The Basics of the Logging Camp and Log Storage

May 5, 2024

While a few buildings in Manor Lords don’t require any resources, most of them need at least one log to build. Even many upgrades and add-ons demand an extra log or two that can support the taller structures. Between that and the fact that logs produce planks, logs are easily the most important resource in the game.

However, logs don’t work the same way that other resources do. The only way to move logs is to bring in an ox, and the only place to store them is at a logging camp. These differences can confuse first-time players, which is why this guide will explain everything you need to know about the log economy of Manor Lords.

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Apple Orchards are an excellent source of food in Manor Lords. They’re easy to build and easy to maintain.

How to Get Timber in Manor Lords

Each settlement starts out with a few logs you can use to craft the first essential buildings. One such building should be a Logging Camp: this building is the only way to get more logs once the initial supply runs out. The Woodcutter’s Lodge chops down trees to create firewood, which is a separate resource, and the Forester’s Hut plants new trees instead of cutting down existing ones.

Once you have a Logging Camp built, you’ll need someone to staff it. Click on the camp to bring up the Logging Camp menu, and then press the plus sign next to the gray portraits. Each time you do, you’ll assign a free family to start cutting down trees. Keep in mind that you need free families to fill these slots, and unassigned families are the only ones who construct most new buildings.

The other thing you need is an ox. Timber is too heavy for a single person to carry, so villagers will harness the log to an ox and drag it to its destination. This can be the Logging Camp, which can store 28 logs, or they can drag a log straight to a construction site.

Using the Logging Camp menu, you can assign an ox to help out at the camp permanently. Go to the Advanced Tab and look for “Permanent Livestock Assignment.” Press the plus to tell the loggers to always keep an ox around to drag timber back to the camp. However, you should keep in mind that this ox won’t be available to haul logs to Sawpits or construction sites. An assigned ox also still takes up a stable slot.

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There are many things to keep track of in Manor Lords, so it’s understandable if players make a few mistakes along the way.

Tips for Using Timber in Manor Lords

There are a few things that make timber different from other resources:

“Log storage” is its own category. You can’t store logs in storehouses, granaries, or trading posts. The only place you can store logs is at a logging camp.
Bad weather doesn’t destroy exposed timber the way it does other resources. You can safely leave logs anywhere on the map.
Loggers will keep cutting down trees even after the logging camp storage fills up. Instead, they’ll leave the logs where they fall. This doesn’t hurt the timber, but it means builders and Sawpit operators will need to guide their oxen much further to pick up the stray logs.
Since the log storage doesn’t always contain all your available logs, you should check the Construction items list if you want to see how much timber you have available. To see it, hover your cursor over the hammer and planks icon to the right of the region name.
Trees cut down to make way for buildings won’t become logs or firewood.
Only oxen can pull logs. Humans, horses, mules, and other animals won’t do the job.
You can’t import or export timber. The only way to get more is to cut down trees within the same region.
By default, loggers will start with the closest trees to the logging camp and slowly work their way out. However, there’s a way to restrict their work area and keep them from cutting down the trees that protect wild animals and berry bushes.

How to Set Work Areas and Replenish Forests

The other thing you can do on the Advanced tab of the Logging Camp menu is set a limited work area. Doing so is essential if you don’t want to clear-cut the forest and get rid of all the berries and wild animals that provide valuable resources.

Press the “Limit work area” button to bring up a large circle. To change the circle’s size, hold down Ctrl and spin the mouse wheel up or down (at least on a mouse and keyboard setup). You can then click the left mouse button to set the camp’s work area. The loggers will only cut down the trees inside the circle, and you’ll see a popup appear under the region name if the loggers run out of trees.

Forests often grow back over time, but this process may be too slow compared to your town’s demand for timber. To speed this process along, you should build a Forester’s Hut and have a family start replanting trees. A Forester’s Hut and a Logging Camp with overlapping work areas will let you produce logs from the same area year after year. Just keep in mind that trees take several years to mature, and foresters can’t plant trees during winter.

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Surviving the first year in Manor Lords can be challenging, but with the right tools and knowledge, you can build a thriving settlement.

How to Avoid Running Out of Timber

Manor Lords Sawmill Construction Reserve

Another issue new players may run into is a sudden lack of timber. This can happen when you leave a Sawpit or two running and empty the Logging Camp out because the storage area is full. Before you know it, all your timber has become planks, and you have nothing you can use to upgrade Burgage Plots or build a church.

The solution to this problem is in the Sawpit’s menu. Just below the assigned families is the “Construction reserve” number. If your region’s inventory of logs reaches this number or below, the Sawpit workers will stop bringing new logs to the pit. Note that this number is universal within each region: if you set one Sawpit in Nusslohe to 10 timber, every other Sawpit in Nusslohe will also stop at 10 logs.

However, this number will sometimes reset back to zero at random moments. Be sure to double-check the “Construction reserve” number occasionally to make sure it’s where you want it to be.

Timber is the backbone of every Manor Lords game, but cutting down the forest irresponsibly can destroy resources and make it hard to know how much timber you have available. You might not have to worry about timber going bad, but you should be sure to choose a limited work area, avoid forest resources, replenish the trees with foresters, and keep the sawmills from chewing through too many logs.