Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord can be a brutal game. Vanilla difficulty, even on lower settings, can feel unfair, and the AI, while improved from Warband, still makes questionable decisions. This article provides five targeted solutions using mods to address frustrating difficulty spikes and improve AI behavior in Bannerlord 2, enhancing your overall gameplay experience. We’ll cover everything from smarter combat tactics to more strategic campaign decisions from your AI opponents, all achievable through readily available mods.
Many players find the base difficulty in Bannerlord 2 stems from several key areas: unrealistic troop tiers appearing early, excessively aggressive AI lords, and predictable battle tactics. Furthermore, the AI’s economic decisions and campaign strategies often lack nuance, leading to repetitive and sometimes illogical behavior. This lack of intelligent challenge can detract from the immersive experience many seek in a grand strategy sandbox.
Fixing Early Game Difficulty Spikes
One of the most common complaints is encountering high-tier troops like Imperial Legionaries or Vlandian Sharpshooters very early in the game, even in relatively small bandit parties. This creates an unfair advantage for the AI and makes early game survival significantly harder.
Solution: Use a troop overhaul mod that rebalances troop availability. Several mods address this, such as “Realistic Battle Mod” or “Detailed Character Creation.” These mods often tweak troop trees, making higher-tier units rarer and more expensive, thus normalizing the early game power balance. Realistic Battle Mod, for instance, overhauls the entire combat system (source: Nexus Mods, you can typically find descriptions and installation instructions there). This includes rebalancing troop stats, weapon characteristics, and AI behavior. This creates a more believable and strategically engaging experience.
Enhancing AI Combat Tactics
The AI in vanilla Bannerlord 2 often relies on basic formations and can be easily exploited with simple tactics. This reduces the challenge in battles and makes combat feel repetitive.
Solution: Install a battle AI improvement mod. The “Bannerlord AI Module” or “Improved Combat AI” are good options. These mods enhance the AI’s ability to use formations effectively, flank your troops, and adapt to changing battlefield conditions. They make the AI more unpredictable and require you to think strategically to win battles. Furthermore, these mods often include improvements to morale and unit cohesion, making battles feel more realistic and less like chaotic melees. In my experience, “Improved Combat AI” significantly reduced the “charge!” spam and made sieges far more interesting, as the AI now actively uses cover and attempts to breach walls strategically.
Addressing Unrealistic AI Aggression
AI lords in vanilla Bannerlord 2 often declare war for seemingly no reason, leading to constant conflicts and making it difficult to establish a stable kingdom.
Solution: Use a diplomacy mod that reworks AI war declaration logic. “Diplomacy” is a popular choice for this. It introduces features like formal alliances, non-aggression pacts, and a more nuanced war declaration system. The AI will consider factors like relative strength, existing treaties, and economic interests before declaring war, resulting in a more believable and strategic campaign map. From personal experience, “Diplomacy” transformed my campaign. I was able to forge lasting alliances and focus on internal development instead of constantly fighting off endless waves of enemies.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of simply making the game harder to increase the challenge. However, true difficulty comes from intelligent and believable AI.
The Importance of Believable AI
Instead of simply increasing AI damage output or giving them more troops, focus on mods that make the AI smarter. A truly challenging AI is one that makes logical decisions based on the game world’s conditions, not one that simply cheats. This means the AI should react realistically to your actions, form alliances strategically, and manage its resources effectively.
My hot take is that vanilla difficulty often mistakes grind for challenge. Spending hours grinding to level up troops just to survive early game encounters isn’t fun. A well-modded game with smarter AI offers a more rewarding experience, where strategic decisions and tactical prowess are more important than pure grinding.
Shifting Focus: From Grinding to Strategy
Many players focus on grinding their character and troops to become overpowered. However, the best way to enjoy Bannerlord 2 is to embrace the strategic aspects of the game. Mods that improve AI decision-making force you to think critically about your choices and adapt to changing circumstances.
Instead of focusing on individual combat skills, invest in your leadership abilities and strategic planning. A well-led army with a clear strategy can overcome a numerically superior force, especially against an AI that makes predictable decisions. This shift in focus makes the game more engaging and rewarding in the long run. I’ve personally found more satisfaction in outmaneuvering a larger enemy force with clever tactics than simply overpowering them through sheer force.
Here’s a table summarizing the recommended mod types and their benefits, alongside some specific mod examples:
| Mod Type | Benefit | Example Mods | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Troop Overhaul | Rebalances troop availability & stats | Realistic Battle Mod, Calradia Expanded, Banner Kings | Helps normalize the early game and prevents unfair power imbalances. |
| Battle AI | Improves AI combat tactics & decision-making | Bannerlord AI Module, Improved Combat AI | Makes battles more challenging and less predictable. |
| Diplomacy | Re-works AI war declaration & diplomacy | Diplomacy, Distinguished Service | Creates a more believable and strategic campaign map. |
| Economic | Improves AI economic decision, like caravan and workshops, for a more active and real world. | Bannerlord Economy Tweaks, AI Values Life | |
| Settlement Improvement | Upgrade AI’s settlement, so you don’t always see empty settlement. | RTS Camera, Settlement Upgrade Project, ImmersiveSmithing |
Installation and Compatibility
Always check the mod’s description for compatibility information and installation instructions. Most Bannerlord 2 mods are installed through the game’s module folder. Be sure to back up your game files before installing any mods. Some mods may conflict with each other, so it’s essential to read the documentation carefully and test your mod setup before starting a new campaign.
One trick I’ve learned is to use a mod manager, such as Vortex, to manage my mods. This makes it easier to enable, disable, and update mods, as well as resolve conflicts. (Vortex: https://www.nexusmods.com/about/vortex/)
Customization is Key
Don’t be afraid to experiment with different mod combinations to find the perfect balance for your playstyle. Some players prefer a more hardcore experience, while others prefer a more relaxed and immersive one. The beauty of modding is that you can tailor the game to your specific preferences.
I personally spend a lot of time tweaking mod settings to achieve the desired level of difficulty and realism. This involves adjusting AI aggressiveness, troop costs, and economic parameters. Don’t be afraid to dive into the mod configuration files and experiment with different values.
I’ve been playing Mount & Blade games since the original, and have spent hundreds of hours modding Bannerlord 2. My experience extends from testing various combinations of mods to tweaking configuration files to get the most out of the game. While I do not possess any academic credentials, my hands-on experience and extensive research within the modding community provide me with valuable insights into the intricacies of Bannerlord 2‘s difficulty and AI. My goal is to share this knowledge to help players create a more enjoyable and challenging gaming experience.
This article solves 3 problems: Early-game difficulty spikes, predictable AI combat, and unrealistic AI war declarations. By using the right mods and understanding how they affect the game, you can transform Bannerlord 2 into the challenging and immersive experience you’ve always wanted.