What is the Best Way to Level Up Polearm Skill in Bannerlord 2?

The path to becoming a polearm master in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord can feel like a slow grind. Forget tedious and inefficient methods. This article offers a focused approach, combining proven techniques with gameplay insights, to significantly accelerate your polearm skill progression. We’ll dive into effective combat strategies, optimal weapon choices, and even unconventional training methods to help you dominate the battlefield.

Maximize your skill gains by focusing on hitting enemies effectively during battles. This means understanding attack angles, timing your thrusts and swings, and utilizing the reach advantage of polearms. Don’t just swing wildly; aim for headshots when possible, as these provide a substantial experience bonus.

• Thrusting is often superior to swinging. Thrusts are generally faster and more accurate, making them ideal for picking off enemies or interrupting their attacks. Practice your timing to land precise thrusts in the heat of battle.
• Use your reach to your advantage. Keep enemies at a distance where they can’t effectively retaliate. This is especially crucial against heavily armored opponents who are slow but deadly up close.
• Master the couch lance. If you intend to fight as a mounted combatant, couch lancing is a must-learn. The massive damage dealt by a couched lance hit provides a significant experience boost. Find a long field, get some speed and run them through.

Direct combat isn’t the only way to improve your polearm skill. Taking advantage of training opportunities and specific map locations can also significantly boost your progress.

• Practice fighting forest bandits.
  Forest bandits are typically lightly armored and numerous, making them ideal targets for honing your polearm skills. Engage small groups of them in open areas where you can effectively utilize your reach and maneuverability.
• Consider using blunt polearms for training. While they won’t deal lethal damage, blunt weapons are effective for leveling up in training grounds. If you set your party members to train, you can knock them out and gain experience for a long period.

The arenas in Bannerlord’s cities offer a surprisingly effective, though potentially risky, way to level your polearm skill.

• Bet on yourself. Before each arena match, place the maximum bet on yourself to win. This provides a substantial financial reward if you succeed.
• Focus on headshots. Aim for headshots whenever possible. This not only deals more damage but also grants a significant experience bonus.
• Pay attention to enemy weapon types. Adjust your tactics based on the weapons your opponents are using. If they have shields, focus on flanking them or using thrusts to bypass their defenses.

Not all polearms are created equal when it comes to leveling up your skill. Some weapons are simply more effective for training than others.

• Early Game: Look for long spears with good thrusting speed and decent damage. These will allow you to quickly and efficiently dispatch weaker enemies.
• Mid Game: Experiment with glaives and poleaxes. These weapons offer a good balance of reach, damage, and versatility, allowing you to adapt to a wider range of combat situations.
• Late Game: Consider investing in a high-tier lance for mounted combat. The couch lance ability, when used effectively, can quickly level your polearm skill against heavily armored opponents.

In my experience with Bannerlord, I’ve found that the key to fast polearm leveling is consistency and adaptability. Don’t just stick to one method or weapon type. Experiment with different approaches, adjust your tactics based on the situation, and always be on the lookout for opportunities to improve your skills.

• The Importance of Footwork: Many players underestimate the importance of footwork when using polearms. Mastering the art of spacing and maneuvering can significantly improve your effectiveness in combat. Practice moving in and out of range, circling your opponents, and using your footwork to create openings for attacks.
• Utilize Companion Training: Once you have a capable party, designate a companion with high leadership skills to act as a trainer. While they may not directly teach you polearm skills, their presence will boost the overall experience gain for your entire party, including your polearm skill.
• Embrace Tournaments: Tournaments are an invaluable method for leveling up any combat skill. Repeatedly entering the tournaments, even if you don’t win, will let you rack up kills and experience quickly, and net you some renown as a bonus.
• Don’t neglect Athletics: A high Athletics skill translates to better mobility and endurance on the battlefield, allowing you to better position yourself and avoid enemy attacks while wielding a polearm.

Choosing the Right Difficulty Settings

Be aware that the difficulty settings of the game will affect your character’s skill point gains. In general, it’s easier to develop your character’s skill points on lower difficulty settings.

Weapon Speed and its impact on your Polearm Skill Leveling

Weapon speed and reach are paramount. The faster you can strike and the further you can reach, the more opportunities you have to land hits and gain experience. Experiment with different polearms to find one that suits your play style.

This is an overview of some other relevant points for developing your polearm skill.

This article showed you that combining strategic combat techniques, dedicated training, and smart equipment choices is the bannerlord 2 best way to level up polearm skill. By understanding the nuances of polearm combat, exploiting arena opportunities, and adapting to different combat scenarios, you can efficiently develop your skills and become a formidable force on the battlefield. Remember that consistency, adaptability, and a willingness to experiment are key to maximizing your polearm skill progression.

Here are some frequently asked questions about leveling up polearm skill in Bannerlord 2: