The medieval era of human history is no doubt a colorful setting full of wars, plagues, huge financial gaps, and of course, politics. You could even say that the last part caused all the preceding negative qualities of the medieval age (much like today, really) and it’s something that Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord has taken to heart when it crafted a historical mock-up of the medieval age as its game world.
Make no mistake, this feudal playground from Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord is every bit as treacherous and dangerous as their real-world inspirations. You’d do well in weighing your options in whose side you want to take or which factions you want as your enemies. Furthermore, you can also choose to start as one of these factions as well but change your course in the future. Hence, here are all of Bannerlord’s factions, ranked by how powerful they are.
8 SOUTHERN EMPIRE
The Southern Empire, like the Northern Empire, seeks to gain dominion over what remained of the Calradic Empire. It’s ruled by the widow of the deceased emperor of the once intact empire. As such, it’s in a bad spot and typically has the most difficult position among all three splinter empires.
The Southern Empire’s ruler is stalwart yet inexperienced and it’s also beset on all sides by its Northern and Western counterparts as well as the Khuzaits and the Aserai but was able to hold them off for the time being with their Imperial Legions.
7 WESTERN EMPIRE
The Western Empire is more or less the strongest among the three splinter factions of the Calradic Empire. This group consists of veterans of the former empire who have formed their own nation in the civil war.
As such, their options on the battlefield are made for conquest with imposing siege weapons and tried and tested Imperian Legions to boot. They’ll certainly be needing it as they’re surrounded on all fronts by their civil war enemies and the younger factions.
6 NORTHERN EMPIRE
Being a splinter faction of the once-mighty Calradic Empire, the Northern Empire has certainly seen better days. One can argue though that it has one of the most well-protected positions on the map, being situated north to the mountains. It also has a stronger economy compared to non-empire factions.
As for its armies, the Northern Empire, or speaking for all remnants of the Calradic Empire, has one of the most versatile units in the game. Their infantry, save for the early or low tiers, have excellent survivor skills and utility and can also fill in many roles. However, the particular distinct strength for the Northern Empire lies with their siege equipment and archers.
5 BATTANIA
Based on real-world Celtic people, Battania is a hardy faction full of battle-worn individuals. They’re practically surrounded by four other factions that are not all friendly towards them. Their army’s weaknesses are subpar cavalry and lightly armored troops. However, their specialized Noble units can turn the tide of battle quickly.
They also have decent archers and their strength lies in countering cavalries as a lot of their troops carry falxes or polearms. Some of their melee units even carry throwing axes which make them versatile enough. Still, you might not want to start as a Battanian as a new player since their territory is heavily contested and they’re frequently at war.
4 ASERAI
Down south in the world map of Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord lies Aserai, home to the fearsome and resilient camel cavalry and saber wielders. As you might have guessed, it’s a faction based on Islamic medieval people like the Saracens. Despite their unique cavalry, the strength of the Aserai lies in their archers and mounted archers which can cause gradually significant damage while their low-tier infantry holds the enemy in place.
This also makes the Aserai a more conservative army when it comes to casualties especially if you play your archers right. As enemies, you’d do well to go for their ranged units as the low-tier infantry can easily be outclassed and outmatched by more specialized troops. Meanwhile, they do have the perfect spot on the world map as all their potential enemies are only going to come from the north.
3 KHUZAIT
If you fancy emulating Genghis Khan or Attila the Hun, then Khuzait might be the faction for you. It’s based on Turkish and Mongolian civilizations where the mounted archers are top-notch along with other heavy cavalry. As such, the typical Khuzait army consists of plenty of horses.
Their weakness lies in their infantry, specifically the starting or low-tier ones as those lack access to polearms, making it hard for them to counter cavalry. Meanwhile, their melee cavalry is also not versatile. Like the Aserai, however, the Khuzait have a good spot on the world map—their potential enemies can only come from the West.
2 STURGIA
Sturgia is the nation or faction located on the topmost part of the world map which is a healthy spot as all their enemies can only come from the South. They’re even a bit safer from the empire as a huge body of water stands between them and the two splinter factions of the Calradic Empire.
The primary inspiration for these guys is the Nordic people. Their armies’ backbone consists of heavily armored infantry with large shields and is able to form formidable shield walls. Of course, they still use their cavalry and archers appropriately to flank the enemy and box them in.
1 VLANDIA
Vlandia is heavily inspired and influenced by the Normans of Normandy who invaded England, making them appear as the most “English” out of all the factions. Hence, they’re also appropriately placed as the Westernmost part of the world map. Much like the English or Normans, Vlandia’s cavalry is one of the best in-game.
Their heavy lancer cavalry is an unstoppable force on the battlefield and paired with well-rounded infantry, it’s easy to win with them. Their weakness lies in ranged units as their bowmen can only use crossbows. Regardless, you can’t go wrong with Vlandia’s heavy cavalry and red motif/banners, these guys mean business.
NEXT: Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord: 10 Essential Player Character Skills To Prioritize
