Managing resources is crucial in the strategy classic Stronghold Crusader, yet often the key to victory lies in controlling gold. Since most key buildings and all military units require gold, if the coffers run dry, you'll need to act quickly to restore the flow.

Whether you're just starting out or coming back with the Definitive Edition, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know to maintain a steady income—covering worker management, production efficiency, and income generation.

Taxes And Peasants

The primary source of gold in Stronghold Crusader comes from taxation. You can adjust your tax level using the slider that appears when you select your Keep. Every peasant (but not soldier) in your stronghold contributes taxes monthly, regardless of whether they are working or not. Therefore, a larger population means more gold collected over time.

Alms For The People

You also have the option to set taxes to a negative value, effectively giving gold to your people instead of collecting it. Similar to tax collection, the cost increases with the number of peasants in your domain. Providing alms boosts Popularity, which can be a powerful (though costly) way to quickly appease an unhappy population.

Popularity And Population

Popularity has a direct impact on population growth. If your popularity is above 50, your population will grow until it reaches the housing limit. Conversely, if your popularity drops to 50 or below, peasants will begin to leave your stronghold until conditions improve—or until no one remains.

What Influences Popularity?

Below are the main factors that influence your Popularity. Keep your people happy with these, and you'll be able to raise taxes more aggressively.

Resources And Storage

Maintaining a happy population is essential, but so is enabling them to work efficiently. That’s why smart layouts and storage usage are vital in Stronghold Crusader.

Workers must travel to and from their workplaces, and also collect and deliver goods. The shorter the distance they travel, the more productive your stronghold becomes.

Key Resources And Buildings

Most buildings simply require a worker to arrive, produce a resource, and return it to storage. However, some have special rules:

• Stone quarries need a nearby ox tether to transport stone to the stockyard. Quarry workers carry the stone to the tether, and then the ox hauls the full load to central storage.
• Hop fields must be harvested quickly or they risk becoming infested with weevils. If this occurs, the field must be removed and rebuilt by clicking the X next to the info banner at the bottom of the screen.
• Dairy farms produce cows until there are three, then switch to producing cheese. If tanners are active, they will occasionally take cows for hides, slowing cheese production.
• A single wheat field can supply one flour mill and two to three bakeries. While this chain requires more workers and time, it ultimately yields more food than any other food production method.

Using the Market to buy or sell goods is a great way to manage shortages, but availability varies per map. Consider producing surplus goods to sell, ensuring you always have a reliable gold reserve.

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