5 Pro Ways: Bannerlord 2 How to Deal with Desertions

Desertions in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord can cripple your war effort and drain your hard-earned denars. Morale is king, and keeping your troops happy is vital to maintaining a strong, loyal army. This article tackles the issue head-on, offering practical, experience-backed methods to drastically reduce desertions and keep your banner flying high.

Understanding the root causes is the first step in preventing desertions. Several factors contribute to low morale and, ultimately, desertion. Addressing these directly will significantly improve troop loyalty. These factors include:

• Low Food Supplies: A hungry army is a disgruntled army.
• Low Morale: This is the overarching stat that reflects troop happiness.
• Wage Issues: Soldiers not getting paid will quickly abandon your cause.
• Terrain Penalties: Certain terrains, like deserts, can negatively impact morale.
• Party Size: Larger parties are harder to feed and keep content.
• Cultural Differences: Troops of different cultures may clash, lowering morale.
• Recent Defeats: Losing battles significantly impacts troop morale.
• Over Encumbered: Your party is carrying to much items.
• No Variety: Your party’s food is to simple.

Morale is the single most important factor in preventing desertions. Maximize morale and troop management, you will reduce the occurrences of desertions.

Maintaining a Well-Fed Army

Food is fuel, and in Bannerlord, it’s also a morale booster. A variety of food not only sustains your troops but keeps them happy.

• Prioritize Variety: Don’t just buy one type of food. Mix it up with grain, meat, vegetables, and fish. The more variety, the better the morale bonus.
• Check Prices Strategically: Shop around! Prices for food vary widely between towns and villages. A little extra travel can save you a lot of money.
• Food Quantity: Ensure that you buy enough food to cover your party’s daily consumption. Always overestimate rather than underestimate.

Keep the Treasury Flowing

Paying your troops on time is non-negotiable. Soldiers expect to be paid for their service, and failing to do so will quickly lead to mass desertions.

• Manage Your Finances: Always keep an eye on your daily expenses. Plan your activities to ensure you have enough income to cover wages.
• Profitable Ventures: Invest in workshops in towns, complete quests, and engage in trade to generate income.
• Reduce Party Size (Temporarily): If you’re struggling financially, consider reducing your party size temporarily to lower wage costs.

Strategic Leadership to Minimize Penalties

Certain terrains and situations can negatively impact morale. Being aware of these and planning accordingly can prevent unnecessary desertions.

• Avoid Deserts (Initially): Early in the game, when your party is smaller and morale is more fragile, avoid extended travel through deserts.
• Tavern Visits: After a particularly difficult battle or a long march, visit a tavern in a town. Buying drinks for your companions can provide a temporary morale boost.
• Win Battles: Sounds obvious, but winning battles is a huge morale booster. Seek out engagements you’re confident you can win.

Balancing Party Composition and Size

Cultural clashes and oversized parties can both contribute to desertions.

• Mix Cultures Carefully: While a diverse army can be powerful, be mindful of cultural differences. Sticking to troops from a single culture, especially early on, can simplify morale management.
• Manage Party Size: Larger parties consume more food and are more difficult to manage. Only recruit as many troops as you can reasonably support.
• Specialized Roles: Designate specific party members for scouting, medicine, or engineering to optimize party efficiency.

Learning From My Mistakes: A Tale of Desertion

In my early days of playing Bannerlord 2, I learned a harsh lesson about the importance of food variety. I had amassed a sizable army of Battanian Fian Champions, eager to test their archery skills on the battlefield. I stocked up on what I thought was a sufficient amount of grain, assuming it would suffice.

My crucial mistake: I underestimated the importance of morale.

The result: A cascade of desertions. My once-proud company dwindled to a fraction of its former size. I was left bewildered and significantly poorer.

The hard-won lesson: Food variety and party morale are cornerstones of success.

While the above strategies are crucial, here are some less common, but equally effective, approaches to combating desertions.

Utilizing Companion Skills for Morale Boosts

Companions aren’t just fighters; they can be valuable assets for managing your party’s morale. Some companions have skills and perks that directly boost morale, reducing the likelihood of desertions.

• Identify Morale-Boosting Perks: When recruiting companions, pay close attention to their skills and perks. Some perks directly increase party morale, while others improve skills like Steward, which indirectly boosts morale by improving food management.
• Assign Roles Strategically: Assign companions with relevant skills to roles like Quartermaster or Surgeon. A skilled Quartermaster can improve food storage and distribution, leading to higher morale.
• Leverage Companion Quests: Completing companion quests can provide significant morale boosts and improve their loyalty, further reducing the risk of desertions.

Strategic Use of Policies in Kingdoms

If you’ve established your own kingdom or joined an existing one, you can influence policies that affect party morale.

• Advocate for Beneficial Policies: Policies like “Bread and Games” can provide a significant morale boost to all parties within the kingdom. Advocate for the adoption of such policies in the kingdom council.
• Influence Culture: Promoting cultural acceptance within your kingdom can reduce friction between troops of different backgrounds, improving overall morale.
• Manage Kingdom Prosperity: A prosperous kingdom is a happy kingdom. Focus on policies that promote economic growth and stability, as this will indirectly improve morale across the board.

Captivity & Ransom

How captivity and ransom affects your men, whether they desert or not?

When your character is captured, your party can quickly dissolve due to low morale and lack of leadership. Captured companions and clan members can lead to desertions as well.

How to Avoid It

• Have a companion or family member lead the party. If your main character is captured, ensure a capable second-in-command can take over to maintain order and morale.
• Keep the party well-supplied and paid. Adequate food and regular wages are crucial for maintaining morale, especially when the leader is absent.
• Ransom Quickly. Prioritize ransoming your captured companions and clan members to prevent further drops in morale and potential desertions.

With extensive gameplay experience and a deep understanding of Bannerlord 2‘s mechanics, I’ve personally tested and refined these strategies over numerous campaigns. This advice is based on practical application and observation within the game. Further information on game mechanics and concepts can be found on the Mount & Blade Wiki and other reputable gaming resources:

• Mount & Blade Wiki

These strategies are designed to give you an edge in Bannerlord 2, and with consistent application, you’ll see a significant reduction in desertions and a stronger, more loyal army.