DaveyIndyBaby's Guide to Guilds

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Dear Gang:

Good morning from Canada!! I hope to find you and yours well. As for me, I could complain...yadda, yadda, yadda.

Introduction
Hey all, scouring the game textfiles to try to provide a definitive(ish) guide to guilds in M2TW. This is an expansion and general tidy up of the earlier ‘How to Attract Guilds’ thread, updated to include what it is that guilds actually do for you once you’ve gone to all the trouble of building them.

This guide is broken up into two main parts. Firstly there is a general description of how guilds work, and how to get them into your cities. Second, there is a detailed breakdown of each guild type.

Each guild’s description starts with a brief description of what the guild does, and how to get it. Next, there is a table of the different guild levels and exactly what they offer. Finally, there is a detailed breakdown of the guild requirements and features, as required.

Hope this is of some use.

Attracting Guilds
Every settlement in the game keeps track of a “score” for every guild type. This score seems to be independent of who owns the settlement, how often it changes hands, or whether the settlement is a city or castle type (even though some guilds cannot be built at certain settlement types).

Each guild type has 3 levels, to be offered a guild at a certain level the settlement has to score a certain number of points for that guild:

Basic Guild: 100 points
Masters Guild: 250 points
Guild HQ: 500 points

The settlement gains (and loses) points for each guild by performing certain actions. In general, the settlement where the action was performed will gain more points (typically in the range 10-30 points) than the other settlements (typically in the range 1-5 points). Some actions give equal points to all settlements regardless of where they were carried out. A list of actions and points gained for each guild is given in the guild descriptions below.

In general, it makes sense to specialise your settlements in order to maximise your chances of getting offered a guild. If, say, you train all of your spies in London, you will get offered a Thieves guild quicker than if you trained half in London and half in Nottingham. This also applies to upgrading existing guilds.

Don’t forget that you can only have one guild per settlement, and one master’s guild per faction, so choose your locations wisely. Also, there can be only one HQ for each guild in the game, so you will have to score points quickly to try to beat your opponents to the punch.

Settlement Sizes
In addition to guild scores, a settlement has to be of a certain size before a guild will be offered:

Basic Guild: City / Fortress
Master’s Guild: Large City / Citadel
Guild HQ: Huge City / Citadel

Guild Costs
All guild types have the same costs for the different levels of guild:

Basic Guild: 1000
Master’s Guild: 2000
Guild HQ: 3000

Points Scored for All Guilds
All guilds, regardless of type, gain and lose settlement points for the following actions:

Upgrade a guild (+20 settlement bonus for that guild type, +10 to other settlements)
Destroy a guild building (huge penalty for that guild type, -100 settlement, -20 others)
Upgrade a settlement (+10 settlement bonus for all guild types)

Every turn after turn 25 settlement scores are ‘normalised’, which means that every settlement loses 1 point for all of its guild scores. This makes it more difficult to gain some guilds which have limited opportunities to gain points.

Guild Missions
Bonuses are also given for successfully completing a guild mission, but failing to complete the guild mission will incur a penalty for that guild type.

The following guilds offer missions:
Assassin's/Hashashim's Guild: +/-10 all settlements
Merchant's Guild: +/- 10/20 all settlements (depending on mission difficulty?)
Explorer's Guild: +/-30 all settlements
Theologian's Guild: +/-10 all settlements
Thieves Guild: +/-10 all settlements

Assassin's/Hashashim's Guild
City based guild, providing law bonuses and training of battlefield assassins/hashashim.

These two series of guilds are functionally identical to each other except for their names. Most factions use the assassin’s guild series, except for the muslim factions, which use the hashashim’s guild series.

This guild series also improves the starting stats of assassins trained in the region. This is performed via the addition of character traits and ancillaries which give a range of bonuses, rather than via just increasing their skill level directly.

To attract this guild, build assassins and the brothel series of buildings.

Guild Level Basic Masters HQ

Requirements City with 150 Guild Points Large City with 250 Guild Points Huge City with 500 Guild Points

Settlement Bonus +1 Law, Trained Killer trait, Ancillaries +1 Law, Trained Killer trait, Ancillaries +2 Law, Trained Killer trait, Ancillaries

Faction-wide Bonus - Apprentice Trait Journeyman Trait

Units - Battlefield Assassins / Hashashim (Valour 0) Battlefield Assassins / Hashashim (Valour 1)

Trained Units:
According to export_descr_buildings.txt, only the Hungarians can train battlefield assassins (Hashashim are limited to muslim factions only). There is a limit of 3 units in the recruitment pool.

Traits:
When an assassin is trained in a settlement with any level guild, he gets the trained killer trait (+1 subterfuge).

When a faction has a Master’s guild, any assassin trained in any settlement gets the Apprentice Trait (+1 subterfuge)

When a faction has a guild HQ, any assassin trained in any settlement gets the Journeyman Trait (+1 subterfuge)

Ancillaries:
When assassins are trained in a settlement with any level guild, the assassin has a 20% chance to gain an Accomplice (+1 subterfuge) ancillary.

When a Master’s guild or HQ is completed in a settlement, the governor of the settlement has a 33% chance of gaining a Master of Assassins (+1 personal security) ancillary.

To Gain Assassin’s Guild Points:
Train assassin: +10 settlement
Successful Assassinations: +20 all settlements
Governor with dread >4: +4 settlement bonus (per turn)
Build brothel series buildings: +10/15/20/25/30 settlement, +0/0/0/2/5 others
Succeed/Fail guild mission: +/-10 all settlements

Alchemist’s Guild
City based guild, providing valour bonuses to gunpowder units. To attract this guild, build gunpowder units and cannon maker buildings.

Guild Level Basic Masters HQ

Requirements City with 150 Guild Points Large City with 250 Guild Points Huge City with 500 Guild Points

Settlement Bonus +1 valour for gunpowder units +1 valour for gunpowder units +1 valour for gunpowder units

Faction-wide Bonus - +1 valour for gunpowder units +2 valour for gunpowder units

Units - - -

To Gain Alchemist’s Guild Points:
Train Cannons etc: +10/15/20 settlement
Train handgunners etc: +15 settlement
Build cannon maker series: +10/15/20/25/30 settlement, +1/2/3/4/5 others

Explorer's Guild
City based guild providing (according to export_descr_buildings.txt)… absolutely nothing in terms of settlement or unit bonuses.

However, according to in game text this guild improves trade, and increases unit movement – but exactly how, and how much, is currently unknown (probably via the addition of ancillaries, below).

In order to attract this guild, train merchants, build shipbuilding and merchant’s wharf series of buildings, and explore far away from your capital with your fleets.

Guild Level Basic Masters HQ

Requirements City with 150 Guild Points Large City with 250 Guild Points Huge City with 500 Guild Points

Settlement Bonus Trade Bonus (?) Trade Bonus (?) Trade Bonus (?)

Faction-wide Bonus Ancillaries (see below) Ancillaries (see below) Ancillaries (see below)

Units - - -

Ancillaries:
When a General ends his turn in a settlement with any level of explorer’s guild, they have a 5% chance to gain an “Intrepid Explorer” ancillary (+15% Movement, +1 Line of Sight).

When an Admiral is created in a settlement with any level of explorer’s guild, they have a 33% chance to gain a “Naval Navigator” ancillary (+1 Command, +10% Movement, +1 Line of Sight).

When a settlement completes any level of explorer’s guild, between turns 208 and 225, the settlement governor will gain the “Amerigo Vespucci” ancillary (+15% Movement, +3 Line of Sight, +10 Trading).

When a character ends a turn more than 60 units away from their capital, and the faction has an explorer’s guild (any level) between turns 102 and 122, they have a 5% chance of gaining the “Marco Polo” ancillary (+15% movement, +10 trading) (does not apply to muslim factions).

When a character ends a turn more than 40 units away from their capital, and the faction has an explorer’s guild (any level) between turns 205 and 225, they have a 33% chance of gaining the “Vasco de Gama” ancillary (+15% movement, +10 trading).

To Gain Explorer’s Guild Points:
Train merchants: +10 settlement
Build shipbuilding buildings: +15/20/25/30 settlement, +0/0/2/5 others
Build merchants wharf series: +20/25/30 settlement, +0/2/5 others
Fleet distance from capital 50-99: +3 all settlements
Fleet distance from capital >100 : +5 all settlements
Succeed/Fail Explorer guild mission: +/-30 all settlements

Note that fleet distances are related to the admiral of your fleet, not the number of ships in it. It is unknown as yet whether splitting a fleet into individual ships (thus increasing the number of admirals) will increase your bonus or not. Possibly the game only counts ranked admirals (those that will not share command when merging fleets) to avoid this potential exploit.

Horse Breeder's Guild
City based guild providing valour bonuses to cavalry units.

To attract this guild type, train cavalry and build stables, and throw races. Note that, since this is a city-based guild, it is quite difficult to obtain, since most of the points to be gained tend to be in castle provinces. One way to bypass this limitation is to convert a castle into a city after training lots of cavalry in it.

Guild Level Basic Masters HQ

Requirements City with 150 Guild Points Large City with 250 Guild Points Huge City with 500 Guild Points

Settlement Bonus +1 Valour to Cavalry +1 Valour to Cavalry +1 Valour to Cavalry

Faction-wide Bonus - +1 Valour to Cavalry +2 Valour to Cavalry

Units - - -

Ancillaries:
When a diplomat is trained in a settlement that has a horse breeders guild (any level), they have a 33% chance of acquiring the “Swift Steed” ancillary (+15% movement, +1 health).

To Gain Horse Breeder’s Guild Points:
Train cavalry: +10 settlement, +1 others
Build stables series: +10/15/20/25/30 settlement, +1/2/3/4/5 others
Build racetrack/sultan's racetrack +50/75 settlement, +5 others
Governor throws races: +5 settlement

Mason's Guild
City based guild, providing a happiness bonus, a reduction in building costs, and a range of special infantry militia units. To attract this guild, build city walls, and military training buildings.

Note: because this guild is city based, yet relies on buildings such as mustering halls and bowyers, it can be quite hard to obtain.

Guild Level Basic Masters HQ

Requirements City with 150 Guild Points Large City with 250 Guild Points Huge City with 500 Guild Points

Settlement Bonus 30% construction discount, +1 happiness 30% construction discount, +1 happiness 30% construction discount, +2 happiness

Faction-wide Bonus - 20% construction discount 30% construction discount

Units Various, see below Various, see below Various, see below

Basic Guild Trainable Units:
Spear Militia (all factions)

Masters Guild Trainable Units:
Bill Militia (England)
Heavy Pike Militia (Scotland)
Partisan Militia (France)
Halberd Militia (HRE, Papacy, Sicily, Poland, Hungary, Egypt, Turks, Timurids)
Swordstaff Militia (Denmark)
Swordsmen Militia (Spain, Portugal)
Italian Spear Militia (Milan, Venice)
Spear Militia (Russia, Mongols)
Byzantine Infantry (Byzantium)
Urban Militia (Moors)

Guild HQ Trainable Units:
Heavy Bill Militia (England)
Heavy Pike Militia (Scotland)
Pike Militia (France, HRE, Spain, Portugal, Milan, Venice, Papacy, Sicily)
Swordstaff Militia (Denmark)
Halberd Militia (Poland, Hungary, Egypt, Turks, Timurids)
Berdiche Axemen (Russia)
Byzantine Infantry (Byzantium)
Urban Militia (Moors)
Spear Militia (Mongols)

All of the above trainable units are at Valour 0, with a maximum of 4 units available, regardless of guild level.

Ancillaries:
When any masons guild is completed in a city, the governor has a 33% chance to gain the “Master Mason” ancillary (+10 Construction)

To Gain Mason’s Guild Points:
Build Stone wall series: +10/15/20 settlement, +2/2/3 others
Build mustering halls series: +10/15/20/25/30 settlement, +2/2/2/2/3 others
Build town watch series: +10/15/20/25/30 settlement +2/2/2/2/3 others
Build armourer series: +10/15/15/20/25/30 settlement +2/2/2/2/2/3 others
Build bowyer series: +10/15/20/30 settlement +2/2/2/3 others

Merchant's Guild
City based guild, providing trade income bonuses and a range of special cavalry militia units.

In addition this guild series also improves the starting stats of merchants trained in the region. This seems to be performed via the addition of character traits which give a range of bonuses, rather than via just increasing their skill level directly.

To attract this guild, train and use merchants, and build the merchant’s wharf and market series of buildings.

Guild Level Basic Masters HQ

Requirements City with 150 Guild Points Large City with 250 Guild Points Huge City with 500 Guild Points

Settlement Bonus +1 Trade Income +2 Trade Income, Guild Trained trait +3 Trade Income, Guild Trained trait

Faction-wide Bonus - - Guild Member Trait

Units Various, see below Various, see below Various, see below

Traits:
When a merchant is trained in a settlement with a master’s guild or HQ, the merchant gains the “Merchant Guild Trained” trait (+1 Finance).

When a faction has the merchants guild HQ, a merchant trained in any settlement will have the “Merchants Guild Member” trait (+1 Finance).

Trainable Units:
Merchant Cavalry Militia (England, Scotland, France, HRE, Denmark, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Hungary)
Italian Cavalry Militia (Milan, Venice, Papacy, Sicily)
Cavalry Militia (Russia)
Greek Militia Cavalry (Byzantium)
Arab Cavalry (Moors, Egypt)
Sipahis (Turks)

At Basic Guild and Master’s Guild levels, all units are trained at valour 0, with a maximum pool of 3 units. At guild HQ level all units are trained at valour 1, with a maximum pool of 4 units, except for English Merchant Cavalry, which remain at valour 0 for some reason best known to CA.

To Gain Merchant’s Guild Points:
Train merchants: +10 settlement
Build merchants wharf series: +20/25/30 settlement, +0/2/5 others
Build market series: +10/15/20/25 settlement, +0/0/2/5 others
Make trade agreement: +10 all settlements
Successful acquisition: +10 all settlements
Income > 1000/2000/5000/10000: +1/2/3/4 all settlements (per turn)
Succeed/Fail merchant's guild mission: +/- 10/20 all settlements (depending on mission difficulty?)

Swordsmith's Guild
Castle based guild which gives a bonus to melee weapons for units trained (or retrained) in the region.

There is also a faction wide bonus to heavy cavalry, but it is unclear what form this takes – presumably a +1 valour bonus.

Attract this guild type by building the armourer series of buildings, and by building certain unit types in the region.

Guild Level Basic Masters HQ

Requirements Fortress with 150 Guild Points Citadel with 250 Guild Points Citadel with 500 Guild Points

Settlement Bonus +1 Melee Weapon +1 Melee Weapon +1 Melee Weapon

Faction-wide Bonus - +1 Heavy Cavalry +1 Heavy Cavalry

Units - - -

Note: for some factions there are no trainable units in their unit roster that meet the guild requirements listed. This means that those guilds will find it very difficult to obtain and upgrade swordsmith’s guilds. It should be possible to obtain the basic level guild by just building armourer buildings, but in practice this will be very difficult due to the -1 point per turn normalisation factor which kicks in after turn 25, and getting a masters guild or HQ is almost certainly impossible.

Turkey can build Hashashims, but this would require the construction of a Master Hashashim’s guild, training up a large number of Hashashims, then destruction of the guild, conversion of the city to a castle, and then hope that you get offered a swordsmith’s guild. This is a bit arduous, to say the least.

The best approach for these factions (Russia, Turkey, ???) is probably to conquer an enemy settlement which has already built a swordsmith’s guild.

Ancillaries:
When a settlement completes a swordsmith’s guild (any level) the governor has a 20% chance to gain the “Master Smith” ancillary (+2 training units (?)).

To Gain Swordsmith’s Guild Points:
Build armourer series: +10/15/15/20/25/30 settlement, +0/0/0/1/2/5 others
Train sword unit: +15 settlement
Units: Sword and Buckler Men, Sudanese Tribesmen, Swordsmen Militia, Armored Swordsmen, Highland Nobles, Zweihander, Noble Swordsmen, Forlorn Hope, Byzantine Infantry, Battlefield Assassins, Norse Swordsmen, Dismounted Feudal Knights, Dismounted Chivalric Knights, Dismounted Gothic Knights, Dismounted Conquistadores, Dismounted Italian MAA, Dismounted Broken Lances, Dismounted Norman Knights, Dismounted Polish Knights, Dismounted E Chivalric Knights, Dismounted Byzantine Lancers, Dismounted Latinkon, Hashishim, Urban Militia, Dismounted Christian Guard

Theologian's Guild
City based guild which improves the starting stats of priests trained in the region. This seems to be performed via the addition of character traits which give a range of bonuses, rather than via just increasing their skill level directly.

To attract this guild, train priests, and build religious buildings.

Guild Level Basic Masters HQ

Requirements City with 150 Guild Points Large City with 250 Guild Points Huge City with 500 Guild Points

Settlement Bonus Guild Trained Trait Guild Trained Trait Guild Trained Trait

Faction-wide Bonus - Guild Member Trait Guild Journeyman Trait

Units - - -

Traits:
When a priest is trained in a settlement with a theologian’s guild (any level) they will acquire the “Theologians Guild Trained” trait (+1 piety).

When a faction has a masters theologian’s guild, any priests trained will acquire the “Theologians Guild Member” trait (+1 piety)

When a faction has the theologian’s guild HQ, any priests trained will acquire the “Theologians Guild Journeyman” trait (+2 piety)

Ancillaries:
When a general ends his turn in a settlement with a theologian’s guild (any level) they will acquire the “Priest” ancillary (+1 piety).

To Gain Theologian’s Guild Points:
Train Priests: +10 settlement
Build church/masjid series: +10/15/20/25/30 settlement, +0/0/1/2/5 others
Get your cardinal elected pope: +30 all settlements
Governor's piety >5: +5 settlement (per turn)
Succeed/Fail theologian's guild mission: +/-10 all settlements
Priest becomes a heretic: -5 all settlements

Thieves Guild
City based guild which improves the skill of thieves trained in the area. This seems to be performed via the addition of character traits which give a range of bonuses, rather than via just increasing their skill level directly.

To attract this guild, train and use spies, and build the brothel series of buildings.

Guild Level Basic Masters HQ

Requirements City with 150 Guild Points Large City with 250 Guild Points Huge City with 500 Guild Points

Settlement Bonus Guild Trained trait - -

Faction-wide Bonus - Guild Member trait Guild Journeyman trait

Units - - -

Traits:
When a Spy is trained in a settlement with a Basic level thieves guild, they will get the “Thieves Guild Trained” trait (+1 subterfuge).

When a Faction has a Master Thieves guild, any spies trained will get the “Thieves Guild Member” trait (+1 subterfuge).

When a Faction has a Thieves guild HQ, any spies trained will get the “Thieves Guild Journeyman” trait (+2 subterfuge).

Note: there is a bug (?) which means that thieves trained in the basic level guild get the “Guild Trained” trait, but those trained in upper level guilds do not.

Ancillaries:
When a settlement completes a thieves guild (any level), the governor has a 20% chance to acquire the “Spymaster” ancillary (Security +1, training agents +4)

To Gain Thieves Guild Points:
Train spies: +10 settlement
Build brothel series: +10/15/20/25/30 settlement
Governor with dread >4: +2 settlement (per turn)
Spy in a settlement: +2 all settlements (per turn)
Succeed/Fail thieves guild mission: +/-10 all settlements

Woodsman's Guild
Castle based guild providing valour bonuses to archery units, and allowing the English to train Sherwood Foresters.

To attract this guild, train archers (only if you are English), build the brothel series of buildings, and install a high chivalry governor.

Guild Level Basic Masters HQ

Requirements Fortress with 150 Guild Points Citadel with 250 Guild Points Citadel with 500 Guild Points

Settlement Bonus +1 Valour to Archers +1 Valour to Archers +1 Valour to Archers

Faction-wide Bonus - +1 Valour to Archers +2 Valour to Archers

Units - Sherwood Archers (Valour 0) Sherwood Archers (Valour 0)

Trainable Units:
Sherwood archers are only trainable by the English. A guild HQ doubles the recruitment rate, and increases the maximum number of units in the pool from 2 to 3.

To Gain Woodsman’s Guild Points:
Recruit archers (England only!): +10/15/20 settlement (depending on unit)
Build brothel series: +10/15/20/25/30 settlement, +0/0/0/2/5 others
Governor with chivalry >4: +5 settlement (per turn)

Note: Most archer types give a +10 settlement bonus, except for Longbowmen/Yeomen Archers (+15) and Sherwood archers (+20)

Crusader Knight's Chapter Houses
These four chapter houses have been grouped together since they are very similar in requirements and in what they produce.

These are castle based guilds providing the ability to train the various types of crusader knights (heavy cavalry units). The St. Johns Chapter House series give an additional settlement health bonus.

Templars Chapter Houses are restricted to catholic factions only (excluding HRE, Spain and Portugal).
St. John’s Chapter Houses are restricted to catholic factions only (excluding HRE, Spain and Portugal).
Teutonic Knights Chapter Houses are restricted to the HRE only.
Knights of Santiago Chapter Houses are restricted to Spain and Portugal only.

To attract these guilds, join crusades, and hold provinces in lands bordered by non-catholic factions.

Guild Level Basic Masters HQ

Requirements Fortress with 150 Guild Points Citadel with 250 Guild Points Citadel with 500 Guild Points

Settlement Bonus +1 Health (St. Johns only) +2 Health (St. Johns only) +3 Health (St. Johns only)

Faction-wide Bonus - - -

Units Crusader Knights (Valour 0) Crusader Knights (Valour 1) Crusader Knights (Valour 2)

Trained Units:
Upgrades to the guild level increase the recruitment rate, and the increase the maximum number of units in the recruitment pool, from 3, to 4, to 6.

The Templar’s Chapter House series allow training of Knights Templar.
The St. John’s Chapter House series allow training of Knights Hospitaller.
The Teutonic Knights’ Chapter House series allow training of Teutonic Knights.
The Knights of Santiago Chapter House series allow training of Knights of Santiago.

To Gain Crusader Knight’s Guild Points:
General joins crusade: +25 all settlements
General abandons crusade: -25 all settlements
Recruit Specialist Knight: +10 settlement, +1 others (knight type tied to guild type)
Governor Chivalry >4: +5 settlement (per turn)

St. John's guild get a +10 settlement, +1 others bonus when the settlement has muslim neighbours (for each settlement, each turn)
St. John's guild get a +10 bonus for all settlements when you declare war on a muslim faction.
Teutonic guild get a +10 settlement, +1 others bonus when the settlement has pagan neighbours (for each settlement, each turn)

Unanswered Questions
This guide was compiled mainly through analysis of the contents of the various text data files used by the game. A lot of it could do with backing up with empirical in-game testing, since some of the statements in the text files (e.g. +3 movement, how much is that, exactly?) aren’t too clear.

Specific questions that need answering:
Is it a bug that some factions will find it nigh-on impossible to obtain swordsmith’s guilds?

Is it a bug that thieves guild above basic level do not give the ‘guild trained’ trait?

It seems obvious to me that horse breeders guilds should be located in castles, rather than cities, since this is where most cavalry is trained. Is this a bug?

What does ‘training agents/units +4’ mean w.r.t. ancillaries?

How are the number of points decided for merchant’s guild missions?

How do explorers guild trade bonuses work?

Why do some guilds stubbornly refuse to show up for some people/factions/regions/games despite fulfilling the prerequisites?

Sincerely yours,
Indy