Siege Warfare Guide

Sieges are the pinnacle of warfare in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord. While field battles test your reflexes and command, sieges test your preparation, patience, and strategic mind. This guide serves as your central hub for mastering the art of taking and holding territory.

The Art of the Siege

Capturing a town or castle is the only way to expand your kingdom's borders. It provides tax income, a recruitment hub, and a safe haven for your clan. However, sieges are costly. You risk your best troops and leave your lands vulnerable while you sit outside enemy walls.

Siege Engines Tier List

Before you even approach the walls, you must win the artillery duel.

• S-Tier: Trebuchets: The ultimate wall-breakers. Build 4 of them to smash enemy walls flat.

• S-Tier: Fire Onagers: The ultimate troop killers. If you are defending, or if you want to kill the garrison without breaking the walls, use these.

• A-Tier: Ballistae: Excellent for sniping enemy engines and precision kills. Best used in defense or early siege phases.

• B-Tier: Regular Onagers: Good all-rounders but outclassed by their fire variants.

For a detailed breakdown of building these engines, see our Siege Warfare & Engineering guide.

The Campaign Phase

The battle begins on the campaign map.

1. Building the Camp: Speed depends on your Engineering Skill.

2. The Reserve Trick: When building Trebuchets, move them to "Reserve" immediately upon completion. Deploy all 4 at once to overwhelm the defender's single active engine.

3. Starvation: If you have the time and food, wait. Starving the garrison drops their morale and kills them off, making the final assault a walk in the park. Learn more in Siege Warfare Fundamentals.

The Battle Phase

Once you launch the assault, you are in command.

• Shield Wall: Your infantry must form a shield wall to survive the approach.

• Archer Spacing: Spread your archers out in Loose formation to minimize casualties from enemy catapults.

• Leading the Charge: As the commander, your presence boosts morale. Stay near the main breach or the siege tower to keep your troops fighting.

For optimal troop choices, check our guides on Best Infantry Units and Best Archer Units.

Defense

Defending a castle is where you can defeat armies five times your size.

• Choke Points: The gatehouse and the top of ladders are death traps.

• Ambush: Sally out to destroy their Ram. Without a Ram, they are forced to use ladders, which favors the defender heavily.

Summary

Siege warfare is a complex dance of logistics, engineering, and blood. Master the campaign phase to strip the enemy of their defenses, and master the battle phase to crush them with minimal losses.