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.
This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. Follow this path to avoid common traps that stall most players.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Build | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | Vlandia | army command basics | Horse Archer | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Battania | kingdom management mastery | Horse Archer | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | Sturgia | smithing + gear | Cavalry Lancer or Horse Archer | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | Aserai | Build optimization | Cavalry Lancer | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Khuzait Khanate | Min-max | Cavalry Lancer or Trader | Ongoing |
Phase 1: Getting Started — 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.
Level/Difficulty: Starting faction Key Rewards: Best cavalry, tournaments, coastal trade
What to Do in Vlandia
- 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. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick Horse Archer as your starting build. It's the most forgiving option.
- 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.
- Acquire your first equipment upgrade — Heavy Lance or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand army command fundamentals
- Horse Archer selected and functional
- Vlandia main content cleared
- Ready for Battania
Phase 2: Early Game — 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.
Level/Difficulty: Starting faction Key Rewards: Best archers (Fian Champions), forest terrain advantages
What to Do in Battania
- Work on kingdom management. Once you own a fief, you can create or join a kingdom. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Heavy Lance if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- Recruit from villages matching the faction's strength — Vlandian villages for cavalry, Battanian for archers, Imperial for all-rounders.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to Sturgia.
- Consider whether Cavalry Lancer might suit your playstyle better than Horse Archer.
Phase 2 Checklist
- kingdom management integrated into gameplay
- Heavy Lance acquired
- Battania fully cleared
- Ready for Sturgia
Phase 3: Mid Game — Sturgia
Norse-inspired northern faction with strong infantry. Heavy snow terrain and coastal access for Nordic raids. Sturgian troops are tough but slow. The faction often struggles in AI wars due to geography.
Level/Difficulty: Starting faction Key Rewards: Strong infantry, northern resources, Norse aesthetic
What to Do in Sturgia
- Master smithing. The smithing system lets you forge custom weapons by combining blade, guard, grip, and pommel parts. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward Glaive. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around now.
- Tournaments are the fastest early gold. Bet on yourself in every round for 400-1500 denars per tournament with minimal risk.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in tournaments for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- smithing mastered
- Glaive acquired or in progress
- Sturgia fully cleared
- Ready for Aserai
Phase 4: Late Game — Aserai
Arabian-inspired desert faction with strong mounted archers (Mameluke cavalry). Desert terrain and oasis cities. Trade-focused with wealthy cities. Aserai troops are versatile but not the best in any single category.
Level/Difficulty: Starting faction Key Rewards: Mounted archers, wealthy trade cities, desert resources
What to Do in Aserai
- Finalize your build. You should be running Cavalry Lancer or Horse Archer with optimized gear.
- Glaive should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- Companion parties extend your map control. Send companions with Leadership and Steward skills to lead their own parties that follow your army.
- companion system optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Khuzait Khanate.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- Glaive upgraded to max
- Aserai fully cleared
- Ready for Khuzait Khanate
Phase 5: Endgame — Khuzait Khanate
Mongol-inspired steppe faction with the best horse archers (Khan's Guard). Dominate open-field battles with mounted archery. Weak in sieges due to reliance on cavalry. The AI Khuzait often steamrolls other factions early.
Level/Difficulty: Starting faction Key Rewards: Best horse archers, fast armies, steppe warfare
What to Do in Khuzait Khanate
- Khuzait Khanate tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- Build workshops in cities with matching resources — Pottery in cities near clay, Brewery in cities near grain. Workshops generate 100-300 denars daily.
- The endgame loop: run Khuzait Khanate, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Trader for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where companion system mastery separates good players from great ones.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- Khuzait Khanate fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Neglecting companion skills — assign companions to roles matching their skills. A companion with high Trade should lead caravans, not fight in your party.
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- 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.
For detailed build optimization, see Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord builds. For quick wins, check tips & tricks.
