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Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord is looking better than ever as it is getting closer to full release. Currently, it is one of the most impressive RPGs to exist like its predecessors as it allows players to be anything their own. Medieval oyster of a world. Of course, most players will still choose to be a war-hungry warlord with a penchant for land grabs as the most common survival goal during the game’s described time period.
Perform a effort in the game requires more ingenuity when choosing sides. Because similar to medieval history, some kingdoms were better or luckier than others in terms of territory, resources, or soldiers. Knowing what to expect when it comes to banners has to be the first step on the road to becoming a lord in Bannerlord.
8 Sturgia
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Faction leader: Prince Raganvad
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Based on: Vikings
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Power: Reconnaissance and Consumption
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Weakness: Weak unit
Sturgia may sit safely in the northernmost part of the map, where their enemies can only come from the south, but that doesn’t mean conquest potential sky high. They are based on the Viking civilization and like those civilizations, they are quite adept at exploring and moving in unfavorable weather or terrain conditions such as snow.
However, they lack some good firepower and muscle when it comes to units. Most of their units are lightweight and don’t scale well in later, harder battles. Moreover, any other faction can easily steam them. Battania, for example, typically expand their territory by taking Sturgia’s.
7 Khuzait
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Faction leader: Monchug Khan
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Based on: Mongols
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Strength: Excellent Archers and Cavalry
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Weakness: Terrible Infantry
Based on their territory on the map and their motif, it’s easy to see where Khuzait excels. They are based on the nomadic peoples of the east, usually Mongols but with a hint of Turkish. Khuzait also enjoys the same advantage as Aserai when it comes to territory although theirs are more inland and have fewer choke points.
Unit wise, Khuzait is all about thinning the enemy swarm before running them with hooves. They do this by harassing enemy positions with their mounted archers and fast cavalry. Forget about dealing with other factions’ heavy infantry because Khuzait has poor foot soldiers.
6 Battania
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Faction leader: King Caladog
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Based on: Celt
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Strength: Guerrilla warfare and archery
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Weakness: Small territory
Battania sounds horrible like another civilization than an island in Europe and sure enough, they are based on the Celts. They actually have some of the smallest territories available at the start of the game, so the expansion is quickly recommended so they can find their place.
Because once the Battanians have a territory, they can defend it well and to their death. They have some impressive archers as well as ideal ambushes in their mountainous regions. Many of their armies were also excellent at dealing with cavalry because they had long weapons.
5 Aserai
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Faction leader: Sultan Unqid
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Based on: Saracens
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Strengths: Flexible heavy units and territorial chokepoints
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Weaknesses: Expensive cavalry and weak shields
For multiplayer, Aserai has the best location in the game as they are located in the southernmost part of the map. Additionally, to reach Aserai’s territory, the other factions would have to cross a choke point, making invading them a chore. When it comes to AI-driven games, some players will find that Aserai territory tends to go unpunished.
When it comes to units, Aserai has the most balanced units as they have good infantry and excellent heavy cavalry as well as good archers. So any tactic is doable while commanding their army. They can also get rich quickly through trading with the faction caravan discount.
4 Vlandia
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Faction leader: King Derthert
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Based on: Normans
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Strength: Versatile infantry and powerful melee cavalry
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Weaknesses: Expensive cavalry and lack of equestrian archers
Vlandia are the westernmost faction of the map, meaning they enjoy a relatively safe position that allows them to continue to repel enemies coming from the West. Basically most other factions. As such, they have become good at repelling and even have units for it.
They have a wide variety of infantry but their main attraction is their heavy and fearsome cavalry. They have lances attached to common and noble trees. The only thing stopping them is that their mounts can be quite expensive as they don’t always have enough in their homeland.
3 Southern Empire
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Faction leader: Queen Rhagaea
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Based on: Roman Empire
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Powers: Armored catapult and good archer
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Weaknesses: Weak economy
The Southern Empire was in a rather precarious position as it was run by the widow of the late and great Emperor of the Calradic Empire and since there were no male heirs of old age, all the Other warlords and generals are vying for power. That means Queen Rhagaea has a lot of enemies to deal with.
The Empire has also been split into three since the Emperor’s death and that leaves the Southern Empire with the weakest economy of the three. It also struggles to expand compared to the other two parts of the Empire but at least it has access to the same heavy and elite units.
2 Northern Empire
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Faction leader: Emperor Lucan
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Based on: Roman Empire
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Strength: Armored catapult and skilled archer, decent economy
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Weaknesses: Many enemies from many fronts
The Northern Empire was a bit richer than the South but it also faced a similar predicament having a number of strong enemies on different fronts. It shares many borders with other factions seeking to capture some parts of the Empire’s territory after it split into three.
Emperor Lucan wanted the Senate to regain its power in appointing a new Emperor to choose a legitimate ruler for the fractured Calradic Empire as there were currently no qualified heirs. Therefore, this Empire faction was determined to break the monarchy established by Queen Rhagaea.
first Western Empire
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Faction leader: Emperor Garios
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Based on: Roman Empire
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Powers: Armored catapults and skilled archers, rich economy
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Weakness: Constantly harassed by Battanians
The Western Empire had a better end of the deal when Calradia split into three. This area of the Empire was controlled by the generals and the self-respecting Emperor Garios, who commanded much of the Imperial Legion. Thus, they had the military power available and a good chance of uniting the trio with Garios at the helm.
It also got them some rich cities and the only problem they had was the fact that the Battanians and Vlandians didn’t make it easy for them. Therefore, most of the time, the player will have to start the campaign against those two immediately before they can make any big plans.
Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord now available on PC as an Early Access game. It still doesn’t have a full version release date.
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