Arty Crafting

Before you craft, you have to gather. Two things make gathering many times faster, and both are worth setting up before a serious craft run.

Serfs and labour

Bring 5 Elite Serfs at level 7. Taking the bottom veterancy line raises their labour by 40%, which is the single biggest gathering multiplier you control. On top of that (not mandatory), equip Labour doctrines: each adds about 0.06 or 0.07 labour per living soldier, depending on whether the doctrine is tier IV or V.

Only farm the good spots

Farm Blue and Purple spots only and ignore the rest. Which blue and purple spots you want depends on the arty you are building, so pick your piece in the calculator first, then gather at the buildings it lists.

Technology doubles your exotics

Press U and open Technology. It improves Exotic gather items by 200%. Start with Copper Ore, since it is the material you end up using most while crafting arty, and focus line 1 (Calamine), the exotic you will need the most.

Quality is gated by the fief you craft at, not just by your materials:

• Green (Standard) siege weapons: Fief Level 1.
• Blue (Well-Made) siege weapons: Fief Level 5.
• Purple (Optimal) siege weapons: Fief Level 7. Rank 7 fiefs are rare, need long term house commitment, and are often contested.

Logistics. You must transport materials across the open world to the right fief, and siege recipes can only be crafted at the specific fiefs tied to each type.

Season timing. Early in a season few siege crafting fiefs are available, and more open later, so stockpile resources in advance. Because Rank 7 fiefs are so scarce, Optimal (purple) siege is often only available through rewards.

Why bother. Making siege weapons is critical to Territory Wars, not an optional side activity.