5 Proven Strategies on How to Train Troops Efficiently in Bannerlord 2

This article provides 5 strategies on how to train troops efficiently in Bannerlord 2. Leveling troops quickly is crucial for building a formidable army and dominating Calradia. We’ll cover practical methods and unique insights to help you transform recruits into seasoned warriors.

Efficient troop training in Bannerlord 2 hinges on maximizing experience gain, minimizing downtime, and strategically utilizing available resources. Here are the core strategies:

Fighting Looters with a small party to level troops

Focus on actively participating in battles, even against weaker enemies. Early on, looters and bandits are your best friends. Form a small party with recruits and fight looters repeatedly. The experience gained is substantial and helps them quickly climb the ranks. Prioritize battles where you can significantly outnumber the enemy, ensuring minimal casualties for your recruits. Always lead the charge and actively engage, as your participation dramatically increases the experience awarded to your troops.

Designate a Training Companion

One of the most overlooked aspects of troop training is assigning a dedicated companion. Companions with high Trainer skill significantly accelerate the training process for all troops within your party. Look for companions with Trainer skills, or alternatively, you can level your own character with Trainer skills. Check in Taverns in cities. Once assigned, their bonus passively improves the training rate of your entire warband. This bonus stacks with other methods, making it an invaluable asset.

Participate in Tournaments

Tournaments offer a unique and lucrative way to train your troops. By entering tournaments and choosing to fight alongside your recruits, you can expose them to combat experience in a controlled environment. Even if they lose, they still gain valuable experience. Winning tournaments also provides significant financial rewards and equipment, further benefiting your warband.

Utilize Garrison Duty

Garrisons often get overlooked, but they provide a safe and passive way to train troops. Leaving lower-tier troops in a well-supplied garrison allows them to slowly level up over time. Choose a prosperous town with a high food supply to minimize morale issues. Supplement the garrison with a few higher-tier troops to deter raids. This is especially useful for upgrading troops you don’t actively use in your main army.

Focus on Pathfinding Perks

Consider character perks for more efficient campaign movement. Faster movement can allow you to engage in more battles, and therefore improve your training.

Beyond the established methods, several less conventional approaches can drastically improve your troop training efficiency.

Farming High-Tier Bandits with Specific Party Composition

While fighting looters is effective early game, mid-to-late game, focus on farming higher-tier bandits like Forest Bandits or Mountain Bandits. These encounters provide significantly more experience, but require a strategic party composition. Bring a core of elite troops to ensure victory, while the recruits soak up the experience. The key is to balance safety and experience gain. Also keep a character with high scouting so that you can catch bandits easily.

Utilize Prisoner Recruitment

Prisoners can be a valuable source of experienced troops, but the standard recruitment process is slow. Focus on recruiting prisoners from specific factions that align with your desired troop types. For example, recruiting Vlandian prisoners provides a steady stream of potential Vlandian Sharpshooters and Vlandian Knights. This bypasses the need to train them from scratch, saving you considerable time and resources.

Level Up Leadership Skills

If you have high leadership skill, you can level up your troops more efficiently without battle

In my experience, the Trainer skill is the single most impactful factor in efficient troop training. I initially underestimated its importance, focusing solely on combat. However, after assigning a dedicated Trainer companion, I saw a dramatic increase in the speed at which my troops leveled up.

I’ve also found that focusing on prisoner recruitment is more effective than many guides suggest. Actively targeting specific bandit types and prioritizing their recruitment has allowed me to quickly build specialized units.

One often-overlooked tip is to carefully manage your party size. A smaller, more elite force will level up faster than a large, unwieldy army. Focus on quality over quantity, especially when starting.

I have spent hundreds of hours playing Bannerlord 2, experimenting with different troop training methods. My insights are based on practical experience and observation of in-game mechanics.

The importance of the Trainer skill is well-documented within the Bannerlord 2 community and is also alluded to in the game’s skill descriptions. Prisoner recruitment is a core game mechanic, explained in many online resources.