This article tackles the frustrating issue of economic inflation in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord. We’ll explore practical solutions to mitigate its effects, offering actionable strategies to stabilize your in-game economy and ensure your prosperity in Calradia. These methods focus on player agency and strategic decision-making, allowing you to take control of your financial destiny.
The Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord economy, while intricate, can be susceptible to inflation. This means that the prices of goods and services increase over time, eroding your purchasing power. This inflation stems from several sources, including increased prosperity in settlements, large amounts of denars entering the game through war and trade, and a relatively static supply of goods. The core pain point is that players find themselves earning more denars, yet those denars buy less. This makes it increasingly difficult to equip armies, maintain garrisons, and invest in enterprises.
Identifying the Root Causes of Inflation
Pinpointing the specific cause of inflation in your game is the first step. Are your settlements overly prosperous, generating excessive wealth? Is constant warfare flooding the market with loot and ransom money? Are trade routes highly profitable, injecting denars into the economy at an unsustainable rate? Identifying the primary driver will inform your subsequent actions.
The Impact of Inflation on Your Campaign
Inflation has a cascading effect. High prices for troops make it harder to field a competitive army. Expensive goods reduce the profitability of trade. Ultimately, inflation can cripple your ability to expand your influence and maintain control over your territory. It can even lead to financial ruin if you are not careful.
Settlement prosperity is a double-edged sword. While high prosperity generates revenue, it also fuels inflation. Managing settlement prosperity, alongside strategically adjusting production, offers a path to economic stability.
Implementing Strategic Taxation Policies
Avoid overtaxing your settlements. While tempting to maximize immediate revenue, high taxes stifle economic growth and can lead to rebellion. Instead, aim for moderate taxation that balances revenue generation with the long-term prosperity of your fief. The “Governor” skill tree has perks that significantly improve tax efficiency and reduce negative consequences. Experiment with different tax levels and monitor the effect on prosperity and public order.
Balancing Production to Influence the Market
Focus on producing goods that are in demand but not oversupplied. For example, if there’s a surplus of grain in the region, consider converting workshops to produce something else. Diversifying your workshop production can reduce the amount of denars injected into the economy, and can control the type of wealth being spent. Additionally, consider the location of your workshops. A smithy in a region with abundant iron ore will be more profitable and contribute less to inflation than one in a region where iron is scarce and expensive to transport.
Investing in Settlement Improvements
Invest in improvements that boost productivity without dramatically increasing prosperity. For example, building a “Garrison” increases security and reduces bandit activity, indirectly improving trade and economic stability. Similarly, focus on improvements that enhance specific resource production, such as “Mines” or “Farms,” rather than generic prosperity boosters.
While it might seem counterintuitive, the way you earn and spend denars significantly contributes to inflation. A consistent influx of large amounts of denars can exacerbate the problem. This involves focusing on sustainable income streams and responsible spending.
Diversifying Income Sources
Relying on a single income source, such as constant warfare or extremely profitable trade routes, is risky and can contribute to inflation. Diversify your income streams by investing in workshops, owning productive fiefs, and engaging in a variety of trade activities. This creates a more stable and balanced economy, reducing the impact of any single income source on overall inflation.
Minimizing Looting and Ransom Income
While looting and ransoming prisoners are lucrative in the short term, they inject a large amount of denars into the economy without creating corresponding value. Consider alternatives, such as recruiting prisoners into your army or releasing them for goodwill. While these options may not generate as much immediate income, they can help reduce the overall inflation rate.
Investing Wisely to Reduce Expenditure
Focus on long-term investments that reduce your recurring expenses. Upgrading your companions’ equipment can increase their combat effectiveness, reducing troop losses and the need for expensive replacements. Investing in settlement defenses can deter sieges, saving you the cost of rebuilding after an attack. By reducing your expenditure, you can mitigate the impact of inflation on your finances.
The market is a dynamic system, and understanding its intricacies allows you to manipulate it to your advantage. Strategic trading and market intervention can both mitigate inflation and generate profit.
Identifying and Exploiting Market Inefficiencies
Identify regions where specific goods are underpriced or overpriced. This information is available in town menus. Buy low in areas with surpluses and sell high in areas with shortages. This not only generates profit but also helps to stabilize prices across the region.
Adjusting Trade Routes to Control Denar Flow
Avoid creating trade routes that funnel excessive amounts of denars into specific regions. Instead, focus on routes that distribute wealth more evenly across the map. This can help prevent localized inflation and promote overall economic stability.
Investing in Caravans and Workshops to Stabilize the Economy
Caravans and workshops contribute to the overall health of the economy. By ensuring that these enterprises are well-managed and profitable, you can help stabilize prices and reduce the impact of inflation. Be mindful of where you place workshops to affect that area’s economy.
In my Bannerlord campaigns, I’ve found that actively managing fief prosperity is paramount. Ignoring it leads to boom-and-bust cycles. I’ve also learned that micro-managing workshops and trade routes, while tedious, pays dividends in long-term economic stability. For example, I had a save where I focused solely on smithies in areas with low iron costs and high demand for weapons. This allowed me to control a substantial portion of the weapons market, influencing regional prices and accruing significant wealth. Also, I’ve learned that using companion’s to manage parties and lead caravans is useful if your party speed becomes an issue.
I also found that avoiding constant warfare is key. While war is inevitable, prolonged conflicts drain resources and inject massive amounts of denars into the economy. Consider negotiating peace treaties when possible and focusing on consolidating your territory and developing your economy.
Furthermore, don’t underestimate the value of good governance. Investing in skills like “Steward” and “Medicine” can significantly improve your ability to manage your finances and your troops’ well-being. This reduces waste and inefficiencies, helping you to weather the storm of inflation.
As a long-time strategy game enthusiast and Mount & Blade player, I’ve spent countless hours experimenting with different economic strategies in Bannerlord. My insights are based on practical experience and observations within the game.
While official documentation on Bannerlord’s economic mechanics is limited, player-created resources and communities offer valuable information. For instance, the Mount & Blade Wiki (https://mountandblade.fandom.com/wiki/Mount_%26_Blade_II:_Bannerlord) provides information on various aspects of the game, including economic factors. Additionally, forums and online communities dedicated to Bannerlord offer player-driven analyses and strategies related to economic management.
Finally, the game itself provides substantial in-game information regarding what each town and village need.