Diplomacy & Kingdom Politics

November 21, 2025

Pillar covering wars, alliances, and influence spending.

Politics in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord can be as deadly as the battlefield. Whether you are a hired sword or a powerful vassal, understanding how kingdoms think is key to survival.

Best Mercenary Guide

The Mercenary Life

Before you swear an oath of vassalage, consider being a Mercenary.

  • The Contract: You are paid based on the Influence you generate.

  • No Strings: You can leave the kingdom at any time without penalty (unlike vassals, who lose relation and keeping fiefs triggers war).

  • Strategy: Join a losing kingdom. They pay more because they are desperate. Fight their enemies, raid villages, capture lords. When the war ends (or you want to switch sides), simply leave and join another kingdom.

Making Bank as a Mercenary

Your pay is tied to your "Influence" pool, which is converted to gold daily.

  • Tip: Don't spend your Influence on voting! Hoard it to maximize your daily paycheck.

  • Tip: Donating prisoners is the fastest way to spike your Influence (and thus your pay).

High Income Mercenary

Kingdom Decisions and Voting

The AI votes based on self-interest, relation, and logic.

  • Fief Allocation: The AI prioritizes clans with:

    1. Nearby fiefs (Geography).

    2. No fiefs (Pity).

    3. High Clan Tier and Wealth.

  • War Declarations: Kingdoms declare war when:

    1. They are paying too much tribute.

    2. Their "Power" is higher than a neighbor's.

    3. They are bored (peace has lasted too long).

Relations and Friends

Having high relations with other nobles is crucial.

  • Recruitment: You cannot recruit a lord to your kingdom if they hate you (or if they love their liege).

  • Voting: Friends are more likely to support your proposals in the kingdom council.

  • Prisoners: If you release a lord after battle instead of capturing them, your relation increases significantly. This is an investment in the future.

Beginner Mercenary Tips

Manipulating Tribute

Tribute is the daily gold one kingdom pays another to maintain peace. It is calculated based on War Exhaustion.

  • Raid Villages: Raiding adds massive "war score".

  • Capture Lords: Holding nobles in your dungeon forces the enemy to consider peace.

  • Don't Siege Too Much: Sieges take a long time. Fast, destructive raids often force a peace deal faster than taking a single castle.

Summary

  • Early Game: Be a mercenary. Switch sides often to keep wars going and loot flowing.

  • Mid Game: Become a vassal, but hoard your Influence for critical votes (like giving yourself a town).

  • Late Game: Use your relations to recruit enemy lords to your side.

For a deeper look at laws, check Diplomacy and Policies.