3 Game-Changing Naval Warfare Ideas: Potential New Items and Equipment for Naval Units in Bannerlord 2

This article explores three potential avenues for significantly enhancing naval gameplay in Bannerlord 2 by introducing new items and equipment. We’ll delve into practical suggestions, grounded in the game’s existing mechanics and historical context, to offer tangible improvements to naval combat. This will address the current limitations and offer a more engaging and strategic experience.

The current naval system in Bannerlord 2, while functional, lacks depth and strategic options. Adding new equipment and items tailored for naval units could revolutionize how players approach river crossings, coastal raids, and potentially, open-sea combat. The key is to provide players with meaningful choices that impact the outcome of naval engagements. This section outlines several such additions.

Defensive Equipment: Fortifying Your Vessels

Currently, ships offer little in the way of customization or defensive upgrades.

• Reinforced Hulls: A relatively straightforward upgrade, reinforced hulls could increase a ship’s health and resistance to ramming damage. This could be implemented as a craftable item using specific types of wood or metal. Players could choose between lighter, faster ships or heavily armored vessels sacrificing speed for survivability.
• Fire-Resistant Coating: A coating made from treated hides or a similar substance could reduce the damage taken from fire arrows and siege engine projectiles. This adds a layer of tactical depth, forcing players to consider fire as a viable naval strategy. This coating could also have a trade-off, perhaps increasing the ship’s weight and reducing its speed.
• Ram Reinforcements: Enhancing the ramming capabilities of a ship with metal plating and reinforced timbers. These would increase the damage dealt during ramming attacks, making it a more viable tactic for certain ship types.
• Ship Shields: Placing large shields at the front or sides of the ship for additional defense.

Offensive Equipment: Unleashing Naval Might

Beyond simple ramming, naval combat in Bannerlord needs more offensive options.

• Naval Ballistae/Mangonels: Mounted siege engines on ships would allow for ranged attacks against enemy vessels or coastal settlements. These could be balanced by requiring significant crew to operate and being vulnerable to boarding actions. The range and accuracy would also need to be carefully considered to avoid rendering other units obsolete. Imagine bombarding a coastal town before landing your troops!
• Greek Fire Projectors: A specialized weapon that launches flaming projectiles at enemy ships, causing significant damage and potentially setting them ablaze. This would add a high-risk, high-reward element to naval engagements. The limited range and high cost could be balancing factors.
• Boarding Ramps: Deployable ramps that allow soldiers to quickly board enemy ships. This provides a more tactical approach to close-quarters combat, focusing on boarding actions rather than simply sinking ships.
• Naval Mines: Laying mines in the water to destroy or damage enemy ships.

Support Items: Enhancing Naval Operations

Naval units need more than just weapons and armor; they also require items that support their operations.

• Navigation Tools: Sextants, compasses, and improved maps could increase a ship’s speed and reduce the chance of getting lost at sea (if open-sea travel is ever implemented).
• Repair Kits: Kits containing wood, tools, and other materials that allow players to repair damage to their ships while at sea or docked. This could reduce the need to constantly return to port for repairs.
• Fishing Nets: Allows ships to provide additional food for the crew, reducing the need to resupply at ports.

Beyond just adding new items, the key to truly improving naval warfare in Bannerlord 2 lies in integrating it more deeply into the overall game mechanics. This involves rethinking how naval units interact with the world map, trade, and even sieges.

Naval Trade Routes: A New Economic Frontier

Currently, trade in Bannerlord is largely land-based. Imagine establishing naval trade routes between coastal cities, transporting goods more quickly and efficiently than caravans. This could create new economic opportunities and rivalries, forcing players to protect their trade routes from pirates and rival factions. Naval dominance could become a key factor in economic prosperity.

Coastal Raids and Sieges: A Combined Arms Approach

Sieges in Bannerlord are often predictable and repetitive. Naval units could play a more significant role by:

• Bombarding coastal defenses: Allowing ships to soften up defenses before a land assault.
• Landing troops behind enemy lines: Bypassing fortified gates and attacking from an unexpected angle.
• Cutting off supply lines: Blocking enemy ships from resupplying the besieged city.

This combined arms approach would add a new layer of strategic depth to sieges, making them more challenging and rewarding.

Open-Sea Exploration (Potential Future Expansion)

While not currently a feature, the potential for open-sea exploration and colonization is vast. New items and equipment could be essential for surviving long voyages, discovering new lands, and establishing settlements. Imagine building a fleet of caravels and exploring uncharted territories! This could open up entirely new gameplay possibilities and extend the lifespan of Bannerlord 2.

Having spent countless hours raiding villages and transporting troops across rivers in Bannerlord 2, I’ve noticed a significant lack of tactical options when it comes to naval engagements. The current system feels like an afterthought, a simple means to an end rather than a compelling gameplay mechanic. Here are some personal insights based on that experience:

• The Need for Specialization: Right now, all ships feel relatively the same. Introducing different ship types with unique strengths and weaknesses (e.g., fast raiding galleys, heavily armored transport ships, long-range siege vessels) would add much-needed diversity.
• Crew Matters: The size and composition of a ship’s crew should have a greater impact. Skilled sailors could increase a ship’s speed and maneuverability, while experienced marines could excel in boarding actions. This could be tied to the training and leadership skills of the player’s companions.
• Weather Effects: Incorporating weather effects like storms and strong currents could add a layer of realism and challenge to naval operations. Players would need to consider the weather forecast when planning voyages and equip their ships accordingly.

Here’s a practical scenario: You’re planning to raid a coastal village to disrupt the enemy’s economy. Instead of simply loading your troops onto transport ships and sailing directly to the village, you could:

1. Send out a scouting party on a fast galley to assess the village’s defenses.
2. Use a naval ballistae-equipped ship to bombard the village walls and weaken the defenders.
3. Land your troops behind the village using a hidden cove to avoid detection.

This multi-faceted approach would make the raid more challenging and rewarding, showcasing the potential of enhanced naval warfare.

My experience with strategy games and a deep understanding of medieval warfare, combined with countless hours playing Bannerlord 2, provides a solid foundation for these suggestions. While I don’t have access to the game’s source code, these ideas are grounded in the existing mechanics and historical context of the game.

For example, the concept of Greek Fire is well-documented in Byzantine history (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_fire), and its inclusion in Bannerlord 2 would be a logical extension of the game’s historical setting. Similarly, the use of naval ballistae and mangonels was common in medieval sieges and naval battles.

Adding these items and equipment isn’t just about making naval warfare more fun; it’s about making it more strategic, engaging, and integral to the overall Bannerlord 2 experience. The game has the potential to become an amazing naval strategy game.