TaleWorlds released Warband in March 2010 as a standalone expansion to Mount & Blade, and sixteen years later it is still the reference point for directional melee on horseback. You start as a nobody with a sword and a horse in a Calradia carved up between six kingdoms, and you can finish as a bandit, a mercenary captain, a marshal, or a king with your own vassals. Multiplayer runs up to 64 players across Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Conquest, Battle and Siege.
This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Build | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | Kingdom of Swadia | Directional melee blocking basics | Nord Huscarl heavy infantry | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Kingdom of the Vaegirs | Mounted combat and couched lances mastery | Nord Huscarl heavy infantry | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | Kingdom of the Nords | Troop tree upgrades + gear | Swadian Knight heavy cavalry or Nord Huscarl heavy infantry | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | Kingdom of the Rhodoks | Build optimization | Swadian Knight heavy cavalry | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Khergit Khanate | Min-max | Swadian Knight heavy cavalry or Khergit Horse Archer | Ongoing |
See our maps guide for detailed area breakdowns.
Phase 1: Getting Started (Kingdom of Swadia)
Central plains ruled by King Harlaus from Praven, holding Uxkhal, Suno and Dhirim alongside it. Swadia is the only faction with genuinely strong troops in all three categories, and the Swadian Knight is the benchmark every other cavalry unit gets measured against.
Level/Difficulty: Good starting region for a new character Key Rewards: Swadian Knights, Swadian Sharpshooters, cheap grapes in Uxkhal for a Wine Press
What to Do in Kingdom of Swadia
- Learn Directional melee blocking. Attacks and blocks come from four directions and your block has to match the incoming swing. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick Nord Huscarl heavy infantry as your starting build. See our builds guide for why.
- Fight the tournament in every town you pass through during your first ten in-game days. Betting on yourself pays better than any early quest, and the renown lets lords take you seriously months before you can afford a real army.
- Acquire your first equipment upgrade: Two handed weapons or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand Directional melee blocking fundamentals
- Nord Huscarl heavy infantry selected and functional
- Kingdom of Swadia main content cleared
- Ready for Kingdom of the Vaegirs
Phase 2: Early Game (Kingdom of the Vaegirs)
The northeastern kingdom centered on Reyvadin, with Curaw, Khudan and Rivacheg. Vaegir Marksmen out-shoot every crossbow unit in Calradia and Vaegir Guards are excellent shock infantry, though the cavalry sits a step behind Swadia's.
Level/Difficulty: Mid game, once you can carry archer upkeep Key Rewards: Vaegir Marksmen, Vaegir Guards, northern fur and iron trade routes
What to Do in Kingdom of the Vaegirs
- Work on Mounted combat and couched lances. Horse speed adds directly to weapon damage, so a lance strike at a gallop kills troops who would survive three swings on foot. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Two handed weapons if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- Put your first skill points into Power Strike, Ironflesh and Riding. Trade, Leadership and Prisoner Management matter later. None of them matter if a Sea Raider knocks you off your horse in week two.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to Kingdom of the Nords.
- Consider whether Swadian Knight heavy cavalry might suit your playstyle better than Nord Huscarl heavy infantry.
Phase 2 Checklist
- Mounted combat and couched lances integrated into gameplay
- Two handed weapons acquired
- Kingdom of the Vaegirs fully cleared
- Ready for Kingdom of the Nords
Phase 3: Mid Game (Kingdom of the Nords)
A seafaring culture on the northern coast under King Ragnar at Sargoth, also holding Tihr and Wercheg. Nord Huscarls are the strongest infantry in the game and Veteran Archers back them, but the faction fields next to no cavalry.
Level/Difficulty: Any stage, brutal to fight early Key Rewards: Nord Huscarls, Nord Veteran Archers, throwing weapon access
What to Do in Kingdom of the Nords
- Master Troop tree upgrades. Village recruits climb a faction-specific tree by earning experience in battle and then costing denars to promote. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward One handed weapons. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around now.
- Buy a shield before you buy better armor. Arrows kill unarmored characters fast in Warband, and a shield blocks arrows passively while it is on your arm, which is a change from the original game.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in Faction relations and fiefs for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- Troop tree upgrades mastered
- One handed weapons acquired or in progress
- Kingdom of the Nords fully cleared
- Ready for Kingdom of the Rhodoks
Phase 4: Late Game (Kingdom of the Rhodoks)
Hill country around Jelkala, Yalen and Veluca. Rhodok Sergeants carry long polearms that stop a cavalry charge cold, and Rhodok Sharpshooters bring crossbows with a shield, which makes this the best defensive faction on the map.
Level/Difficulty: Any stage, strongest on defense Key Rewards: Rhodok Sergeants, Rhodok Sharpshooters, broken terrain that blunts cavalry
What to Do in Kingdom of the Rhodoks
- Finalize your build. You should be running Swadian Knight heavy cavalry or Nord Huscarl heavy infantry with optimized gear.
- One handed weapons should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- Blunt weapons take prisoners. A war hammer knocks lords unconscious rather than killing them, and ransoming a captured lord through a ransom broker pays more than a whole battle's loot.
- Trade and enterprises optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Khergit Khanate.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- One handed weapons upgraded to max
- Kingdom of the Rhodoks fully cleared
- Ready for Khergit Khanate
Phase 5: Endgame (Khergit Khanate)
The eastern steppe faction based at Tulga, with Narra, Ichamur and Halmar. It is the only kingdom whose entire troop tree is mounted, so Khergit armies are the fastest on the world map and the hardest to run away from.
Level/Difficulty: Difficult early, dominant once you can afford horses Key Rewards: Khergit Lancers, Khergit Horse Archers, unmatched map speed
What to Do in Khergit Khanate
- Khergit Khanate tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- Recruit from villages that actually like you rather than the nearest one. Village relation rises from completing their quests and from not raiding them, and a friendly village hands over more recruits per visit.
- The endgame loop: run Khergit Khanate, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Khergit Horse Archer for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where Trade and enterprises mastery separates good players from great ones. See our tips guide for advanced strategies.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- Khergit Khanate fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- Mashing attack in melee. Warband rewards holding a swing to feint and matching your block to the incoming direction, so players who click as fast as possible lose duels to anyone who learned the four directions.
- Ordering a full charge on turn one. That throws your archers into melee where they die, and scatters cavalry into single fights they lose. Hold ranged, hold infantry, send cavalry wide.
- Fielding one enormous army of low tier troops. Sixty Swadian Recruits lose to twenty Swadian Knights and cost more in wages, because damage in this game scales sharply with armor and weapon quality.
- Raiding villages of the faction you plan to serve. It funds the early game, then the relation loss follows you, and lords remember it when they vote on the fief you wanted.
- Ignoring world map speed. Party size, terrain and cavalry ratio all change how fast you move, and being slower than the Khergit party chasing you is how a promising campaign ends.
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- Fight the tournament in every town you pass through during your first ten in-game days. Betting on yourself pays better than any early quest, and the renown lets lords take you seriously months before you can afford a real army.
- Put your first skill points into Power Strike, Ironflesh and Riding. Trade, Leadership and Prisoner Management matter later. None of them matter if a Sea Raider knocks you off your horse in week two.
- Buy a shield before you buy better armor. Arrows kill unarmored characters fast in Warband, and a shield blocks arrows passively while it is on your arm, which is a change from the original game.
- Blunt weapons take prisoners. A war hammer knocks lords unconscious rather than killing them, and ransoming a captured lord through a ransom broker pays more than a whole battle's loot.
- Recruit from villages that actually like you rather than the nearest one. Village relation rises from completing their quests and from not raiding them, and a friendly village hands over more recruits per visit.
For more advanced strategies, see our tips & tricks guide.
More Mount & Blade: Warband Guides
- Mount & Blade: Warband Mount & Blade: Warband Overview
- Mount & Blade: Warband Best Builds
- Mount & Blade: Warband Tier List
- Mount & Blade: Warband Beginner's Guide
- Mount & Blade: Warband Tips & Tricks
- Mount & Blade: Warband Weapons Guide
- Mount & Blade: Warband Combat Guide
- Mount & Blade: Warband Boss Guide
- Mount & Blade: Warband Maps & Locations
- Mount & Blade: Warband Crafting Guide
- Mount & Blade: Warband Classes & Characters
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