Blunt weapons are your best friend (for making money)

[tarnus]

Well you learn something new every game - before I started warband I made money by selling gear which wasn't very profitable, then after I played warband for a bit, I focused more on tournaments/bandit lairs, that was good. The third game I started over, I focused more on trading and doing tournaments.

Finally in the latest new game, I do trading, tourneys (in some cities) and focus on clubbing a lot of soldiers to the back of the head and capturing them for ransom money. I have to say, in a weird sort of way, I get satisfaction out of not killing them and selling them back to their families.

My prisoner management is at 6, usually after a decent battle, I can capture 15-20 if I club selective units that sell for more, so that comes out to about 3-4k right there, and if I'm lucky I can capture a lord too. Ransomed King Yaroglek for 10k yesterday!  If there's lots of fighting going on, i dump them into my castle, and then go looking for more, it's hilarious.  The great thing is that you also level up your char/army while doing this too.

Anyway, just wanted to share this...for those with money problems, it's really good and fun.

 

[Calaran]

... selling them back to their families...

pffft... selling them back to their families. thats for lords yo! normal men get sold as SLAVES!!! their families dont got money to pay for them! wad do you think those manhunters are doing =p ridding the world of bandits? no! their catching slaves!

anyways, your right on. prisoners are a awesome source of money. but it sucks that they slow you down though. and it does get to be a bummer to use low damaging blunt weapons. personally i like the *schwing* sound when u slice a head, but money will have to do i guess...

 

[someboddy]

... selling them back to their families...

pffft... selling them back to their families. thats for lords yo! normal men get sold as SLAVES!!! their families dont got money to pay for them! wad do you think those manhunters are doing =p ridding the world of bandits? no! their catching slaves!

Tell that to Ramun...

 

[Calaran]

... selling them back to their families...

pffft... selling them back to their families. thats for lords yo! normal men get sold as SLAVES!!! their families dont got money to pay for them! wad do you think those manhunters are doing =p ridding the world of bandits? no! their catching slaves!

Tell that to Ramun...

havent you noticed that Ramun doesnt offer any gold for regular bandits? (and troops i think, havent checked this tho.)

 

[ragingbull78]

anyways, your right on. prisoners are a awesome source of money. but it sucks that they slow you down though. and it does get to be a bummer to use low damaging blunt weapons. personally i like the *schwing* sound when u slice a head, but money will have to do i guess...

lol i agree killing is more fun than knocking out.  thats why i use the heavy great long axe or something to that effect.    2hander/polearm.    use it as a polearm while mounted to knock out for the slave cart.  when get bored with that or slave cart is full, tap the "x" key and switch over to the buisness end of the axe and swing away lol.   

 

[StinkyMcGirk]

Maybe it's just my game, but Ramun is a little... overly stingy with what he is currently offering.  Anyone else getting 0 gold for any prisoner sales to him in the current patch?

As for blunt weapons doing 'lower' damage:  Someone did a really complicated write up in a thread I searched not too long ago that said a good rule of thumb when comparing damage types was this...  4 blunt = 5 piercing = 6 cut.  With that exchange rate, a military hammer with 25 blunt damage is probably going to do more average damage to anything that isn't a looter than a slashing weapon with 38 base damage.

The problem with blunt weapons comes in sieges and large battles.  If you just knock a target out, they come back in the next round of combat.

 

[Jericho]

Ramun the slave trader is bugged in this current version.

As for blunt weapons and capturing prisoners I like to use the jousting lance and the 2h iron mace! This is a great combination when you get the capture spy and his handler quest or have to capture X amount of an NME troop type for a prisoner exchange quest. 

 

[socks]

Prisoners, caravans, villages, and trade are my way of making money. The middle two are only good if you apply them to select factions or if you want to do hardcore everyone-is-out-to-kill-you mode.

 

[Remedius]

I honestly think this has opened up a whole new game for me - beforehand my Companions and I used to go around in a party where the Swadian Knights used to occupy next slot down from me and I wasnt too bothered if a few characters didnt even make an appearance in my battles. I have now overhauled my whole army with ALL my companions in the slots directly under me and armed with the best clubs (usually the iron two-handed variety) or morning stars. At battle start I just tell everyone 'Use Blunt Only!' and away we go, leaving all my knights behind (no doubt feeling a bit confused and a mite bit frustrated). Before long me and my ten or so companions (and a few Khergit Veteran Horse archers) are gloating over the sea of unconscious enemies before us. Its great because I can keep the heavies as insurance, my companions level up like I have never seen! and now the ransom broker pays out high value denars for even lowly bandits (and theres the loot too). Now if I need money and there is no enemy army about I camp by the nearest bandit lair and harvest the bandits like wheat. I have even developed a super fast mobile army of just Knights, Mamlukes and Khergits who hunt down Steppe Bandits.

I spent about a week in Steppe Bandit country and I reached 10K denars for the first time EVER. Up til then I had to scratch a living jumping at any opportunity for battle and coin just to break even at the end of the week. What is more my companions had always been bit parts with a few good enough to be near the top of the roster and all wearing the crap we captured or whatever I could afford - NOW - All are fully equipped with Closed Full Helms, Tabbarded full mail and armoured boots and gloves and we are nearly at the point where all have 4 Ironskin and 4 Powerstrike. Recently I topped 25K denars. 

 

[Meredith]

I honestly think this has opened up a whole new game for me - beforehand my Companions and I used to go around in a party where the Swadian Knights used to occupy next slot down from me and I wasnt too bothered if a few characters didnt even make an appearance in my battles. I have now overhauled my whole army with ALL my companions in the slots directly under me and armed with the best clubs (usually the iron two-handed variety) or morning stars. At battle start I just tell everyone 'Use Blunt Only!' and away we go, leaving all my knights behind (no doubt feeling a bit confused and a mite bit frustrated). Before long me and my ten or so companions (and a few Khergit Veteran Horse archers) are gloating over the sea of unconscious enemies before us. Its great because I can keep the heavies as insurance, my companions level up like I have never seen! and now the ransom broker pays out high value denars for even lowly bandits (and theres the loot too). Now if I need money and there is no enemy army about I camp by the nearest bandit lair and harvest the bandits like wheat. I have even developed a super fast mobile army of just Knights, Mamlukes and Khergits who hunt down Steppe Bandits.

I spent about a week in Steppe Bandit country and I reached 10K denars for the first time EVER. Up til then I had to scratch a living jumping at any opportunity for battle and coin just to break even at the end of the week. What is more my companions had always been bit parts with a few good enough to be near the top of the roster and all wearing the crap we captured or whatever I could afford - NOW - All are fully equipped with Closed Full Helms, Tabbarded full mail and armoured boots and gloves and we are nearly at the point where all have 4 Ironskin and 4 Powerstrike. Recently I topped 25K denars. 

If you want to really make good cash, hunt down the sea raiders with prisoners and collect 10 or so manhunters to add to your mace-armed companions, they are excellent at prisoner farming, when they level up they are mounted. When you attack, order the cavalry to "hold ground" and charge in with the companions and the man-hunters. this way you collect 90% wounded, the one or two dead are the result of disobedient cavalrymen who ignore you.

The cash rolls in bigtime 
The best though is ransom for lords with looting prosperous villages a close second.

 

[Thundertrod]

Note morning stars arepircing dammage not blunt.
Blanced Iron staff (pole arme)
heavy Spiked staff (1h/2h)
Balance Militray hammer (1h)
Are good wepons with decent dammage that deal blunt dammage
and armmer only resists 60% of blunt dammage.
29b x1.4 is eqivlant to 40.6 cuting dammage on armer

If you want real power heavy great hammer 47b
47b x 1.4 = 65.8 cuting

 

[aadio]

When you attack, order the cavalry to "hold ground" and charge in with the companions and the man-hunters. this way you collect 90% wounded, the one or two dead are the result of disobedient cavalrymen who ignore you.

The cash rolls in bigtime 
The best though is ransom for lords with looting prosperous villages a close second.

How do you select only the cavalry to order them without selecting others?

 

[Calaran]

How do you select only the cavalry to order them without selecting others?

press 3...

 

[GJScarritt]

Balance Militray hammer (1h)

Hur,  480 days in, and I've yet to run across one of those.  I almost have all of my companions supplied with the Heavy Military Hammer version (using Heavy Iron Mace for my character).  As for those Heavy Spiked Club's, aren't those also Pierce only?  (WB)

 

[Thundertrod]

Pirce on thust, blunt on swing.
You want the one that use to be the clube with spike. not the one that use to be the spiked clube.

 

[abigcityfalcon]

I use the 2h handed Iron Mace (funnest weapon in the game imo), and all my companions use the heavy spiked staff (better than bastard sword) and huscarl shield. We are a wrecking crew of prisoner management (skill at 10), filthy rich, and heavily armoured. I highly recommend this arrangement.

 

[Charles du Lac]

If you go to item editor, you can make the practice bow and crossbow as merchandise, they give blunt damage so you can capture at a distance.  Give it a price equal to a short bow or such otherwise it comes out as free.