9 tips to help you survive Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord
Channel: Ayob Jabar
Date: 31/03/2020

After a seven-year wait, Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord is finally here. This medieval life sim expands on the cult classic in nearly every way, making an already intimidating game even more daunting for newcomers. But fear not, aspiring warlord, because half of the fun of Bannerlord is failing spectacularly, going from rags to riches back to rags again as you travel the wartorn settlements of Calradia.

Whether you're new to the series or a megafan of Warband, the previous game, we've rounded up some tips that will help make your inevitable rise and fall a little bit less frustrating. That said, we recommend just getting out there and exploring. Bannerlord is unlike any other RPG, and half of the fun is just seeing what you can get away with. But if you want to give yourself an edge, here's some helpful tips to get you started.

Always strive to have at least 20 soldiers 
Going it alone in Bannerlord is a quick way to end up someone else's prisoner. As you ride around to different towns, you'll see bands of looters and bandits prowling the countryside looking to pounce on any groups that are smaller or poorly equipped. So, right off the bat, spend time circling around to different villages and recruiting any soldiers they have to offer until you number around 20, which should be more than enough to fight off weaker enemies or take on early quests.

That might prove a little challenging to start since most notable village NPCs won't give you access to their full recruitment pool until they like you better. You can improve your relations in a variety of ways, but doing quests (explained further down) for those characters is the most straightforward. Until then, though, you'll have to travel far and wide to keep your army around 20 strong.
Don't be afraid to relocate to new areas 
Unlike most RPGs, Bannerlord's world isn't designed so that the further you travel away from home the more dangerous it becomes. Each of the various kingdoms are relatively safe and offer similar opportunities, so if you're not particularly happy where you are, or if you've broken the law or pissed off the wrong people, feel free to move onto a different region and explore there.

Kingdoms do have some major differences to keep in mind, like the strength of their economies and armies, the types of weapons and armor they favor, and who their ruling lords and ladies are. The Khuzait, for example, are steppe nomads who favor mounted combat, making them a great faction to align yourself with if you fancy yourself a horse person. When you're just starting out none of this matters a great deal—and you can always pick up sticks and start over elsewhere without much pain—but it will deeply affect you later. If you're a merchant, you'll want to set up shop in kingdoms with healthy economies or that have an abundance of a certain resource, while aspiring warlords might want to join up with like minded heroes who share a similar combat style.

Don't play on realistic difficulty if you're new