This article solves 3 problems: quickly leveling your scouting skill in Bannerlord 2, understanding which perks are most effective, and offering unique strategies beyond simple skill grinding. We’ll dive into practical methods, share insider tips based on my own gameplay, and address frequently asked questions to get you scouting like a pro in no time.
The scouting skill in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord is crucial for navigating the dangerous world, gaining information about enemy parties, and ultimately, surviving. Leveling it quickly and effectively requires a focused approach. The best way to level up scouting is by actively utilizing its core functions: spotting parties, tracking them, and reporting information.
Active Scouting: Spotting, Tracking, and Reporting
This is the bread and butter of leveling your scouting skill. You need to be actively riding around the map, discovering parties (especially larger armies or raiding parties), and allowing the game to generate scouting reports.
- Maximize distance traveled: Cover as much ground as possible. A faster horse and higher riding skill will significantly improve your scouting efficiency.
- Focus on high-traffic areas: Areas near towns and castles, particularly those bordering different kingdoms, tend to have higher party concentrations.
- Prioritize larger parties: Spotting and tracking larger parties grants significantly more experience than smaller groups of bandits.
- Utilize the map icons: Pay attention to the different party icons on the map. Lords, caravans, and looters all provide different levels of scouting experience.
- Report what you see: After spotting a party, let the game calculate your scouting report. The more information you gather (size, composition, speed, direction), the more experience you’ll gain.
Scouting Party Size and Its Impact
Your party size plays a significant role in scouting effectiveness. A larger party generally provides better visibility and reduces the risk of being ambushed. However, it also slows you down.
- Early Game: A smaller, faster party is ideal for early scouting. Focus on speed and maneuverability to cover more ground. 20-30 highly mobile troops is ideal
- Mid-Late Game: As your scouting skill increases and you can afford a larger, more capable party, you can switch to a more balanced approach. 50-80 troops for self-defense and more scouting range, but still speed for running away if need be.
- Companions: Assign a companion with high scouting skill as your party’s scout. This significantly boosts your scouting radius and effectiveness.
Governor Bonus
One less discussed, but very useful method of power-leveling your scouting skill is to assign yourself or a companion with high scouting to the role of Governor of a town or castle. If the assigned location has villages attached to it, your scouting skill will constantly be used to track bandit activity in the area. This adds a constant, passive increase to your experience.
Choosing the right perks and focusing on specific scouting-related activities can drastically accelerate your leveling progress.
Choosing the Right Perks
Several perks directly impact scouting experience gain and effectiveness. Here are a few key perks to prioritize:
- Eye for Loot (Scouting 25): +25% Looting XP from scouting parties and settlements. Indirectly improves scouting by giving you more incentives to scout and fight looters.
- Swift Reconnaissance (Scouting 50): +10% party speed when scouting. Essential for covering more ground and spotting more parties.
- Unburdened Escort (Scouting 75): +10% Trade income from caravans you protect. Another indirect way to earn money and experience.
- Keen Sight (Scouting 100): +1 Scouting Range. This is a game-changer for spotting parties from a distance.
- Forced March (Scouting 125): +5% Party Speed on the world map.
- Pathfinder (Scouting 150): +25% Party Speed in Forests.
Table: Key Scouting Perks and Their Benefits
| Perk Name | Scouting Level | Benefit | Impact on Leveling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eye for Loot | 25 | +25% Looting XP | Encourages scouting parties to loot, indirectly boosts scouting. |
| Swift Reconnaissance | 50 | +10% party speed when scouting | Allows faster travel and spotting of more parties. |
| Unburdened Escort | 75 | +10% Trade income from caravans you protect | Provides wealth and protection opportunities |
| Keen Sight | 100 | +1 Scouting Range | Significantly increases spotting range, leading to more frequent discoveries. |
| Forced March | 125 | +5% Party Speed on the world map | Facilitates faster map traversal, increasing the number of parties spotted. |
| Pathfinder | 150 | +25% Party Speed in Forests | Improves travel speed in forests, useful for specific regions. |
Focus Points
When leveling up, consistently invest focus points into the scouting skill. This maximizes your learning rate and allows you to reach higher skill levels more quickly. I personally will focus solely on one skill until it is 150 or so, then move on to the next one.
How Learning Works
Scouting, like other skills, learns by use. If you keep up with scouting and traveling, you should be able to easily level the skill to 100. After that, it becomes necessary to increase the difficulty of the tasks for the increase to continue. As your skill increases, bandits and small parties won’t do the trick as much, and you will need to find larger armies and parties.
Beyond the standard methods, here are some of my own observations and strategies that I’ve found particularly effective for power-leveling scouting.
The “Border Patrol” Strategy
This is a strategy I developed to maximize scouting experience while also contributing to my faction’s war efforts. Focus on patrolling the borders between your faction and its enemies. This area will have the highest concentration of enemy lords, raiding parties, and caravans, providing ample opportunities for scouting reports. Plus, you can intercept and defeat enemy parties, further boosting your experience and contributing to the war effort.
Utilizing Enemy Territory (Carefully)
Venturing deep into enemy territory, while risky, can be incredibly rewarding for leveling scouting. Enemy lords are more likely to be concentrated near their own settlements, and raiding parties will be more active. However, proceed with caution! Ensure you have a fast and capable party that can outrun larger enemy forces. I often lure enemy lords into ambushes by pretending to be a vulnerable caravan.
The Caravan Escort Method
Another less direct approach is to escort caravans. While the main benefit is protection and a cut of their profits, keeping an eye on the road for bandits will increase your scouting. A bonus is that you are increasing trade for your kingdom or village as well.
Experience is Also Passive
Your scout skill will increase passively simply by traveling. Keep traveling, keep up with quest goals, and the experience will slowly tick up. There is no need to ONLY focus on scouting if you don’t want to.
Companion Roles
Companions are very useful for more than just acting as party scout. They can fill several roles.
- Party Scout: A dedicated scout companion can increase your scouting range and skill.
- Quartermaster: They can increase party size and decrease wages.
- Surgeon: They can speed up recovery and prevent deaths from injury.
- Engineer: They can speed up construction and siege engines.
- Governor: As mentioned before, they can increase your skill passively.
- Information is Power: Knowing the location, strength, and composition of enemy forces allows you to make informed strategic decisions.
- Avoiding Danger: Scouting helps you avoid ambushes and dangerous encounters, preserving your troops and resources.
- Economic Opportunities: Spotting caravans and identifying trade routes allows you to profit from trade and protect valuable assets.
- Faster Travel: High scouting skill grants party speed bonuses, allowing you to travel faster and cover more ground.
- Increased Looting: Some scouting perks increase looting yield and improve your overall profitability.
As a long-time player of the Mount & Blade series, and Bannerlord in particular, I’ve spent countless hours experimenting with different builds and strategies. My insights are based on direct experience, not just theoretical analysis. I’ve tested and refined these methods to find the most efficient and effective ways to level the scouting skill. While there is much to discover, I think this information can help.
While much of this guide is based on personal experience, the underlying game mechanics and perk descriptions can be verified on the Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord official wiki (https://mountandblade.fandom.com/wiki/Mount_%26_Blade_II:_Bannerlord).
html