Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord has finally graduated from its early access phase. Now, digital larpers and medieval roleplayers can enjoy the game in its full splendor. But regardless of what path the players choose to take, they owe it to themselves to also graduate from the starting peasant rags that the game drapes over their poor caveman characters.
Anyone can remedy this lack of style or protection with the game's armor pieces. And while Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord armor don't really offer that much in the way of protection, even against swarms of angry bandits, every layer of protection can help. Besides, collecting the best and shiniest armor in the game is a more attainable goal than holding an empire by the ripe old age of 30.
7 Sturgian Tier 6/5/4 Armor Set
If players are looking for the best armor set they can have in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord without compromising their appearance, then the Sturgian armor set offers a good balance of everything. It's one full set. Just go to Sturgia and rummage through the towns, smithies, and tanneries and look for the armor pieces with the highest values. These are usually Tier 6 armor items.
A good starting point is the Closed Decorated Goggled Helmet, which has a value of 54. It's easy to find the complementing armor pieces that go along with it afterward. Tournaments can also reward players with T6 equipment; as such, joining tourneys in Sturgia offers a good chance of snagging these T6 armor pieces.
Meanwhile, the Sturgian tier-six Bringandine body armor offers a value of 49/25/20 which is more important for players who prefer to fight on horseback due to the better leg and arm protection compared to the best overall armor in the game. Speaking of which...
6 Imperial Heavy Scale Armor over Mail Hauberk
- Armor value: 57/20/16
- Location: Calradic Empire territories
Players needn't go far in search of the best body armor in the game. They can easily obtain it in the Calradic Empire territories (what's left of it anyway). The Heavy Scale Armor over Mail Hauberk by far provides the best armor value in the game. Such has been the case since the game's early access days, and the armor seems to still be at the top.
It apparently, doesn't offer the best leg or arm protection though those values are still decent. But the body protection is staggeringly high compared to other armor pieces. That's usually the part that gets hit the most anyway, so this armor protects the stuff that matters the most. Also, it's somewhat easy to obtain given the size of the Empire.
5 Sturgian Closed Decorated Goggled Helmet
- Armor value: 54
- Location: Sturgian territories
A trip north is very much worth it if players want to grab themselves the best protection from stray arrows to the head. The best candidate here is the aforementioned Closed Decorated Goggled Helmet with a value that's nearly as high as the torso part protection for Heavy Scale Armor over Mail Hauberk.
The weight isn't too bad either though it's starting to wander off to the heavy side. If players want a lighter alternative, then a Battanian Heavy Warlord Helmet has 53 armor and a weight of 2.6. It's only one point, which is negligible. So it's mostly up to the players' sense of style and preference.
4 Battanian Scale Warlord Bracers
- Armor value: 25
- Location: Battanian territories
Sadly, the best gauntlets or gloves typically go only up to tier four in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord (at the time of writing). The best among them would be the Scale Warlord Bacers which players can find in Battanian territories. The good news is that players don't have to struggle through tournaments if they want a sure way of obtaining this.
It's only tier-four, so players have a good chance of seeing it in rich towns, castles, or smithies in the game. In terms of looks, it goes well with the Heavy Scale Armor over Mail Hauberk due to the scales. It's also quite light despite the impressive amounts of protection, so players will be pleased with this gauntlet pair overall.
3 Battanian Scaled Boots
- Armor value: 26
- Location: Battanian territories
While they're at it in their search for the Scale Warlord Bracers, players can also include the Scaled Boots in their itinerary. It's by far the best pair of boots that players can obtain in the game; the best part is that it pairs well with the Battanian Scale Warlord Boots and the best body armor in the game.
Players won't have to worry too much about uniformity and ruining their style though the helmet might fit in better with the whole Sturgian set instead of these. Regardless, the boots have more than a decent value since the weight is a bit light. Like the Scale Warlord Gloves, this one is also only tier-four.
2 Vlandian Tier-five Pauldrons/Cape
- Armor value: 22/12
- Location: Vlandian territories
As one of the latest armor pieces added when the game was nearing its full version release, the best Vlandian pauldrons aren't yet well-known. However, they hold the highest value and have dethroned the previous pauldrons, which would be the Heavy Warlord Pauldrons in Battania; that one has a value of 20/10.
Meanwhile, the Vlandian Pauldron armor (tier-five) has a value of 22 for the shoulders and 12 for the arms. It's nice to see the developers throw a bond to the Vlandia faction, given how some of the best armor pieces or items in the game belong to the other factions. In any case, this gives players a good reason to venture to Vlandia.
1 Celtic Frost Barding Armor
- Armor value: 78
- Location: Calradic Empire territories (south)
Of course, a lord is only as high and as fast as his horse will take him; with a dead horse, he's nothing but a vulnerable foot soldier. So it's best to keep the horse's safety in mind with the Celtic Frost Barding. Players will need to venture south somewhere in the southern portion of the Calradic Empire.
It's heavy, sure enough, but nevertheless great for keeping one's horse alive. There might be lighter alternatives that offer a bit less armor such as the Saddle of Aeneas or the Cataphract Scale Barding, those are also viable or nearly identical in protection.