Captain as a Mage can contribute to the battle.

In addition there is a chance a Mage will bring along a random Item when purchsed, giving them even greater versitility.

The Baron will be offered Mages of Level 1 type. Mages tend to cost between 50 to 60 gold.

(Work In Progress)

Court Mage
Level 1 Spell Caster

Hedge Wizard
Level 1 Spell Caster

Alchmist
Level 1 Spell Caster
Generates +2 Gold Per Turn
Very Useful

Monk
Level 1 Spell Caster
Can Turn Swamps/Bogs Into Farms For 25 Gold
Extreamly useful, converted Farms have 100% return on investment in one year, producing two Spearmen conscripts a year.

Captain



Cost: 40 to 55 Gold
Stats: 10 HP. Strength: 4, Morale: 5, Magic Resistance: 4, Armor: 1, Rank: Middle.
Weapons: Broadsword: Initiative: 4, Range: 1, Damage, 1-6, Slashing.

Your basic commander unit, and cheapest. The Captain is a average fighter, but his job is not to be fighting outside of a bad situation.

Captain's are best suited for Infantry only armies, as well as acting as a secondary Captain for Cavalry armies. This is that if a commanding High Lord dies in a Calvary battle, the living Captain can take commander of the remaining forces instead of leaving the army stranded.

Usage: Command Infantry armies, act as a support commander for Cavalry armies.

High Lord



Cost: 55 to 65 Gold, 10 Iron
Stats: 13 HP. Strength: 5, Morale: 6, Magic Resistance: 5, Armor: 3, Rank: Front.
Weapons: Lance Charge: Initiative: 5, Range: 1, Damage, 1-12, Piercing. Single Use In Battle.
Broadsword: Initiative: 4, Range: 1, Damage, 1-6, Slashing.
Broadsword: Initiative: 4, Range: 1, Damage, 1-6, Slashing.

The High Lord is unique amongst Command units in that he is placed in the front line, directly in the centure and fights the opposing army from the front. As such High Lord's are well armed and armored, they have a high health pool, a local leadership morale buff, great armor as well as a powerful alpha strike weapon and two sword attacks a turn.

In addition the High Lord can raise Levi's and fortify villages on the strategic map.

The High Lord however suffers from being a poor Infantry only army leader, in addition due to the High Lord's position in a Cavalry army there is the possibility he may die in combat. As such the High Lord should not be commanding Infantry only armies, and that when commanding a Cavalry army he keeps a Captain on stand by to take command should be become indisposed in combat.

Usage: Command Cavalry armies, raise levi's and construct village fortifications in the field.

The Baron



Cost: Free. If Killed Costs 50 to 60 Gold, 10 Iron.
Stats: 17 HP. Strength: 6, Morale: 7, Magic Resistance: 6, Armor: 3, Rank: Middle.
Weapons: Magic Greatsword: Initiative: 4, Range: 1, Damage, 1-12(+3), Slashing.

The Baron is your representation in the game, and a valuable asset. He is well armored and wields a powerful greatsword. In addition if he is taken to a King's Castle (Monarchy Age Only) he can be corronated and become a King, gaining several benefits.

Otherwise he's simply a very powerful version of a Captain, and should be treated as such. If used in the field he should command a strong army, but if he dies you can buy a new Baron (His Son I guess), however buying a new Baron is akin to buying new Commander's, he only appears randomly in the recruitment menu.

Usage: Holding the fort, commanding Cavalry or Infantry armies.

You live and die by the sword, but you need the Gold and Iron to build and maintain that sword.

As with any faction your economy is critically imporant, however unlike most factions you don't require any fancy alternative resources, you just need Gold and Iron. As is always Gold is used for weaker or non-armored units, whereas Iron is used for units that are armored or use more complicated weapons.

On the stragetic map you should focus on capturing anything that provides a Gold or Iron income, Hamlets and Villages provide a double whammy of a Gold income as well as drawing soldiers for Conscription every year.

Be on the lookout for area's with hills and mountains, locating mines or similar can provide a massive boon to your economy, however mines tend to be occupied by filthy Goblins, Trolls or wayward Dwarfs.

Don't neglect Trade, in the early game you'll find Iron to be the biggest constraint to production, you can use trade to spend Gold to buy more Iron, and if you really need a boost to your Iron income tell your traders to overbuy Iron, this will double the Iron trade income but also significantly increase your gold expenditure.

Finally you should understand that if you set a High Lord or your Baron to erect defences around a Village or Hamlet, that it'll double that location's Gold income. While your positioning of expensive defences should be based on strategic placement, but if you get a choice try and build the defences around a high income village.

While this is subjective, but from my experience there are generally three archetypes for a army composition. Infantry Army, Cavalry Army and a Combined Arms Army, with several variations therein.

Here they are. Do note that you can mix and match certain formations as you see fit.

Infantry armies will form the mainstay of your forces, they are generally cheaper to build than dedicated Cavalry armies, but are a bit squishier. More in depth and expensive variations are included.

The Default



Row 1: Zweihanders OR Halberdiers
Row 2: Pikeneers
Row 3+: Longbowmen

This is the most basic Infantry army composition.

The strategy here is that your Row 1 Zweihanders/Halberdiers (Zwei/Hands) act as the tanking force, their armor, health and strong hitting weapons help them sustain contact with the enemy. Your Row 2 Pikeneers can use their Pikes to attack through Row 1 to hit the enemy's front row, thus providing two rows of support. Finally your rear Row 3 and beyond provide long range archer support throughout the battle.

This formation is a solid one, and is mostly inexpensive on your Iron reserves. You can also combine this formation with other more solid formations, as the Spearmen will be placed in front of the Longbowmen, acting as a cheap meatshield.

Army On A Budget



Row 1+: Spearmen
Row 2+: Longbowmen

This is a early game army composition for when you lack access to a supply of Iron. Its cheap and easier to maintain. It can also server as a mid game 'emergency' army by using conscripted Spearmen.

The Spearmen, backed by the Longbowmen, bravely face down the enemy. Unfortunately since there is no second row Pikeneers this composition is significantly weaker, and will melt in the face of a organized or powerful enemy army. But in the early game you don't have the luxury of elite soldiers.

This composition is a Iron free one, in addition you'll likely be able to get enough Spearmen from conscription to not have to buy any spearmen. Outside of that this composition can work if you simply cannot scrap enough Iron together to make a coherent fighting force, and you need a army ASAP.

Expanded Default



Row 1: Zweihanders OR Halberdiers
Row 2: Pikeneers
Row 3: Tower Guards
Row 4+: Longbowmen

This is a minor expansion of the 'Default' army composition.

The idea here is that a single row of Tower Guards, who will automaticly go in front of the Longbowmen, act as a third line of defense against any enemies that manage to break through the front lines. The Tower Guards strong defense can allow them to absorb damage and protect the Longbowmen from a melee engagement, while still being able to fire a crossbow and contribute to the battle otherwise.

The drawback to this composition is that it requires a hefty Iron investment, due to the 15 Iron cost for a squad of five Tower Guards.

Tank Infantry



Row 1: Heavy Infantry
Row 2: Pikeneers
Row 3+: Longbowmen

This is a experimental composition for me.

The theory here is that while your front line loses three damage potential, your making up by having a extremely strong and hard to break front line The Heavy Infantry bring a higher than average health pool and a very strong set of armor to the front line, while still being backed by Pikeneers and Longbowmen (+ Tower Guards and other if bought).

This composition can also work well during protracted Sieges, as the strong armor can better defend against attacks.

The big problem with this composition is that Heavy Infantry are very expensive Iron wise, you'll have to decide if the Iron cost is worth it.

Cavalry armies tend to be far more expensive to build on the whole outside of your free Conscripted Knights. Outside of that you'll generally only be getting Cavalrymen en mass in the later stages of the game, if at all.

Cavalry armies tend to be more simplistic than Infantry armies.

Knight Army



Row 1+: Knights
Maybe
Row 2+: Longbowmen

This is the most basic and early composition you can get, this simply has you fill up a army with your free Knights and moving them up. In all effects you need to spend nothing to get a army of this composition and it can be a powerful one.

If you want to spend the money you could also support this army with a group of Longbowmen for ranged support.

Cavalrymen



Row 1+: Cavalrymen

The idea here is that a army of solely Cavalrymen have the advantage of speed, Cavalrymen have the 'fast' attribute meaning they can most four action points on the strategic map, this can turn this army into a rapid reaction force good for patrolling your territory or for recon in force.

The two problems here are the massive expense in producing this army, and that it will be without any additional support due to the fast mechanic.

Cavalry Thoughts
Cavalry are very powerful, more often than not you'll include Cavalry into your main Infantry armies for large battles. However they are expensive and usually are a afterthought as you send your free Knights and some Longbowmen to join your main Cavalry army.


Combined Army



Row 1+: Knights
Row 2: Zweihanders OR Halberdiers
Row 3: Pikeneers
Row 4+: Longbowmen

This basic Combined Army utilizes Knights in the front row as shock troops and as a compliment to your standard Infantry Army.

The advantage of this is that your Cavalry provide a powerful buff to your army, but the disadvantage is that your 2nd and 3rd rows of Infantry cannot support the Knights as effectively.

You'll generally use this composition during larger fights, and when you are prepared to lose many Knights in order to soften up the enemy and/or get them to waste strong attacks on your more armored Knights.

Effective Combined Army



Row 1+: Knights
Row 2: Pikeneers
Row 3: Tower Guards
Row 4+: Longbowmen

This army is designed to have the four rows of units compliment each other, instead of the default Combined Army which forces Knights into a foreign composition without looking to mesh the roles together.

The Knights act as the Shock troops, pushing forward into the enemy. The 2nd row Pikeneers move slowly behind the Knights and attack through them to hit the enemy. The (optional) 3rd row of Tower Guards act as a shield for the 4th+ row of Longbowmen, attacking at range with their Crossbows and going into melee against anything that breaks through the front line.

Siege Weapons

Siege weapons are unique in that they can fit into most armies. But you must understand that any attached Siege weapons will slow the army down on the strategic map.

Ballista make a robust Siege weapon for any situation, being able to be used in both sieges and in general battles. Be wary and keep Ballista's down to four or so as if you bring too many Ballista's they can block your Lonfbowmen from moving forward altogether!

Trebuchet's are powerful but are only viable for Sieges, keep some Terbuchet's in dedicated Sieging armies (use Heavy Infantry here) or keep them hunkered down in fortified Castles or similar.

Trebuchets are great for early combat punishment en mass, but Ballistas fare better if the combat will extend for a significant amount of time since Ballistas can keep firing after actual combat begins.

I hope this guide imparts you with some useful information.

If I update this guide in the future I will include a changelog at the bottom here.

I don't claim to be a expert in this game, but I think I know enough about the Baron, my favourite faction, to be able to speak confidently about it, in my own subjective way.

Thank you.

This section will detail any and all changes to this guide for ease of use.

• 25th of November, 2015: Expanded the 'Conscription' overview in the General Overview area of the guide to include a more indepth examination of holdings and conscripts offered.
  
• 25th of November, 2015: Begun expanding the 'Mages' section of the guide.
  
• 26th of November, 2015: Expanded descriptions on 'War Dog', 'Levi' and 'Swordsman' as well as slightly explaining or expanding 'Zweihander', 'Heavy Infantry' as well as a few more thoughts on Siege units in army composition in the 'Formations & Strategy' section.
  
• 2nd of December, 2015: Updated the 'War Dog' section based on their new rank asssingment from recent patch, changed from 'Middle' to 'Front-'.