Marriage, Heirs, and Dynasty

While individual battles are won by swords, kingdoms are built on bloodlines. The "Dynasty" aspect of Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord transforms the game from a medieval combat simulator into a grand strategy game. Mastering your clan's lineage allows you to field massive armies for free and ensure your kingdom survives the death of its founder.

A large clan is a powerful clan. More members mean more parties, more governors, and more caravans.

The "Family Army" Strategy

The single most powerful mechanic in the game related to family is the 0 Influence Army.

• Normal Armies: Calling another lord to your army costs Influence to summon and Influence to maintain (Cohesion).

• Family Armies: Calling a party led by a family member (Spouse, Sibling, Child) costs 0 Influence to summon and 0 Influence to maintain.

If you have 4 adult children and a spouse, you can create 5 separate parties, summon them all to your army, and roam the map as a 1,000+ man doomstack permanently, without ever spending a point of Influence. This allows you to siege town after town without the army disbanding.

For more on army mechanics, see Army & Influence Management.

Marriage Alliances & Diplomacy

When you marry off your children, you must make a strategic choice.

• Sons: When a male clan member marries, his wife joins your clan. This is always a net gain (you get a new free companion/lord). Always try to find wives for your sons.

• Daughters: When a female clan member marries, she joins their clan (unless you are the faction ruler and they are a mercenary, sometimes, but usually she leaves). You lose a valuable party leader but gain a massive Relation boost with that clan.

Tip: Only marry off daughters if you desperately need to secure an alliance with a powerful clan or if you have too many family members to manage. Otherwise, keep them unmarried so they can lead parties for you.

Marriage is a tool of diplomacy. Use it to befriend powerful neighbors.

Retiring Your Character

You don't have to wait for death to play as your heir. If your main character is old, injured, or you simply want a fresh start with a younger, better-skilled heir, you can visit The Retreat.

This is a special location on the map (usually near Lageta/Battania). Visiting "The Hermit" allows you to retire your current character.

1. Effect: Your main character is removed from the game (stats recorded as "Retired").

2. Succession: You immediately choose an heir to take over.

3. Why do this?: To take control of a child who has been leveled up perfectly (e.g., pure combat stats) while the old leader manages a town (if not fully retired) or simply to reset the age clock.

Retirement allows for a smooth transition of power on your own terms, rather than in the chaos of battle.

Managing your dynasty is the key to the late game. A lone wolf can take a castle, but only a dynasty can rule a continent.