Overview
Hamlets are small villages on the Map that produce and store a specific Resource:
Food can be collected from Farmer's Hamlets.
Iron can be collected from Ironmonger's Hamlets.
Gold can be collected from Prospector's Hamlets.
Sapphires can be collected from Jeweler's Hamlets.
Craftsman's Hamlets are home to the makers of precious keepsakes. Maranian Amulets can be found there.
There are several sizes of Hamlets to be found, and the higher your Level in the game, the bigger and better the Hamlets you'll be able to locate.
The speed at which your Units can gather Resources from a Hamlet depends on the upgrade Level of the Lost Art of "Dominion" in your Castle. The total number of Resources you can collect in one go is determined by the collective carrying capacity of the Defensive Units you have stationed at the site.
A Hamlet expires when no one has attacked or captured it for an extended period of time, or if it has been depleted of Resources.
When new Hamlets appear on the Map, they are vacant and unguarded – so try to be first to capture one! Any player can view the number of Resources currently stored there by positioning their cursor over the site.
Hamlet Interactions
Position your cursor over a Hamlet on the Map to view information about it.
You will be able to view the number of Resources held within it and its status (whether the Hamlet is under someone's control or not). You may also choose from a set of possible ways to engage the Hamlet, such as "Attack," "Capture," or "Dispatch Spies."
Capture
Building the Eagle's Nest allows you to locate and capture Hamlets. Initially, you may hold a maximum of 3 Hamlets at a time, as indicated by the number of Ox Carts you have. To increase that number, go to your Rune Tree and upgrade "Maximum Settlements and Hamlets" to Level 30.
To capture a Hamlet, select it on your Map (or via the Eagle's Nest), pick out the Units you want to send, then click "Capture." Be advised that you will need BOTH Offensive and Defensive Units to capture a Hamlet, though only the Offensive Units will participate in the attack. All surviving Offensive Units will be automatically returned to your Catacombs, if the engagement is successful (otherwise, they will return to your Castle but remain outside the Catacombs). The Defensive Units will NOT engage in the battle. If you succeed, you will be able to view your captured Hamlet's information under the "Hamlets" tab in your Keep.
Once you've captured a Hamlet, after taking a few minutes to get acquainted with the residents, your Defensive Units will begin to gather Resources and load up their Ox Cart. Only Defensive Units can do the gathering and loading, and the number of Resources that they can load depends on their collective carrying capacity and the Resource type (Sapphires are heavier than Food, for example). Therefore, the more Units you have at the site and the greater their carrying capacity, the more Resources you'll be able to collect. Upgrade the Lost Art of "Dominion" to increase the speed at which your Units can load Resources at Hamlets. Once your Units have gathered all the Resources they can carry, they will be returned to your Catacombs. This happens automatically - no recall action is necessary on your part.
To maintain control over a Hamlet you've captured, you will want to keep a sizeable garrison of Defensive Units stationed there. They will not only gather Resources, but also protect the Hamlet from rival Lords and Ladies.
Remember that you are free to engage Hamlets that are held by your Allies! Choose your battles carefully, though – sometimes, short-term profit is not worth sacrificing a valuable Alliance. If your Units are defeated and an Enemy takes control of the Hamlet, all surviving Units will return to your Castle empty-handed. They will not recover any Resources.
Note: You cannot send League Attacks to Capture or Attack a Hamlet.
Spying
You must have a Hall of Shadows in your Castle in order to Spy upon Hamlets. To Spy upon a Hamlet, select it on your Map (or via the Eagle's Nest), pick out the Units you want to send, then click the "Dispatch Spies" button.
Successful Spying missions will allow you to detect all Units guarding a given Hamlet.
Position a large number of Spying Units to defend your Hamlet from enemy Spies.
Attack
All Lords and Ladies are free to either Attack or Capture Hamlets held by any other players. Attacking a Hamlet will NOT allow you to collect its Resources, but you will be able to earn Experience Points and other Points relevant to the Rankings. More importantly, it allows you to disrupt a rival's Resource collection.
Go to the Eagle's Nest or find an occupied Hamlet you want to attack on the Map, choose the Units you wish to send, then click "Attack".
The battle for a Hamlet takes place immediately upon the arrival of your Units at the site. None of your Units will remain on site to garrison the Hamlet if you attack it; all surviving Units are withdrawn to your Castle immediately following the battle.
When attacking a Hamlet, it is recommended that you only send Offensive Units. Unlike the capturing mechanics, if you attack a Hamlet with both Offensive and Defensive Units, your Defensive Units WILL participate in the battle and will likely suffer heavy losses.
Note: You cannot send League Attacks to Capture or Attack a Hamlet.
Reinforcements
To send Reinforcements to your Hamlets, choose the number and type of Units you wish to send via the "Hamlets" tab at the Keep. You can also recall Reinforcements from this interface.
If you're worried about being able to successfully defend the Hamlet, you can create a Request asking League Members to send additional Units to your captured Hamlet. You can do this from the League Help tab in the Leagues window by going to the Urgent Help subtab and clicking the Request Hamlet Reinforcements button. Friendly Units will help defend the Hamlet, but will not gather or carry Resources.
IMPORTANT: If you do not abandon the Hamlet, any Units you recall will not carry Resources. If you attempt to recall so many Units that the Units remaining behind cannot hold the Resources already gathered, you will recall ALL Units and abandon the Hamlet.
For example, say you have 10 Units at a Hamlet, their carrying capacity is 10 each, and 40 out of 100 Food has been loaded. If you recall 5 Units, the other 5 will remain until they load another 10 Food, then return home. If you wish to recall 8 of them, however, the remaining Units (2) would not be able to carry the Food you've already gathered (40). So, in the latter case, all your Units would abandon the Hamlet and return, bringing the Food with them.