Best Gameplay Mods For Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord

Highlights

Choose factions wisely in Bannerlord to demonstrate strategy and conquer Calradia with Vlandians or Khuzaits.
Mods on Steam Workshop enhance Bannerlord experience with new gameplay features, from gruesome dismemberment to character customization.
Breakable Polearms mod adds strategic depth to battles in Bannerlord by forcing players to think carefully about weapon use.

Taleworlds Entertainment's Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord transports players to the fractured realm of Calradia, where numerous factions left behind by a crumbling empire vie for supremacy. Whether gamers choose to align themselves with the cavalry-focused Vlandians, the horse archer Khuzaits, or one of Calradia's other powerful groups, they have to demonstrate a mix of strategy, cunning, and military prowess if they are to triumph over their enemies.

mount and blade 2 bannerlord best units to recruit

Mount and Blade 2 Bannerlord: 10 Best Units To Recruit

Here are the units that players should be turning their eyes to in Mount and Blade 2 Bannerlord.

Vanilla Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord is already regarded as a great update to a classic gaming franchise (boasting a "Very Positive" reception on Steam), but it's nonetheless possible to take the game to the next level with the help of mods. Many mods are available on the Steam Workshop, from quality-of-life tweaks to game-changing updates, adding a new twist to this much-loved game.

1 Quick Nearby Tournaments

5 Stars, 515 Ratings

Mount and Blade Bannerlord Mod Quick Nearby Tournaments

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Created by Depression

Some mods overhaul games completely, transforming them into novel experiences that challenge even the most experienced players. In fact, many classic standalone titles started as mods. However, while these types of mods receive significant attention, there are many small, quality-of-life mods that should not be discounted.

Adventurers in Mount & Blade often turn to tournaments to earn renown and valuable equipment, but locating these events in the base game can be tedious. Thankfully, the Quick Nearby Tournaments mod created by Steam user Depression streamlines the process, meaning that gamers get to spend more time triumphing in exciting fights and less time locating them.

2 Dismemberment (Plus)

5 Stars, 3739 Ratings

Mount and Blade Bannerlord Mod Detailed Dismemberment

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Created by The_Schwartz

From the epic fantasy sagas of authors like George R.R. Martin to the world-shaping events of real Medieval history, one thing is clear about the historical and social context from which Mount & Blade's Calradia draws its inspiration: it was a gruesome time in which to live. While vanilla Bannerlord avoids many of the more unsavory historical quirks, players who wish to ramp up the authenticity (or who just feel especially bloodthirsty) can get their fix with Dismemberment (Plus), a mod by The_Schwartz.

Mount and Blade 2 Mod Brings Players to Game of Thrones' Westeros

A Game of Thrones fan has recreated the mythic world of Essos and Westeros in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord with tons of additional, custom content.

Dismemberment (Plus) does what it says on the tin, adding a chance for a player's attacks to cause grisly damage to their fallen enemies. From missing limbs to flying heads, this mod adds a gruesome twist to the experience, encouraging adventurers to find new and visually arresting ways to defeat their foes. However, while Dismemberment (Plus) adds a sense of realism, it may turn the stomach of less ruthless gamers.

3 Detailed Character Customization

5 Stars, 1080 Ratings

Image showing the Detailed Character Customization mod.

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Created by Designer225

Nominative determinism refers to the concept that a person's name determines their path through life. In the case of Steam user Designer225, responsible for maintaining the Detailed Character Customization mod, this idea seems to hold true. Detailed Character Customization adds new dimensions to Bannerlord's already impressive suite of character-shaping sliders and options, allowing players to tweak every aspect of their aspiring hero.

One of the mod's most notable additions is the ability to tweak a character's age, allowing players to move through the game as anything from a small-statured child to a veteran warrior. These fresh options enhance the roleplaying experience by offering gamers the chance to not only shape their avatar's progression through the game but also nearly every facet of their physical appearance.

4 Breakable Polearms

4 Stars, 44 Ratings

Image showing the Breakable Polearms mod.

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Created by order_without_power

Weapon degradation is a mechanic that exists in different games for various reasons. As such, this quality fundamentally changes how players interact with games, so it should be no surprise that order_without_power's Breakable Polearms mod significantly alters the Bannerlord experience.

mount and blade 2 best weapons for each category

Mount and Blade 2 Bannerlord: The Best Weapon for Each Category

The best weapons in Mount and Blade 2 Bannerlord are absolutely deadly and perfect for those looking for the stabbiest sticks and the sharpest shivs.

Polearms play a prominent role in the battle for Calradia, and the addition of a degradation variable forces players to think strategically about their use, encouraging effective blows rather than random flailing. After all, if a polearm does break before an enemy is defeated, this can lead to a desperate scramble for a replacement weapon, potentially jeopardizing a player's success in a tournament or battle.

5 Take Both

5 Stars, 539 Ratings

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Created by Anti Hero

Like many other roleplaying games, Mount & Blade: Bannerlord is all about how a player's choices shape the world in which they inhabit. From crafting a character's appearance to choosing their backstory and traveling companions, these decisions affect both a player's sense of immersion and the outcome of gameplay. This is especially true when it comes to upgrading the player character.

However, while vanilla Bannerlord forces the player to choose between different perks (each offering different advantages), Anti Hero's Take Both mod eliminates this choice by automatically selecting both options when a character is upgraded. An argument might be made that this removes a core aspect of the character-building experience, but the Take Both mod helps to create rounded characters for players who don't want to get bogged down in calculating the optimal specialization route.

6 Diplomacy

5 Stars, 3879 Ratings

Image showing the "Send Messenger" function in the Diplomacy mod.

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Created by artifixer and Bennyz

Epic fantasy sagas like Game of Thrones show how shifting alliances, unexpected betrayals, and multi-faction civil wars can define the fate of a kingdom. Indeed, while vanilla Bannerlord thrusts players into the middle of a far-reaching conflict between multiple factions, the base game lacks the mechanics needed for true strategic diplomacy. Luckily, the aptly titled Diplomacy mod plugs this gap, altering the gameplay experience significantly.

Crusader Kings 3 Mod Combines Game with Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord

A developer publishes a video where they show off a mod bridging the gap between Crusader Kings 3 and Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord.

From tiny tweaks like the ability to send messengers to other characters in Calradia to the implementation of regicidal conspiracies and faction in-fighting, Diplomacy elevates Bannerlord into a far more fleshed-out experience. New strategies also emerge, such as forming alliances with other groups to progress. Many players consider Diplomacy to be an essential addition to Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord, especially in the late game, making it one of the RPG's most popular mods.