Finding that perfect weapon in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. This article cuts through the noise and provides practical, effective methods to locate the specific weapon types you crave. We’ll explore trading, crafting, raiding, and tournament strategies, arming you with the knowledge to build your dream arsenal. Whether you’re hunting for a masterwork two-handed sword or a finely crafted bow, this guide offers actionable tips to improve your chances of success.
Trading is perhaps the most reliable, albeit sometimes slow, method for acquiring specific weapon types. The key is understanding which towns and cultures favor the production of certain weapons.
Understanding Cultural Weapon Preferences
Each culture in Bannerlord specializes in different weapon types. For example:
- Battanians: Renowned for their bows and two-handed swords. Look for these weapons in Battanian towns like Marunath and Dunglanys.
- Vlandians: Known for their swords and polearms. Head to Vlandian cities like Sargot or Pravend.
- Sturgians: Favor axes and one-handed swords. Check out Sturgian towns like Varcheg and Tyal.
- Aserai: Prefer Mameluke swords and throwing weapons. Search in Aserai cities like Akkalat and Quyaz.
- Khuzait: Famous for their bows and horse archery equipment, you’re likely to find suitable equipment in the towns of Makeb and Erlian.
- Empire: The Empire’s rich diversity allows for a wide selection, but they excel in swords and spears. Check in towns such as Lycaron and Epicrotea.
Visiting these towns regularly and checking their inventories is crucial. Keep an eye out for “Fine” or “Masterwork” versions of weapons, as these are the highest quality and often possess superior stats.
Implementing the Trade Strategy: How to Optimize Your Search
- Develop Trade Relations: Improve your relationship with towns and villages to gain access to better goods and lower prices. Completing quests for notables can significantly improve relations.
- Visit Towns Frequently: Town inventories refresh regularly, so consistent visits are key. Prioritize towns known for producing the weapon type you’re seeking.
- Employ Caravan Scouting: If you have companions, send them out with caravans to scout trade opportunities. They can report back on towns with desirable weapons, saving you time and travel.
- Monitor Workshop Output: Purchasing workshops in towns producing relevant materials (e.g., a smithy in a Vlandian town for swords) can indirectly increase the availability of those weapon types over time.
Crafting allows you to create the exact weapon you desire, but it requires time, skill, and resources. This is arguably the most rewarding approach once you’ve invested in it.
Leveling Your Smithing Skill
Your smithing skill determines the quality and variety of weapons you can craft. Focus on smelting looted weapons and crafting simple weapons initially to level up quickly.
- Smelting: Smelting looted weapons is a great way to gain experience and obtain valuable materials like iron, steel, and fine steel.
- Crafting Practice Weapons: Create inexpensive practice weapons (like practice swords or spears) to quickly level up your skill without using valuable materials.
- Complete Smithing Quests: Some notables offer quests that reward smithing experience. These are an efficient way to level up.
Gathering Resources
Crafting requires specific resources, which can be obtained through:
- Smelting Weapons: As mentioned above, smelting is a primary source of materials.
- Mining: Mine ore veins located throughout the map. Iron ore is the most common and essential.
- Trading: Buy materials from towns, especially those near mines.
Unlocking Weapon Parts and Blueprints
You unlock new weapon parts and blueprints by:
- Smelting Weapons: Smelting weapons can unlock their components as blueprints. This is the most reliable method.
- Winning Tournaments: Some tournaments offer weapon blueprints as prizes.
- Completing Quests: Certain quests may reward you with rare weapon parts.
Practical Smithing Tips
- Focus on a Specific Weapon Type: Initially, focus on crafting one or two weapon types to efficiently unlock parts.
- Experiment with Different Parts: Different combinations of parts affect the weapon’s stats. Experiment to find the best combinations for your playstyle.
- Utilize the Smithing Menu: The smithing menu provides valuable information about the stats of your crafted weapon. Pay attention to these stats to optimize your creations.
Raiding enemy caravans and castles can yield rare and powerful weapons. This method is risky, but if you’re strong enough, it can be incredibly efficient.
Targeting Specific Factions
Targeting factions known for using your desired weapon type is crucial:
- Battanian Raiders: Target Battanian parties for bows and two-handed swords.
- Vlandian Knights: Target Vlandian parties for swords and polearms.
- Sturgian Warriors: Target Sturgian parties for axes and one-handed swords.
- Aserai Mamelukes: Target Aserai parties for Mameluke swords and throwing weapons.
- Khuzait Horsemen: Look to the Khuzait parties for bows and horse archery equipment.
- Imperial Legionaries: Engage the Imperial parties for their swords and spears.
Maximizing Loot Potential
- Increase Looting Skill: Invest in the looting skill to increase the quantity and quality of loot obtained from battles.
- Fight Larger Armies: Larger armies typically carry more and better equipment.
- Focus on High-Tier Units: High-tier units (e.g., Elite Cataphracts, Fian Champions) are more likely to carry rare and powerful weapons.
A Word of Caution: The Downsides of Raiding
Raiding has consequences:
- Decreased Relations: Raiding caravans and villages significantly lowers your relations with the affected faction.
- Increased Hostility: Increased hostility can lead to war and make travel dangerous.
- Moral Implications: Raiding can negatively impact your character’s honor and reputation.
Tournaments offer a consistent chance to win high-quality weapons and armor. Participating in tournaments in towns known for producing certain weapon types increases your chances of winning those specific weapons.
Tournament Strategy
- Identify Tournament Locations: Check the tournament schedule in towns known for producing your desired weapon type.
- Improve Combat Skills: Improve your character’s combat skills to increase your chances of winning.
- Use the Right Equipment: Equip yourself with the best available gear before entering the tournament.
- Master Tournament Combat: Learn the nuances of tournament combat, such as blocking, parrying, and timing your attacks.
Tournament Rewards: Understanding the Loot Pool
Tournament rewards are often influenced by the town’s culture and economy. For example:
- Battanian Tournaments: More likely to offer bows and two-handed swords.
- Vlandian Tournaments: More likely to offer swords and polearms.
- Aserai Tournaments: Mameluke swords are common rewards.
Personal Anecdote
From my experience, consistently participating in tournaments, especially early in the game, is an excellent way to acquire high-quality weapons without investing heavily in smithing or resorting to raiding. I once won a masterwork two-handed sword in a Battanian tournament that carried me through many early-game battles. It saved me a huge amount of time I would have spent grinding my smithing skill.
Certain character perks can significantly increase your chances of finding specific weapon types. Focusing on these perks can streamline your weapon acquisition process.
Key Perks
Scouting Perks:
- “Pathfinder”: Increases party speed, allowing you to reach towns and tournaments faster.
- “Keen Sight”: Increases spotting range, helping you identify caravans and parties carrying valuable loot.
Trade Perks:
- “Appraiser”: Increases trade skill gain, allowing you to negotiate better prices.
- “Whole Sale”: Reduces trade penalty, making it cheaper to buy and sell goods.
- Smithing Perks
- “Efficient Charcoal Maker”: Increases charcoal production efficiency, reducing cost of charcoal for smithing.
- “Practical Smith”: Increases smithing learning rate.
Implementing Perk Strategies
- Prioritize Relevant Perks: Focus on perks that directly impact your ability to find, acquire, or craft weapons.
- Plan Your Character Build: Plan your character build around these perks to maximize their effectiveness.
- Utilize Companion Skills: Use companions with high scouting or trade skills to supplement your own abilities.
Finding specific weapon types in Bannerlord 2 requires a multifaceted approach, combining trading, crafting, raiding, tournaments, and strategic character perk choices. By understanding the cultural preferences of different regions, mastering the art of smithing, and leveraging tournament rewards, you can build the ultimate arsenal for your character. Remember to adapt your strategies based on your playstyle and the current game state.
Here are some frequently asked questions about finding specific weapon types in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord: