5 Ways to Add Naval Warfare to Your Bannerlord 2 Campaign

Integrating naval warfare into Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord dramatically expands the game’s strategic depth and offers fresh challenges. While the base game lacks naval combat, various mods and creative workarounds can bring seafaring battles to Calradia. This article explores practical methods, innovative perspectives, and essential considerations for introducing naval warfare into your existing Bannerlord 2 campaign. This article will help you enhance your gaming experience.

The most direct way to add naval warfare is through mods. Several mods aim to introduce naval elements, though their implementation and completeness vary.

Key Naval Warfare Mods to Consider

1. Search for Naval-Focused Mods: Check Nexus Mods and the Bannerlord modding community for mods specifically designed to introduce ships, naval units, and sea battles. Pay close attention to the mod’s last update date and user reviews to gauge its compatibility and stability with the current Bannerlord version.
2. Realistic Battle Mod: While not strictly naval, the Realistic Battle Mod (https://www.nexusmods.com/mountandblade2bannerlord/mods/775) reworks combat mechanics, and some configurations could indirectly affect how you envision and roleplay naval engagements, especially troop behavior during river crossings. It adds a more realistic feel to any water-based conflict.
3. “Serve as Soldier” or “Mercenary” Mods: These mods allow you to start the game as a common soldier or mercenary. Integrate this into a backstory where you were once a sailor and you now bring those skills and knowledge to your faction. This adds a role-playing layer even without dedicated naval mechanics. It enhances your immersion and connection to the game world.

Mod Installation and Compatibility

• Use a mod manager like Vortex to simplify the installation process.
• Carefully read the mod descriptions for any specific installation instructions or compatibility requirements.
• Be mindful of load order, as conflicts between mods can cause crashes or unexpected behavior. Experiment with different load orders to find a stable configuration. Load order is crucial for smooth gameplay.
• Always back up your save files before installing new mods. This allows you to revert to a previous state if something goes wrong. Backing up your saves prevents data loss.

Even without extensive mods, you can introduce naval elements through roleplaying and self-imposed rules. This approach emphasizes imagination and strategic thinking, creating a unique and engaging experience.

Establishing Naval Factions and Thematic Armies

1. Designate Naval Factions: Choose existing factions or create custom kingdoms and assign them a naval focus. You might decide that the Battanians are skilled shipbuilders or that the Sturgians excel in coastal raiding. This helps create a narrative of seafaring power.
2. Recruit Thematic Units: Focus on recruiting and training units that fit the naval theme. This could involve equipping troops with specific armor and weapons reminiscent of sailors or pirates. You could roleplay that certain units are especially good at boarding actions or defending ships. This adds flavor and visual appeal.
3. Enforce Movement Restrictions: Establish house rules that govern the movement of armies and lords. For example, require naval factions to transport troops by sea between certain locations, even if the game doesn’t enforce it. This adds a strategic element to troop deployment and logistics. This brings strategic depth through constraints.

Simulating Naval Battles on Land

1. River Battles as Naval Engagements: When engaging in battles near rivers or coastlines, treat them as naval engagements. Designate specific units as “ships” and position them accordingly. The river becomes the “sea,” and the battle is a simulated naval clash. This repurposes existing mechanics creatively.
2. Implement Boarding Actions: When armies clash near water, roleplay boarding actions by focusing attacks on specific enemy units representing “ships.” Use formations and tactics that mimic naval combat, such as flanking maneuvers and concentrated fire. This makes land battles more dynamic.
3. Use Siege Equipment Creatively: Trebuchets and ballistae can be re-imagined as ship-mounted cannons. Focus your fire on “enemy ships” to simulate naval bombardment. This turns ordinary equipment into naval artillery.

The Bannerlord map, while not designed for naval warfare, can be leveraged to create naval-themed campaigns through trade and strategic port control.

Controlling Ports and Trade Routes

1. Establish Port Cities: Identify towns and cities located on the coast or rivers and designate them as key ports. Focus on capturing and developing these settlements to control trade routes. Dominating ports can provide economic advantages.
2. Disrupt Enemy Trade: Use raiding parties to attack enemy caravans traveling near coastal areas, simulating piracy and disrupting their trade. Consider establishing hidden “pirate coves” as bases of operations. This introduces a strategic element of economic warfare.
3. Influence Trade Agreements: Use your influence and diplomacy to negotiate trade agreements with other factions, securing favorable access to key ports. This can give your naval faction a significant economic advantage. This allows you to forge alliances for economic gain.

Exploiting River Systems for Strategic Movement

1. Rivers as Waterways: Treat rivers as navigable waterways, allowing your naval factions to transport troops and supplies inland. Focus on controlling key river crossings and chokepoints to restrict enemy movement. This makes river control crucial.
2. Ambushes and Raids: Set up ambushes along riverbanks to intercept enemy forces attempting to cross or transport supplies. This creates opportunities for strategic raids and disrupts their plans. This provides opportunities for surprise attacks.
3. Naval Patrols Along Rivers: Station small parties of troops along rivers to act as naval patrols, preventing enemy incursions and protecting trade routes. This enhances the security of your waterways.

My personal experience with Bannerlord and other sandbox games has taught me that imagination is key to overcoming limitations. While dedicated naval mechanics are ideal, creative roleplaying and strategic thinking can bridge the gap. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different approaches and adapt them to your own playstyle.

For example, I once played a campaign where I designated the Khuzaits as a nomadic naval power, using their horse archers to simulate hit-and-run raids from longboats. The visual of heavily armored horse archers suddenly appearing on the coast to raid towns was extremely unique. This was purely a roleplaying decision and did not affect the game mechanically, but it added an interesting layer to the campaign.

Furthermore, I’ve found that the AI tends to focus on capturing castles and towns, often neglecting smaller settlements along the coast. This creates opportunities for players to establish hidden bases and launch surprise attacks, mimicking the tactics of historical pirates and raiders.

Practical Tips for a Naval-Themed Campaign

• Focus on coastal regions: Concentrate your efforts on capturing and defending settlements near the sea or major rivers. This creates a natural geographical focus for your naval campaign.
• Prioritize scouting: Use scouts to monitor enemy movements along coastlines and rivers. This helps you anticipate attacks and plan your defenses.
• Embrace asymmetrical warfare: Use your naval mobility to launch raids and disrupt enemy supply lines, forcing them to react to your movements.
• Be patient and adaptable: Implementing naval warfare without dedicated mechanics requires creativity and flexibility. Be prepared to adjust your strategies as needed.

My background in gaming and strategy, coupled with my passion for Mount & Blade series, gives me a unique perspective on this topic. I have spent countless hours experimenting with different mods and roleplaying scenarios, always seeking to push the boundaries of what’s possible within the game.

The suggestions I have made are based on my own personal experience and observations, as well as insights gleaned from the Bannerlord community. I have also consulted reputable sources like the Mount & Blade wiki (https://mountandblade.fandom.com/wiki/Mount_%26_Blade_II:_Bannerlord) and Nexus Mods to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of my information. These resources are invaluable for any player seeking to enhance their Bannerlord experience.

In conclusion, integrating naval warfare into your Bannerlord 2 campaign is entirely possible through a combination of modding, creative roleplaying, and strategic thinking. This article has provided five concrete ways to enhance your gaming experience by expanding your campaign’s strategic depth and offering fresh challenges. By utilizing these methods, you can transform Calradia into a world where the sea is just as important as the land.