Manor Lords’ Steam Early Access release has brought with it many questions like what are Tools for? You’d figure your people would need them for jobs like chopping wood, mining, etc. However, while there is a description in-game for what they do, they don’t seem to be functional currently.
If you click the help button near the bottom of your screen, you can find all sorts of useful info. For example, while the Tools page doesn’t tell you much, there used to be an Essential Commodities page under the Economy section. It originally explained that Tools are an essential commodity where families will consume one per year. And if you don’t have enough for your settlement, there’s a 30% chance of failing to craft items.
This is likely a planned feature that isn’t currently in Manor Lords as myself and many others have noticed. Despite playing for many years in-game across different scenarios, the families in my town never consumed any Tools. The only way you’ll lose any is if a bandit camp steals them from you. Or if you decide to start selling them at a Trading Post.
Despite Tools not serving a purpose right now, they do have a production chain to create them. First, you have to mine Iron Ore from an Iron Deposit. Afterward, you can convert that Iron Ore into Iron Slabs at a Bloomery. Then, you can finally craft Tools from those Iron Slabs at a Smithy or Blacksmith’s Workshop. It isn’t an overly complicated build order, but you will need enough families to work each job. Or at least shift them around as our tips and tricks list suggests.
If you decide to sell them for Regional Wealth, you’ll need to create a trade route via the Trading Post first. This costs 36 Regional Wealth unless you have the Trade Logistics Development Point. In which case, it’ll only cost 25 to create Afterward, you can start exporting them for six Regional Wealth each. This can help with affording other items you may need like Ale.
Similar to Tools, Wooden Parts don’t have a purpose in Manor Lords either right now. While I can only guess, I’d assume we’ll be able to use Wooden Parts for siege engines later. The official website has teased adding trebuchets at some point. Or perhaps using them to make something like a carriage to transport supplies. Despite already having horses to get around quicker, they would clearly work well together.
Jeff is a journalist with over 10 years of experience writing, streaming, and making content about video games. With an associate degree in journalism, he’s a sucker for RPGs, survival games, roguelikes, and more.