Ah, my ambitious raiders. You have tasted the spoils of war, but now you wish for efficiency, not just carnage. Anyone can send troops on raids, but true warlords farm with precision. Micro-farming involves continuously raiding inactive or poorly defended villages using very small groups of units.
Allow me to teach you not only how to farm but how to farm wisely, maximizing gains, minimizing losses, and ensuring your enemies' pockets are empty while yours overflow.
The philosophy of the efficient farmer
You may believe that sending as many raids as possible makes you the best farmer. Wrong. The key to great farming is efficiency. Your goal is simple:
- Extract the most resources from any given village while using the fewest troops possible.
- Minimize losses. Every wasted soldier is a soldier who could have earned you more.
Your troops are not mindless raiders; they are trained instruments of resource extraction. Let them work smart, not just hard.
"The best raider is not the one who attacks the most, but the one who wastes the least."
How to build a farm list
1. Identify your farms wisely
Before you charge blindly into villages like a Clubswinger with a personal vendetta, take a moment to strategize:
- Start close. The closer the village, the faster the return. This means more raids and more resources over time.
- Scout first. Do not send your men to their deaths. Use scouts to check if the village has defenses, especially the populated villages.
- Look for greyed-out villages, but remember that even an inactive player might return.
- Estimate production. A village produces resources over time. The goal? Match your raiding troops' carrying capacity to that production rate. Do not leave troops returning empty-handed.
"A true raider knows his enemy's fields better than his own."
2. Constructing the farm list
Now, let us forge the tool that shall make you rich with minimal effort:
- Step 1: Open the rally point. The command center of all your conquests.
- Step 2: Navigate to the farm list tab. This is where your empire's economy will soon be built.
- Step 3: Create a new list and name it well. A warlord does not name his sword "Generic Blade 1." Try "Nearby Inactives" or "Low-risk Raids."
- Step 4: Add your targets manually or by selecting from the map. Assign troop numbers that match the resources the villages generate per hour.
- Step 5: Hit the raid button. You can now select all targets to launch multiple raids simultaneously.
3. The art of the hit-and-run
Raiding is not a mere attack; it is a science. Unlike a normal attack, which fights to the bitter end, a raid allows both sides to suffer only partial losses.
If your army is stronger, you steal resources and return home victorious.
If the defender is stronger, you might lose everything.
Thus, never send your men into an uncertain fight. Remember to scout ahead and update your farm lists by removing defended villages.
Mastering the craft
Do not raid blindly. A well-defended village will slaughter your men. Always scout new farms before committing.
Do not waste carrying capacity. If a village produces 300 resources per hour, send a raiding force with a 300, not 3,000 carrying capacity.
Do not let your troops sit idle. If you have too many troops doing nothing, expand your farm list to new targets.
Destroy defenses in key farms. If a village has a wall or residence, send rams and catapults to weaken it before adding it to your farm list.
Adjust lists regularly. If a farm becomes active, remove it.
Be aware of traps! Gaul villages can capture your raiders.
"A wise warlord knows the battlefield. A foolish one discovers it when his troops don't return."
Know your raiding units
Some warriors are born for battle. Others are born to carry stolen goods at an alarming speed. You need the latter.
- Teutons - Clubswingers, Teutonic Raiders: Cheap, fast, and brutal, perfect for farming
- Romans - Equites Imperatoris, Equites Legati: Excellent speed and carrying capacity
- Gauls - Theutates Thunders: The fastest unit in the game raids like a thunderbolt
"A slow raider is a poor raider."
The hidden perils of the raid
A raider who does not prepare for consequences soon finds himself the target. Beware the dangers of greed:
- Farming an active player too much may awaken a sleeping giant.
- Overconfidence leads to slaughter. Always scout larger villages.
- A raid without a plan is a gift to your enemy.
- Trappers are the bane of the lazy raider; watch for Gaul settlements.
You came to me as a common pillager, but you leave as a harvester of wealth. This is the difference between a barbarian and a warlord.
Now, you are ready. Build your farm lists, send your men wisely, and never, ever waste an opportunity to take what is left unguarded.
And should you ever find yourself being farmed, remember this: one day, you will rise.
Tacticus out.