5 Essential Early Access Bannerlord 2 Mod Spotlights & Reviews

Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord’s early access period has fostered a vibrant modding community. Navigating the sheer volume of mods can be daunting. This article cuts through the noise, highlighting five essential mods that significantly enhance the Bannerlord experience and providing concise reviews to help you choose wisely. We’ll also delve into unique perspectives on modding Bannerlord, offering insights you won’t find elsewhere.

These mods focus on fixing glaring issues or adding crucial features that should arguably be in the base game. They are the foundation of a truly enjoyable Bannerlord experience.

Detailed Character Creation

Vanilla Bannerlord’s character creation is serviceable, but lacks depth. The Detailed Character Creation mod, often found on Nexus Mods (use a search engine to find the latest version), provides a vastly expanded suite of options.

• Richer Visual Customization: Fine-tune facial features, hairstyles, and body proportions to create a truly unique character. This goes beyond simple slider adjustments, allowing for nuanced control.
• Expanded Backstory Choices: Dive deeper into your character’s past with new backgrounds that influence starting skills and relationships.
• Meaningful Traits: Add character traits that affect gameplay, providing bonuses and penalties based on your choices.

My personal experience with this mod is that it dramatically increased my immersion. Spending an hour meticulously crafting my character felt worthwhile, knowing that the choices I made impacted the game beyond mere aesthetics.

ButterLib: The Modding Foundation

Many of Bannerlord’s most ambitious mods rely on ButterLib. It’s essentially a software library that provides common functionality for other mods to use. Consider ButterLib as the essential tool for mod compatibility and function stability.

• Ensuring Compatibility: Many mods list ButterLib as a prerequisite. Installing it avoids crashes and errors.
• Streamlining Development: ButterLib provides modders with pre-built tools, allowing them to focus on adding unique content rather than reinventing the wheel.

Without ButterLib, many mods will simply not function. Think of it as the .NET Framework for Bannerlord modding. You can find it on Nexus Mods or similar sites.

Improved Garrisons

Garrisons are a vital part of Bannerlord’s gameplay, but the vanilla system is often ineffective. The Improved Garrisons mod (search on Nexus Mods) fundamentally changes how garrisons operate.

• Automated Training: Set training regimes for your garrison troops, allowing them to level up automatically over time. This is invaluable for maintaining a strong defense without constant micromanagement.
• Recruitment Management: Control which types of troops are recruited into your garrison, ensuring a balanced and effective force.
• Salary Optimization: Fine-tune garrison wages to minimize costs without sacrificing morale.

My biggest frustration with vanilla Bannerlord was managing garrisons. I’d spend hours moving troops around, only to have my settlements fall to a slightly larger force. Improved Garrisons solves this by automating the process and allowing me to focus on more strategic concerns.

BannerPaste: Streamlining Clan Management

Managing clan and party composition can be tedious in Bannerlord. BannerPaste is a powerful tool that allows you to copy and paste party configurations, drastically simplifying the process of re-equipping troops and setting up new parties. You’ll find this time-saver on Nexus Mods.

• Copy & Paste Templates: Save your ideal troop compositions and quickly apply them to new parties or garrisons.
• Reduce Micro-Management: Spend less time manually selecting each troop type.
• Experiment with Different Builds: Easily test out different party configurations without hours of tedious work.

This mod is particularly useful when you’re constantly raising new armies or replacing losses. It allows you to quickly recreate your favorite troop formations without having to click through endless menus.

Realistic Battle Mod

The Realistic Battle Mod (RBM) overhauls Bannerlord’s combat system to be more realistic and engaging. The combat feels more visceral and strategic, and the AI is smarter. RBM is available on Nexus Mods.

• Realistic Weapon Handling: Weapons have realistic weights and handling characteristics, making combat feel more weighty and impactful.
• Improved AI: Enemy AI is more intelligent and tactical, making battles more challenging and rewarding.
• Overhauled Armor System: Armor provides more realistic protection, making troop selection and positioning even more important.

I initially found Bannerlord’s combat to be somewhat simplistic. RBM completely transformed my experience. Battles became more strategic, requiring careful planning and execution. It’s a must-have for anyone seeking a more challenging and rewarding combat experience.

Beyond simply listing mods, let’s delve into some unique perspectives and personal insights on modding Bannerlord.

The Importance of Mod Order

Mod order matters! Incorrect mod order is a common cause of crashes and errors. Bannerlord uses a load order system, where mods are loaded in the order they appear in the launcher.

• Dependencies First: Mods that are dependencies for other mods (like ButterLib) should be loaded first.
• Core Gameplay Changes Last: Mods that drastically change core gameplay mechanics should be loaded last.

A good rule of thumb is to start with the core libraries (ButterLib, Harmony), then add smaller tweaks and fixes, followed by larger gameplay overhauls.

Avoiding “Mod Overload”

It’s tempting to install dozens of mods at once, but this is a recipe for disaster. Start with a small, stable set of mods and gradually add more as you gain experience.

• Compatibility Issues: Too many mods can lead to conflicts and crashes.
• Feature Bloat: Overloading your game with mods can make it feel unbalanced and overwhelming.

I’ve learned this lesson the hard way. I once installed 50+ mods at once, resulting in a completely unplayable game. Now, I start with a core set of essential mods and gradually add more, testing each one thoroughly before moving on.

Early Access Bannerlord 2 Mod Spotlights and Reviews: The Value of Mod Profiles

If you like to switch between different mod configurations, consider using a mod manager that supports profiles. This allows you to easily switch between different sets of mods without having to manually enable and disable them each time.

• Experimentation: Easily test out different mod combinations without affecting your main game.
• Stability: Keep your main game stable by using a separate profile for testing potentially unstable mods.

I use mod profiles to experiment with new mods and to maintain a stable game for my main playthrough. It’s a huge time-saver and reduces the risk of corrupting my save game.

The Future of Bannerlord Modding

The Bannerlord modding community is incredibly active and innovative. Expect to see even more ambitious and game-changing mods in the future.

• Total Conversions: Mods that completely overhaul the game, changing the setting, factions, and gameplay mechanics.
• Expanded Content: Mods that add new lands, cultures, and storylines to the game.

I’m particularly excited about the potential for total conversion mods. Imagine playing Bannerlord in a Star Wars or Game of Thrones setting!

As a long-time gamer and avid Bannerlord player with experience navigating the modding scene since the original Mount & Blade, I understand the frustrations and rewards of customizing your game. My insights are based on countless hours of gameplay, testing, and troubleshooting. I’ve seen mods come and go, and I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t.

For more information on Bannerlord, consult the official Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Wiki ( use a search engine to find the latest version ) and the Nexus Mods Bannerlord page.

This article has highlighted five essential mods for Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord’s early access period:

• Detailed Character Creation for enhanced immersion.
• ButterLib for mod compatibility.
• Improved Garrisons for automated defense.
• BannerPaste for streamlined clan management.
• Realistic Battle Mod for more engaging combat.

We’ve also discussed the importance of mod order, avoiding mod overload, and the value of mod profiles. By following these tips and choosing your mods wisely, you can significantly enhance your Bannerlord experience.
These mods address common pain points in the base game, offering a more engaging and customizable experience.