How to make Tools in Manor Lords

Want to make Tools in Manor Lords? Look, let’s be honest. Most of us playing Manor Lords for the first time didn’t even realise we had any Tools until Bandits came and took them. And then we were left thinking, oh, what were they used for? Were they important? And most especially – how can I make more?

In this guide, we’ll answer all of these questions and more. We’ll explain the process of how to make Tools in Manor Lords, and what they’re used for later on in the game.

There are three ways to get Tools in Manor Lords:

• Construct a Smithy to turn Iron Slabs into Tools.
• Construct a Blacksmith’s Workshop to turn Iron Slabs into Tools.
• Import them from a Trading Post in exchange for Regional Wealth.

Tools are a bit of an unusual one in Manor Lords. Usually there’s only one way to make a material yourself, but there are two buildings that can turn Iron Slabs into Tools. The cheaper option is the Smithy, which only costs 2x Timber, versus the Blacksmith Workshop’s 5x Planks and 5x Regional Wealth. The other benefit of the Smithy is that you can set 2 families working in it at once, to increase the rate at which you can construct Tools.

The benefit of the Blacksmith’s Workshop, on the other hand, is that it isn’t just used to build Tools. You can switch production in the General tab of the Burgage Plot between Tools, Sidearms, Spears, and Polearms. So you’ll likely need some Blacksmith’s Workshops in your settlement anyway. But if you’re only concerned with Tools, then the Smithy is the way to go.

How to get Iron Slabs for your Tools

Each Tool is made out of 1 Iron Slab, so whichever option you choose for making your Tools, you will need to get some Iron Slabs first. To get Iron Slabs, you need to first build a Mining Pit over an Iron Deposit on the map. While worked by a family, the Mining Pit will produce Iron Ore.

After that, build a Bloomery (found next to the Smithy in the Industry tab of the build menu). The Bloomery will convert the raw Iron Ore from the Mining Pit into Iron Slabs, which in turn can be transported to the Smithy or the Blacksmith’s Workshop to turn into Tools.

Remember that Iron Ore is a finite resource until you research the Deep Mining Development Upgrade. So to keep up the production of Tools, or anything else that requires Iron to build), you’ll need to either spread to new regions of the map, import the Iron materials at a Trading Post, or research Deep Mining.

In the current early access version of Manor Lords, Tools are only used for one thing: export. They aren’t used in the construction of any of the 40+ Manor Lords buildings, so you may as well just sell them. Each Tool can be exported at a Trading Post for 6 Regional Wealth. It’s not the most you can get from exporting an item, but it’s a decent amount, and it’s certainly more than the 4 Regional Wealth you get for exporting Iron Slabs.

So if you have a surplus of Iron Slabs and you’re already happy with your production of weapons, then you may as well convert the rest into Tools and sell them for a tidy sum of Regional Wealth. Just make sure you have Deep Mining researched and upgrade your Iron Mining Pits to make sure they never run out of Iron.

That wraps up this guide on making your own Tools in Manor Lords, but there’s plenty more to know about the different resources involved in a large town. While you’re here, check out our guides on how to make Ale, as well as how to get Sheep, Leather, Clothes, and Herbs.