Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord continues to stand out in the action RPG genre, offering an expansive, sandbox-style experience set in the land of Calradia. For both newcomers and veterans of the series, the game’s rich world and complex mechanics can be overwhelming. However, with the right tips, you can quickly immerse yourself in the game and start building your legacy. Here’s a set of essential tips to help you get started or refine your gameplay in the ever-evolving Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord.
1. There’s No Shame in Playing on Easier Difficulty
One of the key attractions of Bannerlord is its challenge, but if you’re struggling, don’t feel bad about starting on an easier difficulty. Mount and Blade II offers a wide range of customizable difficulty settings. Starting on very easy mode can give you a better chance at survival, especially in the early hours of the game. Don’t forget: the game allows you to adjust the difficulty at any time, giving you the flexibility to fine-tune the challenge as you gain more experience.
The difficulty options aren’t just about overall difficulty; they can be fine-tuned to suit specific aspects, such as combat damage or enemy movement speeds. This flexibility means you can tailor the experience to your liking and gradually ramp up the difficulty as you become more proficient.
2. Don’t Skip the Combat Tutorial
Combat in Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord can be tricky, especially for new players. Even if you’re a veteran of the series, it’s a good idea to revisit the combat tutorial. The tutorial covers essential mechanics like timing, blocking, and manoeuvring your troops – skills that are crucial for surviving in both large-scale battles and one-on-one skirmishes.
Over time, combat mechanics have been fine-tuned with updates, making the tutorial even more useful for understanding the intricacies of weapon handling and mounted combat.
3. Use Multiple Save Slots
As you adventure through Bannerlord, you will undoubtedly encounter moments of unexpected failure, especially during large-scale battles or when facing powerful factions. Bannerlord’s autosave feature can be unforgiving, so having multiple save slots is a smart strategy. You can save frequently in different slots to ensure that if things go wrong, you won’t have to backtrack too far.
This practice remains important with the release of new updates, as various changes to the game can impact your strategies or outcomes in battle, making quick access to earlier saves a useful tool.
4. Recruit Companions Early
Companions, known as “mates” in the game, are essential to your army’s success. These hero-class characters bring much-needed abilities such as healing, leadership, and specialized skills. They’re also significantly more powerful than regular troops.
Make sure you recruit companions early on to help you with both combat and non-combat roles. Companions can also be levelled up, so investing time in them early can make your army much more formidable down the line. New patches have introduced additional companions and customization options, making this even more beneficial as you progress.
5. Don’t Hoard Gold – Spend Wisely
Gold is essential to building and maintaining your army, but early on in the game, you should prioritize quantity over quality. Recruiting a larger number of lower-tier soldiers can help you win early battles without bankrupting yourself.
That said, don’t waste gold on unnecessary luxuries. Focus on building your forces, and remember that Bannerlord’s economy is dynamic, meaning you’ll need to stay mindful of the costs of maintaining a larger army as you expand and progress in the game.
6. Use Archers to Your Advantage
Archers continue to be one of the most effective unit types in Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord. Their ability to deliver devastating damage from a distance, particularly in large-scale battles, is crucial. A solid strategy is to position archers behind your front line of melee fighters, allowing them to rain arrows on enemies while staying relatively safe.
Make sure you position your archers carefully to avoid friendly fire. Recent patches have adjusted archery mechanics, improving their accuracy and effectiveness, making them even more important as a core part of your army.
7. Build Workshops for Steady Income
Building workshops remains one of the most reliable ways to earn money in Bannerlord. Workshops provide a consistent stream of income with minimal risk compared to caravans, which can be vulnerable to enemy attacks.
The addition of new workshops and locations in the latest updates gives you even more options for creating passive revenue streams, and the ability to expand these businesses can help fund your military campaigns with a stable cash flow.
8. Focus on Completing Main Quests Early
While it’s tempting to get lost in side activities like bandit hunting and looting, completing the main quests in Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord is critical for gaining early-game power and unlocking new features. The main quests will help you build your clan’s influence and provide important rewards that will benefit your empire-building efforts.
Even if you’re focused on creating your own story, don’t neglect these quests – they provide structure and context to the world of Calradia, helping you navigate its complex politics.
9. Carry a Shield at All Times
Shields are one of the most valuable pieces of equipment you can carry in Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord. No matter how skilled you become, there will be times when you’re surrounded by enemies or need to buy time for reinforcements to arrive. A large shield can absorb incoming damage, giving you the breathing room you need to regroup or counterattack.
Recent patches have made shields even more viable, with improved stats and the ability to block a wider range of attacks, making them even more critical in both one-on-one duels and larger battles.
Once you’re comfortable with the basics of the game, you can dive deeper into Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord’s many factions, trade systems, and political dynamics. If you’re looking to enhance your strategy further, guides to factions and maps are excellent resources for understanding Calradia’s intricate world. Whether you’re interested in learning more about factions or exploring the expansive map for strategic opportunities, there’s always something new to discover.
