Medieval II cities vs castles: economy and recruitment guide
Choose settlement roles and inspect the cost of converting between cities and castles.
Edition covered
The original 2006 Grand Campaign and standard PC rules. Publisher images come from the later Definitive Edition bundle. Separate Kingdoms campaigns and mods use different factions, maps and rules.
Give each settlement a role
Cities emphasize population, trade and taxes. Castles emphasize military buildings and strong defenses. Use a mixture so commercial settlements can fund armies recruited elsewhere.
| Feature | City | Castle |
|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Trade and taxes | Military recruitment |
| Tax rate | Adjustable | Not adjustable |
| Defenses | Walls and garrison | Strong fortifications |
| Recruitment | Militia and selected units | Professional troop chains |
| Growth | Population drives upgrades | Highest tiers also need population |
Inspect the browser before conversion
Not every building survives a change of settlement type. Read the conversion option and building browser before spending on a settlement you intend to transform.
| Situation | Possible choice | Check first |
|---|---|---|
| Safe interior castle | Develop an economic role | Buildings lost and costs |
| Exposed border city | Provide nearby military support | Garrison and enemy access |
| Distant recruitment | Develop a closer center | Roads and unit availability |
| Shrinking treasury | Delay optional construction | Upkeep and recurring income |
Recruit near the active frontier
Excellent troops are less useful when they take many turns to reach the war. Keep an appropriate recruitment center within practical reach of your planned objectives.
Avoid duplicating every military chain
A specialized castle can supply the troops you need while neighboring cities pay upkeep. Repeated expensive buildings are difficult to justify when the treasury is already strained.
A specialized castle can supply the troops you need while neighboring cities pay upkeep. Repeated expensive buildings are difficult to justify when the treasury is already strained.
References
| Reference | Website |
|---|---|
| Medieval II: Total War publisher listing | store.steampowered.com |
| Original game manual | cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com |
| Feral game manual | www.feralinteractive.com |