Clan Progression & Influence: The Currency of Kings

In Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, gold buys soldiers, but Influence buys power. While Renown levels up your clan, Influence is the fuel that allows you to summon armies, propose laws, and decide who gets the next town. Understanding how to generate and spend this political currency is the key to dominating Calradia.

The Two Currencies

It is easy to confuse Renown and Influence, but they serve different roles:

• Renown: A permanent stat that determines your Clan Tier. It unlocks party limits and companion slots. It is gained slowly and never lost (unless you fail quests).

• Influence: A volatile currency used for kingdom actions. It is gained and spent daily. If you have negative influence, your influence with other clans drops, and you cannot participate in votes.

Farming Renown

Before you worry about influence, you need Renown to reach Clan Tier 2 (to become a vassal).

• Tournaments: The safest early source (3-6 renown per win).

• Battles: Fighting against odds gives the highest renown. Defeating a 50-man lord with your 30-man party is worth far more than crushing 10 looters.

• Hideouts: Clearing bandit hideouts gives a nice chunk of renown and improves relations with nearby notables.

Generating Influence

Once you are a vassal (Tier 2+), the game changes. You need Influence to survive.

Active Methods

1. Battles: Every battle won yields influence.

2. Donating Prisoners: Instead of ransoming lords or troops, donate them to a friendly dungeon. This gives massive influence returns.

3. Donating Troops: Drop off garrison troops in allied fiefs for quick influence.

Passive Methods

1. Clan Parties: Your companion parties generate influence as they patrol and fight.

2. Buildings: The 'Forum' in towns produces daily influence.

3. Policies: Certain kingdom laws (like Council of the Commons) can give you passive influence per notable in your towns.

Spending Influence Wisely

Influence burns a hole in your pocket. Here is where it goes:

Kingdom Votes

When a fief is captured, a vote is held. Spending 50-100 influence can sway the decision in your favor. Be careful not to drain your bank on a castle you can't defend.

Army Cohesion

This is the biggest sink. When you lead an army, its Cohesion drops daily. You must spend Influence to boost cohesion or the army will disband. See Army Cohesion & Food Management for tips on managing this.

Proposing Policies

You can force a vote on laws that benefit you. Check Kingdom Policies & Laws for the best policies to enact.

The Snowball Effect

As your Clan Tier rises, your influence limits and gains increase. A Tier 6 clan with good policies can generate hundreds of influence per day while doing nothing, allowing them to keep massive armies in the field indefinitely. This is the state you must aim for before Creating Your Own Kingdom.