Executions & Diplomacy
November 21, 2025
The consequences of chopping heads.
Executions & Diplomacy
In Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, the executioner's axe is the ultimate diplomatic statement. It screams "I am done talking." While effective at removing threats, it comes with a diplomatic cost that can cripple your campaign if used recklessly.
The Strategic Case for Execution
Why execute? The main reason is permanent removal.
The Raid Cycle: Enemy lords in Bannerlord escape captivity frequently. A lord you defeated yesterday will return tomorrow with a new army to raid your villages.
The "Chop-Chop" Strategy: Some players choose to execute every lord they capture. Eventually, the enemy kingdom literally runs out of people to lead armies.
Clan Destruction: If you execute the last adult member of a clan, that clan is destroyed forever. Their fiefs are redistributed to other clans in their kingdom.
To silence a lord forever, you must first win the battle and secure them as a prisoner.
The Diplomatic Fallout
The game punishes execution severely to prevent it from being the "easy mode" button.
Global Hatred
When you execute a lord, you lose relation with:
Their Faction: Obvious enemies.
Their Friends: This often includes lords in neutral kingdoms and even your own vassals.
Notables: Influential people in towns and villages who liked the victim will hate you.
Consequences
Recruitment dries up: You cannot recruit Noble Troops from notables who dislike you.
Diplomatic Isolation: Other kingdoms are more likely to declare war on you as you are seen as a threat to the nobility class.
Impossible Peace: If you execute a faction's ruler, their successor (often a family member) will have -100 relation with you, making peace negotiations incredibly expensive or impossible.
News travels fast. A single execution can turn allies into enemies across the entire continent.
Alternatives to Execution
If you want to stop the endless raids without becoming a pariah:
1. The Forever Prison
Instead of killing them, invest in Perks that reduce prisoner escape chance.
Riding & Scouting: High level perks can reduce escape chance from your party by 50%+.
Governor Perks: An Engineer/Roguery governor can make a dungeon almost inescapable.
See Prisoner Management for builds.
2. Conversion
If you have high Charm and money, you can convince lords to defect to your kingdom. This removes an enemy and gains an ally.
Consider the cost. A quiet town is better than a burning one, but a friendless king rules a quiet grave.
Summary
Execution is a valid strategy for "Total War" runs where you intend to conquer the map by force alone. For any playthrough relying on alliances, trade, or politics, the axe should stay sheathed.