When players load into Manor Lords with a few settlers, an ox, and some exposed resources lying around, it can be a bit daunting trying to figure out what to build first. It can be tempting, for example, to jump straight into building houses for the settlers who are currently homeless. While this would make them happy in the short term, it can soon lead to ruin.

Instead, it is best to focus on setting up storage for all the exposed goods players receive at the start. If it starts raining before they are under the safety of cover, they can be damaged. With storage setup, the other buildings to construct first in Manor Lords should be all about gathering resources such as timber and food. Whatever players choose to focus on first, all buildings should always be connected by roads to improve efficiency.

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6 Granary

Stores Food & Ale; Workers Distribute Goods

Unless players change h the difficulty settings, everyone starts with a healthy supply of food, including bread. However, at the beginning, all of this precious sustenance lies out in the open. With rain a possibility at any time, it's best to get it inside. Therefore, one of the first things to build in Manor Lords should be a Granary. This is particularly true for those playing on the hardest weather setting.

The Granary can store up to 500 food or ale resources, which is more than enough for many in-game years. By assigning workers to the Granary, these workers can collect and distribute food as needed. A little later, when players build a Marketplace, Granary workers will automatically set up their own stalls to better distribute goods.

5 Storehouse

Stores Non-Food Resources; Workers Distribute Goods

The Storehouse is just as important as the Granary, and any resource that isn't food or ale can be stored here. The timber that the settlers start with can be damaged by the rain, so to avoid disaster, players should assign workers until it has all been brought in.

Beyond these first few days, Storehouse workers will collect and store goods from other production buildings. They can also set up stalls in the Marketplace to distribute goods to families. Despite being one of the first buildings in Manor Lords, the Storehouse remains important throughout the game. Players can upgrade it later to vastly increase its capacity.

4 Logging Camp

Workers Chop Down Trees To Produce Timber

In terms of the supply chain and building, everything starts with timber. Therefore, it is essential to build a Logging Camp early on. If they don't, players will eventually find themselves in a position where they can't build anything — including the Logging Camp itself, which is built using 2 timber.

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Naturally, it is best to build a Logging Camp near the woods. Later, once the trees in that area have been felled, the player should relocate this building. Workers assigned here will not only chop down and debranch trees, but they will also store up to 28 timber.

3 Woodcutter's Lodge

Workers Chop Trees Into Firewood

Firewood is essential in Manor Lords, because without it, villagers will freeze to death. Each family uses one pile of firewood per month, but in winter, this amount doubles. With this in mind, players will want to build a Woodcutter's Lodge early on and assign workers to fell trees, which can then be chopped into firewood.

As with the Logging Camp, players will want to build the Woodcutter's Lodge next to the woods, but ideally not so far away from the center of the village. This will help avoid long distribution routes.

2 Burgage Plots

A Place To Live & Can Produce Specialized Goods

Burgage Plots are one of the most important buildings in Manor Lords. Although they usually aren't the very first to be built, they should still be constructed early. Burgage Plots are where families live. These flexible plots can be built to almost any size or shape, but ideally, players will want to make them big enough to enable the construction of a backyard extension at a later date.

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Once settlers have moved into Burgage Plots, players should also construct a Marketplace for free, so that workers in other buildings can start setting up stalls to distribute goods. Early on, they could also consider adding one or two backyard extensions, either Vegetable Gardens or Chicken Coops, to provide more food. The use of this land behind houses is another great example of why Manor Lords is one of the most historically accurate games.

1 Hunting Camp

Workers Hunt Animals To Produce Meat & Hides

Agriculture takes too long to set up for it to be a viable option in the first year of Manor Lords. Instead, players will need to rely on hunting and gathering in the early game. The Hunting Camp is a better first option for a number of reasons, but if there is a rich berry deposit nearby and wild animals are far away, players can instead prioritize the Forager Hut.

The Hunting Camp is usually better at first. It is free to build, produces hides as well as meat, and wild animals start off at their maximum number. Therefore, they won't reproduce beyond this limit until some of their number have been hunted. Berries, on the other hand, only start growing in spring and last until winter arrives, meaning players have the rest of the year to gather them.

Manor Lords

Platform(s)

PC , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S

Released

April 26, 2024

Developer(s)

Slavic Magic

Genre(s)

Strategy , City Builder