One of the best parts about the Mount and Blade series is the epic battles that take place in the field between two warring kingdoms. There’s only one way to take part in these battles, and that’s by being one of those two kingdoms. Joining a kingdom in Bannerlord is relatively easy and should be one of the first things you do once your clan tier is high enough. If you need help increasing your clan tier, check out our guide on that here. If you already have clan tier 1, here is a guide on how to become a mercenary in Bannerlord.
What Kingdoms Can I Join in Bannerlord?
There are a bunch of different kingdoms you can fight for in Bannerlord. Here is a full list and a short description of each kingdom.
- Aserai – The southern faction. They specialize in fast cavalry units that use spears. Their ranged units are foot archers.
- Battania – The green faction that holds the woodland area on the western side of the map, they have the best bowmen in the game and also have great ground units and a mix of calvary.
- Khuzait – The lords of the steppes to the east, the Khuzait have the best horse archers in the game. They also have light cavalry, archers on foot, and spearmen.
- Northern/Southern/Western Empire – The empire has been split into three fragment kingdoms all with different views on who should rule next. Each faction has the same unit type. The Imperial troops feature strong ground units. Their legionaries are great swordsman and their Palatine Guards are formidable archers. They do have a cavalry unit, but it is a specialty unit and can be hard to fill an army with.
- Sturgia – In the very north are the Sturgians. The Sturgians have hard-hitting infantry that like to use big axes and other two-handed weapons. They also have access to bowmen, a light cavalry unit, and a special heavy cavalry unit.
- Vlandia – The Vlandians in the west have the best crossbow units in the game as well as strong infantry units that either use a spear or one-handed weapon. Their specialty unit is a heavy cavalry troop.
How to Become a Mercenary in Bannerlord and Join a Kingdom
Once you’ve picked a faction you would like to join, simply go to one of their castles or towns and find a lord that is part of that faction. If you happen to meet one walking about on the campaign map that’s fine too! You’ll need to talk to them and ask them about becoming a mercenary. If they’re at war with another faction, they will accept and let you join them and fight for their cause. You will get influence and gold for every enemy you help defeat.
Now, you can also join their armies and help siege castles, cities, or take part in those big battles we mentioned earlier. You should take part in every battle you can. It’s a great source of gold, renown, and experience. You need to get renown so that you can increase your clan tier to 3 and eventually become a vassal. Here’s our guide on how to become a vassal in Bannerlord here!
We hope our guide on how to become a mercenary in Bannerlord was useful. If you’re looking for more Bannerlord tips and tricks, check out our other guides!