Travel & Map Exploration

November 21, 2025

Tips for safe and efficient map traversal.

Travel & Map Exploration in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord

Calradia is vast, and knowing how to navigate it efficiently is the difference between catching a caravan and getting caught by an army.

Bannerlord Campaign Map

Navigating Calradia

The campaign map is where you spend half your time.

  • Zoom Levels: Zoom out to see kingdom borders and army markers. Zoom in to spot small looter parties and hideouts.

  • Settlement Markers: Use the settlement nameplates to quickly see prosperity (hearth count) and food stocks without entering.

  • Fog of War: At the start of the game, the Encyclopedia is empty. You must visit towns and speak to lords to "meet" them and update their last known location.

The Scout's Role

Your Scout (whether it's you or a companion) is your eyes.

  • Seeing Distance: Determined by the Scouting skill. Higher skill lets you spot enemies from further away, giving you time to react.

  • Tracking: Scouts can see "Tracks" on the ground—arrows indicating a party passed by.

    • Green Tracks: Allies/Neutrals (Villagers, Caravans).

    • Red Tracks: Enemies (Bandits, Lords at war).

    • Track Info: Hovering over a track tells you the party size and how long ago they passed. This is crucial for hunting Bandit Factions & Hideouts.

Scouting Skill Guide

Terrain & Speed

The map isn't just a flat board. Terrain dramatically affects your Party Speed.

  • Forests: Slow down cavalry significantly. Battanian culture ignores this penalty.

  • Snow: Slows down everyone. Sturgian culture ignores this.

  • Night: Speed is reduced at night unless you have specific Scouting perks.

  • Disorganized: After a battle, your party is "Disorganized" for a few hours, moving very slowly. Be careful not to fight if a large enemy army is nearby!

See Terrain & Weather Effects for a deep dive.

Hideouts

Hideouts are static bandit bases that spawn bandit parties.

  • Spotting: They are invisible until you get close enough.

  • Clearing: Clearing them stops bandit spawns in the area and gives a relation boost with nearby notables.

  • Markers: Once discovered, they stay on your map until cleared.

Bandit Hideout

Advanced Tips

  • Herd Penalty: Carrying too many horses/cows slows you down.

  • Holding Alt: Shows extra info on the map, like specific party types.

  • Click to Move: You can click a destination and speed up time (Fast Forward), but be ready to pause if enemies appear!