Tired of massive battles overwhelming your Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord experience? This article offers practical solutions to create more focused and engaging skirmishes using Bannerlord 2 mods. We’ll explore several mods, explain how they work, and offer insights on tailoring your gameplay for smaller, more tactical encounters. This will cover decreasing army sizes, improving AI behavior in smaller fights, and enhancing the overall skirmish experience.
Many players find that Bannerlord’s late-game army sizes can detract from the tactical depth of battles. This section will explore modifications that directly address this, allowing you to create smaller, more manageable skirmishes. The core idea is to reign in the massive scale and focus on individual unit control and strategic positioning.
Reducing Army Sizes Effectively
The most straightforward approach is to directly limit the number of troops that can participate in a battle. Several mods offer this functionality.
- Battle Size Changer: This mod is a classic and allows you to directly adjust the maximum battle size. You can significantly reduce it to create true skirmishes, focusing on smaller squads engaging in tactical maneuvers. It’s easy to install and configure, making it a great starting point. You can find it on Nexus Mods (https://www.nexusmods.com/mountandblade2bannerlord/mods/255).
- Realistic Battle Mod: While this mod overhauls many aspects of combat, one of its features is rebalancing army sizes. It makes smaller, more elite forces viable, leading to skirmishes that are more about skill and strategy than simply overwhelming the enemy with numbers. This often involves tweaks to damage, armor, and unit costs.
My First-Hand Experience with Battle Size Reduction
I initially found the default battle sizes overwhelming. It felt like watching a massive blob fight, rather than commanding a strategic engagement. After installing the Battle Size Changer and reducing the size to around 200, the game transformed. I could actually see individual units maneuvering, and my tactical decisions had a much more noticeable impact.
Improving AI Tactics in Smaller Skirmishes
Simply reducing army sizes isn’t enough. The AI needs to be competent at handling smaller engagements. Some mods focus on improving AI behavior to make skirmishes more challenging and realistic.
- Improved AI: This mod (or similar AI enhancement mods) aims to make the AI more tactical in all situations, including smaller battles. They will flank, use terrain to their advantage, and generally be more challenging opponents, even with fewer troops.
A Personal Observation on AI Enhancement
Without AI improvements, smaller battles can become predictable. The enemy often just rushes forward in a disorganized mass. Improved AI forces you to think more strategically, anticipating their moves and positioning your units accordingly. This adds a layer of depth that is essential for enjoyable skirmishes.
Beyond directly limiting troop counts and enhancing AI, there are other aspects you can tweak to further refine your skirmish experience.
Adjusting Unit Tier Composition
Consider using mods that allow you to adjust the tier composition of enemy armies. By limiting the number of high-tier units, you can create a more balanced playing field, even with smaller numbers.
- Party Manager: While primarily used for managing your own parties, some party manager mods allow you to influence the composition of enemy parties as well.
Why Unit Tier Composition Matters
Imagine a skirmish between 50 heavily armored Cataphracts and 50 recruits. That’s not much of a fight. Limiting the number of high-tier units forces players to rely on tactics and clever unit combinations, rather than simply brute force.
Enhancing Terrain and Map Design for Skirmishes
The battlefield itself plays a crucial role in the quality of a skirmish. Mods that introduce more varied and strategically interesting maps can significantly enhance the experience.
- Detailed Battlefields: This (or similar map-enhancing mods) adds more diverse and strategically interesting battlefields. This allows for more tactical maneuvering and ambushes, perfect for smaller skirmishes.
Terrain’s Tactical Advantage: A Lesson Learned
I once fought a battle on a map with a dense forest and a small hill. By positioning my archers on the hill and using the forest to flank the enemy, I was able to defeat a much larger force. Without the varied terrain, it would have been a much less interesting and challenging encounter.
A Table of Recommended Mods for Smaller Skirmishes
| Mod Name | Core Functionality | Nexus Mods Link |
|---|---|---|
| Battle Size Changer | Adjusts the maximum battle size. | https://www.nexusmods.com/mountandblade2bannerlord/mods/255 |
| Realistic Battle Mod | Overhauls combat, rebalances army sizes. | (Search on Nexus Mods, continuously updated) |
| Improved AI | Enhances AI tactics and decision-making. | (Search on Nexus Mods, various AI improvement mods available) |
| Detailed Battlefields | Adds more diverse and strategic battlefields. | (Search on Nexus Mods, various map packs available) |
Ultimately, the best way to create enjoyable skirmishes is to experiment and find what works best for you. The beauty of Bannerlord’s modding community is the sheer variety of options available.
Combining Mods for Synergistic Effects
Don’t be afraid to combine different mods to achieve your desired outcome. For example, you could use Battle Size Changer to reduce army sizes, Realistic Battle Mod to rebalance combat, and Detailed Battlefields to enhance the terrain.
My Advice: Start Small and Iterate
Instead of installing a dozen mods at once, start with a few core mods and gradually add more as you experiment. This makes it easier to identify conflicts and fine-tune your setup.
Creating Custom Scenarios for Skirmishes
Consider using mods that allow you to create custom scenarios. This lets you design specific skirmishes with predetermined army compositions and objectives.
- Developer Console: By enabling the developer console, you can spawn units and manipulate the game world, creating custom skirmish scenarios for testing and enjoyment. See https://www.bannerlordmods.com/bannerlord-console-commands for more detail.
Finding the Right Balance: A Matter of Taste
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. The ideal skirmish setup depends on your personal preferences and play style. Some players prefer highly realistic and challenging encounters, while others prefer a more casual and enjoyable experience. Experiment until you find the sweet spot.
By strategically implementing these Bannerlord 2 mods, you can transform the game from massive, often overwhelming battles into engaging and tactical skirmishes. This refocuses the gameplay on individual unit control, strategic positioning, and skillful maneuvering, offering a fresh and exciting experience.
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