Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord is a complex and engaging game, but it’s not without its frustrations. Many players have voiced similar complaints since its early access release. This article pinpoints some of the most common gripes and offers practical solutions to make your gameplay experience smoother and more enjoyable. This article offers practical solutions to improve player satisfaction by addressing five of the most frequently cited problems in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord.
One of the biggest sticking points for Bannerlord 2 players is the volatile and often illogical economy. Players frequently complain about workshops failing, trade routes being disrupted by constant war, and overall difficulty in establishing a stable source of income. It is too hard to build wealth and make the campaign fun to play.
Making Workshops Actually Profitable
Workshops can be a great passive income source, but only if set up correctly. The key is to match the workshop to the local resources.
- Scout the Area: Before buying a workshop, spend some time in the town. Check the villages connected to the town to see what goods they produce.
- Match Production to Resources: If a town has villages producing wool, a weaving workshop is a good choice. For towns with many hardwood villages, consider a woodworking shop.
- Avoid Oversaturation: If a town already has multiple of the same type of workshop, it might be best to look elsewhere.
- Consider Town Prosperity: High prosperity can mean higher demand for goods, but it can also mean more competition. A balance is ideal.
Trading Smarter, Not Harder
Trading in Bannerlord 2 can be profitable, but it requires understanding supply and demand.
- Focus on Price Differences: The core of trading is buying low and selling high. Identify goods that are cheap in one town and expensive in another.
- Consider Travel Time and Bandit Risk: A longer trade route might be more profitable, but it also exposes you to more danger from bandits. Balance profit with risk.
- Invest in Trade Skills: Leveling up your Trade skill will unlock perks that improve your trading efficiency, such as reduced trade penalty and increased caravan speed.
- Utilize Pack Animals: Mules and horses increase your carrying capacity, allowing you to transport more goods per trip.
Dealing With Constant War
War is a constant in Bannerlord 2, and it can wreak havoc on the economy.
- Focus on Raiding Weak Caravans: A profitable strategy that works very well is to raid the caravans of smaller fiefs. The lords of larger fiefs will be more apt to engage in war if you hurt their economy.
- Protect Your Workshops: Workshops in towns that are frequently besieged are likely to be shut down. If you see a war coming, consider selling your workshops in vulnerable towns.
- Invest in Town Defenses: If you own a town, prioritize building and upgrading its defenses. A well-defended town is less likely to be captured, preserving its economy.
- Participate in War Strategically: Focus on capturing strategic locations that control trade routes or resources. This can disrupt the enemy’s economy while benefiting your own.
Managing your clan can feel like a chore in Bannerlord 2. Players often complain about companions running off, family members dying unexpectedly, and difficulty in delegating tasks effectively.
Keeping Companions Loyal
Companions are valuable assets, but they can leave if they’re unhappy.
- Pay Them Regularly: Make sure to pay your companions their wages on time. A companion who feels undervalued is more likely to leave.
- Give Them Responsibilities: Assign companions roles within your party, such as scout, engineer, or medic. This gives them a sense of purpose and increases their loyalty.
- Consider Their Personality: Choose companions whose personalities align with your own and with the overall tone of your clan. This reduces the likelihood of conflicts.
- Equip Them Properly: Give your companions good armor and weapons. A well-equipped companion is more effective in battle and more likely to feel appreciated.
Managing Family Members
Family members are crucial for succession and clan growth, but they can be difficult to manage.
- Educate Children Properly: Assign a guardian with high intelligence to educate your children. This will increase their skills and make them more effective rulers.
- Arrange Marriages Strategically: Marry off family members to members of other clans to form alliances and increase your clan’s influence.
- Keep Them Safe: Avoid putting family members in unnecessary danger. A dead family member is a setback for your clan.
- Use the Encyclopedia: The in-game encyclopedia can help track down clan members and their locations. This is especially useful for managing large families.
Delegating Tasks Effectively
Delegating tasks to companions and family members can free you up to focus on more important matters.
- Assign Governors to Towns: Governors can manage the day-to-day affairs of your towns, such as building improvements and recruiting troops.
- Create Parties: Assign companions to lead parties and patrol your territory. This can help protect against bandits and raiders.
- Send Companions on Missions: Send companions on missions to recruit troops, gather information, or sabotage enemy factions.
- Check in Regularly: Even when delegating tasks, it’s important to check in regularly to make sure things are going smoothly.
Combat is a core element of Bannerlord 2, but many players find the battles repetitive and lacking in variety.
Utilizing Formations and Tactics
Formations and tactics can add depth and strategy to battles.
- Experiment with Different Formations: Try different formations, such as shield walls, lines, and wedges, to find what works best for your troops and the terrain.
- Use Terrain to Your Advantage: Position your troops on hills or in forests to gain a tactical advantage.
- Flank the Enemy: Send cavalry around the enemy’s flanks to disrupt their formations and cause chaos.
- Utilize Skirmishers: Use skirmishers to harass the enemy and draw them into unfavorable positions.
Diversifying Your Army Composition
A diverse army composition can make battles more interesting and challenging.
- Balance Melee and Ranged Units: A mix of melee and ranged units can provide both offensive and defensive capabilities.
- Include Cavalry: Cavalry is essential for flanking, pursuing fleeing enemies, and breaking enemy formations.
- Utilize Support Units: Support units, such as medics and engineers, can provide valuable support to your troops.
- Consider Troop Tier: Higher-tier troops are generally more powerful, but they are also more expensive to recruit and maintain. A mix of troop tiers can be more cost-effective.
Engaging in Sieges Strategically
Sieges can be some of the most challenging and rewarding battles in Bannerlord 2.
- Build Siege Engines: Siege engines, such as battering rams and siege towers, are essential for breaching the walls of enemy castles.
- Clear the Walls: Use ranged units to clear the walls of enemy defenders before sending in your melee troops.
- Breach the Walls in Multiple Locations: Breaching the walls in multiple locations can split the enemy’s defenses and make it easier to capture the castle.
- Control the Gatehouse: Capturing the gatehouse can provide a secure entry point for your troops.
Diplomacy in Bannerlord 2 can feel limited and unrewarding. Players often complain about the lack of meaningful interactions with other factions and the difficulty in forming lasting alliances.
Building Relationships with Clans
Building strong relationships with other clans can improve your diplomatic standing.
- Complete Quests for Clans: Completing quests for clans will increase your relationship with them.
- Attend Tournaments and Feast: Attending tournaments and feasts will allow you to interact with members of other clans and build relationships.
- Give Gifts: Giving gifts to clan leaders can improve your relationship with them.
- Support Their Policies: Supporting their policies in the kingdom council can improve your relationship with them.
Forming Alliances Strategically
Forming alliances can provide valuable military and economic support.
- Consider Faction Strength: Ally with factions that are strong and can provide meaningful support.
- Consider Geographical Location: Ally with factions that are located near your territory to provide mutual defense.
- Consider Personality: Ally with factions whose personalities align with your own to reduce the likelihood of conflicts.
- Be Prepared to Offer Concessions: Forming an alliance may require offering concessions, such as territory or money.
Influencing Kingdom Policies
Influencing kingdom policies can benefit your clan and improve your overall diplomatic standing.
- Gain Influence: Gain influence by participating in battles, completing quests, and owning fiefs.
- Attend Kingdom Council Meetings: Attend kingdom council meetings to vote on policies.
- Lobby Other Clans: Lobby other clans to support your policies.
- Be Prepared to Compromise: Influencing kingdom policies may require compromising with other clans.
Leveling up and progressing in Bannerlord 2 can feel like a grind. Players often complain about the slow pace of skill progression and the difficulty in acquiring high-tier troops and equipment.
Focusing on Specific Skills
Focusing on specific skills can accelerate your progression.
- Identify Your Strengths: Identify your strengths and focus on leveling up skills that complement those strengths.
- Train Skills Regularly: Train your skills regularly by performing actions that improve them, such as fighting, trading, and crafting.
- Use Focus Points: Use focus points to increase the rate at which you learn skills.
- Utilize Learning Perks: Unlock learning perks to further increase the rate at which you learn skills.
Acquiring High-Tier Troops Efficiently
Acquiring high-tier troops can be a slow process, but there are ways to speed it up.
- Recruit from Towns with High Prosperity: Towns with high prosperity are more likely to have high-tier troops available for recruitment.
- Focus on Specific Cultures: Certain cultures have troops that are particularly strong in certain areas, such as cavalry or archery.
- Upgrade Troops Regularly: Upgrade your troops regularly to increase their combat effectiveness.
- Use Training Grounds: Use training grounds to quickly level up your troops.
Earning Money Quickly
Earning money quickly can allow you to purchase better equipment and recruit more troops.
- Focus on Profitable Activities: Focus on activities that are particularly profitable, such as trading, raiding, and mercenary work.
- Manage Your Expenses: Manage your expenses carefully to avoid running out of money.
- Invest in Workshops: Invest in workshops to generate passive income.
- Looting: Looting after battles and selling prisoners for ransom can add to your wealth.
Bannerlord 2 is a game with immense potential, and while it has its share of issues, many of them can be mitigated with the right approach. By focusing on smart economic strategies, efficient clan management, diverse combat tactics, strategic diplomacy, and optimized progression, you can overcome these challenges and fully enjoy the rich and immersive world of Calradia. This article shows a deeper way to fix Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord beyond the traditional, allowing you to fix the game with confidence.
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- Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord – https://www.bannerlord.com/
- Mount & Blade Wiki – https://mountandblade.fandom.com/