Mount and blade is a famous and at first glance unusual game that has made the dreams of lovers of the Middle Ages and various intrigues come true. You start playing as a simple wanderer, no matter what story you chose at the very beginning. By fighting enemies, intriguing and faithfully serving your king, you can achieve many privileges, castles and tie yourself with some girl from a noble family, but you will never become king. To take over and manage your kingdom you will need to do a lot of work, as well as win a huge number of battles and intrigues. In this article we will explain in detail how to become a king in mount and blade warband.

Preparing and founding your kingdom

Vassals

Wars

Final goal

Conclusion

It’s unlikely that the game developers could have expected how popular and widespread Mount and Blade: Warband would become. How to build a castle, how to manage an army, how to create a kingdom? These and many other questions constantly worry fans of the series. Today, Mount and Blade, without a doubt, can be called one of the most unique cult games in history, despite the fact that it itself has a budget ten times smaller than the vast majority of other games that received even less success.

Mount and Blade is a universal game in which the player is given absolute freedom of action, and the lack of a plot forces you to create it yourself. Here you can be anyone, from an ordinary highwayman to the owner of your own kingdom, however, since many are interested in the latter, they ask the only question when playing Mount and Blade: Warband: “How to build a castle?”

Is it possible to build your own castle?

It’s worth saying right away that, in principle, building your own castle in the game is impossible. Of course, it would seem how they could not introduce such a simple element, because every player will definitely ask when entering Mount and Blade: Warband: “How to build a castle?” But do not forget that this game is low-budget, and therefore there are still a huge number of various omissions and missing elements that could have been there. Therefore, if you are wondering how to build a castle while playing Mount and Blade: Warband, you will not find the answer to this question, since the only option to gain any possessions and begin to develop your own state is a siege.

Why do you need your own lock?

In this case, it all depends on your goals in the game. Someone is looking for how to build a castle in Mount and Blade: Warband in order to start developing their own state and get acquainted with this content, because without your own possession it is simply impossible to start developing your kingdom. At the same time, as mentioned above, you don’t even need to try to build a castle for this, since you can simply seize other people’s possessions and use them as the capital. It is worth noting that subsequently the capital can be moved to a new captured possession, which is especially important if, after capturing the castle, you captured the city and wanted to make it the capital, or simply your borders have shifted quite a lot and you would like to spend less time so that after the battle return to yourself.

Someone wants to build a castle in Mount and Blade: Warband simply to speed up their own development. The villages located around it pay taxes daily, and the more developed the property is, the more taxes can be received. However, in reality, it may well turn out that your own castle can bring you only losses, since constant sieges require a large army that needs to be recruited and developed.

Among other things, the castle is a great source of fun, because defending the castle from the enemy army is one of the most interesting battles in the game.

Siege as neutral

The easiest option is to capture a castle in Mount and Blade: Warband as a neutral lord, that is, without joining any factions. Thus, after capturing the castle, you do not have to agree with anyone on your rights to own these lands, they automatically become yours, you simply choose the name of your new state and begin to develop it. After this, the full content of the ruler of your own state opens up to you, you can start hiring vassals or making them from your own army, but building a castle in Mount and Blade: Warband after opening your faction will not appear.

It is worth noting that you better be careful, since your possessions can quickly be taken away from you not only by representatives of the faction from which the lands were taken, but also by others, and even after the surrender of your lands, the “sediment” will still remain and the relationship will spoiled.

Siege as a vassal

A somewhat difficult, but not so risky option is to become a vassal of a certain faction and, under its rule, capture a certain castle, however, this option is unlikely to appeal to many of those who would be interested in building a castle. Mount and Blade: Warband invites us to swear allegiance to serve a specific kingdom. You can find some ruler yourself and ask him to make you his vassal, or in the process of your development and gaining reputation, gradually the rulers of states will begin to invite you to join the ranks of their generals.

However, remember that in this case, if you refuse, you may slightly damage relations with this kingdom, as a result of which you may not even have time to build a castle in Mount and Blade: Warband after its siege (prison, town hall, etc.), since An army from this kingdom will already attack you. Considering that after your first siege the army can be quite weakened, it is best to carry it out with a minimum of enemies.

How to prepare for battle?

If you confidently decide to capture someone's castle, then in this case you will need the maximum number of foot troops, but it is worth noting that the Nords, despite the fact that they only have foot soldiers in their army, are far from the best option , since, being basically raiders, they do not use the strongest armor, and are also quite weak in ranged combat. In this case, it is more preferable to use troops:

• Svadia. Very strong armor, as well as quite strong crossbowmen.
• Rodokov. The most powerful shooting troops are in the form of crossbowmen, who can exchange fire with the enemy for a long time. Considering the fact that the number of bolts for crossbowmen is equal to the number of arrows for archers, the efficiency of the former in long-range combat is much higher. In addition, Rodok crossbowmen are more protected and trained than Swadia crossbowmen. The Rodoks also have quite strong infantry, which can fight equally with many other troops.
• Sarranid Sultanate. A universal faction, capable of providing fairly strong troops of any type, however, it is focused mainly on short- and medium-range battles.

Kergits are not very relevant in a siege, since their main advantage is the speed of horses, and this is impossible to realize in battles near the castle. Vaegirs are not distinguished by the strongest armor, but are more focused on maximum damage, and therefore their use is only relevant at a low difficulty level, allowing you to capture the castle with maximum speed. At high speed there is a high risk that they will be killed before they can realize their potential.

Which troops are better to take?

The ratio of melee troops to long-range troops depends directly on how skillfully their general fights, how protected he is and how ready he is to independently participate in battles.

It is very important not to use spearmen as melee troops, since they are extremely poorly implemented in the game, and even more so in siege battles.

If you are not going to take part in the battle at all, then it is better to make the ratio of melee to ranged troops 3:2 (60% swordsmen, 40% archers).

Melee

If you are confident that you can participate in battle without the risk of death and actively destroy the enemy in close combat, you should take with you a group of strong melee warriors who will help you, and provide solid cover in the form of a powerful curtain of archers or crossbowmen.

distant battle

If you like the role of a marksman, then, on the contrary, rely on close combat with your troops, covering them and destroying key targets. It is worth noting that in this case it is impossible to say unambiguously which role is more preferable, because in close combat, with good skill, you can cut out a large number of enemy units or, if you have a good shield, keep the bulk of the enemy on yourself, allowing ranged troops to shoot them , while a shooter from a distance can remove key targets, and his position is safer.

Mount & Blade. The Age of Tournaments" offered players a kind of final goal - creating their own kingdom and expanding its borders to the size of the entire Calradia. Technically, founding a new kingdom is not difficult; it is enough to capture at least one castle and declare your sovereignty to the whole world. However, the lifespan of such a precocious kingdom is calculated in days, or even hours.

If you want to create a state that will last longer than one week and can grow into a powerful empire, preparations must begin long before you put a crown on your head. And today we want to tell you how to quickly go from a simple mercenary to the ruler of all Calradia.

The beginning of the way

Preparation for accession to the throne begins from childhood, read - at the moment of character creation. The future ruler must, first of all, be a skilled diplomat, and secondly, a competent strategist. Therefore, of the four characteristics, the most important for us is charm (here charisma), and the second most important is intelligence.

As you might guess, the main skills will be leadership and persuasion. Next comes tactics, which allows you to more effectively realize your numerical advantage in battle or, on the contrary, compensate for the enemy’s superiority. It would also be nice to learn education- both before and after ascending the throne, you will have to carry crowds of recruits with you, so let them grow in levels along the way, right?

On a note: If you are used to starting the game as a merchant or a lone fighter, no one is stopping you from doing the same this time. But then you will still have to retrain the hero - of course, in the world of Calradia, a gladiator can rule the state, but the spectacle will turn out to be pathetic.

Having taken care of your education, you can join the caravan going to the Kingdom of the Vaegirs. Why Vaegirs? It's just that their army is best suited to solve our future problems. In the struggle for the throne, you will have to fight a lot in general and very often take and defend castles in particular. The tenacious Vaegir infantry combined with well-aimed archers will serve us best.

Advanced training skill allows you to literally convert recruits on the fly
into real soldiers.

Balanced Rodoks and “infantry” Nords also perform well (although the latter can cause grief if cavalry regiments descend on your young kingdom). The “horsed” Swadia, the Khergit Khanate and the newcomers from the Sarranid Sultanate that joined them are no longer needed - at least until the release of a mod that would teach horsemen to climb walls.

In general, the ideal army in our case is Nordic infantry under the cover of Vaegir archers. Creating an international army comes with its own challenges, but it is worth it.

Now your task is to put together starting capital and assemble a squad with which you are not ashamed to go into battle. For the future king, the most convenient way to the people lies through the battlefield. High charisma and leadership will help literally for pennies to recruit a crowd of recruits in the surrounding villages who will crush the enemy with numbers. You will quickly replace the dead with new recruits, and the few survivors will begin to rapidly rise in rank. Trade in war trophies and captives (in the future - of noble family) will ensure a stable flow of funds.

So look for bandit camps, train on the bandits “born” in them, then slowly move on to hunting enemy lords, and at the first opportunity, enter the royal service and begin to participate in military campaigns. As soon as storming a mediocre castle ceases to be an insoluble problem, it will be time to move on to active preparations for an uprising.

On the verge of an uprising

Each of the companions comes up with their own ways of campaigning for your rule. Sometimes very original.

“Why not immediately capture the castle and found our own kingdom, if we are already capable of this?” - you ask. I answer: as soon as you gain a foothold in some territory, guests armed to the teeth will immediately come to you. At a minimum, the owners of the land that you declared as yours. As a rule, there are one or two more neighbors, flattered by the easy money.

Therefore, before starting a rebellion, it is necessary to accumulate enough resources in order to subsequently defend their right to exist. And it’s not about money or the army at all. You still can't stand against a real kingdom. The key to the existence of any young state is the reputation of its ruler. It depends on it how favorable your neighbors will be to you.

This resource itself comes in three types. The first is your level of fame. Been here since Mount & Blade. The Story of a Hero" nothing has changed. The second is the Right to Rule stat, an innovation from the Tournament Era. As the name suggests, it determines how legitimate the other lords and kings consider your kingdom to exist. To put it simply, the lower it is, the worse the attitude towards you and the more often your state is attacked.

Lord Falcevor expresses dissatisfaction with the existing system, but does not yet trust us enough to decide on an open uprising.

There is only one way to declare your rights to the throne - to send one of the characters who has joined you to campaign for your humble person (to do this, you need to mention in a conversation with him that you want to become king). After some time (up to three weeks), your henchman will return and bring with him +3 to the right to rule.

Which, by the way, is very little. If you want to sit quietly on the throne, at least for the first time, you need to increase the indicator of the right to rule to at least 50. If you are really numb, you can do less, but below 30 at the beginning of a rebellion is certain death. Then it will be too late to “download your rights.” Therefore, it is better from the very beginning of the game to recruit all available characters from taverns and send them to conduct a PR campaign. You don’t have to worry about their personal compatibility; they won’t see each other anyway.

On a note: If a hero has just returned from a mission, you cannot send him again to increase your right to rule. So, the “agitators” who have served their purpose can be safely sent to all four directions. If you need it, hire it again.

Finally, the third indicator of your reputation is your relationship with local lords. It is especially relevant if you are going to bite off a piece of territory from the power that you currently serve. In this case, you will certainly have time to enlist the support of the remaining feudal lords before the time comes to declare independence. And then the king in his capital can shout as much as he wants about “insidious rebels” and “ancestral lands” - you have a real chance of dragging your neighbors to your side before active hostilities begin.

Family matters

A good bride is not only a lot of friends now, but also a crowd of faithful you -
sals in the distant future.

As the famous song sang, “no king can marry for love,” including the future king. The spouse will have to choose based not on external data, but on the number of relatives - after all, after the wedding, you will automatically have good relations with all members of her family. Of course, there can be no talk of any kidnapping of the bride - only matchmaking with all the formalities.

You can, however, try the opposite approach - first become a king, and then choose a richer feudal lord from your neighbors and quickly marry his daughter (or sister - depending on who is available). It won't be long before you can easily make him your vassal. Often, in this way, a territory equal to the entire kingdom is added to your possessions. And the rest of your spouse’s relatives will sooner or later come over to your side.

One step away from the throne

A couple more blows, and on the site of the former capital Sarranids-
from whom the sultanate will arise my own empire.

There are two ways to create your own kingdom. The first is to storm the castle, wait for the king to give it to another lord, immediately declare his displeasure and “put the party ticket on the table.” The possessions granted by the ruler will be left behind you; all that remains is to choose a flag and compose a more harmonious name for the kingdom (kingdom, principality, emirate, khanate - underline as appropriate).

There is an alternative way to secede along with your lands. You leave one soldier in your castle, after which you inform the king about your refusal to take the oath. Immediately rob the nearest caravan or farmers, earn negative relations with your once native kingdom and quickly rush to storm the abandoned castle. You don't even have to climb the walls - a lone defender will capitulate without a fight.

The second option: voluntarily write a letter of resignation, lose all possessions, and only then, being a free shooter, capture a suitable castle. The first option is more popular among players, since it allows you to start ruling on territory that you have already equipped with your own hands. However, in reality, this path is justified only if your castle is well located or if you have managed to earn considerable territory.

In turn, method number two gives wide room for maneuver. At a minimum, you can choose your starting territory. Agree, it’s one thing to find yourself in the middle of a kingdom hostile to you, at arm’s length from the local army, and quite another to start somewhere in a secluded corner of the map, where it takes enemy soldiers several days to get there.

Never do this! The king should not risk his life in battle, so it is better to watch the battle
from the nearest hill.

On a note: Ideally, you should choose a place for the kingdom in advance and only then, based on the decision made, make friends with neighboring lords or, conversely, try to weaken your neighbors.

A very good place to start a reign is a land on the outskirts of a kingdom that is already waging a war on two fronts (or one, but extremely unsuccessfully). Then the local ruler will simply have no time for you. However, here we must take into account how long the fighting has been going on. If it’s more than a month and a half, there’s a good chance that the injured party will quickly conclude a truce and turn to you.

Of course, no one bothers to independently weaken the future victim while still in the service of any sovereign. If you have enough patience, this path can be taken to the extreme. Namely, to ensure that only one capital remains from the neighboring kingdom. After this, you can safely resign and take the last stronghold by storm.

By the way, this will not be so easy to do, since the enemy lords will be there like sardines in a barrel. You'll have to run around first, catching them one by one. But then, since there will be no one to claim legal rights to this land, you will be left alone for a long time. The downside is that you will have a strong empire at your side, created by your own efforts. However, what to do with neighboring states is a question for the next chapter.

The young king's first steps

Small but experienced infantry
detachment is capable of repelling an enemy assault with a corresponding
wearing strength one to eight.

So, the first stage on the path to world domination has been completed. If you are not too lazy to create a good reputation for yourself and wisely choose the location for your kingdom, you will not be asked to leave the throne in the first few days (if there are still piglets - see the sidebar “Let's save the situation”). Once everything calms down, you will be faced with the task of consolidating and building on your success.

First of all, we continue to strengthen the diplomatic status of the country. Characters who previously traveled throughout Calradia giving speeches of praise in your honor are now sent to the rulers of other states as official ambassadors. The more people recognize our independence, the higher the right to rule and the calmer life will be.

At the same time, we begin to annex to our possessions everything that is in bad shape. And the category of bad lands in the “Tournament Era” includes two types of lands. Firstly, the outskirts of the kingdoms, which are already embroiled in confrontation with other states. You won’t be able to handle a full-fledged war yet, but if the enemy has enough problems without you, you may well be able to bite off a piece or two from him. In general, this rule applies at any stage of the game - of all possible opponents, invariably choose the weakest.

On a note: You can also extract some good diplomatic advantages from such a situation by first becoming an ally of the two attacking countries, and then offering peace to the one that was subjected to your aggression. Eventually, relationships will improve with all three.

The second way to expand the territory is to attract “wavering” lords to your side (those whose relations with the faction leader have a negative balance). Some will themselves come to your capital with the aim of entering the service. True, rich feudal lords are rarely found among them, but there are plenty of people who like to change overlords like gloves. You can take them, but don’t count on a rich catch.

The larger your kingdom
In fact, the more Mount & Blade begins to resemble Total War.

It is much more effective to campaign among disgruntled lords yourself. In order not to pester everyone with seditious speeches in vain, regularly send out your characters on spy missions (for example, those who are not employed as diplomats). Thanks to them, you will always know which of the feudal lords is ready to change citizenship.

True, it is not so easy to win over even a disgruntled lord. Firstly, you must be on very good terms, at least +25, otherwise the lord will generally refuse to talk about such a sensitive topic as betrayal. Secondly, it is important that the interlocutor is your neighbor, otherwise he will mutter that you cannot protect him. In a conversation with him, you need to correctly guess the argument in your favor (or select it using Save/Load).

You also can’t put pressure on the lords - almost no one immediately agrees to the transition, but if you give the potential vassal a week or two to think, the chances of a positive response will increase noticeably. Although in the end everything is decided by the notorious right to the throne - with an indicator of more than 80, only the geographical factor can become a serious obstacle.

On a note: a separate conversation - landless lords. It’s easy to attract them to your side; just promise them an allotment, and it’s yours forever. But why, if you need the land, and not the owners for it? It makes sense to call such lords only during military campaigns, when you have one or several ownerless castles in your hands.

Diplomatic development is the main method of expansion in the early stages of development. But be prepared that sooner or later your style of pocketing other people’s lands will become familiar, and they will start beating you - which king would like it that you are luring away his vassals? By the way, as practice shows, kings react more calmly to the loss of acquired lands than those that originally belonged to them.

Saving the situation

In battle, enemies also come in “waves” - first the cavalry, followed by the infantry and archers.

When it comes to war with superior enemy forces (and there is no other way for a novice ruler), you should remember the mistake that enemy commanders invariably repeat - each lord moves on his own, which is why the army stretches out in a line, small the detachments run forward, and the larger ones trail behind. This way, you can defeat enemy troops piece by piece, retreating for reinforcements if necessary.

If the situation is completely at sea and there is no way to stop the advancing enemy, it is better not to wait for the inevitable end and sell yourself wholeheartedly to any faction. Independence will be lost, but with a high probability they will leave you behind and the lands will remain with you. And you can regain your independence at any opportune moment.

On the way to triumph

Enemy “flying” squads quickly come running to attack
a castle with a garrison of 10-15 people. The only thing left is to
come around the corner and kill everyone.

Having found out where the troops of the Sultanate were gathering, I took the enemy by surprise - half of the army was just arriving, and the second was already being destroyed by my troops.

The kingdom, which has already begun to successfully expand at the expense of its neighbors, faces two serious problems - the financial crisis and the protection of its own borders. The taxes you collect from your holdings are usually barely enough to support your ever-growing army. But the opponents very skillfully use guerrilla tactics, carrying out constant raids on your villages. And a devastated village will not soon be able to generate normal income.

In addition, as the kingdom grows, an expense item called “ineffective taxation” increases, which in critical cases can eat up two-thirds of the funds received. The result of all this is weekly losses, sometimes exceeding ten thousand gold coins. A small kingdom, in principle, can exist through trade, but during a war it is difficult to do business. In addition, a king running through the markets with bundles of dried fish is a depressing sight.

Both problems can be solved simply - you need to actively distribute castles for the use of vassals. Ideally, each fortress should have a lord. If you don’t have enough of your own, call the landless from outside. But I wouldn’t recommend making feudal lords out of the characters who join you. For a companion to become an intelligent commander with a strong army, he must reach at least level fifteen, and be developed in the same way as your hero. That is, you need to prepare him as a vassal from the very beginning of the game.

This is interesting: for some reason, lord characters prefer to take their compatriots into the army. Therefore, do not be surprised if one of the lords suddenly gallops for recruits to the other end of the map.

At the end of the game, the castles begin
are swarming with lords of different nationalities—subjects—
mi powers you conquered.

The active distribution of vassals across possessions allows you to reduce the costs of ineffective tax collection. In addition, garrisons in fortresses are removed from your balance - from now on, the owners of the castles pay for them, and where they will get the money for this is no longer your concern. Finally, numerous detachments can be sent to patrol the borders - they, of course, cannot cope with a full-fledged invasion, but they are quite capable of scaring away those who want to rummage through peasant barns.

Do not be afraid that relations with the feudal lord worsen every time you give the castle to someone else (the lords are especially furious if you make a character of humble origin a full-fledged vassal). It is better to have many dissatisfied vassals than one or two happy ones. To prevent treason, feasts can be held regularly in the capital with the mandatory attendance of all lords.

In general, that's all. The main thing is that if you were not crushed at the beginning and were allowed to establish expansion, then they will not be stopped later. A little patience and Calradia will be at your feet.

Easy way to play:
1. Select a Nobleman character with a noble pedigree.
2. Choose a start in Praven.
3. We complete all tasks from the merchant.
4. We accumulate troops from the villages and fight with the robbers. We sell trophies, not forgetting that we also need to arm ourselves.
It is recommended to fight the bandits in stages, starting from the weakest to the strongest:
a) Forest robbers
b) Highlanders
c) Northern bandits
d) Sea robbers.
d) Bedouins
f) Nomads
5. Along the way, we complete tasks that we take from lords, village elders, and cities with point 4
6. Sufficiently armed, we begin to take a closer look at the politics in the game.
7. If, after completing all these points, you have still not been offered land (have not been offered to become a vassal), then we will force ourselves to become friends with some king.
8. Having received a village, you need to protect and develop it (build a school, then a mill, then a messenger post, then a tower). Visit your village periodically, as bandits may appear there.
10. Getting more lands is not easy. Villages may give you (they are of little use), but castles and cities are all the kings of misery in this.
Having accumulated 120 elite troops, we go to storm the fortress of the enemy state. After capturing it, demand it as a reward. You need to win over as many lords as possible to your side during voting. Immediately approach the king and your lord friends from your kingdom, and talk with them about this topic. (upgrade the persuasion characteristics to lure them to your side)
11. Having received the castle, rejoice and do not capture other cities and fortresses until the end of the war. Otherwise, you will not receive them as a reward (if the war is not long and new territories are almost never captured).
12. In the next war, capture the enemy city. You must have at least 150-160 elite troops to successfully capture a city with 300 troops (the main thing is not to die in battle)
13. You can get married from the point of acquiring a village. But it is necessary to do this. How? Ask bards and similar people in taverns, learn poetry, dedicate victories in the tournament to an unmarried Lady. Having reached a +10 relationship with her, negotiate with her father about permission to court. Next, approach her and select the penultimate line in the dialogue. Then it's up to you!
14. Strengthen power, build relationships.
15. Everything is in your hands! Independence or war for the throne of the kingdom!

How to become a king:

There are several ways. I will describe the 2 most popular and simple ones.

1. To become independent along with your possessions, you must capture 2 cities or castles in 1 war in a row and demand them as a reward. They will give you one, but they will squeeze the second. This will cause a dialogue to appear. I think there is no need to explain what to choose in it, but you will immediately have a war with the kingdom from which you separated.

2. In the halls of cities and castles you can meet characters who dream of regaining their throne. You can use them.

Adviсe:
Improve relations with all kings.
Don't conflict with lords.
Do not rob caravans if you do not want to ruin relations with the state and want to have a noble reputation.
Don't rob peasants.
Arm yourself as best as possible! No need to buy. There are trophies!
Recruit companions (some of them are in conflict with each other!!)
Take part in various tournaments and feasts!
Learn to use all weapons! (extremly necessary)
The larger the army, the more provisions there should be in the backpack.
Command warriors on the battlefield.

Clue:
To stand on the strategic map and wait (not pause) hold spacebar.
When selling/buying, hold Ctrl.
When you are using throwing spears (for example, in tournaments) and they are almost out, then press X and you will hit the spear instead of throwing it.
If you want to speed up time, you don’t have to visit cities and pay money for it. Set up your camp and that's it!
It is necessary to maintain morale in the squad. Otherwise the warriors will start leaving!
Hire mercenaries only in case of real need (expensive to maintain)

Your army should be multinational - then it will be much more effective.

During your travels, engage in trade with cities. Buy cheap fish from the Nords and sell them in the desert.

This is the minimum knowledge that a beginning player should know.

Impale an enemy on a spear, be knocked out of the saddle, find yourself a horse and rush into battle again. Defending your castle, personally stand on the fortress wall with an ax and shield and chop down the besiegers until their living wave rolls back. Remember the nobleman who offended you, find him a year later, rob him and sell him into slavery to the steppe people. Live a full medieval life. Mount & Blade is exactly that.

When Sir Kay saw that there was no horse under Sir Griflet, he rushed at King Nantres, knocked him out of the saddle, and took his horse to Sir Griflet and helped him up into the saddle. And Sir Kay also crushed King Lot with the same spear and inflicted a cruel wound on him. This the King with a Hundred Knights saw, and he rushed at Sir Kay, knocked him out of the saddle, took his horse away and gave it to King Lot, and he said to him: “Gramercy.” And Sir Griflet, seeing that Sir Kay and Sir Lucan the Butler were both on foot, raised his sharp spear; heavy and square, and rushed at Pionel, the glorious knight, threw him, along with his horse, to the ground, and then took his horse and gave it to Sir Kay.

Country Calradia

Calradia is a fictional medieval country corresponding to Europe from 1150 to 1350 AD. Calradia was once a province of a great empire, but is now torn apart by five hereditary kingdoms: Swadia, Vergis, the Northern Kingdom, the Rhodok Kingdom and the Kergit Khanate. These states wage frequent internecine wars, and you can take a direct part in them.

Kingdoms are feudal states ruled by a king, queen, or khan with several vassals swearing allegiance. There are two ways to become a subject of any kingdom: become a mercenary or a vassal. To do this, you need to talk to the rulers several times and get a task from them. If the kingdom is at war with someone, then sooner or later you will be offered a mercenary contract. It’s easier to be a mercenary, but even if you capture some lands, they will not be given to you.

You will not be able to become a king or queen, because the local nobility will never tolerate a foreigner as a ruler. However, by becoming a vassal, you will be able to influence who takes the throne.

Character Stats

I will give a prophecy, my khan: let your snowy black mountains not be crushed; let not your shady strong tree be cut down; May your ever-flowing beautiful river not dry up; May Almighty God not force you to resort to evildoers! Let your light-gray horse, galloping, not get tired; let your black damask sword, striking, not retreat; Let your motley spear, striking, not break!

"The Book of Grandfather Korkut"

Character Creation

The game begins with a character creation screen—your in-game incarnation. You can choose your gender, appearance, come up with a name, determine the origin and skills of your hero.

Origin indirectly affects the initial conditions of the game: your equipment, skills and abilities, but does not have any significant impact on game life.

Your character will develop through the experience you gain. You'll gain experience by defeating enemies in battle (either on your own or with the help of an army under your command), fighting in the arena, and completing missions. Having gained enough experience, your character will move to a new level, for which he will receive 1 stat point, 1 skill point and 10 weapon points.

You can view information about your character and distribute points received on a special screen, which can be accessed from the main menu or simply by pressing the C key (this key can be reassigned).

Characteristics

Your character has four main characteristics that directly influence everything he does. Attributes give your character several immediate advantages, and also allow you to develop skills associated with them. When you create a new character, you will receive 4 points, which can be invested in developing characteristics, and when you move to a new level, you will receive one more point each time.

The characteristics are as follows:

• Force. Each point spent on this stat will increase your health by 1 point and increase the damage you deal.
• Dexterity. Each point spent on this stat increases your attack speed by 0.5% and gives you 5 additional weapon points.
• Intelligence. Each point spent on this stat gives you an additional skill point.
• Charisma. Each point spent on this stat increases your maximum squad size by 1.

Skills

There are three types of skills. Personal skills affect only individual characters and their abilities. Just because you're good at riding doesn't mean everyone around you will be good at riding too. Leader Skills act only if the leader owns them. Squad skills are used by your entire group - it is enough that at least one fighter has the skill, although if the leader has it, the skill can be used more effectively.

Weapon Proficiency

There are six types of weapons in the game, and if you are going to directly participate in battles, you will need to learn how to handle one or two types of weapons. The higher your weapon proficiency level, the faster you can attack or defend yourself in close combat, or hit targets more accurately from afar.

Your skills in handling one or another weapon will also develop in battle with enemies. Melee weapon skills are developed by simply dealing damage, and ranged weapon skills are developed by performing complex shots from a long distance.

Control

Traveling on foot

By default, your character moves using regular keys W, A, S And D:

• W- go ahead;
• S- go back;
• A- go left;
• D- go right.

You can look around using the mouse. But turning the mouse while walking will change the direction of movement. Press the Forward arrow key to make your character turn in the direction of the camera.

Horse riding

Control on a horse is done a little differently:

• W- spur the horse;
• S- rein in the horse;
• A— turn left;
• D- turn right.

Rotating the mouse will change the viewing angle, but not the direction in which the horse is galloping.

You can stop a horse by slowing down. If your horse backs up, press W until she stops.

Horses are not as good at climbing hills as humans, so try to avoid hills. They also cannot turn quickly, so if you turn sharply, you may collide with a tree or other obstacle.

Other control keys

Non-combat/General:

• F— perform the action indicated by the keyword;
• I— open inventory;
• P— open the squad window;
• C— open the character window;
• Esc— open the pause menu;
• F12— quick save game;
• TAB- leave the area;
• "Space"(press) - cancel the destination and pause time on the world map;
• "Space"(delay) - wait for a period of time to expire on the world map;
• Ctrl + left mouse button(click) - move the desired item to the other side (when trading or collecting trophies).

Real-time / In-battle commands:

• Left mouse button(press) - perform a quick attack with the selected weapon;
• Left mouse button(hold) - take aim (when using a long-range weapon) or raise your hand for a close strike;
• "Space"- jump;
• Right mouse button(detain) - cover yourself with a shield or weapon;
• Right mouse button(press) — remove the sight (when using long-range weapons);
• Right mouse button(hold) - unlock the camera so that it rotates freely around the character even while moving;
• Shift(hold) — temporarily bring the camera closer;
• Keys F1-F11 And 1-5 - give orders during battle;
• R— switch between first and third person view;
• Mouse wheel(twist up) - take the next weapon;
• Mouse wheel(twist down) - remove the shield or pull it out.

Inventory

The armor on the mighty shoulders is strong... the armor is pure silver, and the chain mail on it is red gold, and... the armor is worth three thousand, and the chain mail is worth forty thousand.

From the epic “About the boyar’s son Duke Stepanovich”

Item characteristics

In order to get complete information about an item, you need to hover your mouse cursor over it. Each item has its own weight and price, as well as unique qualities inherent only to items of this type.

Every weapon has a certain condition, which shows how well or poorly the weapon is made or how many battles it has seen. Cracked, broken, bent or rusty weapons will do less damage than new ones and will be worth much less. Heavy weapons will do slightly more damage, but will be slightly slower. Balanced weapons or moire steel weapons will do slightly less damage, but at a higher rate, and will be quite expensive.

Weapon parameters:

• Damage— the amount of damage caused by a weapon with average handling skill and 100% speed.
• Radius- the distance at which you can hit the target.
• Speed— the speed of blows inflicted by this weapon.
• Shield Piercing— some types of weapons (for example, axes) can break enemy shields into splinters.

Armor also has a certain condition. Tattered, uneven, battered, or rough armor provides less protection than new (but costs less), while tough, thick, or reinforced armor provides much better protection (and costs much more).

Shields also have a state parameter. If a shield is listed as "Cracked" or "Battered", it means it has been used in many skirmishes and will not last as long as a new shield. The strongest shields are those listed as “Strong” or “Reinforced” - they are designed to withstand more severe damage. If the shield breaks during combat, its level will decrease by 1. If it was "Cracked", then it will be destroyed forever.

Shield parameters:

• Size: physical length and width of the shield. The larger the shield, the heavier it is, but also the better it protects against long-range attacks. Regardless of its size, the shield has a fixed degree of protection against melee attacks. It doesn't matter whether you cover it or not, the damage will always be reduced by the same amount.
• Resistance: The strength of the shield, depending on its material. The shield's resistance is subtracted from the damage dealt to it: for example, if the resistance is 5, and the damage dealt is 30, then in the end the shield will take only 25 points of damage.
• Strength: Damage the shield can take before it breaks. Between skirmishes and battles, the strength of the shields is automatically restored, although they cannot be returned to their original state (for example, you cannot make a “damaged” shield normal again).
• Speed: How quickly you can shield while using a defensive stance. The faster the shield, the lower the delay - light shields may have none at all, while larger shields take time to cover you.

Equipment

Your character has several slots in which you can place various pieces of equipment. In order to use an item, you will usually have to first place it in one of these slots. The total weight of your equipment is called “burden” and is shown below the cells. The heavier your equipment, the slower your character moves on foot. You can lighten your load by investing a few points in athletics.

Cities and trade

How noble and beautiful is Constantinople! How many monasteries and palaces there are, built with amazing art! How many amazing products are exhibited in its squares and streets! It would be too long and tedious to talk in detail about the abundance of all kinds of riches, about gold, silver, a thousand types of fabrics, holy relics that are located in this city, where at any time numerous ships bring everything that people need...

Fulcher of Charts

You can always find merchants in cities and villages. To sell or buy something, simply go to the merchant and, when the “Talk” message appears, press the action key.

Trading is a team skill, and if at least one member of your party understands it, then you will be able to take full advantage of this skill.

Prices change depending on how trade goes between cities, caravans and villages. It doesn't hurt to take a little time to study all the prices on the market and find out which products can make the most profit. Making a profit from trading is easy: you just need to find a place that pays a lot of money for something that costs very little elsewhere.

Every city has a tavern where you can make useful contacts. Firstly, in the tavern you can recruit mercenaries to join your squad. Secondly, you can meet some of the wandering heroes of Calradia and make them your partners. Such companions will be very useful to you: you can equip them and increase their levels, like your character, and in addition, they can add new skills to your squad.

Horses

Any warrior, even if he is like a lion, can be destroyed and weakened by an insignificant obstacle, as happened to me at Homs; when I went out into battle, my horse was killed, and I received fifty blows with the sword. This happened in fulfillment of the will of Allah and thanks to the negligence of my stirrer in strengthening the reins of the horse. He tied the reins to the rings, but did not pass it through them, and when I pulled the reins, wanting to get away from the enemies, the knot of the reins came undone, and what befell me befell me.

Osama ibn Munkyz, "Book of Edification"

Horse breeds

There are several breeds of horses in the game, each of which has its own price and is better or worse than others for performing a certain task. A heavy war horse in armor will not suit an archer, and a lancer will not be able to attack with dignity while sitting astride an old mule.

• Packhorses or mules- This is the cheapest breed, raised especially for the lower class, who use mules as riding and pack animals. Mules can often be seen in caravan processions.
• Racehorses They are also inexpensive, they are distinguished by their gentle disposition and soft gait. A good travel horse for a good price.
• Steppe horses raised by nomads. These are rather small animals with a courageous disposition. They run at the same speed as regular racehorses, but have greater endurance and lightness.
• Trotters- These are light horses, intended primarily for delivering important messages. They are very resilient and run very fast. They have little strength, so they cannot put armor on a trotter, but thanks to their speed and agility they can describe circles around other animals.
• Gunters- These are noble war horses, not inferior in speed to trotters, and in strength and endurance - to some war horses. They are famous for their ability to move quickly through difficult terrain while hunting.
• War horses They move slower than everyone else, but they are much stronger and can wear chain mail armor. These horses are used by heavy cavalry and are trained to sweep the enemy rather than outflank them, making them very dangerous against infantry.
• Destrieux- the largest, they are used by the elite cavalry and the richest knights. Their main advantages are their enormous size, strength and ability to wear strong armor. Thanks to their impressive weight, they cope even better with enemy infantry, literally trampling them into the ground.

You can buy a horse from traders, but they usually have a small selection. Before you buy a horse, hover your mouse over it and find out what it can do. The higher the indicators, the better:

• Speed— maximum speed on level ground.
• Dexterity- maneuverability. The lower the speed at which a horse runs, the more difficult maneuvers it can perform.
• Armor- resistance to attacks. Horse armor works the same as yours.
• Attack— the damage a horse will cause by knocking down an enemy at full speed.

You may encounter horses that are lame, round-backed (old), or simply skittish. Such horses are different from others: lame horses ride slowly due to their wounds, but over time they can be cured; Horses with a round back also ride a little slower than others, and only those with very well-developed horsemanship can ride restive horses. However, all of these horses have a fairly low price compared to the others. You may also come across horses with exceptional features: fast horses are faster and more agile than usual, and heavy ones are more resilient and better at trampling enemies. However, these horses are more expensive.

Squad management

Sooner or later you will encounter a large group of people who want you dead (or at least your money and equipment), and at this point you will need help.

Each group on the world map is called a "squad". There are three types of people in the squad:

• Heroes- this is you and other characters who have special skills and agreed to join you. Heroes have names, and you can determine how they will develop and distribute points. You can also equip them with special equipment for use in battle.
• Mercenaries- these are people you hired in a tavern, village, or rescued from captivity. Unfortunately, they are mere cannon fodder. They have neither names nor faces, and you should not become attached to them. They also gain experience and increase their level, but you cannot influence their development in any way. They also receive equipment automatically and cannot be changed.
• Prisoners- humiliated, defeated and chained. The fate of these people is in your hands - you can sell them to a prisoner buyer, a slave trader, or convince them to join your squad.

Your squad window is called up by pressing a key P. The upper right corner shows the cells occupied by heroes or mercenaries. One cell can be occupied by your character, a hero from a squad, or 20 mercenaries. It also indicates the maximum size of your squad. On the left side of the window all the skills of your squad are listed - your character goes first, and then all the hired heroes.

Battles

“Climb the nearest hill, Vivienne, yourself
Yes, quickly count, is there a lot of troops?
In Derame on the ships and in the camp."
Vivienne to him: “No, I won’t count,
Better yet, I’ll straighten the helmet on my head
Yes, I will give spurs and strike at enemies,
My uncle taught me how to act.”

"Song of Guillaume"

When two enemy units meet on the world map, a battle will break out between them. If one side is your ally and the other is your enemy, you can join the battle and help your own. You can also start a battle yourself by attacking the enemy or waiting for an attack. Once the battle begins, you will be able to take several actions, depending on the occupied parties.

• Retreat. There will be no battle, there will be no losses on both sides. You won't always be able to retreat, especially if your squad is too slow or if the enemy significantly outnumbers you.
• Expel people. If you have several people under your command, you can send them into battle without engaging in it yourself. However, you must be careful - usually your units will not fight at full strength without you. Once you enter battle personally, you will not be able to leave until your or the enemy’s forces are defeated, and if you have a large enough squad, you can simply overwhelm the enemy with numbers.
• Attack the enemy. Lead your people into battle. The groups you enter into battle with are randomly selected, but this choice depends on their position in your list: those listed first have a better chance of appearing on the battlefield, so it is recommended to change the list using the Up arrows before starting the battle " and "Down".

If you joined a battle that has already begun, you will command a mixed army consisting of both your and allied soldiers. If you encounter a battle between two parties neutral to you, then it is better not to interfere. The battlefield is not the best place for politics and spontaneous decisions.

Battle phases

The battle goes through several phases, depending on the "Battle Size" you define in the settings. The “Battle Size” determines how many groups can be on the battlefield at the same time. This limitation is divided between the two sides in accordance with combat advantage, which, in turn, depends on the number of each side and the development of its skills.

Warriors wounded in one phase will remain wounded for the rest of the battle, and their health levels will also remain the same as they move from one phase to the next (although health may recover slightly depending on how well your first aid skill is developed). After each phase, you will have the opportunity to leave the battlefield, but you will not be able to collect trophies from enemies you managed to kill.

Throughout the battle, new soldiers will appear on the field. After the start of the battle, either side can receive reinforcements, but this only applies to those troops that started the battle - another group from the world map will not be able to join them.

The battle phase ends when the troops of one of the sides, including reinforcements, are completely defeated (dead or unconscious). Also, a battle ends when all warriors on one side are killed or wounded.

If you are at a significant distance from the enemy after the start of the battle, you can press the key at any time Tab and retreat. But you can still lose people this way: they can be wounded or killed during the retreat. Leave the battlefield only when the situation becomes completely hopeless.

Teams

As a squad leader, you can give him orders in battle. First, choose who to give the command to:

• Key 1 : everyone who is on the field, regardless of the type of army.
• Key 2 : Archers and all foot soldiers fighting at a distance.
• Key 3 : infantry - foot soldiers who fight in close combat.
• Key 4 : cavalry - mounted soldiers.
• Key 5 : companions - any heroes in your squad.

You can also create groups for ease of management:

• If you hold down the key Ctrl and press the number key, you will merge the selected group with the one that was selected before. For example, if you want to give a command to infantry and archers at the same time, then first press 3 , and then - Ctrl + 2.
• Key 6 you can select all soldiers not included in the group you selected.

After selecting a group of warriors, you can give them the command:

• Key F1- hold position. Ordering your people to stay close to where you are. If they have a long-range weapon, they will fire it, but will not engage in close combat until the enemy gets too close. This command is useful if you want your people to defend some piece of land. For example, if your unit is made up mostly of infantry, they can stand on a steep slope and defend against enemy cavalry.
• Key F2- follow me. Ordering your men to follow you or approach you and stay as close as possible.
• Key F3- attack! Order your men to break formation and pursue the enemy individually.
• Key F4— dismount. Order your men to dismount and fight on their feet if the terrain is not conducive to mounted combat.
• Key F5- sit astride. Cancel the order to dismount and order your cavalrymen to mount again. If a horse has lost its owner, the one who knows how to ride will ride it.
• Key F6- ten steps forward. Order your men to take 10 steps towards the enemy and stop.
• Key F7- ten steps back. Order your people to take 10 steps back and stop.
• Key F8- group. Order your people to close the distance between themselves. Such a command is especially useful when preparing infantry for a cavalry attack.
• Key F9- disperse. Order your people to stand away from each other. This command is useful when attacking enemy archers or crossbowmen.

Defeat

Sometimes the enemy is too strong for you. Any defeat of yours has extremely bad consequences for you - they can only range from “catastrophic” to “unpleasant”. If you yourself did not go into battle, but sent your fighters forward, as soon as they are defeated, the enemy will certainly try to attack you. If you personally led your squad, were wounded and left the battle, your warriors can pull you out of the dump and provide first aid, after which you can again decide whether to continue the battle or resign. If your troops were defeated, your horse was killed, and you yourself received a club on your helmet - all your property will go to the winner, your surviving soldiers will be captured, and slavery awaits you personally.

Victory

If you win, you can take all the property of the defeated enemy. Please note that you will likely have to share spoils with your allies, depending on how much their forces were superior to yours. Trophies are divided into several categories. First of all, these are prisoners. They can be sold into slavery, or they can be added to your squad. You will certainly be offered a ransom for noble captives. The number of enemies captured alive depends on the popularity of blunt weapons in your squad - the active use of clubs and batons significantly increases the chances that the enemy will be stunned more often. You can also free your enemy's prisoners and take them into your squad. All enemy luggage is also at the disposal of your squad. You will only take part of the spoils for yourself, since your fighters have a legal share when dividing the spoils. The most important trophy is experience. As a commander and commander, you receive most of the experience, the heroes in your service will receive a lower percentage, and mercenaries receive the smallest increase in experience.

World map

So all the kings and dukes and noble emirs gathered, sixteen monarchs in all, and they arrived in Rome, and with them people without number. Having learned of their arrival, the emperor ordered that all his noble Romans and all warriors from Rome to Flanders be equipped. And he also took with him fifty giants, born of devils, - he left them with him in order to break through the front ranks of Arthur's army; They were so heavy that the horses could not carry them. And so, with all this terrible army, Lucius moved through Allemania, wanting to destroy the lands of Arthur, which he and his knights had conquered in a fair fight.

Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur

To open the map, click Tab(if your character is in the city and you control it) or click on the “Exit” button (if you have the city menu open). Moving around the world map is very easy - just left-click on the desired location or city and wait for your squad to move there. It will take some time to move, but you can pause at any time by pressing "Space".

Your squad is not the only one in the world, and as you travel around the world you will meet many other groups. Some of them will be friendly towards you, some will be hostile, and some will not care about you. If, instead of a city or other place on the map, you left-click on a group, your entire squad will follow it.

Each unit has a different color to represent their faction. The number above the group means how many people are in it, and if there is another number next to it (for example, “+8”), then it means the number of prisoners in this detachment. To get more detailed information about a group, simply hold the cursor over it. For example, the inscription “33/38 + 6” means that there are 38 people in the group, of which 33 are fit for battle (5 are wounded), and this group is leading with six more prisoners.

The distance at which you will notice other groups depends on the vigilance of your squad. If this skill is well developed, then you will be able to notice the enemy first, which will give you an advantage in battle. At night, tracking down enemy units is more difficult for both you and your enemies.

If anyone in your squad has the tracking skill, colored arrows will appear on the ground. These are traces left by a group that passed here, and the arrows show the direction in which this group moved. The color indicates the age of the trail (red, orange, yellow, green, light blue, blue), and the size of the arrow corresponds to the size of the group. For more detailed information, hover your cursor over the trail, and if tracking in your squad is well developed, you can find out how many people were in the past group and even who they were.

Speed

The speed of your movement on the world map depends on six factors:

• Squad size. The more people in the squad, the slower it will move.
• Type of fighters in the squad. Mounted warriors move much faster than foot soldiers, and if your entire squad consists of horsemen, then its speed will be higher. Please note that the speed of movement on the map is not affected by the breed of horse, but only by the rider’s ability to ride. The speed of foot soldiers is affected by the athletics skill, and thus elite troops move around the map faster than recruits. The speed of movement on the map is the average between the speed of the slowest warrior in the squad and the overall speed of the squad.
• Load weight. If you sell bulky goods or simply carry a lot of things, then it would be best to buy several inexpensive horses on which you can load your luggage. Pack Animals increase your squad's speed simply by being in your inventory.
• Type of terrain and weather. The squad moves faster on flat terrain during the daytime. At night or in the forest, movement speed will decrease.
• Squad morale. The happier your warriors are, the more they will give their best along the way.
• With each new level of the "Plot a Course" command skill, your squad's movement speed will increase by 3%.

Sometimes speed can be a matter of life and death - but this of course depends on the type of unit you have. If you do not have warriors capable of repelling an enemy attack, then it is better to move as quickly as possible. Ideally, your squad should be strong enough to attack someone, and fast enough to escape from superior enemy forces.

Battles

The Count looked at the godless blacks

And he sees that they are blacker ink.
Only the color of the Basurmans’ teeth is white.
Roland said: "Barons, believe me,
Every single one of us will lie down here.
French, beat the infidels boldly.”
“Whoever lags behind is a coward!” - said Olivier
And he rushed to cut across the enemies.

"The Song of Roland"

Once you decide to fight for fame and fortune, then be prepared for numerous battles. They require a lot of preparation - you need to be confident in both your combat skills and the strength of your squad.

Types and features of weapons

Each type of weapon includes several items of the same type, and if you have developed skill with this type of weapon, you can use any of them. What type of weapon you choose is up to you, but some items require special handling.

Injuries

The count saw Turpin thrown to the ground,
The insides fall out of the body,
The brain is oozing, flowing onto the forehead from the wound,
And on the chest, between the prelate's collarbones,
Hands turn white, folded crosswise.

"The Song of Roland"

There are three types of injuries:

• Slashing. Applied with sharp blades such as sabers and axes. Slashing weapons do the most damage.
• Stabbing. Inflicted by point-point weapons such as spears, piercing swords and arrows. Piercing weapons are best at penetrating armor.
• Crushing. Inflicted by weapons that strike and break without causing open wounds, such as clubs and hammers. Crushing damage can also be done by a horse by trampling an enemy. With a blunt weapon, you can beat the enemy until he loses consciousness, but at the same time he will remain alive, and then you can take him prisoner. Like piercing weapons, blunt weapons penetrate armor well.

If you have enabled the “Show Damage” option, then with each hit you will be shown the damage you have dealt or received, which can be very useful in training.

The amount of damage you deal and receive depends on several factors. First of all, of course, it depends on the damage indicator of your weapon - it varies from half to maximum. For example, if a club deals 20 damage, that means it will deal between 10 and 20 damage each time it hits. If you are good with this weapon, the damage will be closer to the maximum. The damage dealt is also increased by your skills: Slam affects melee weapons, and Slam/Throw affects long-range weapons.

In Game Mount & Blade a physical model is used that, when calculating damage, takes into account the speed of your weapon and the direction in which it is pointed. The result of these calculations will be designated as “additional speed”. If you move to the left relative to the enemy, you will deal more damage with a blow from right to left (in the direction opposite to the enemy's movement). Most types of weapons will deal more damage in the mid-strike stage: for example, a spear will pierce an enemy better not on the first hit, but after you apply some force. Your bonus speed can be positive (increasing damage) or negative (decreasing damage), and can double the damage of your hit or negate it.

The extra speed is extremely important for ranged weapons. During the flight, the ammunition will lose its initial speed and, therefore, cause much less damage. If, on the contrary, you throw an ax while riding a horse, then such a blow can kill the enemy outright, because the speed of the horse will be added to the speed of the flying weapon.

It is also important where you hit the target. Usually the blow will land in the place you are looking at, so if you want to hit the legs, aim down, and if you want to hit the head, aim up. A hit to the legs will generally do less damage than a hit to the head.

Enemy armor reduces the damage you deal. After processing data about your skills, weapon quality and impact speed, the game will display “base damage”. Armor has a protection parameter that reduces this damage: cutting damage is subtracted from half to the maximum value of the protection parameter, and piercing or crushing damage is subtracted from a quarter to half. For example, if the armor’s defense parameter is 20 and a cutting blow is dealt to it, then it will be 10-20 units weaker. If a piercing or crushing blow is applied to such armor, it will be weaker by 5-10 units. In addition to direct protection from damage, armor also provides some percentage protection.

Melee

In close combat you need to use your shield correctly or place blocks. The condition of the shield must be constantly monitored, because even the strongest of them can only withstand a limited number of blows.

If you do not have a shield, then you can only parry enemy attacks with weapons using the right mouse button. At a time, you can parry only one blow from one side (from above, from the side, etc.). If you are fired upon by a long-range weapon, you will not be able to block these attacks. In order to block an attack, you need to carefully monitor the enemy and what kind of blow he is about to deliver, and then immediately block.

It usually takes time to strike - you need to attack in such a way as to bypass the enemy's defense, be it a shield or a weapon. You should not attack chaotically and hope for luck - this will only lead to you getting wounded. The main thing in battle is patience. Wait for the enemy to lower his shield or stagger back, then step forward and deliver your blow.

Fight at a distance

Archers and crossbowmen cannot carry shields, as they must wield the weapon with both hands. If you use a throwing weapon, you can take a shield in your other hand.

To fire a long-range weapon, face the target and hold down the left mouse button. A crosshair will appear on the screen - a large white ring that will gradually shrink. If you shoot with a bow, then you need to release the left mouse button at the moment when the ring shrinks to a minimum: after waiting too long, you will get tired of holding the bow, and your hands will begin to tremble. In order to get more time to aim, you need to develop archery skills. When using a crossbow and throwing weapons, you can aim as long as you like because you do not need to constantly keep the bowstring drawn.

Projectiles are subject to gravity. That is, the further you are from the enemy, the higher you need to aim to hit him. Here you will find it very useful to zoom in on the camera (hold the key Shift), because this way you will see where the fired projectile will hit, and you will be able to correct the course. Throwable weapons travel slower, have a different arc than arrows and bolts, and have a shorter range. In addition, when shooting, you need to follow the target if it moves. Crossbows are heavier than bows and their bolts travel further, so moving a crossbow behind a moving target requires less effort than a bow.

If you shoot at an enemy who has a shield and he sees you, then he can simply cover himself with his shield and your shot will not hit him. The shield can be broken by methodically shooting at it, but this will take a lot of ammunition, and for this it is better to use throwing axes and spears rather than arrows with bolts.

Fight with a horseman's spear

Horseman's spears and most other polearm types can be used for a mounted special attack. To do this, you need to accelerate your horse to high speed, take the spear under your arm and pierce the enemy with it at full gallop.

What does this require? First of all, your horse must be able to accelerate to medium speed (6) or more, so this blow will not be possible on a lame mule. Also, your horse must be agile enough so that it can, if necessary, perform a maneuver and help you hit the target more accurately. Well, of course, you will need a polearm: a horseman's spear, a simple spear, a pitchfork and much more will do. It is preferable to take a longer weapon, because despite the fact that a short weapon deals more damage, with a long weapon you can reach the enemy before he hits you. DO NOT PRESS THE ATTACK BUTTON! The spear strike is automatic if you have the right weapon and sufficient speed. As you approach the enemy, you will need to turn your horse to hit the enemy with your spear.

Fight on horseback

When attacking an enemy on foot with a one- or two-handed weapon (not a polearm!), it is best to strike at the moment when you are driving past, and not when the enemy is slightly ahead. While riding a horse, you will only be able to wield two-handed melee weapons with one hand, which will reduce your attack speed and damage output. Spears in mounted combat are used a little differently - when you are ready to strike, you can direct the tip in any direction using the mouse.

Enemies can also be trampled by a horse, which can be very useful in battle. If a horse hits an enemy with its hoof at a decent speed, it will cause crushing damage and can knock out the enemy, so you will be able to capture him. If the enemy has a shield, then the horse can push him away, and at this moment you can strike before the enemy closes again. Please note that if the enemy on foot is armed with a spear, you won’t be able to attack him so easily, because he will reach you first. If your horse receives a strong blow to the chest with a spear, it will stop, and if you are also surrounded at that moment, then you can find yourself in very great danger.

Fight with horsemen

It’s good to advise how to trample an unfortunate infantryman with a horse, but what to do if the infantryman is you? The strength of a war horse is its speed. Therefore, in the fight against the rider, you need to use any features of the terrain: hollows, steep hills, rocks - which will prevent the horse from accelerating. It is best to engage in battle with mounted warriors in the forest or in shallow water. The second important point is the use of polearms. Having received a strong blow from a spear in the chest, the horse will stop or even fall. The main thing is to calculate the moment - when the horse rushes towards the tip of the spear, it should be positioned as far as possible in order to inflict maximum damage at the maximum safe distance. If you wait too long, you won't have time to position your spear properly, or the horse will stop early and its rider will attack you. If you put out your spear too early, the blow will land in the void, the horse will not stop, and you will be knocked down and trampled.

Authors

Snowball Studios

Company "1C"

System requirements

• Microsoft® Windows® XP SP2
• Pentium®4 1.5 GHz processor
• 512 MB RAM
• 1 GB of free hard disk space
• video adapter with 128 MB memory, compatible with DirectX® 9.0c
• 16-bit audio device, DirectX® compatible
• DVD reader
• DirectX® 9.0c