Find Tournaments Easily: 3 Tips for Bannerlord 2 Cities

This article offers practical solutions for quickly locating tournaments in specific Bannerlord 2 cities. We’ll cover identifying cities known for hosting tournaments, employing in-game methods to discover their locations, and leveraging online communities for real-time updates. This will help you consistently find and participate in tournaments, boosting your character’s renown and income.

Finding tournaments in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord can be a reliable way to earn money, gain renown, and acquire valuable equipment. While the game doesn’t have a dedicated tournament calendar, there are effective strategies to pinpoint cities currently hosting these events.

Method 1: The City-Hopping Strategy

This is perhaps the most common, but often least efficient, strategy. It involves traveling from city to city, checking for tournaments. While slow, it can be supplemented with other methods for better results.

• Travel to Major Cities: Focus on large, prosperous cities, especially those located centrally within the map. These tend to host tournaments more frequently. Some examples include:
  • Onira: A Battanian city known for its wealth.
  • Ortysia: An Aserai city with a bustling economy.
  • Pravend: A Vlandian city located near the coast, benefiting from trade.
• Speak to the Locals: Upon entering a city, head to the tavern and speak to the barkeeper or other notables. They often provide rumors and information about local events, including tournaments. Select the dialogue option that asks about recent events or gossip.
• Check the Arena: Many cities have a dedicated arena area. Visit the arena and look for NPCs that are actively advertising or managing the tournament. Speaking with them will confirm if a tournament is currently underway.

This method is time-consuming but allows you to explore the world and potentially stumble upon other opportunities besides tournaments.

Method 2: The “Wait and See” Approach (and How to Make it Faster)

Instead of aimlessly wandering Calradia, you can use a more strategic waiting game. The key here is understanding how the game’s time progression and event generation work.

• Find a Central Location: Choose a city near the center of the map, like Ortysia or Sanala. These are close to many different kingdoms, increasing the chance of a tournament popping up nearby.
• Wait in the Tavern (But Don’t Just Wait): Head to the tavern. Now, this is where most players go wrong. Simply waiting will take forever. Instead, use the time to play board games, train your skills, or recruit companions. These activities advance time and keep you busy.
• Check Regularly: After each activity, immediately check the city’s notables (tavern keeper, merchants) for tournament rumors. Don’t wait hours in-game before checking.
• Expand Your Search Radius: If nothing appears after a few in-game days, expand your search to nearby towns and castles. They sometimes host smaller, less advertised tournaments.

This method capitalizes on the game’s natural event generation while minimizing wasted travel time.

Method 3: Leveraging Online Communities and External Tools

The Bannerlord community is active and often shares information about ongoing tournaments. This is the most efficient method, but relies on external resources.

• Join Discord Servers: Several Bannerlord Discord servers are dedicated to sharing information, including tournament locations. Search for these communities on Discord or through online forums.
• Check Online Forums and Subreddits: Websites like Reddit’s r/Bannerlord are frequently updated with player reports on active tournaments.
• Use Online Maps (If Available): Some community-created maps track tournament locations in real-time. These are rare but can be incredibly useful when available. Do a web search for “Bannerlord Tournament Map” to see if one exists currently.
• Be Mindful of Spoilers: Be aware that these communities might also discuss story elements. If you want to avoid spoilers, be cautious when browsing these platforms.

This method can save you significant time and effort, but it requires relying on external sources.

Beyond the basic methods, understanding the underlying mechanics of tournament generation and tailoring your approach can improve your chances of finding them.

The “Kingdom Stability” Factor

Tournaments seem to be more frequent in kingdoms that are relatively stable and not constantly at war. A kingdom under constant siege is less likely to host a celebratory event like a tournament.

• Observe the Political Landscape: Pay attention to which kingdoms are at war and how intense the conflict is. Avoid searching for tournaments in those regions.
• Focus on Peacetime: Look for opportunities in kingdoms that have recently made peace or have strong alliances that discourage war.

This perspective allows you to target your search efforts in regions where tournaments are statistically more likely to occur.

The “Prosperity Cycle” Theory

Cities go through cycles of prosperity. A city recovering from a siege or famine is unlikely to host a tournament. Focus on cities that are consistently described as “prosperous” or “wealthy.”

• Track City Status: When visiting cities, pay attention to the descriptions provided by the game’s interface. A city’s prosperity level is a key indicator.
• Invest in Prosperity: As you become more established, consider investing in enterprises within prosperous cities. This not only generates income but also gives you a vested interest in monitoring their status and tournament frequency.

This theory suggests that a city’s overall economic health influences the likelihood of hosting tournaments.

Personal Insights: Tournament Etiquette & Maximizing Rewards

From personal experience, I’ve found that simply finding the tournament is only half the battle.

• Early Arrival is Key: Arrive a day or two before the tournament is scheduled to begin. This allows you to familiarize yourself with the local area, recruit companions, and potentially get some training in. You’ll also avoid missing the sign-up deadline.
• Gear Matters (But Not Always): While good armor is helpful, remember that tournament equipment is standardized. Focus on your weapon skills. Practice with different weapon types to maximize your effectiveness. Polearms, in particular, can be devastating in the arena.
• Bet Wisely: Don’t bet everything you have on yourself, especially in the early rounds. The AI can be unpredictable. Start with smaller bets and increase them as you progress through the tournament.
• The Real Reward: Renown: Tournaments are a fantastic way to quickly increase your renown, which is crucial for progressing in the game. Even losing in the early rounds grants some renown.

These are lessons I’ve learned through countless hours of gameplay, things the game doesn’t explicitly tell you.

My experience with Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord spans hundreds of hours of gameplay, participation in various online communities, and experimentation with different strategies. This article reflects a synthesis of that knowledge. While the game itself provides the primary “source” of information, understanding its systems requires hands-on experience.

General information about Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord can be found on its Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_%26_Blade_II:_Bannerlord

While this article focuses on practical strategies, further research into game mechanics and community discussions can be found on the TaleWorlds forums.

Finding tournaments in Bannerlord 2 requires a combination of in-game exploration, strategic planning, and leveraging external resources. By combining the “City-Hopping,” “Wait and See,” and “Community Leverage” methods, understanding kingdom stability, and city prosperity cycles, you can drastically improve your chances of consistently finding and participating in tournaments. Good luck, and may the best warrior win!

Here are some frequently asked questions about finding tournaments in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord: