The Military Orders of Bretonnia
The latest patch is a massive overhaul to unit balance and campaign features. The work was done by Hieronymus, who balanced, tested, and documented the changes that were implemented. All I had to do was enter in the new stats. The changes can be found Here.
SFO Version
The mod works like this: construct the order’s building chain or one of the landmark buildings to unlock recruitment and add to each unit’s unit cap. For the basic orders, you can build their buildings in any settlement to add to the unit cap and garrison. For the elite units, you can construct their buildings in captured faction capitols or special settlements only.
The units belong to one of three tiers with varying rules on recruitment and adding to their cap.
Tier 1 – non order infantry units.
- Hedge Knights
- House Hold Knights
These units start with a cap of 2 each and can be recruited from a teir 4 barracks and a tier 2 smith. Every additional smithy will add 1 to each cap for the first teir and 2 for the second.
Tier 2 – basic orders
- Knights of the Fleur de Lys
- Knights of White
- Knights of the grove
These units have an initial cap of 1 and buildings that can be built in any settlement to unlock recruitment. Every additional keep will add 1 to the infantry unit’s cap and 1 infantry unit to the garrison. Every castle will add 1 to the calvary unit’s cap and 2 infantry units to the garrison. Every chain will generate income but each one has a unique benefit such as +5 to control for the knights of the fleur de lys.
Tier 3 – elite orders
- The Knights of the Ardens – Knights of the Ardens Stronghold
- Knights of the Enchantress tower – Tower of the Enchantress
- Knights of the Holllow – Castle Merovech
- Knights of Mont Morceaux – Tier 4 Morceaux Vineyards
- Dragon Knights of Couronne – Tournament Grounds
- Gafland le Gris – The Grail Cathedral
These orders and their units have an initial cap of 2 and can be recruited from the stated landmarks. In order to increase their unit cap by 1, you must build their unique building in the landmark section of a captured capitol or a special settlement. These special buildings also add 2 infantry units to the garrison and have powerful effects such as +1 to hero recruitment cap or +30 of the wine resource.
One of the first thing that veterans from the first version will notice is the infantry units are now comprised of 40% knight models and 60% squire models. This was done to add variety and attempt to stay closer to the lore as Knights rarely fought on foot. It makes sense that when they did, they would have their squires by their side.
Each order is run by knights and must pay taxes to their local Baron. That same Baron has the right to levy the order’s military forces in times of war. During these times they are exempt from paying taxes and are allowed to keep any plunder gained during the war. The order also has the right to join errantry wars for the sake of plunder and glory, but is not exempt from taxes. The knights do not engage in any trade (produce any goods) nor do they act as merchants in any capacity according to Bretonnian law. The peasants within the orders are responsible for all trade and industry, the fruits of which belong to the order.
Knights may join an order by paying a large commission to the order as well as offering a small retinue of their strongest or most skilled peasants to join the ranks of the order’s squires. They are allowed to keep their lands, but the management and profits from said lands are given to another noble who will act as steward, usually a family member, until they retire. They are given a share of the chapter’s profits for their service, which is usually more than what they would make from managing their lands and peasants, but they are not allowed to embark on the grail quest. It takes many years of service until a knight earns back his commission and begins to make a profit.
Choosing to join an order is usually more profitable in the long run than than simply managing their own lands and brings honor to their house. However, it is seen as a lesser alternative (in terms of honor and glory) to embarking on the grail quest. The knights that make up these military orders are most often second sons or of lesser houses who are in need glory to increase their standing in Bretonnia’s aristocracy or gold to invest in improvements to their lands and holdings for future generations.
Being a knights of an order is seen as a respectable occupation and they are held in the equal regard as other knights of the realm. Those who retire from an order, either to return to their lands or take up the grail quest, are usually more learned, industrious, and wealthy when compared to other knights and pass on their wisdom, wealth, and experience to their sons.
In conclusion, Bretonnia holds those knights who embark on the grail quest in the highest regard and venerate all knights of the realm. However, there is a special place of honor for those ambitious knights who forgo the grail quest and join one of the military orders to bring honor to their house, the order, and Bretonnia.
I used one or more assets created by the following authors
- kelstr
- MPX
- Zaskar70
Most of shield textures were created by Den and can be found in his mod Reskin Righteous Knights
I also borrowed many assets from Dryrain’s Bretonnia Reskin and I incorporated most of his mod Dryrain’s Lords and Heroes Reskin (Bretonnia)
- Sebidee
- Cataph
- Chad V
- C&C Modding Den
I put together a list of not-so-obvious mods for Bretonnia and the campaign that I feel work well with this mod and are amazing in general. You can check out the collection here:
The screenshots include warhorse textures from Uniforms and Heraldry of Bretonnia – Mounts Heraldry by Gigiauz but are not incorporated into this mod. You must subscribe to his mod to use them.
