Modding Basics

November 21, 2025

Safe mod setup for performance and quality-of-life.

Modding Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord can transform the game from a great medieval sim into the perfect game for you. Whether you want total conversions like Realm of Thrones (Game of Thrones) or simple quality-of-life fixes, it all starts here.

Getting Started: Tools & Dependencies

Before you download your first sword pack, you need the foundation.

The "Big Four" Dependencies

Almost every complex mod requires these four libraries. They must be loaded before the Native game modules.

  1. Harmony: A library for patching game code.

  2. ButterLib: Extension library.

  3. UIExtenderEx: Allows mods to add new UI elements.

  4. Mod Configuration Menu (MCM): Adds an in-game options menu for mods.

Top Mods Showcase

Installation Guide

There are three main ways to install mods:

1. Steam Workshop

  • Pros: One-click install, auto-updates.

  • Cons: Harder to roll back versions if an update breaks your save.

  • How: Go to the Workshop tab in Steam, subscribe to the "Big Four" and your desired mods.

2. Vortex (Nexus Mods)

  • Pros: Great for managing large load orders, handles conflicts.

  • Cons: Requires external software setup.

  • How: Download Vortex from Nexus Mods, scan for Bannerlord, and use the "Mod Manager Download" button on mod pages.

Installing Mods

3. Manual Installation

  • Pros: Total control.

  • Cons: Tedious, prone to "Blocked DLL" errors.

  • How: Download the archive, extract it to your game's Modules folder (usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Mount & Blade II Bannerlord\Modules).

    • Crucial Step: Right-click the downloaded zip file -> Properties -> Check Unblock at the bottom. If you don't do this, Windows will block the mod's code from running, causing a crash on startup.

Load Order & Troubleshooting

The order in which mods load is critical. If Harmony loads after Native, the game will crash.

The Golden Standard Load Order

  1. Harmony

  2. ButterLib

  3. UIExtenderEx

  4. Mod Configuration Menu

  5. Native

  6. SandBoxCore

  7. Sandbox

  8. StoryMode

  9. BirthAndDeath

  10. ...Your Custom Mods...

Bannerlord Mod Launcher

Common Issues

  • Crash on Launch: usually means a missing dependency or wrong load order.

  • "Application faced a problem": often caused by a version mismatch. Ensure your mod version matches your game version (e.g., Mod for v1.2.9 will crash on v1.1.0).

For a list of mods we recommend to get started, check out Modding & Best Mods.

Modding Basics | mountandblade-bannor-lords-2 | Blink5