Ultimate Beginner Guide

Welcome to Calradia, warrior. Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord is a massive sandbox RPG that throws you into a living, breathing medieval world. It can be overwhelming at first. This guide will walk you through your first few hours, ensuring you survive the early game and build a foundation for your future empire.

Character Creation

Your journey begins with creating your character. While you can play however you want, some choices are easier for beginners.

• Culture:

  • Empire: Great for beginners. Their bonuses usually help with garrison wages or influence, and their troops are versatile.

  • Vlandia: Excellent for leveling troops faster (more XP from battles).

  • Battania: Faster movement in forests is a huge quality-of-life bonus for chasing looters.

• Attributes vs. Focus Points:

  • Attributes (Vigor, Control, etc.) represent your potential limit.

  • Focus Points increase your learning rate in specific skills.

  • Tip: Put focus points into Riding and One-Handed early for combat, and Steward for party size.

The First Hours

After the tutorial (which you should do!), you’ll be dropped near Poros.

1. Recruit Troops: Go to nearby villages and recruit "Imperial Recruits". Aim for 10-15 men.

2. Buy Food: Go to a town market and buy Grain. It's cheap and keeps your men from starving.

3. Hunt Looters: Look for parties of "Looters" with grey numbers (e.g., 5-10 size). They are the weakest bandits.

• Auto-Resolve vs. Fighting: Early on, fight manually to level up your own skills. Later, you can auto-resolve against weak looters to level your troops safely.

Combat Survival

Combat in Bannerlord is directional.

• Blocking: You must look in the direction of the incoming attack to block it.

• Shields: As a beginner, always use a shield. It blocks arrows and makes directional blocking much more forgiving.

• Movement: Keep moving. Backpedal if overwhelmed.

• Practice: Visit the Arena in any town to practice safely without risking death.

For a deeper dive, check our Combat Fundamentals guide.

Making Money

Denars rule everything. Here is the beginner's holy trinity of income:

1. Looters: Sell their gear and ransom the prisoners at the Tavern.

2. Tournaments: Bet on yourself in the Arena! If you win, you can make ~1,500 denars plus a valuable item (armor or horse) which you can keep or sell.

3. Smithing: Even basic smithing can be profitable. Smelt weapons you loot to get materials, then fulfill simple "Orders" in the smithy.

For more details, read our Economy & Trade Guide and Smithing for Profit.

Party Management

• Quartermaster: Assign yourself as Quartermaster in the Clan tab to level your Steward skill. This increases your party size limit.

• Food Variety: Don't just buy Grain. Buy Butter, Cheese, and Meat to boost Morale.

• Wages: Don't upgrade every recruit immediately. Tier 3+ troops cost much more daily wages. Keep a balance.

Learn more in Party Management & Morale.

Common Pitfalls

• Expanding Too Fast: Don't recruit 50 men if you can't pay them.

• Attacking Villagers: This starts a war and ruins your reputation. Stick to bandits early on.

• Ignoring Quests: "Main Storyline" quests give direction. See our Main Storyline Walkthrough.

Survive the early game, and soon you'll be leading armies. Good luck!