Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord’s vast world presents numerous strategic challenges, and mastering naval chokepoints is crucial for dominating coastal regions and securing trade routes. This article will delve into actionable strategies for exploiting these geographical features to your advantage, offering insights beyond simple troop deployments. We’ll explore how to use terrain, tactics, and even diplomacy to control the seas and cripple your enemies. This article solves problems relating to difficulty in defending coastal regions, difficulty cutting off enemy supplies, and difficulty protecting sea trade routes.
A naval chokepoint is any narrow waterway that forces ships to pass through a confined area. These bottlenecks present excellent opportunities for ambushes, blockades, and defensive fortifications. Identifying these chokepoints on the Bannerlord map is the first step towards strategic naval dominance. Obvious examples include straits separating islands from the mainland or narrow river mouths leading to inland settlements.
Identifying Key Chokepoints
Pay close attention to the map’s topography. Look for:
- Narrow straits: These are the most obvious chokepoints, forcing ships into tight formations.
- River mouths: Controlling these points allows you to control access to inland cities and resources.
- Coastal settlements with limited sea access: Defending these towns becomes much easier if you control the surrounding waters.
Exploiting Terrain Advantages
The terrain surrounding a chokepoint can significantly impact your defensive capabilities. High ground overlooking the waterway allows for archers and siege engines to rain down on enemy ships. Utilize cliffs, hills, and even strategically placed fortifications to maximize your firepower.
Simply positioning troops at a chokepoint isn’t enough. Effective naval tactics are crucial for maximizing your advantage.
Ambush Strategies
Ambushing enemy fleets is a highly effective way to cripple their naval power.
- Hidden Fleets: Position a small, fast fleet to lure the enemy into the chokepoint, then unleash a larger, hidden fleet from behind cover.
- Coastal Raids as Diversion: Launch small raids on nearby coastal villages to draw the enemy fleet away from the chokepoint, creating an opening for your main force to strike.
Blockades and Trade Disruption
Controlling chokepoints allows you to implement effective blockades, crippling enemy trade and supply lines.
- Strategic Placement of Fleets: Position a strong fleet at the chokepoint to intercept enemy trade ships.
- Raiding Coastal Villages: Disrupting enemy trade by raiding coastal villages that rely on naval trade.
Defending Coastal Cities
Chokepoints are vital for defending coastal cities from invasion.
- Fortifications and Garrison: Invest in fortifications along the coast and maintain a strong garrison in the city.
- Naval Patrols: Patrol the waters around the city with a small fleet to deter enemy landings.
- Early Warning System: Establish lookout posts along the coast to provide early warning of approaching enemy fleets.
Naval dominance isn’t solely about battleships and broadsides. Diplomacy and economic considerations play a vital role in controlling naval chokepoints.
Diplomatic Maneuvering
- Alliances: Forge alliances with factions that control key coastal regions to secure access to chokepoints and coordinate defensive efforts.
- Non-Aggression Pacts: Negotiate non-aggression pacts with rival factions to prevent them from contesting your control of strategic waterways.
Economic Warfare
- Trade Agreements: Establish favorable trade agreements with coastal cities to bolster their economies and make them more resistant to enemy attacks.
- Naval Protection: Offer naval protection to friendly merchants to encourage trade and generate revenue.
The Psychological Impact of Naval Control
Controlling key chokepoints also has a significant psychological impact on your enemies.
- Demoralization: Blocking trade routes and raiding coastal settlements can demoralize enemy populations and weaken their war effort.
- Deterrence: A strong naval presence can deter potential invaders from even attempting to attack your coastal territories.
In my own Bannerlord campaigns, I’ve found that focusing on controlling the straits between the Battanian lands and the Aserai coast provides a significant strategic advantage. Building up a fleet of around 30-40 well-equipped ships and stationing them there allowed me to effectively cut off the Aserai’s access to the northern markets, severely impacting their economy. What most players forget is the importance of constantly upgrading the ships. Investing in better ship armor and weaponry is far more effective than simply having a larger fleet with weaker ships. Another key lesson is to never underestimate the power of a well-placed ballista on a coastal cliff overlooking a chokepoint. The psychological effect on enemy captains is just as important as the damage they inflict.
Unconventional Naval Strategies
While most players focus on direct naval combat, I’ve found that alternative approaches can be equally effective. One strategy I’ve employed is to use small, fast ships to lure enemy fleets into shallow waters where their larger vessels become grounded. This allows my archers to easily pick them off.
Here’s a useful table summarizing the different strategies, their requirements, and their impact on the game.
| Strategy | Requirements | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Ambush | Fast ships, good scouting, knowledge of the terrain | Destroys enemy fleets, disrupts supply lines, demoralizes the enemy |
| Blockade | Strong fleet, strategic positioning, trade agreements | Cripples enemy economy, prevents reinforcements, forces enemy to negotiate |
| Coastal Defense | Fortifications, garrison, naval patrols, early warning | Protects coastal cities, deters invaders, maintains trade routes |
| Economic Warfare | Trade agreements, naval protection, resource control | Boosts economy, strengthens alliances, weakens enemy, control of trade routes and access to resources such as iron or timber for shipbuilding. |
| Psychological Warfare | Demoralization, deterrence, propaganda | Weakens enemy morale, discourages attacks, strengthens alliances |
As a long-time Mount & Blade player with hundreds of hours spent in Bannerlord, I’ve honed these strategies through extensive gameplay and experimentation. My insights are based on practical experience and a deep understanding of the game’s mechanics. For additional information on naval warfare tactics, you can consult historical sources on naval strategy and tactics, such as Alfred Thayer Mahan’s The Influence of Sea Power Upon History [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Influence_of_Sea_Power_upon_History] (though not directly applicable to Bannerlord, the principles remain relevant). Additionally, in-game encyclopedia provides information about the game’s mechanics and units, further helping in strategic planning.
Mastering naval chokepoints in Bannerlord 2 requires a multifaceted approach that combines tactical acumen, strategic thinking, and diplomatic skill. By understanding the terrain, employing effective naval tactics, and leveraging diplomacy, you can secure naval dominance and control the seas of Calradia. The key is to adapt your strategy to the specific circumstances of each campaign and to never underestimate the power of unconventional tactics.