The Contract: The Fief DLC in Wartales has introduced a new gameplay style, adding new types of resource management and population control. You get to manage your own Fief and grow it into a strong settlement while unlocking powerful perks. This involves more than just building walls. You need to make choices about districts, construct special buildings, set policies, and impose taxes, all of which affect your domain. So, to help you do it right, this complete guide will cover all the best district builds, governments, assignments, and more that you need to grow your Fief.
Best Buildings For Each District in Wartales Fief
Each district has unique slots and special buildings. Choosing the right mix of buildings maximizes your production and unlocks important perks. So, here's how you should build each:
- Dungeon District is the starter district and has some of the important Special Buildings. The Throne Room and Prison are mandatory, while the Apothecary is a good starter building that produces Knowledge.
- Merchant District focuses on production and trade. So, try building Farms and Caravan Trade Posts with the Market Square special building, which boosts both food production overall.
- Militia District strengthens your Fief's defenses. So, try to build the Stables, Barracks, and the Workshop, which all complement each other and produce tools as well as Defense.
- Knowledge District increases your scholarly output. The University is the main building in this area, with the Forge and Gambling Den both being good complementary buildings for Scholarly Alignment.
As for the External District, there isn't any special building there, so you can choose the buildings that cover the resources you are short on, or which help you determine your Fief Alignment. For example, extra Milita for Military Alignment, Farms for Mercantile, and so on.
Every Special Building & How To Use It
Special buildings unlock unique functions that aren't just resource production. These are the main attractions of your Fief and provide the most value to your playthrough. So, here's how you can use each:
| Special Building | Function |
|---|---|
| Stables | Store pets, train them, or duplicate existing ones for 400 coins. |
| Church | Remove negative traits from companions (Cost 400 coins + 100 Power). |
| University | Teach positive traits to companions (Cost 400 coins + 50 Power). |
| Master at Arms (Militia) | Train companions, or recruit copies of existing ones for 700 coins + 280 Power. |
| Armourer Paulla (Militia) | Forge duplicates of weapons or armor. |
| Prison | Rehabilitate prisoners into companions. |
| Mercenaries' Inn | Rest your company for coins instead of food, and access quests for currency and relations. |
Best Government for Fief in Wartales
Governments provide long-term policies and permanent perks for your Fief. This is essentially how you choose to run your Fief, and can range from a Trade focus, all the way to a tyrannical one. So, here are the top five best Governments for your Fief in Wartales:
| Government | Perk |
|---|---|
| In Good Company | Each Tavern mission earns +50 Power (default). |
| Might Makes Right | Each Militia reduces defense need by -1 and generates +1 Power. |
| Profit is King | Gain 1 Power per rest for every 10 Fief Currency collected in taxes. |
| Guided by Knowledge | Gain Power equal to Knowledge need; each Scholar increases Knowledge need by +1. |
| The Tyrant’s Yoke | +25 Power per prisoner, Public Executions grant +50 Power. |
Aligning your Government with your Fief resources can help you make bigger growths. For example, Profit is King is ideal for Mercantile Alignment, while if you want militaristic, you can benefit most from Might Makes Right.
Best Fief Assignments in Wartales
Assignments are temporary buffs and tasks tied to your government and available buildings. Here are some of the best assignments you can use:
| Assignment | Effect | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Diplomatic Visit | +2 Relations with a kingdom, +30 Power at end | Free |
| Tax the People | Generates currency, but lowers Happiness | 50 Power, lasts 7 rests |
| Prospect a Population | Boosts population of a type | 300 Currency + 100 Power, lasts 2 rests |
| Stable Visits | +5 Trade Goods for each unique animal in Stables | 500 Currency + 100 Power, lasts 10 rests |
| Seasonal Hire | A Cook produces Food each rest | 50 Power, lasts 10 rests |
| Suppress Opposition | Reduces population slightly, lowers all needs | 300 Power, lasts 10 rests |
You can choose Assignments based on your fief’s immediate problems. For example, if food is short, you can use Seasonal Hire to stabilize output, while Stable Visits can increase your trade economy if you have multiple pets in your Stable. Do note that you can only have three active assignments at a time.
Best Tax Rate for Fief in Wartales
Taxation directly impacts Happiness and needs. Too much tax creates penalties that reduce population, while too little fails to sustain your Fief. The optimal starting rate is 30% across all sectors, which balances all the needs as well as your Fief income.
As your fief grows, you can raise taxes to 55% on your most productive sectors, such as Farms, while keeping others at around 40%. If you have a balanced build without focus, 50% across all sectors works best, especially under the Profit is King government, which converts taxes into extra Power.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
You unlock the fief by talking to Steward Vothier after capturing the Old Fortress on Mount Altis.
The fief can grow to a population of 580, unlocking additional districts as the number increases.
Food and trade goods are crucial early for sustaining growth, while Power becomes vital later for making government changes, assignments, and using special building functions.
For more on Wartales, check out Wartales Class Tier List – All Classes, Ranked and How to Tame Fierce Animals in Wartales on Pro Game Guides!
Sudhanyo Chatterjee has nearly six years of writing experience, with four focused on the gaming industry. He specializes in RPGs, strategy games, and mobile game guides. His favorite titles include the Diablo series and strategy staples like Total War and Age of Empires.