Troop Experience & Upgrading in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord

Building an elite army requires more than just battle experience. You need the logistics to support it.

Upgrade Requirements

When a unit is ready to upgrade, you need two things:

1. Denars: The cost increases with tier.

2. Horses: For cavalry units.

Horse vs. Warhorse

This is the most common bottleneck for new players.

• Mounts (Horses): Required to upgrade infantry to Tier 2-3 cavalry (e.g., Khuzait Nomad). These are your Sumpter Horses, Midlands Palfreys, etc.

• War Mounts (Warhorses): Required to upgrade Tier 3 cavalry to Tier 4-5 (e.g., Vlandian Banner Knight). These are expensive breeds like Imperial Chargers, Destriers, or Steppe Warhorses.

Tip: Always buy cheap horses from villages. Sourcing enough Warhorses can be tough; check Horses & Mounts for the best farming spots.

Veteran's Respect: Converting Bandits

Normally, bandits are trash troops or just fodder. But with the Leadership 150 perk Veteran's Respect, they become a goldmine.

• Sea Raider Boss -> Sturgian Druzhinnik Champion (Noble Cavalry)

• Forest Bandit -> Battanian Fian Champion (Noble Archer)

• Steppe Bandit -> Khuzait Khan's Guard (Noble Horse Archer)

• Desert Bandit -> Aserai Faris (Noble Cavalry)

This perk allows you to recruit high-tier prisoners and convert them into the best units in the game, skipping the recruitment grind entirely.

XP Management strategies

Refer to our Training Troops Efficiently guide for the fastest ways to gain XP. Remember that upgrading troops increases their daily wage significantly. Don't upgrade your whole army to Tier 5 if you can't afford the upkeep!