Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord is looking better than ever as it inches its way ever closer to a full release. At the moment, it's one of the most impressive RPGs in existence like its predecessors before it as it lets players be anything in their own medieval oyster of a world. Of course, most players will still choose to be battle-thirsty warlords with a penchant for land-grabbing as was the most popular life goal in the game's portrayed time period.
Undertaking such an in-game endeavor requires more finesse when picking the faction. Because similar to medieval history, some kingdoms are better or more fortunate than others when it comes to territory, resources, or soldiers. Knowing what's what when it comes to banners ought to be the first step on the way to lordship in Bannerlord.
8 Sturgia
- Faction leader: Prince Raganvad
- Based on: Vikings
- Strength: Scouting and attrition
- Weakness: Weak units
Sturgia might sit safely at the northernmost part of the map where their enemies can only come from the south, but that doesn't mean their potential for conquest is sky-high. They're based on Viking civilizations and like those, they're pretty good at exploration and moving in unfavorable weather or terrain such as snow.
However, they lack some good firepower and muscle when it comes to units. Most of their units are light and don't scale well in tougher battles later on. Moreover, any other faction can easily steamroll them. Battania, for example, typically expands their territory by taking Sturgia's.
7 Khuzait
- Faction leader: Monchug Khan
- Based on: Mongols
- Strength: Mounted archers and excellent cavalry
- Weakness: Terrible infantry
Based on their territory on the map and their motif, it's easy to see where the Khuzait excel. They're based on the nomadic peoples of the east usually the Mongols but with a hint of Turkish. The Khuzait also enjoy the same advantage as the Aserai when it comes to territory though theirs is more landlocked and has fewer choke points.
Unit-wise, the Khuzait is all about thinning out the enemy herd before running them over with hooves. They do this by harassing enemy positions with their mounted archers and their fast cavalry. Forget about going toe-to-toe against other factions' heavy infantry as the Khuzait have poor foot soldiers.
6 Battania
- Faction leader: King Caladog
- Based on: Celts
- Strength: Guerilla warfare and archers
- Weakness: Small territory
Battania sounds an awful lot like another civilization off an island in Europe and sure enough, they're based on the Celts. They actually have some of the smallest territory available at the start of the game, so expansion is quickly recommended so they can find their footing.
Because once Battanians have the territory, they can defend it well and to their death. They have some impressive archers as well as ideal ambush spots in their mountainous regions. A lot of their troops also excel at dealing with cavalry as they have long weapons.
5 Aserai
- Faction leader: Sultan Unqid
- Based on: Saracens
- Strength: Flexible heavy units and territory choke points
- Weakness: Expensive cavalry and weak shields
For many players, the Aserai have the best spot in the game as they're situated at the southernmost part of the map. Also, to access Aserai territory, other factions will have to cross a choke point, making it a chore to invade them. When it comes to AI-driven games, some players will find that the Aserai territory tends to remain untarnished.
When it comes to units, the Aserai have the most balanced ones as they have good infantry and excellent heavy cavalry as well as decent archers. So any tactic is possible when commanding their armies. They can also get rich fast through trade thanks to the factionwide caravan discount.
4 Vlandia
- Faction leader: King Derthert
- Based on: Normans
- Strength: Versatile infantry and powerful melee cavalry
- Weakness: Expensive cavalry and lack of horse archers
Vlandia is the faction to the westernmost part of the map meaning they enjoy a relatively safe spot that allows them to just keep pushing back enemies that come from the west. Basically most other factions. As such, they've become good at pushing back and even have the units for it.
They have a wide variety of infantry but their main attraction is the heavy and awe-inspiring cavalry. They have incredible mounted lancers for the common and noble troop tree. The only thing stopping them is that their mounts can be rather expensive as they don't always have enough in their native region.
3 Southern Empire
- Faction leader: Empress Rhagaea
- Based on: Roman Empire
- Strength: Armored cataphracts and good archers
- Weakness: Weak economy
The Southern Empire is in a pretty tough spot as it's run by the widow of the late and great Emperor of the Calradic Empire and since there's no male heir of age, all other warlords and generals are vying for power. That means Empress Rhagaea has plenty of enemies to deal with.
The Empire was also split into three since the Emperor's death and that leaves the Southern Empire with the weakest economy out of all the three. It also struggles to expand compared to the other two portions of the Empire but at least it has access to the same heavy and elite units.
2 Northern Empire
- Faction leader: Emperor Lucon
- Based on: Roman Empire
- Strength: Armored cataphracts and skilled archers, decent economy
- Weakness: Multiple enemies from several fronts
The Northern Empire is a bit wealthier compared to the Southern but it also faces the same predicament where has several strong enemies on different fronts. It shares many borders with other factions looking to take some chunks of Empire territory after it split into three.
Emperor Lucon wants the Senate to regain its power in appointing a new Emperor in order to choose a rightful ruler for the fractured Calradic Empire since no heirs are eligible at the moment. This Empire faction thus insists on breaking the monarchic rule established by Empress Rhagaea.
1 Western Empire
- Faction leader: Emperor Garios
- Based on: Roman Empire
- Strength: Armored cataphracts and skilled archers, rich economy
- Weakness: Constantly harassed by the Battanians
The Western Empire got the better end of the deal when Calradia split into three. This chunk of the Empire is controlled by the generals and the self-crowned Emperor Garios who commands the bulk of the Imperial Legion. Thus, they have ready military might and a good chance to unite the triumvirate with Garios at the helm.
It also helps that they have several wealthy cities and that the only problem they have is the fact that the Battanians and the Vlandians aren't making it easy for them. Hence, most of the time, players will have to start off the campaign dealing with those two immediately before they can make any big plans.
Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord is available on PC as an Early Access game at the moment. It has no full version release date yet.