How Region Claims and Expansion Work in Manor Lords
In Manor Lords, expansion depends on Influence (your political currency) and a region claim (your formal action to take control of another territory). If this part feels confusing, you are not doing anything wrong. A lot of players hit this exact wall right after their first village finally feels stable.
Use this simple two-step plan: stabilize first, claim second. Before you spend Influence, make sure your home region can handle bad weather and shortages without panic-building. If a region is unowned, claiming is easier. If another lord controls it, expect resistance and possible fighting. Only claim when you can also defend, so you do not overextend and stall both regions at once.
Safe Expansion Checklist
Choose nearby regions that fix a real bottleneck, like better farming land or missing raw materials, instead of grabbing the first one you see. Keep your first town producing steady food, fuel, and money while your second region gets started. In the new region, build survival basics first: housing, food flow, firewood, and storage before deeper production chains.
Coaching line: If you feel stuck waiting on Influence, take one full in-game year to consolidate on purpose. You are not behind. A slower claim with a stable economy beats a fast claim that leaves both settlements starving.