Opening post by Ser Emmon Bracken · #1
I start with the map, not a long march—check the tiles around your keep for wood, stone, and food, then choose the nearest source you can safely reach. A short haul is often worth more than sending troops far away and leaving your stores empty while they travel.
Send a force you can spare to gather, and keep an eye on its return rather than dispatching every troop at once. I learned the value of a careful bargain at a market stall, and the same rule holds here: take what you need without spending more time or strength than the load is worth.
When the troops return, check which store is still short and make that your next trip—steady nearby loads refill a keep more reliably than one grand expedition.