Tired of being over-encumbered in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord? This article provides five strategic methods to master your inventory, maximizing your carrying capacity and minimizing travel delays. We’ll cover everything from party roles and pack animals to crafting strategies and smart selling, ensuring you’re always prepared for the challenges ahead.
The most fundamental aspect of effective inventory management in Bannerlord II is delegation. You are not a one-person army. Utilizing your companions and troops to their fullest carrying potential will drastically reduce your burden.
Assign Party Roles
Companions are invaluable assets, not just for their skills in combat and leadership, but also for their carrying capacity. Assign specific companions to roles that minimize their combat equipment needs, maximizing their available weight. For example:
- Surgeon: Focus on Medicine skill. Equip with light armor and a surgical kit. Their primary role is healing, not fighting on the front lines.
- Scout: Prioritize Scouting skill. Lightweight armor and a fast horse are key. They don’t need to be burdened with heavy weaponry.
- Engineer: Focus on Engineering skill. Equip for siege defense and settlement management, not frontline combat.
These specialized companions can then carry surplus equipment, food, and valuable trade goods.
Troop Types and Carrying Capacity
Different troop types have varying carrying capacities. Infantry, especially heavily armored units, tend to have lower carrying capacities than cavalry or archers due to their own equipment weight. Strategically organize your army composition. A balanced force of infantry, archers, and cavalry will allow you to distribute the weight more evenly.
Maximizing Troop Encumbrance
Did you know that you can transfer items to troops directly? Select a unit in your party screen and then open the inventory screen. You can then drag and drop items directly into their inventory. This is a crucial way to utilize every last bit of carrying capacity within your party. Be mindful that overburdening troops will negatively impact their speed on the world map, so avoid pushing them to their absolute limit.
Pack animals are essential for any serious merchant or warlord. Mules and horses provide a significant increase in carrying capacity, allowing you to transport larger quantities of goods and equipment. However, they also have drawbacks.
Choosing the Right Animal
- Mules: Offer the highest weight capacity per animal but are slow and vulnerable in combat. Best suited for caravans and slow-moving armies focused on trade.
- Pack Horses: A good balance of speed and carrying capacity. Suitable for armies that need to move quickly but still carry a substantial amount of supplies.
- Warhorses: Provide minimal carrying capacity but are essential for your cavalry units. Don’t burden your warhorses with extra weight.
Managing Your Herd
Be aware that pack animals consume food. A large herd can quickly drain your food supplies, especially in harsh environments. Invest in the Riding skill to increase party speed even with a large herd. Also, protect your pack animals during sieges and battles. Losing them can cripple your supply lines.
Crafting is a powerful tool, but it can also lead to inventory bloat if not managed carefully. Focus on crafting only what you need and specialize in specific types of weapons or armor.
The Power of Disassembly
Disassembling unwanted weapons and armor is crucial. Instead of hoarding low-quality items, disassemble them to recover valuable metal and wood. These raw materials can then be used to craft better equipment or sold for profit. Focus on crafting weapons and armor that are significantly better than what you can find or purchase. This minimizes the need to constantly upgrade your equipment and keeps your inventory streamlined.
Trading Smarter, Not Harder
While selling items is a simple solution, always aim to trade strategically. Don’t just dump everything at the nearest town.
Identifying Market Demands
Pay attention to market prices in different towns. Some towns may offer significantly better prices for specific goods, such as furs, tools, or grain. Use the trade information window to identify towns with high demand for certain items.
Caravan Routes and Banditry
Consider establishing your own caravans to transport goods between towns with favorable prices. However, be aware of bandit activity along trade routes. Provide your caravans with sufficient escorts to protect them from attack. I remember one time losing a caravan full of valuable tools because I skimped on the guards. The loss far outweighed the cost of hiring a few extra swords.
Through countless hours of gameplay, I’ve developed a few personal inventory management strategies that you won’t find in most guides.
The “Emergency Kit”
Always carry a small “emergency kit” in your personal inventory. This should include:
- A healing potion or two.
- A few pieces of high-value jewelry for emergency trading.
- A basic weapon and shield in case you get separated from your party or captured.
- A small amount of food.
This kit ensures you can survive and even thrive in unexpected situations.
The “Dismounted Inventory” Trick
Here’s a trick I use frequently: When entering a town or castle, dismount from your horse and transfer the horse’s inventory to your personal inventory just before entering. This allows you to carry a significantly larger amount of goods while in the town, making trading and bartering much easier. Just remember to transfer the items back to your horse before leaving! This exploit capitalizes on the fact that your personal weight limit is temporarily less restrictive while inside settlements.
Table: Optimal inventory management in Bannerlord 2
| Strategy | Description | Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Party Roles | Assign companions specific roles (surgeon, scout, engineer). | Maximizes companion carrying capacity, minimizes combat equipment needs. | Requires careful companion skill and equipment management. |
| Pack Animals | Utilize mules and horses for increased carrying capacity. | Significant increase in transportable goods and equipment. | Animals consume food, vulnerable in combat, can slow down party. |
| Crafting Focus | Specialize in specific types of weapons or armor, disassemble unwanted items. | Reduces inventory bloat, recovers valuable materials, allows creation of superior equipment. | Requires investment in smithing skill, can be time-consuming. |
| Strategic Trading | Identify market demands, utilize caravans, protect trade routes. | Maximizes profit, reduces reliance on bandit encounters. | Requires knowledge of market prices and map awareness, caravans can be vulnerable to attack. |
| Emergency Kit | Carry essential supplies in personal inventory. | Ensures survival in unexpected situations, provides trading flexibility. | Takes up valuable personal inventory space. |
Mastering inventory management in Bannerlord 2 is crucial for success. By delegating tasks, utilizing pack animals, focusing on crafting efficiency, trading strategically, and developing personal strategies, you can keep your inventory lean, your party agile, and your coffers full. Implement these methods, and you’ll be well-equipped to conquer Calradia.