There are three Manor Lords scenarios to choose, each reflecting a specific difficulty and end goal. Which of the three you pick depends on the challenge you want, as well as the blend of city builder-meets-RTS components you want to engage with. Do you want a balanced experience of everything, or to focus on one thing over the other? You can also create a completely custom game, but it's good to have a handle on the basics first.
These the are Manor Lords scenarios you can choose:
- Rise to Prosperity (city builder only mode)
- Restoring the Peace (balanced mode)
- On the Edge (survival mode)
If you're unsure about which scenario to start with, I'm here to help. This guide will go over each, to give you an idea of what to expect in each scenario, and how altering your template difficulty setting might change things like AI aggression, starting season, and raider frequency.
Manor Lords Rise to Prosperity scenario
End goal: Growth
Starting season (default): Spring
Starting season (challenging): Winter
The Rise to Prosperity scenario in Manor Lords Rise to Prosperity scenario is the one I recommend for new new players. This combat-free mode allows you to lean into the game's vast array of management systems and get to know each one before you even think about the RTS elements. Trust me: there's plenty to see and do in without worrying about bandits.
Since Rise to Prosperity has the Growth end goal, your winning conditions are simple: reach the Large Town settlement rank at your own pace. To do this, you'll need to tend to the needs of your townsfolk and keep your Manor Lords approval high enough, which in turn will attract new settlers to move in and help keep the town thriving. Spring is the ideal time to start any new scenario across the board, but it is especially helpful in Rise to Prosperity if you want to stockpile as much seasonal food, Manor Lords fuel and supplies before a harsh winter – which is exactly when things kick off if you're playing on the challenging difficulty setting.
Manor Lords Restoring the Peace scenario
End goal: Domination
Starting setting (all difficulties): Spring
The Restoring the Peace scenario in Manor Lords provides a more even keel between city building and RTS combat. With an end goal of Domination, your aim is to eliminate all neighboring lords and claim their land. The size of your settlement is less important than dividing and conquering in this scenario, though you will still need plenty of hands on deck if you want to prepare your own Manor Lords militia, so you can't ignore the needs of your people entirely.
The main difference implemented by a higher difficulty level is AI aggression, which is Balanced by default and Aggressive in challenging mode. This will indicate how often your township is attacked by bandits and raiders, so choose wisely.
Manor Lords On the Edge scenario
End goal (default): Growth
End goal (challenging): Conquest
Starting season (default): Spring
Starting season (challenging): Winter
The most intense Manor Lords scenario is aptly named On the Edge, because that is how you'll be feeling most of the time. This setting feels like the game's unofficial "survival" mode, with the default version tasking you with building your settlement rank up to that of Large Town while fending off aggressive bandit attacks multiple times per in-game year. It's basically Rise to Prosperity with actual enemies.
When raising the difficulty level to challenging, your end goal switches to Conquest – claim all territories to win – and you'll start your grueling mission at the height of winter. There will also already be two bandit camps on the map from the get-go, so expect your hard-earned materials and supplies to be pilfered on the regular even when you aren't besieged. Hey, it's called On the Edge for a reason.
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