• +8 Shield Armor
  
• +30 Shield Defense

• Decreased calibration distance (point at which accuracy decreases substantially)
  
• Increased calibration area (the general area in which projectiles can land)
  
• Slightly reduced AP damage of javelins

• Default stance: Costs -20 supplies per turn. You can survive 5–10 turns in friendly territory without resupplying, but in enemy lands you’ll need to raid, sack, or occupy villages to stay operational.
  
• Fortify stance: No longer allows replenishment or recruitment. Provides +3 morale, -50% attrition from snow/swamp, and costs 75% of your total campaign movement range to assume, a real commitment.
  
• Raiding stance: Now the only stance that lets you “live off the land”, granting +20 supplies. Unit state is winded in combat. Other mechanics are mostly unchanged.
  
• Garrisoning armies: Grants +50 supplies. Towns and cities are now the central hubs for full replenishment and recruitment. Replenishment in friendly territory still occurs, but at a minimal rate.
  
• Sieges: Now consume -30 supplies per turn, making prolonged sieges far more risky. You’ll need to engage in combat or carefully manage resources to avoid heavy losses.

The goal is to force meaningful tactical decisions. Armies can’t endlessly roam the map and you’ll need to plan your movements between settlements, manage supplies carefully, and use raiding strategically.

Theory
A level 2–3 town should stand a chance against the small armies of Shieldwall and provide useful province support since the AI cannot resist attacking an army in a town.

Building out your countryside is worthwhile early-game, especially with double-industry villages.
More interesting battles makes the game more playable.
For cities, the sizes are only slightly larger to fully accommodate units from a future garrison building.

The city battles will now be massive and display some of the best upgrades of TOB over Attila/Rome 2.

Sizes

• Garrison for towns = Level + 2. (Minor 1 = 3 units, Minor 5 = 7 units)
  
• Most Shieldwall towns max out at level 2.
  
• Some towns (pastures, foreigners, alehouses) provide 1 additional low-tier garrison unit.
  
• Irish pastures grant +1 extra unit as a faction perk.

Cities garrison sizes:

• Major 1 (M1): 8 units (mostly levy)
  
• Major 2: 10 units (mostly levy)
  
• Major 3: 12 units
  
• Major 4: 14 units
  
• Major 5: 16 units with cavalry

Garrisons:

• Garrison 1: 3 mid-level units
  
• Garrison 2: +2 strong units (one cavalry) on top of Garrison 1

Unique features

• Factions with special capital cities receive a hero unit if that city is besieged.
  
• The unit mix is diverse, making siege battles more interesting.
  
• Strong units only available in late-game will appear in M4/M5 garrisons even if the tech isn’t researched.

The fatigue system has been totally overhauled:

• Archers now gain fatigue from shooting and reloading
  
• Battles are longer
  
• Unit fatigue has been slowed
  
• Unit fatigue recovery has been slowed
  
• Tired, very tired, and exhausted states now apply -3, -6, and -9 morale debuffs respectively
  
• Debuffs from fatigue revamped (melee attack, defense, speed, reload speed, and morale)

The player must now cycle their units effectively to prevent mass routs due to exhaustion!

• Fixed the Northumbria starting situation
  
• Fixed the Mercia faction crash

• Named the nameless child of connact
  
• Westmoringas now playable
  
• Added a couple of new factions traits to factions in the gaelic culture & changed some for historical accuracy