Empire (Southern, Northern, Western)

November 21, 2025

Overview of all Empire factions, their politics, and troop specialties.

Empire (Southern, Northern, Western)

The Calradic Empire is the Rome of Bannerlord. Once a unified superpower, it is now fractured into three civil-warring factions following the death of Emperor Arenicos. They share the same culture and troops but differ in leadership and geography.

The throne of the Empire is contested by three factions.

The Split

After Arenicos died without a clear heir, the Empire split based on political ideology:

  • Northern Empire: Led by Senator Lucon. They believe the Senate should choose the Emperor. Aristocratic and republican.

  • Southern Empire: Led by Empress Rhagaea (Arenicos' widow). She believes in hereditary succession for her daughter, Ira. Monarchist.

  • Western Empire: Led by General Garios. He believes the army should choose the leader. Militarist/Populist.

Faction Breakdown

Northern Empire

  • Leader: Lucon.

  • Geography: Northeast, bordering Khuzait and Sturgia.

  • Challenge: Often squeezed by the aggressive Khuzaits.

Southern Empire

  • Leader: Rhagaea.

  • Geography: South/Central, bordering Aserai and Khuzait.

  • Challenge: Very central, often fighting on all sides. Popular with players who want to marry Ira.

Western Empire

  • Leader: Garios.

  • Geography: West, bordering Vlandia and Battania.

  • Challenge: Constant war with the powerful Vlandian cavalry and Battanian archers.

Civil war means constant skirmishes between Imperial factions.

Troop Comparisons

All three factions use the Imperial Troop Tree, which is the most versatile in the game.

  • Infantry: Imperial Legionary. Heavily armored shield infantry. Very durable.

  • Archers: Imperial Palatine Guard. Good armor and reliable damage, though not as deadly as Battanian Fians.

  • Cavalry: Imperial Elite Cataphract. Heavily armored shock cavalry. One of the best units in the game.

Imperial Cataphracts are the heavy cavalry backbone of the Empire.

Strategy

When joining an Imperial faction, consider:

  1. Geography: Which neighbors do you want to fight? (North = Khuzait, West = Vlandia).

  2. Policies: They all tend to favor policies that centralize power.

  3. Unification: The main quest allows you to reunite the Empire under one banner.

See Calradia Kingdoms Overview for other factions.

Empire (Southern, Northern, Western) | mountandblade-bannor-lords-2 | Blink5