Diplomacy & Influence
November 21, 2025
Mechanics for alliances, wars, vassalage, and voting.
In Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, Denars buy you soldiers, but Influence buys you power. Influence is the political currency used to call armies, vote on laws, and decide who gets the next town. Without it, you are just a mercenary with a shiny banner.
Generating Influence
You need a steady stream of Influence to maintain your standing. Here are the best sources:
1. Winning Battles
Every battle you win grants Influence based on the renown gained. Defeating a large enemy army against the odds can net you 50-100 Influence instantly.
2. Donating Prisoners & Troops
This is the fastest way to "farm" influence early on.
Go to a friendly town/castle dungeon.
Choose "Donate Prisoners".
You gain Influence for every prisoner. High-tier prisoners give more.
Tip: Donating troops to the garrison works the same way.
3. Policies
As mentioned in our Kingdom Policies & Laws guide, policies like Sacred Majesty or Council of the Commons can generate huge passive Influence.
4. Buildings
The Forum project in towns creates passive Influence daily.
Spending Influence
Calling Armies
The primary use of Influence is summoning other lords to join your army.
Cost: Depends on the lord's clan tier and how busy they are.
Cohesion: You must spend Influence to keep the army together (boost Cohesion). If it hits 0, the army disbands.
Voting
Fiefs: Spending 300 Influence to override a vote can secure you a town worth millions over time.
Expelling Clans: If a clan is disloyal, you can vote to kick them out (costs massive Influence).
Barter and Relations
While Influence handles internal politics, Barter handles external deals.
Peace Deals: You can pay influence (converted to tribute) or denars to buy peace.
Recruiting Clans: You need high Charm and a lot of money/items to convince a clan to defect to your kingdom.
Avoiding Snowball Wars
If your kingdom is too aggressive, everyone will hate you. Use your Influence to propose peace when you are winning. If you take too much territory too fast, your relation with other clans drops, making you a target for a "dogpile" war.
Summary
Early Game: Farm Influence by donating prisoners.
Mid Game: Use Influence to call armies and capture towns.
Late Game: Use Influence to pass policies and overrule votes to consolidate power.
Mastering Influence is the key to transitioning from a simple commander to a true King.