Stuck without any options for merc/lord

[TheGoldElite]

Hey this is my first playthrough of Fire and Sword, and Im a vet from warband. After alot of trading ( a first for me, I always killed for my money) I had decided to join the cossacks. My renown was only about 30 at the time, but they took me as a merc. I built up my renown and army, and did pretty well. Well now I'm 400 renown, and 100 relation with the cossacks. However sometime during this time I took the black mace quest. There was some kind of message telling me I was now a cossack lord or something, but since then nothing was different and I clearly wasn't a cossack lord, I have no fief or anything. There was never any option for me to join the cossacks, I asked all the lords and the Hetman himself but there was no option to ask to join, and It was never offered to me. this is at 400 renown. So when it came to renew my contract I figured I'd ditch it then try and pledge allegiance.

This doesnt work either, and now they won't take me back as a merc. The black mace quest is taking me ages to get any good relation with the Loboda guy I need to tell me about it. Do I have to finish the quest to be a lord or is my game just broken. Now I can't recruit my Serduks or anything :/ Please help!

PS I have half a mil in the bank collecting interest at 20%

 

[jackx]

It's the Black Mace quest keeping you from getting back to regular open play.
The storylines are different from other quests/missions, as you can't just ignore them until they go way, but are stuck with them, and the limitations they bring, until you see them through to their conclusion.

Th Black Mace is easily the most extensive storyline (others can also take forever depending on how the balance of power shifts), but quite rewarding as well, not least because of the titular weapon that'll find its way into your hands eventually.

 

[TheGoldElite]

Oh for crying out loud. I have to finish this whole damn quest before I can be a noble? Is it like this with all factions?

 

[jackx]

Not all is lost, you'll become a regular Cossack noble as part of the quest, and end up as marshal eventually.

You can always choose to not play the storylines for the factions that have them (Muscovites, Cossacks and the Commonwealth), but once you start one of them, you'll indeed have to see it through.

 

[TheGoldElite]

If I'd have known that... Well I'm supporting the Polish Rebellion for the Black Mace quest now. God knows how I'll take a castle with 100 Cossack mercs :S

 

[jackx]

Agreed. There are a lot of situations in WFaS where you'd be better off if the game had the courtesy to tell you about what you're getting into.

As for the immediate problem at hand, try blowing a hole in the wall, the AI should then obligingly rush into your musket volleys, and if it refuses to do so right away, you can bait it with your companions (or other expendable troops, though nothing really is more expendable than your functionally immortal companions)...

Alternatively, buy other mercs, as Cossacks really aren't the kind of troops you want to throw against walls.  Crimeans can provide acceptable wall-rushing fodder due to their combination of decent melee weapons (yatagans, crowbills) and shields, though with just a hundred, it might take more than one attempt.

 

[TheGoldElite]

I failed the quest, at one point I convinced 4 nobles to turn, but one by one our cities were lost. I blame the sudden spell of piece. Shortly before my rebellion the Poles were at war with 3 countries. They made peace quickly and an army of 1700 flattened us all :/. I have failed the Black mace questline, will I ever be a Cossack Noble :'( ?

EDIT* Thank god now I am a noble. Colonel Timofy hates me for some reason, and someone resigned from something, but I wasn't paying attention. I don't like maces anyway
I've also managed to screw over the Poles, double bonus!

 

[Vadi2]

Aha... this happened to me too, except on the Russian quest - I had tons of reknown and a great relationship with the Tsar (who considered me his champion), but never offered me in terms of lordship, all because I started on the 3 villages quest and dumped it.

... since then, I captured Vilna and Konisberg on my own, wanted to but couldn't hand them over to the Russians, and eventually they out of the blue declared war on me.

At least I know now I have to do something about the poles, but this was really not intuitive.