3 Solutions for Bannerlord 2 Town Management Pain Points

Managing towns in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord can feel like a constant uphill battle. Many players struggle with balancing loyalty, prosperity, security, and food supplies, often finding their hard-earned settlements spiraling into rebellion or famine. This article cuts through the noise and provides three core solutions to common Bannerlord 2 town management pain points.

One of the biggest Bannerlord 2 town management pain points is maintaining town stability. A town with low loyalty and security is a ticking time bomb, ready to explode into rebellion. Here’s how to defuse it:

Governor Selection: Pick the Right Person

• Choosing the right governor is crucial. Don’t just assign any companion. Look for governors with traits that boost loyalty and security. Focus on skills like stewardship and medicine. A governor with high stewardship will contribute to prosperity and lower construction costs, while medicine can help combat disease outbreaks, impacting loyalty positively.
• Cultural Match Matters: Appoint a governor from the same culture as the town. This provides a significant loyalty boost, often making the difference between a stable settlement and a rebellious one. If the town is Aserai, find an Aserai companion to govern it.
• Check Governor Perks: Before appointing, review your companions’ available perks. Some perks directly improve loyalty or security in the town they govern. Look for perks like “Joyful Service” (Stewardship) or “Iron Fist” (Leadership).

Building and Projects: Smart Investments

• Prioritize security-boosting structures. Constructing walls, garrisons, and guard houses significantly increases security, deterring bandits and reducing the likelihood of criminal activity.
• Balance prosperity and loyalty improvements. While workshops and trade buildings boost prosperity, don’t neglect buildings like the Fairgrounds (loyalty) or the Granary (food supply and loyalty through reduced starvation).
• Utilize the “Daily Change” stat: When deciding which project to start, pay attention to the “Daily Change” stat provided for each option. Focus on projects that provide immediate improvements to the most pressing issues (e.g., starting the “Festivals and Games” project if loyalty is dangerously low).

Garrison Management: Defense and Order

• Maintain an adequate garrison. A strong garrison deters bandits and rival factions from attacking, contributing to security and loyalty. However, avoid overspending on your garrison. Troops drain your treasury.
• Prioritize higher-tier troops. A smaller force of elite troops is often more effective than a larger number of recruits. Focus on upgrading your garrison troops to higher tiers for better combat effectiveness and morale.
• Consider troop composition. Include a mix of troop types in your garrison to counter different threats. Archers are excellent for defending walls, while infantry can hold the line against attackers. Cavarly can chase down escaping looters.

Food shortages are another major Bannerlord 2 town management pain points. A starving population quickly becomes an unhappy population, leading to lowered loyalty and increased unrest.

Prioritize Food Production

• Invest in mills and fisheries. These buildings provide a constant source of food for your town. Upgrade them as soon as possible to maximize their output.
• Ensure nearby villages are prosperous. Villages provide food to your town’s market. Protect them from bandits and raiders to ensure a steady supply of resources. You can do this by patrolling the area with a small party.
• Check the market prices: The food price on the town’s market panel indicates potential problems. If food is exceptionally expensive, it’s a sure sign of a shortage and a potential loyalty crisis.
• Use Festivals and Games: The “Festivals and Games” project provides temporary loyalty boosts, helpful during food shortages, giving you time to stabilize the situation.

Trade and Storage

• Maintain a surplus of grain and other food items in your personal inventory. When a shortage occurs, you can quickly transfer these resources to the town’s marketplace, preventing widespread starvation.
• Manage trade effectively. Actively trade food between your towns and villages to address shortages and prevent surpluses. Focus on selling food in towns that are experiencing shortages and buying it in towns where it is abundant.
• Look for external sources of food. If your own production is insufficient, consider purchasing food from nearby towns or caravans and transporting it to your settlement.

A town’s prosperity directly impacts its tax revenue, trade volume, and overall development. Addressing the Bannerlord 2 town management pain points relating to prosperity is essential for long-term success.

Workshop Optimization

• Strategically place workshops. Establish workshops that utilize locally produced resources. For example, a wool weaving workshop in a town that produces wool will be more profitable than one in a town that doesn’t.
• Monitor workshop profitability. Check your workshops regularly to ensure they are generating profits. If a workshop is losing money, consider changing its output or selling it altogether.
• Understand workshop economics The availability of raw materials and the demand for finished goods affects profitability. Some combinations are inherently more profitable than others. Experiment to find what works best for your area.

Tax Efficiency

• Adjust tax rates strategically. High tax rates can significantly boost your income, but they also decrease loyalty. Find a balance that maximizes revenue without causing unrest. Consider temporarily lowering taxes during times of hardship (e.g., after a siege) to improve morale.
• Implement policies that boost trade. Policies like “Caravan Protection” and “Guild Charters” can increase trade volume and generate more tax revenue.
• Invest in infrastructure Build and upgrade markets and trade buildings in your town to increase trade and generate more tax revenue.

Dealing with Raids

• Protect your villages from raiders. Raided villages can cripple your town’s economy by cutting off the supply of resources. Actively patrol the areas around your villages to deter raiders.
• Invest in town defenses. Strong walls and a well-equipped garrison can deter sieges, preventing your town from being looted and damaged.
• Quickly repair damage. After a siege or raid, prioritize repairing damaged buildings and infrastructure to restore your town’s prosperity as quickly as possible.

One aspect of town management often overlooked is the domino effect of seemingly small decisions. For instance, aggressively executing bandits to improve security might inadvertently anger certain clans, leading to future conflicts that disrupt trade and lower prosperity. Understanding these interconnected systems is crucial.

From my experience, I’ve found it incredibly beneficial to focus on long-term planning rather than quick fixes. Instead of reacting to crises, proactively build relationships with local notables by completing their quests. A positive relationship can translate into increased loyalty and reduced unrest.

Another unique perspective is the underutilization of companion parties. Equipping a companion with a small, fast-moving party and assigning them to patrol the area around your town can significantly reduce bandit activity, ensuring the safety of your villages and trade routes.

Finally, don’t be afraid to experiment with different governor builds. I once assigned a companion with high scouting and tactics skills as governor, and while their stewardship wasn’t exceptional, their ability to quickly identify and eliminate bandit hideouts drastically improved the town’s security and prosperity.

As a long-time Mount & Blade player with extensive experience in Bannerlord 2, I’ve spent countless hours experimenting with different town management strategies. My advice is based on both in-game observations and a deep understanding of the game’s mechanics. The game mechanics mentioned throughout this article are available on the Bannerlord Wiki https://mountandblade.fandom.com/wiki/Mount_&_Blade_II:_Bannerlord

Effectively managing towns in Bannerlord 2 requires a multi-faceted approach that addresses loyalty, food supply, and prosperity. By carefully selecting governors, investing in the right buildings, maintaining a strong garrison, optimizing food production, and strategically managing your economy, you can overcome the common Bannerlord 2 town management pain points and build thriving settlements. Remember, patience and long-term planning are key to success.

Table of Useful Governor Skills and Perks