There are many factions and organizations that you can join in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, and that is an aspect that made the game wildly popular. The setting and story are based around kingdom factions, which is why we’re going to be ranking the best factions in Bannerlord.
Now that Bannerlord is finally out of early access; there’s an entire campaign for you to explore. And the story will have you interact with all of the prominent kingdoms and factions in Calradia.
Factions in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord
Calradia is home to many races and ethnicities. This is mainly why you can find so many kingdoms on the map. There are also smaller clan factions that act as mercenaries and vassals of certain kingdoms, but those aren’t as prevalent as the actual kingdom factions.
Moving on – in order to avoid confusion when ranking the best factions, let’s go over a list of every major faction that exists in Bannerlord. This will fill you in on every cultural faction located in Calradia:
- Sturgia
- Battania
- Empire (Southern, Northern, and Western Empire)
- Khuzait
- Vlandia
- Aserai
We’ll start our ranking with the worst faction in Bannerlord and then work our way down to the best one. Nearly everything about a faction will be taken into consideration – military effectiveness, economy, kingdom strength, and overall territorial dominance.
6. Sturgia
The principality of Sturgia is a kingdom that occupies the northernmost mountain territories of Calradia. They’re pretty much the Vikings of the Mount & Blade universe. Due to their Grand Prince Raganvad, they’re very hostile toward most of their neighboring kingdoms.
Although trigger-happy, Sturgians rarely capture a significant amount of enemy territory. And even when they do, they lose it quite quickly. Sturgian troops may be great in small raiding parties, but the effectiveness of their elite troops in large battles is horrible when compared to other elite troop types.
Another thing that plagues Sturgians is their tendency to overextend themselves and their armies. Sturgian vassal lords rarely know when to stop, and thus stretch themselves thin time and time again. This allows other kingdoms to contest every Sturgian settlement. Playing as a mercenary or vassal of Sturgia will truly put your skills to the test.
5. Aserai
Aserai is an isolated desert kingdom in the southernmost part of Calradia. It is mostly separated from the rest of the kingdoms by sea. The fact that it’s so isolated is what makes it an economic haven, whilst also ensuring relative safety from other kingdoms.
Their ruler Sultan Unqid is not as much of a warmonger as the Sturgian prince, however. Their external affairs remain relatively neutral. Aserai lords do tend to pick calculated fights with Vlandia and the Western Empire, but it never really truly harms Aserai due to its location.
Now, as for their troops, those are as mediocre as it gets. Their most efficient elite troops would be the Mameluke Palace Guards, which take the role of shock infantry. Every other Aserai troop type is inferior when compared to troops of other cultures.
4. Battania
Battania may technically be a kingdom, but it’s far from one in a structural sense. High King Caladog united scattered Battanian clans to form the kingdom we now know as Battania. Battanians are wedged between mostly every kingdom on Calradia, and it’s why fighting became their identity.
The reason why we put such a fragile kingdom in front of the the Aserai is due to one single troop type – Battanian Fian Champions. Fian Champions are hands down the absolute best archers in Bannerlord. Their Falxmen also make for great shock infantry troops.
The history they have with their neighbors is far from pretty, and it’s why so many kingdoms want to invade Battania. Battania’s economy continuously suffers due to these invasions, and even though they sometimes put up a good fight, Battania nearly always succumbs to its bordering kingdoms.
3. Khuzait
The Khuzait Khanate consist of nomadic tribes that have united on the eastern grasslands and steppes of Calradia. They are under the rule of Khan Monchug, and put all of their chips into horse archery and cavalry combat. The Khuzait border Sturgia and Aserai, and they regularly go to war with both.
The Khuzait have a lot of weaknesses under their belt, but the biggest advantage is their Khan’s Guard horse archers. The Khan’s Guard units held the title of the best troops in Bannerlord for a long time, that is until Fian Champions came into the mix.
The reason why the Khuzait isn’t farther down the list is that they have three distinct advantages that set them apart from the rest. The first is their Khan’s Guard. The second is their solid border defense. And third, their decent economy.
2. Empire
The former Calradic Empire was split into a couple of kingdoms after a civil war in the year 1084. This civil war was led by 3 parties that eventually took charge of their own territories within the former Calradic Empire. These kingdoms eventually came to be known as the Northern, Southern, and Western Empires.
Each imperial kingdom is ruled by different emperors, but you can still buy imperial troops in each respective empire. They have some of the most well-rounded troops. Imperial Legionnaires sport shields that are nearly impenetrable when in a shield wall, and their Elite Cataphract units stand as the best melee shock cavalry troops in Bannerlord.
The only true, and most debilitating weakness that the Imperials suffer from is their civil war. The smaller Southern Empire nearly always succumbs to the Northern Empire. The Western Empire on the other hand is busy fighting on multiple fronts. Still, they are your safest bet in terms of solid military effectiveness.
1. Vlandia
Ruled by King Derthert, Vlandia has the potential to be the most dominant kingdom in all of Calradia. Vlandia started out as a form of barbarian tribes that were given mercenary work by the former Calradic Empire. As soon as Vlandian lords got the taste of imperial nobility, everything changed.
Vlandia seems to show the most potential among the kingdoms in Calradia. And although they’re at war with mostly everyone, they have the tenacity, troops, and economy to back it up. Vlandian Crossbowmen are so good that they can compete with Battanian Fian Champions. Their infantry troops always carry spears, and their cavalry is close to Elite Cataphracts skill-wise.
All of their troops can counter nearly every troop type from other cultures, and they have crossbowmen proficient enough to fight Fian Champions. Pair this with their unbeatable economy, and you have one dominant kingdom on your hands. This is your go-to choice if you want to conquer all of Calradia.
Now that we’ve ranked the best factions in Bannerlord, it’s time for you to test these factions out in a campaign or sandbox world of your own. Pair that with wise ruling and fighting and you will be on your way to greatness:
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