This article addresses five common pain points experienced by players transitioning from Mount & Blade: Warband to Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord. We’ll explore specific issues and offer practical solutions to improve your gameplay experience.
Many Warband veterans found the initial transition to Bannerlord jarring. The core gameplay loop is similar, but subtle (and not-so-subtle) differences in mechanics and overall feel can lead to frustration. This article will focus on five key areas where Bannerlord deviates from Warband, offering practical fixes and adjustments to smooth your transition.
1. Economy & Trade: Making Money (and Keeping It)
One of the first hurdles players face is understanding the Bannerlord economy. In Warband, becoming wealthy often involved establishing a productive enterprise and raiding caravans. Bannerlord‘s economic system is more complex, and old strategies often fail.
Understanding Workshop Changes
Workshops in Bannerlord are no longer the guaranteed money-makers they were in Warband. Their profitability fluctuates wildly based on location, nearby resources, and ongoing wars. Owning a brewery in a city constantly under siege is a recipe for financial disaster.
Practical Solution: Resource-Based Workshop Selection
Focus on choosing workshops based on the raw materials produced in the surrounding villages. If a village produces wool, a weaving mill in the adjacent city is a strong choice. Utilize the encyclopedia in-game to see where villages are sourcing their raw materials. This creates a more stable and profitable business. Diversification is key: don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Have workshops in multiple cities.
First-Hand Experience: The Weaving Mill Revelation
When I first started playing Bannerlord, I dumped all my money into ironworks, thinking they’d be a guaranteed profit. I was wrong. After struggling for a while, I took a closer look at the encyclopedia and found a town near a village producing tons of wool. I switched the workshop to a weaving mill and saw immediate, consistent profits. The key to success is researching and adapting to the specific economic conditions of each town.
The Caravan Grind: Less Lucrative, But Still Viable
While caravan raiding isn’t as effective as it was in Warband, caravans are still viable, but require a larger initial investment. High scouting skills and a substantial escort are crucial to surviving encounters with bandits and enemy lords.
Practical Solution: Invest in Companion Skills
Don’t skimp on a caravan leader’s skills. Invest heavily in Scouting, Trade, and Leadership. A skilled caravan leader can detect threats earlier, negotiate better deals, and manage a larger, more effective escort. Also, make sure they have perks that increase the caravan’s resilience and profit.
2. Clan Management: Keeping Your Family Happy (and Alive)
Clan management in Bannerlord is far more intricate than simply assigning companions as lords. Family members age, marry, have children, and eventually die. This adds a layer of complexity (and potential heartache) not present in Warband.
The Problem of Aging and Mortality
In Warband, your character was essentially immortal. In Bannerlord, time marches on, and your character, companions, and family members age and eventually die of old age or in battle. This creates a constant need for succession planning and skill development across your clan.
Practical Solution: Focused Skill Development
Early on, prioritize skills like Medicine, Scouting, and Leadership on your family members. These skills are crucial for party roles (surgeon, scout, quartermaster) and for leading parties and armies. As your children come of age, focus their training on specific areas that complement your clan’s overall strategy.
First-Hand Experience: The Perils of Neglect
In my first Bannerlord playthrough, I focused solely on my character’s skills, neglecting my family members. When my character died unexpectedly in battle, my clan was left with no competent leaders, and my kingdom quickly crumbled. Don’t make the same mistake; invest in your family’s future.
Wikipedia Resource
You can find more information on clan management and character skills on the Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Wikipedia page. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_%26_Blade_II:_Bannerlord
3. Formations and Tactics: Commanding Your Troops
Bannerlord features a much more advanced and nuanced battle system than Warband. Simply charging your troops into the enemy is a surefire way to lose. Understanding formations, issuing orders, and utilizing terrain are essential for victory.
The Static Charge Problem
In Warband, a well-timed cavalry charge could often decide a battle. In Bannerlord, troops are more disciplined, and a simple charge is often ineffective against a well-prepared enemy. You need to utilize formations and tactics to maximize your army’s effectiveness.
Practical Solution: Learn the Keybinds
Learn the keybinds for issuing orders and manipulating formations. The F1-F4 keys are your best friends. Experiment with different formations (line, shield wall, square) to find what works best for your troops and the terrain. Utilizing skirmishers to harass enemy lines before engaging with your main force is a viable tactic.
Terrain Awareness
High ground is key. Flanking maneuvers can devastate enemy lines. Always consider the terrain when positioning your troops.
Practical Solution: Pause the Battle
Don’t be afraid to pause the battle frequently to assess the situation and issue new orders. Pressing the space bar pauses the game, allowing you to calmly analyze the battlefield and make strategic decisions.
4. Character Progression: Skill Grinding Frustrations
Bannerlord‘s skill system is more complex than Warband‘s, and grinding skills can feel tedious. Certain skills are particularly difficult to level up, leading to frustration.
The Slow Skill Grind
Skills like Scouting and Medicine can be frustratingly slow to level up. This can hinder your character’s progress and limit your ability to fill essential party roles.
Practical Solution: Focus on Relevant Actions
The best way to level up skills is to actively use them. For Scouting, explore new areas, track parties, and gather information. For Medicine, treat wounded troops and focus on minimizing casualties. Find perks that increase skill gain.
Table of Leveling Tactics
| Skill | Leveling Method | Example Action |
|---|---|---|
| Scouting | Exploring, tracking, spotting parties | Sending your scout to gather intel on an enemy army |
| Medicine | Treating wounded troops, reducing casualties | Ensuring your surgeon has high medicine skill |
| Leadership | Commanding troops, maintaining high morale | Successfully leading an army to victory |
| Trade | Buying and selling goods, managing workshops | Negotiating a favorable trade deal with a town |
| Smithing | Smithing weapons and armor | Crafting a high-quality sword |
5. Politics and Kingdom Management: Dealing With Annoying Lords
Managing a kingdom in Bannerlord is a complex undertaking, filled with political intrigue and backstabbing lords. Keeping your vassals happy and preventing rebellions can be a major headache.
The Problem of Dissatisfied Vassals
Vassals have opinions, and those opinions can negatively impact your kingdom’s stability. Ignoring your vassals’ needs and desires can lead to discontent and rebellion.
Practical Solution: Frequent Council Meetings
Hold frequent council meetings to address your vassals’ concerns. Listen to their suggestions, grant them fiefs, and reward them for their loyalty. Also, be sure to execute enemy lords to strike fear and dominance.
Policy Implementation
Implement policies that benefit your vassals and improve their relationship with you. Policies like “Royal Guard” can significantly boost loyalty.
Fulfilling Your Kingdom’s Needs
Pay attention to your kingdom’s needs, such as security and prosperity. Allocate resources to improve infrastructure and defend against threats.
Bannerlord presents new challenges compared to Warband, but overcoming these obstacles is part of the fun. By understanding the core mechanics, adapting your strategies, and utilizing the tips outlined in this article, you can conquer Calradia and build a thriving kingdom. The key to success lies in adaptation, patience, and a willingness to learn from your mistakes.