Sieges in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord can quickly become repetitive. The vanilla experience, while initially engaging, often lacks strategic depth and visual flair. This article provides five essential mods that drastically improve the siege experience in Bannerlord 2, making each battle feel unique and strategically challenging. These mods address common complaints like limited siege equipment, uninspired map design, and the lack of tactical options.
Mods can significantly alter the gameplay of Bannerlord 2, adding depth and variety to the siege experience. Choosing the right mods is crucial for achieving the desired gameplay. While there are many mods available, these five provide the most impactful improvements to sieges:
1. Sieges to Remember
This mod overhauls the siege mechanics and AI, making sieges much more strategic and challenging. It enhances the AI’s decision-making in both attack and defense, resulting in more intelligent deployments and counter-strategies. No longer will you be facing mindless waves of enemies; expect coordinated attacks and tactical retreats. This changes how you approach sieges, requiring thoughtful planning and execution.
* Improved AI: Enhances AI tactics for both attackers and defenders.
* Dynamic Deployment: AI can adapt to player strategies.
* Challenging Sieges: Makes sieges more difficult and rewarding.
2. Detailed Siege Equipment
This mod significantly expands the selection of siege equipment available, adding depth and tactical possibilities. Tired of the same old siege engines? This mod introduces a range of new options, including mangonels, trebuchets, and ballistae, each with unique strengths and weaknesses. Mastering these new tools is essential for breaking through fortified defenses.
* Expanded Arsenal: Introduces new siege engines.
* Strategic Options: Offers diverse tactical choices.
* Visual Variety: Enhances the visual appeal of sieges.
3. Realistic Battle
This mod impacts the combat within sieges by increasing realism, enhancing tactics and unit survivability. By tweaking weapon damage, armor values, and AI behavior, it makes battles more gritty and strategic. No longer will individual soldiers act as bullet sponges; positioning and tactical maneuvers become vital for victory.
* Realistic Combat: Enhances the feel of battles.
* Tactical Depth: Emphasizes strategic positioning.
* Unit Survivability: Adjusts combat mechanics for a more realistic experience.
4. Calradia at War
While not solely focused on sieges, Calradia at War introduces new factions and units that drastically change the dynamics of warfare, including sieges. This mod introduces new factions with unique units, equipment, and tactics, breathing new life into the game world. Sieges against these factions will require adapting to their specific strengths and weaknesses.
* New Factions: Adds factions with unique units and gear.
* Enhanced Warfare: Changes campaign and combat dynamics.
* Strategic Adaptation: Requires learning new strategies.
5. Diplomacy
This mod affects the campaign map around sieges by improving diplomatic options. It allows for more nuanced interactions with other factions, enabling players to negotiate alliances, truces, and tributes. It can also be used to force a siege to end with diplomacy rather than conflict. This adds a layer of strategic depth to the game, giving players more control over the direction of the campaign.
* Enhanced Diplomacy: Improves diplomatic options.
* Strategic Depth: Adds complexity to campaign management.
* Campaign Control: Gives more control over faction relations.
As someone who has spent hundreds of hours playing Bannerlord 2 and experimenting with various mods, I can attest to the transformative power of these selections, especially concerning sieges. For example, after installing “Sieges to Remember,” I was genuinely surprised by the AI’s ability to flank my troops and exploit weaknesses in my defenses. The AI began prioritizing siege equipment and would attempt to knock out my artillery before advancing. This forced me to rethink my defensive strategies, setting ambushes and deploying troops to protect my siege engines.
One less obvious but vital benefit from “Realistic Battle” is the altered balance between ranged and melee combat. Archers and crossbowmen became far more lethal, forcing me to invest in better shields and protective gear for my infantry. This altered the composition of my armies, making ranged units a more valuable asset, especially when defending walls.
The introduction of new factions in “Calradia at War” also significantly impacted my siege strategies. Some factions excel at siege defense, utilizing unique units and fortifications to create formidable obstacles. Other factions favored rapid assaults, requiring me to adapt my tactics accordingly. For instance, the Aserai become masters of desert sieges, making holding the desert castles an actual challenge.
Before “Diplomacy,” war felt like an all-or-nothing scenario. With the improved diplomatic options, I could negotiate truces and alliances, allowing me to focus on specific threats without being constantly harassed on all fronts. This gave me the time and resources to prepare for sieges, upgrading my fortifications and stockpiling supplies. The ability to demand tributes from weaker factions also provided a valuable source of income, further strengthening my war effort.
Ultimately, the best approach is to experiment and find the combination of mods that best suits your play style.
Before installing any mods, it’s crucial to check their compatibility with the current version of Bannerlord 2. Use the Bannerlord mod launcher to easily see compatibility issues. Read the comments section on the mod’s page to learn about potential conflicts with other mods. Be certain to load mods in the correct order as directed by the individual mod author.
A load order that works for most people is: Harmony, ButterLib, UIExtenderEx, Mod Configuration Menu, and then the mods themselves.
Regularly check for updates to your installed mods to ensure they remain compatible with the latest version of the game.
Here is a quick compatibility checklist before adding any mods.
| Check | Action |
|---|---|
| Game Version Compatibility | Verify the mod is compatible with your Bannerlord 2 version |
| Mod Dependencies | Install any required dependencies first |
| Load Order | Follow the mod author’s recommended load order |
| Conflict Resolution | Identify and resolve potential conflicts between mods |
| Regular Updates | Keep your mods up to date |
These five mods offer a significant improvement to the siege experience in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord. “Sieges to Remember” enhances the AI, “Detailed Siege Equipment” adds new siege engines, “Realistic Battle” overhauls combat, “Calradia at War” introduces new factions, and “Diplomacy” improves strategic depth. By combining these mods, you can create a more challenging, strategic, and visually engaging siege experience.
Q: Will installing mods break my game?
A: While it’s possible for mods to cause issues, most are stable and well-tested. Always read the mod description and comments before installing to check for known issues.
Q: Where can I download these mods?
A: Most Bannerlord 2 mods can be found on Nexus Mods https://www.nexusmods.com/mountandblade2bannerlord.
Q: How do I install mods for Bannerlord 2?
A: Download the mod files, extract them to the Modules folder in your Bannerlord 2 installation directory, and enable them in the game launcher.