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How to Recruit Retinue in Manor Lords

Learn how to effectively recruit a retinue in Manor Lords with our comprehensive guide. Master strategies, manage resources, and hire retinue

By David Ware Updated March 5, 2025 2 min read
Image: Hooded Horse

Raising a powerful army in Manor Lords is essential for defending your village from raids or invasions. Retinue units offer superior combat performance and efficiency compared to other types of soldiers but how do you get them? In my How to Recruit Retinue in Manor Lords guide, I shall explain exactly how to achieve this.

Building the Manor

Reaching Small Village Level

To recruit Retinue units, you first need to build a Manor within your settlement. Once you have enough villagers with your settlement you will reach the Small Village level. To build the Manor upgrade will require 5 Timber, 20 Planks, and 15 Stone.

Manor Lords Hire Retinue Recruit Process

After constructing the Manor, five Retinue units will be automatically added to your troops. These skilled soldiers wield shields and swords, making them effective despite their small numbers.

How to Recruit Retinue in Manor Lords image 2Image: Hooded Horse

Adding More Retinue Units

Accessing the Customization Menu

If you need more than five Retinue units, you can add more through the Customization menu. Head to the Army menu at the bottom of your screen in Manor Lords. Click on Retinue units and then on the Customize Retinue menu.

Recruiting Men-At-Arms

To recruit new Retinue units, click the Recruit Men-At-Arms button. Each Retinue unit costs 50 Treasury Units, which you earn by collecting taxes from your settlement's residents.

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Image: Hooded Horse

Increasing Retinue Capacity Manor Lords

Initial Limit

Initially, you can have 12 Retinue units in your army at once. This limit can be increased by constructing additional buildings.

Building a Garrison Tower

To increase the Retinue limit, build a Garrison Tower inside your Manor. This requires 10 Timber, 15 Planks, and 10 Stones. Note that only one Garrison Tower can be built per Manor.

Expanding to Other Regions

To further increase your Retinue limit, build more Manors in other regions under your rule. Construct Garrison Towers in these Manors to accommodate more Retinue units.

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Image: Hooded Horse

Customizing Retinue Units

Accessing the Customization Menu in Manor Lords

Unlike Militia units, Retinue units can be customized. Click the brush icon beside the rally button to open the Customization menu. Here, you can customize weapons, body armor, shields, and helmets for each Retinue unit.

Upgrading Armor

The most crucial customization option is upgrading armor. From the Armor upgrades menu, select Upgrade Armor (Local) to enhance your Retinue's armor with locally-made equipment. This costs 17 Treasury units and requires an Armorer’s Workshop in your village.

Importing Armor In Manor Lords

Alternatively, you can import new armor for your Retinue units. This option costs 34 Treasury units, double the price of local upgrades. Choose this if you prefer imported armor over local options.

Conclusion

Understanding how to recruit Retinue in Manor Lords is vital for maintaining a strong and efficient army. Start by building a Manor, then customize and expand your Retinue units to ensure your village's defense. By following these steps, you can effectively manage and enhance your Retinue forces in the game.

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David Ware
Written by

David Ware

Managing Editor

976 articlesWriting for iGame since 2024

David Ware is the Founder and Managing Editor of iGame Magazine. Since 2024 he has built igamemag.com into a trusted online destination for gamers and tech enthusiasts, covering the latest gaming news, in-depth game reviews, hardware and tech breakdowns, and practical guides.

How we write: every article is researched from official sources, such as developer posts, store pages and press releases, then fact-checked and edited by David Ware before it's published. We use AI tools to help with research and drafting.

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