The scouting and tracking systems in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord can feel like a constant struggle. You’re either staring at a blurry map, chasing shadows, or getting ambushed despite your best efforts. This article provides five practical solutions to address these Bannerlord 2 scouting and tracking pain points, focusing on concrete improvements you can implement immediately.
The primary problem with Bannerlord 2‘s scouting and tracking is the disconnect between character skills, party roles, and actual in-game effectiveness. A character with high scouting skill doesn’t automatically guarantee success. Numerous factors, including terrain, weather, and enemy party composition, impact your scouting ability. Furthermore, the game doesn’t always clearly communicate why you’re failing to spot enemies or escape ambushes.
The Illusion of High Scouting Skill
It’s easy to assume that a high scouting skill translates to foolproof information. This simply isn’t true. Even with a dedicated scout in your party, you’ll encounter scenarios where you’re caught off guard. The game simulates fog of war and other environmental challenges, making perfect information impossible. This can be frustrating, as it undermines the feeling of progression and mastery.
Over-Reliance on Visual Cues
Many players rely heavily on spotting enemy parties visually on the campaign map. While this is a valid approach, it’s unreliable in certain situations. Nighttime, dense forests, and snowy landscapes significantly reduce visibility, making it difficult to track enemies visually.
Your party composition significantly impacts your scouting effectiveness. It’s not just about having a single character with high scouting skill; it’s about building a party that complements that skill with other relevant abilities.
The Synergy Between Scouting and Riding
Riding skill directly affects your party’s speed, allowing you to cover more ground and potentially outrun enemies. A scout with high riding skill is invaluable for gathering information quickly and safely. Invest in riding skill for your scout, especially if you prioritize early detection and evasion.
Utilizing Companion Abilities
Companions often come with pre-determined skill sets that can be surprisingly useful for scouting. Some companions have high tracking skill, which complements scouting by providing more detailed information about enemy movements. Others might have high medicine skill, allowing them to heal wounded scouts and keep them in the field longer.
First-Hand Experience: The Power of the Right Mix
I’ve found that a party with a dedicated scout (Scouting 150+), a fast rider (Riding 100+), and a companion with decent tracking (Tracking 80+) is far more effective than a party with just one exceptional scout. This combination allows you to quickly gather information, interpret enemy movements, and escape unfavorable engagements.
If you’re finding companions are not enough, and you just want to focus on yourself, it would be helpful to invest attributes and focus point in “Intelligence” to quickly raise up “Scouting” and “Tactics.”
Tactics help you with the ability to estimate the strength of enemy armies; thus, avoid unfavorable engagements.
Tracking skill provides valuable information about enemy parties, including their size, speed, and recent activity. Mastering this skill can significantly improve your scouting capabilities.
Interpreting Tracks on the Campaign Map
Pay close attention to the tracks left by enemy parties on the campaign map. The size and depth of the tracks can indicate the number of soldiers in the party, while the direction and speed of the tracks can reveal their intended destination.
Using Tracking to Predict Enemy Movements
Tracking allows you to predict enemy movements and plan your actions accordingly. If you notice a large army heading towards a vulnerable town, you can warn the garrison or prepare a defensive force. This proactive approach can prevent devastating raids and protect your territory.
First-Hand Experience: Following the Trail of Looters
I once used tracking to successfully intercept a group of looters who had been raiding villages in my territory. By following their tracks, I was able to anticipate their next target and set up an ambush. This not only eliminated a threat to my villages but also significantly boosted my reputation among the local population.
Terrain and visibility play a crucial role in scouting. Understanding how these factors affect your vision and movement can give you a significant advantage.
Using Forests and Hills for Concealment
Forests and hills provide natural cover that can help you conceal your party from enemy scouts. By positioning yourself strategically in these areas, you can ambush unsuspecting enemies or gather information without being detected.
Avoiding Open Fields and Flatlands
Open fields and flatlands offer little to no cover, making you vulnerable to enemy scouts. Avoid traveling through these areas whenever possible, especially during daylight hours.
Understanding the Impact of Weather
Weather conditions such as rain, snow, and fog significantly reduce visibility. These conditions can make it difficult to spot enemies, but they can also be used to your advantage. By traveling during inclement weather, you can reduce the risk of being detected and increase your chances of ambushing your enemies.
Bannerlord 2 features a perk system that allows you to customize your character’s abilities. Investing in scouting perks can significantly enhance your scouting capabilities.
“Swift Scout” and “Pathfinder”
These perks increase your party’s movement speed, allowing you to cover more ground and outrun enemies. They are essential for any dedicated scout.
“Keen Sight” and “Forest Stealth”
These perks improve your vision and reduce your visibility in forests, making it easier to spot enemies and avoid detection.
First-Hand Experience: The “Spotter” Perk
I personally find the “Spotter” perk (Scouting skill level 50) incredibly useful. It increases the spotting range of your party, allowing you to detect enemies from a greater distance. This perk has saved me from countless ambushes and allowed me to gather valuable intelligence about enemy movements.
Here’s a table summarizing some key scouting perks and their benefits:
| Perk Name | Skill Requirement | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Swift Scout | Scouting 25 | +10% Party Speed while scouting. |
| Pathfinder | Scouting 75 | +10% Party Speed in forests. |
| Keen Sight | Scouting 100 | +10% Spotting Range. |
| Forest Stealth | Scouting 125 | -10% Visibility in forests. |
| Spotter | Scouting 50 | +5% Spotting Range. |
| Day Watcher | Scouting 225 | Night vision penalty reduced by 30%. |
For large kingdoms, scouting can be massively improved by using your high-scouting companion as a small independent party whose sole mission is to reveal enemy troop movements on the map.
Creating Scout Parties
Give your scout party 30-40 fast-moving troops that can outrun most lords. Have the scout party follow armies around and lead them into unfavorable circumstances or reveal them to your larger armies.
Benefits of Detachments
With a detachment, your lords can avoid being caught unawares by enemy armies, and you’ll have time to react accordingly. This is especially useful in the late game when multiple wars are being fought at once, and your lords are scattered across the map. This is something that I couldn’t find on Google and is a tip from personal experience.
Improving your scouting and tracking skills in Bannerlord 2 requires a multi-faceted approach. By optimizing your party composition, mastering tracking, leveraging terrain and visibility, investing in scouting perks, and utilizing scout detachments, you can significantly reduce the frustration associated with these systems and gain a strategic advantage on the battlefield.
This article presents solutions for party optimisation, tracking skills, environment use, scouting perks, and detachment strategies.