McKay Mentoring Combat Economics

Day 3 - Combat Economics

As a lord or lady of noble birth, you come from a family of great wealth. As such, each noble should learn the importance of being frugal and exercising proper financial discipline.

When I was a junior noble, some time ago, I faced the same struggles that every other troop leader with my fate often faced: How to manage one's gold. Oftentimes you will perceive yourself in a situation with less gold than you need. Sometimes this is true, however, oftentimes you just need to remember one thing: You get gold once per week with taxes and your troops only need to be paid once per week. After learning some lessons, I learned, as a junior troop leader, how to manage my finances such that I never needed to be given gold.

What does this mean?

Proper number of troops

Under some circumstances, under the "Recruit Some Troops" option, at the end of each row there will be a link entitled "hints." Clicking on this link will show a screen that tells you how long you can sustain certain levels of troops. Otherwise, you need to learn what level of troops you can sustain. Different troop types from different locations have different costs involved based on any number of traits that they possess. For Infantry, Archers, Mixed Infantry, and Cavalry troops I recommend choosing which sort of financial burden: After 30 troops your burden increases, and one more gold each 10 troops thereafter.

Proper Paraphernalia

Read the General's Bulletin! Ask questions! Pay attention to orders! ...For proper paraphernalia complement numbers. Spending too much on paraphernalia will bankrupt you quickly.

Keep gold on hand!

Troops demand to be paid in gold pieces and not bonds. Each week, when taxes are distributed, they are distributed in bonds and not gold pieces. Bonds act as a note that can be exchanged for a gold piece at any bank in the realm or the bank in the capital of any other realm (a small fee often applies for this service, for administrative purposes). Sometimes forces are deployed on short missions around a a city, or in a city. In this case, you should keep enough gold on hald for a week (remember, too, that taxes are distributed weekly). For longer campaigns, especially outside our borders, two weeks pay should be saved for your troops. Combat commanders can usually advise on these matters.

Training, Training, Training

When you have time outside of providing scoutings for military leadership, you should be training your troops. If you follow the advice given above (The "29-Troop Rule"), this training will be less expensive. If you train, keep your troops' morale high, and equipment in good repair, you should increase your Combat Strength levels enough so that your combat strength ratio (number of troops divided by their comabt strength).

Pay your troops the day before tax day

You can look under Information and find an option for Check Taxes which will tell you a number of things, including when taxes will be taken and distributed. If you pay your men the day prior to taxes, you will be taxed less than if you pay them any later.

Please ask if you have any questions. This course was brought to you courtesy of the The Order of the Citadel.