This article provides practical methods to identify and complete quests that boost your standing with different factions in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord 2. It delves into specific quest types, location strategies, and gameplay considerations to help you navigate the political landscape of Calradia and forge valuable alliances.
In Bannerlord 2, your relationship with various factions dictates much of your experience. Positive relations unlock opportunities such as:
- Easier recruitment of high-tier troops.
- More favorable trade agreements.
- The ability to marry into noble families, strengthening your clan’s influence.
- Access to higher-paying contracts and better land holdings.
- Less likely to be attacked by the lords of the faction when roaming around the map.
Conversely, negative relations lead to hostility, constant raiding, and potential war. Improving your faction relations is, therefore, crucial for long-term success and stability.
Finding quests that specifically improve faction relations requires a strategic approach. It’s not enough to simply wander around towns; you need to target the right locations and characters. Here’s how:
1. Target Villages Associated with the Faction
Villages directly linked to a faction’s castles and towns are a goldmine for relation-boosting quests. These quests often involve:
- Dealing with bandits: Protecting villagers from bandit raids significantly improves relations with the associated lord and the overall faction.
- Providing resources: Delivering goods like grain or horses boosts prosperity and loyalty, resulting in a positive relationship change.
- Resolving disputes: Settling conflicts between villagers can earn you favor.
Pro Tip: Pay close attention to the village’s needs. The game often hints at what resources or problems the village is currently facing. Head to the village elder, usually indicated by an icon, to find such quests.
2. Frequent Taverns in Faction-Controlled Towns
Taverns are hubs of information and clandestine activities. Wander into taverns in faction territories. You can find characters offering quests that can indirectly improve relations:
- “Family Feud” quests: These often involve mediating between families within a faction, improving your standing with the involved nobles.
- “Landowner Needs Manual Laborers”: While not directly improving faction relations, the village will be more prosperous when you are done, therefore benefiting your relation in the long run.
3. Seek Out Lords and Ladies Directly
While this seems obvious, it’s the most reliable method. Visit castles and towns controlled by the faction you want to improve relations with, and speak directly to the ruling lord or lady.
- Look for quests that involve helping them with internal problems such as tracking down deserters or collecting taxes from troublesome villages.
- Offer your services as a mercenary. Fighting alongside a faction in wars drastically improves your standing with them, as well as giving you renown and money.
Warning: Be mindful of the consequences of these quests. Some might negatively impact relations with other factions.
While the above strategies are effective, here are some less conventional approaches to consider:
1. Strategic Marriage Alliances
Marriage isn’t just about expanding your clan; it’s a powerful political tool. Marrying a member of a powerful faction’s family instantly boosts your standing with that faction.
- Identify influential families: Look for families with numerous lords and holdings within the faction.
- Court potential spouses strategically: Attend tournaments in their territory, offer gifts, and complete quests for their family members to increase their opinion of you.
2. Using Wars to Your Advantage
Wars can be opportunities to improve relations with factions other than your current enemy.
- Release captured lords: Releasing lords of a faction you want to improve relations with, even when at war with them, grants a significant relationship boost. It’s a risky move, but the long-term payoff can be substantial.
- Support the underdog: If a weaker faction is at war with a stronger one, assisting the weaker faction can earn you long-term gratitude and alliance opportunities.
3. The Power of Tournaments and Games
Winning tournaments and participating in arena games held in faction-controlled towns can also provide a small, but consistent, relationship boost with local notables and lords.
First-Hand Experience: From my personal experience, intentionally losing a tournament to a particularly influential lord of the faction you want to court can often lead to a surprising increase in their opinion of you, especially if done subtly. This shows humility and respect, which can be highly valued in Calradia.
- Taking quests that harm other factions: Be aware of the ripple effect of your actions.
- Ignoring village needs: Neglecting villages associated with a faction will negatively impact your relations over time.
- Being inconsistent in your support: Favoring one faction over another can breed resentment.
- Being too greedy: Constantly asking for favors or land can sour relationships, even if you initially had a positive standing.
Here’s a table summarizing quest types and their potential impact on faction relations:
| Quest Type | Location | Description | Relation Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bandit Problems | Villages | Eliminate bandit parties harassing villagers. | Positive with lord and clan |
| Escort Merchant Caravan | Villages, Towns | Protect a merchant caravan from bandits. | Positive with notables |
| Family Feud | Towns | Mediate a dispute between families within the faction. | Positive with families involved. |
| Landowner Needs Manual Laborers | Villages | Help improve the village by defending it from looters, helping with the harvest. | Positive with the village’s clan. |
| Lord Needs Tutor | Castle, Town | Deliver books to a lord of the faction. | Positive with the lord’s clan. |
| Train Troops for Lord | Castle, Town | Improve the skills of troops for a lord of the faction. | Positive with the lord’s clan. |
As a long-time player of the Mount & Blade series with hundreds of hours logged in Bannerlord 2, the strategies outlined here are based on practical experience and observation within the game’s mechanics. While specific numerical values for relationship changes are not explicitly stated in-game, the described actions consistently lead to noticeable improvements in faction relations. Further information on game mechanics can be found on the Mount & Blade Wiki (https://mountandblade.fandom.com/wiki/Mount_%26_Blade_II:_Bannerlord).
By implementing these strategies and remaining mindful of the political landscape, you can successfully navigate the complex world of Calradia and forge lasting alliances in Bannerlord 2.
The village elder is typically found wandering near the center of the village. Look for a character with a dialogue icon above their head, usually dressed in simple clothes. Speaking to the elder will often reveal quests or tasks that can improve your relations with the village and its associated faction.