Norland: How To Raise An Army & Go To War

As a medieval colony sim where the aim of the game is to reunite the former empire, war is naturally a big part of Norland, although there are other ways to achieve dominance. However, whether players want to take out a group of bandits or destroy a neighboring settlement, it’s not clear at first how to go about this.

Somewhat realistically for a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously, soldiers cannot just be summoned out of thin air in Norland, and instead, players must take their time to build barracks, choose candidates from the peasantry, or hire mercenaries, and ideally train their warriors. When seeking battle, smaller squads must be formed with lords as leaders, and weapons must be allocated. Players must then know how to send their squad to war and how to control them on the battlefield. Thankfully, all of this will be explained in this guide.

How To Form An Army In Norland

The first step towards forming an army in Norland is constructing Barracks for warriors to live in. This building is available from the start and should be built once players have the basics of their village setup. One Barracks can hold 10 warriors, so if players want to expand their army beyond this number, more Barracks will need to be built.

Once they have a Barracks, players should click the crossed swords at the bottom of the screen to open up the army menu. Beneath the row of lords who can serve as commanders, there is a section for warriors and if players click the grey rectangle with a plus sign, they will open up a new menu for adding warriors.

This menu is once again split into two sections, with the first listing peasants who are eligible to serve in the army, and by clicking on them, they will be converted into warriors who sleep at the Barracks and earn different pay. The second section includes available mercenaries who can be permanently hired for a set price. These fighters tend to have superior prowess, but if they ever become too unhappy, they could desert. It will also take a certain amount of time for them to travel to the village.

Even if you aren’t planning on attacking, having an army in
Norland
is still useful, as warriors can patrol the settlement to protect the population from criminals. Build patrol banners for better results.

It should also be noted that the church imposes a warriors’ tax based on the combat level of warriors when they are hired. Therefore, players should be careful not to overburden their economy by appointing too many soldiers, and if they aren’t in a rush, it’s best to hire lower-level warriors and train them.

Purchasing Or Crafting Weapons & Armor In Norland

Without weapons and armor, warriors won’t be of much use, especially in the case of weapons, as otherwise these poor soldiers will be forced to fight with naught but their fists. Early on, purchasing gear will be the only option, and this will mostly be done via the Holy Caravan. Players should be able to purchase the basics such as spears, bows, and perhaps light armor, but more advanced gear will only be sold once a better relationship with the Matriarch has been established. Players can also look at the map to see if any neighbors are exporting weapons or armor.

Crafting weapons and armor in Norland, is much harder, with a lot of knowledge required and many steps to follow. The important thing is to acquire the knowledge for the Workshop first, as this is needed to unlock more advanced buildings. This is presuming players have already studied Mines. Below are all the production buildings involved with crafting weapons and armor:

Players should also note that extra knowledge is required for Heavy Armor, Swords, and Axes, with individual books found for each of these. At some point, as players run out of Iron from their Mines, they will likely need to make a Smelting Furnace if they wish to continue churning out weapons and armor.​​​

Training Warriors In Norland

To command a superior army in Norland, players will need to train their warriors, but this option is not available at the start of the game and requires knowledge. Thankfully, once players have progressed a little it isn’t too hard. The following steps should help:

• After reaching 30 population, purchase the Training Ground book from the Holy Caravan.
• Assign a lord, ideally with high Intelligence, to study the book in the Library.
• Once this knowledge has been acquired, construct a Training Ground near the Barracks.
• Assign a manager to the Training Ground with a high Combat & Commander rating, and then warriors will begin training.

Warriors who train here will see their Combat skill evolve, but there will be no increase in tax. Thus, it is best economically to appoint low-Combat peasants to the army and train them. Players should also be aware that a Training Ground only accommodates 10 warriors, so when their army grows, they will need to build a second one. Like many buildings, the Training Ground requires daily instructions, so if the managing lord is away on business, no training will be done.

How To Form A Squad In Norland

If players have formed and trained an army, and they have a reason to go to war, even for something as simple as taking out bandits, then they will need to form a squad. This is done on the right-hand side of the army menu, where there is a grey rectangle with a plus sign that says Army beneath it.

From here, players will have a choice of which lord they want to lead the squad, with the best option usually being the lord with the highest Command skill (depicted by the flag symbol). However, remember that this lord could die in battle or suffer grievous wounds.

You can hire knights from the mercenary menu who can lead squads instead of lords. This is a good option for those who don’t want to risk their lords dying.

Next, in the squad menu that pops up, players will want to allocate warriors to the squad by selecting individuals from the original menu on the left. They will see these soldiers move from the left to the squad on the right. It’s also highly important that players don’t forget to assign weapons and armor to the squad. At a minimum, they will want one weapon for each soldier, and if some warriors are able to wear armor into battle, then all the better.

In terms of selecting warriors, the Combat skill is, of course, the most important, but players should also consider the current mood of warriors. This is depicted by green, yellow, or red backgrounds, and the morale of soldiers affects their performance in battle. Players may also want to consider forming two squads to allow them to take two highly skilled lords into battle.

Once players have decided on their warriors and gear, simply click the create button below and wait for the squad to gather their gear and form up.

How To Send An Army To War In Norland

When their squad or multiple squads are ready, it’s time to click on the map and send the army to the enemy. Players can select a target such as a camp of bandits or a neighboring city they are at war with. If they aren’t already at war with another city but want to attack, players will need to offer an ultimatum via the action button. In the politics category, choose an ultimatum such as Offer Vassalage, Threat of Plunder, or Burning to the Ground. If the offer is denied after the message is delivered, they will become a war target.

After clicking on the desired target, use the action button to find the Attack option, and follow this up with the On Local Map button. From here, players can check the box of their desired squad or make one from scratch. It is imperative to select at least one squad before clicking the Send Army button, as otherwise nothing will happen and players will be left wondering if their army is on the way or not. Two or more squads can be sent as one army for better results and more dynamic command options.

If done properly, players can switch back to their village view and watch their squad walk to the edge of the screen. From there, they can open up the map again and see the squad’s leader with a banner slowly making their way to the target.

Battles In Norland

Once an army has reached its destination, a large symbol of two crossed swords will appear above the opposing armies on the map. Clicking this opens a small window at the bottom which details the strength of each force. From here, players can retreat, simulate the battle, or click the central button to play out the battle themselves.

In battle mode, players control each squad by clicking on the squad leader and issuing movement commands with the mouse. There are three tactical options: Authorize Shooting, Protect the Archers, and Stay in the Back. There are also options to surrender or disband if things go south.

Win or lose, the fallout of the battle will happen automatically with the army returning home if they are still alive, and players may gain loot, or favor with certain factions, depending on the political climate.