Equipment Weight & Encumbrance
November 21, 2025
Impact of gear weight on movement and stamina.
Equipment Weight & Encumbrance
In Bannerlord, every piece of gear has weight. This weight doesn't just take up inventory capacity—it slows you down on the battlefield.
The Encumbrance Penalty
If you wear full Plate Armor (Weight ~30kg) and carry a massive shield, your movement speed will drop significantly. This makes you an easy target for archers and cavalry.
Foot Speed: Reduced by total equipment weight.
Horse Speed: Reduced by horse armor (Barding) weight.
Always check the weight (scales icon) before equipping an item.
Mitigating Weight: Athletics
The Athletics skill is the counter to encumbrance.
Higher Athletics = Faster running speed.
Perks: "Peak Form" and "Well Built" reduce the weight penalty of armor.
Strategy: If you want to play as a heavy infantryman, you must level Athletics, or you will be too slow to catch anyone.
Light infantry can run circles around heavy knights, kiting them into bad positions.
Horse Armor (Barding)
Horse armor provides crucial protection but slows the horse.
Light Barding: Good for Horse Archers who need speed to kite.
Heavy Barding: Essential for Cataphracts/Knights charging into pikemen. The speed loss is worth the survival.
For a scout or messenger, choose speed. For a warhorse, choose armor.
Summary
Balance your loadout. If you are an archer, stay light to keep your distance. If you are a shield-bearer, load up on armor and trust your shield.