Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord is TaleWorlds Entertainment's medieval sandbox RPG where you build an army, fight in massive real-time battles, manage kingdoms, and carve your own path in the fictional continent of Calradia. The game combines deep army management with hands-on third-person combat where you personally fight alongside your troops. With a dynamic economy, political system, and emergent warfare between six major factions, every playthrough creates a unique story.
Starting Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord can feel overwhelming. This guide tells you exactly what to focus on during your first hours so you don't waste time on things that don't matter yet.
What Kind of Game Is This?
Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord is a strategy game built around army command and kingdom management. The core loop involves mastering these systems to progress through increasingly challenging content.
What to expect: Time investment in learning mechanics, experimentation, and gradual mastery. The game rewards patience and knowledge.
Choosing Your First Build
| Build | Beginner Rating | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cavalry Lancer | Good (but demanding) | Charge at full speed, couch lance, one-shot enemies, wheel around, repeat. |
| Horse Archer | Good (but demanding) | Circle enemies at range, fire arrows while riding, never let them close. |
| Infantry Commander | Excellent for beginners | Position infantry in Shield Wall, fight alongside them, break enemy formations with personal combat. |
| Siege Specialist | Excellent for beginners | Build siege engines before assaulting, use crossbow to pick off defenders, lead ladder assaults. |
| Trader | Situational | Buy cheap trade goods, sell at profit, establish caravans, fund your army through commerce. |
Our recommendation: Start with Horse Archer. The Khuzait-inspired playstyle using mounted archery to kite enemy armies. Circle enemy formations while firing arrows, never engaging in melee. AI enemies can't effectively counter this. Requires high Bow and Riding skills.
Avoid Trader as your first pick. Focuses on commerce — buying low in surplus regions and selling high in deficit regions.
First Session Step-by-Step
Step 1: Learn army command
During battles, you command troops using the F-key system: F1 for movement, F2 for facing, F3 for formations, F4 for orders. Cavalry flanks, infantry holds the line, archers rain death. Proper formation and terrain usage (hills for archers, chokepoints for infantry) determines battle outcomes more than numbers.
This is the foundation. Spend your first 15-30 minutes getting comfortable with how army command works before worrying about anything else.
Step 2: Head to Vlandia
The western faction with the best heavy cavalry (Vlandian Banner Knights). French/English medieval aesthetic. Strong starting position with access to sea trade. Vlandian troops excel in field battles with their devastating cavalry charges.
Clear the main content here before moving on. Everything teaches fundamentals you'll need later.
Step 3: Get Your First Upgrade
Look for Heavy Lance — it's the most accessible early upgrade. Purpose-built for couched lance charges. Higher damage than glaives on the initial charge but useless in melee. Keep a secondary weapon for dismounted combat.
Step 4: Understand kingdom management
Once you own a fief, you can create or join a kingdom. Kingdom management includes passing laws, managing vassal loyalty, making war/peace declarations, and distributing conquered fiefs. Policies affect your kingdom's economy, military, and vassal happiness. Poor management causes rebellions.
This is the system most new players overlook. Invest time here early — it pays off throughout the entire game.
Step 5: Push to Battania
Celtic-inspired forest faction with the best archers (Fian Champions). Heavily forested territory provides defensive advantages. Battanian Fian Champions are arguably the strongest ranged unit. Weaker in cavalry.
Essential Mechanics Explained
army command
During battles, you command troops using the F-key system: F1 for movement, F2 for facing, F3 for formations, F4 for orders. Cavalry flanks, infantry holds the line, archers rain death. Proper formation and terrain usage (hills for archers, chokepoints for infantry) determines battle outcomes more than numbers.
kingdom management
Once you own a fief, you can create or join a kingdom. Kingdom management includes passing laws, managing vassal loyalty, making war/peace declarations, and distributing conquered fiefs. Policies affect your kingdom's economy, military, and vassal happiness. Poor management causes rebellions.
smithing
The smithing system lets you forge custom weapons by combining blade, guard, grip, and pommel parts. High-tier two-handed swords sell for 100,000+ denars, making smithing the best money source. Smithing levels unlock better parts. Smelting weapons yields materials.
tournaments
Tournaments occur in cities and provide gold, renown, and a prize weapon. Early game, tournaments are the fastest way to earn gold (400-1500 denars per win) and renown. Betting on yourself multiplies winnings. Tournament skill translates directly to combat ability.
companion system
Companions are unique NPCs with skills and backstories recruited from taverns. They serve as party leaders (forming separate armies), governors (managing fiefs), caravan leaders (generating income), or personal combat companions. Each companion has skill specializations.
Common Beginner Mistakes
1. Joining a kingdom too early — you get assigned fiefs you can't defend and lose companions to lord duties
Build a strong warband first, then either go independent or join strategically.
2. Ignoring smithing — it's the most profitable skill by far
A single high-tier crafted weapon pays for your entire army's wages for weeks.
3. Fighting sieges without siege engines — assaulting walls without rams or towers causes massive casualties
Build siege engines in camp (takes a few days) before attacking.
4. Recruiting only low-tier troops — a warband of 100 recruits loses to 30 elite troops
Focus on upgrading troops to tier 4-5 rather than having huge numbers of peasants.
5. Neglecting companion skills — assign companions to roles matching their skills
A companion with high Trade should lead caravans, not fight in your party.
First 5 Hours Checklist
- Understand army command and kingdom management
- Choose Horse Archer as starting build
- Clear Vlandia main content
- Acquire Heavy Lance or equivalent upgrade
- Reach Battania
- Level smithing early for massive gold income — high-tier two-handed swords sell for 50,000-150,000 denars each. Smelt cheap weapons for materials.
- Recruit from villages matching the faction's strength — Vlandian villages for cavalry, Battanian for archers, Imperial for all-rounders.
Tips for New Players
- Level smithing early for massive gold income — high-tier two-handed swords sell for 50,000-150,000 denars each. Smelt cheap weapons for materials.
- Recruit from villages matching the faction's strength — Vlandian villages for cavalry, Battanian for archers, Imperial for all-rounders.
- Tournaments are the fastest early gold. Bet on yourself in every round for 400-1500 denars per tournament with minimal risk.
- Companion parties extend your map control. Send companions with Leadership and Steward skills to lead their own parties that follow your army.
- Build workshops in cities with matching resources — Pottery in cities near clay, Brewery in cities near grain. Workshops generate 100-300 denars daily.
- Couching a lance (lower it at full gallop speed) does 500+ damage — enough to one-shot any enemy. Practice the timing and approach angle.
- Tactics skill determines your starting battle advantage (spawn positioning). High Tactics lets you spawn your troops closer to the enemy or on favorable terrain.
- Keep your army well-fed with diverse food types. Multiple food types provide a morale bonus. Buy food from towns before long campaigns.
- Prisoner management: recruit high-tier prisoners or sell them for gold. Lords can be ransomed for significant sums through the ransom broker.
- Form a kingdom early by taking a fief while unsworn. The more fiefs you personally hold, the less vassal drama you deal with.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make money early in Bannerlord?
Tournaments (bet on yourself), smithing two-handed swords (sell for thousands), and trading between cities. Once established, caravans and workshops provide passive income. Smithing eclipses all other methods once leveled.
What is the best faction in Bannerlord?
Vlandia for cavalry, Battania for archers (Fian Champions), Khuzait for horse archers, and Empire for balanced troops. Personal preference matters most. The Khuzait often dominate AI wars due to cavalry advantages on the overworld map.
How does the kingdom system work?
Capture a fief while unsworn to start your own kingdom, or join an existing one through dialogue with its ruler. As king, you propose laws, declare wars, and distribute fiefs. Vassal loyalty depends on fief distribution and personal relationships.
Is Bannerlord moddable?
Extensively. Steam Workshop and NexusMods host thousands of mods including total conversions (Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones), balance overhauls, and quality-of-life improvements. The modding community is very active.
What to Read Next
- Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Builds — Optimize your build once you've learned the basics
- Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Walkthrough — Full progression path
- Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Tips — Advanced strategies for when you're ready
