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Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord

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Cavalry

By
Scott Peers

M&B II Bannerlord: Best Cavalry Troops

Cavalry troops can be separated between melee, horse archers, and throwing cavalry. Each have their use on the battlefield, with melee troops holding the advantage when it comes to cavalry charges of most troops on the battlefield, particularly archers and light infantry, while horse archers can be used to harass almost any other troop type. In terms of throwing cavalry, these can be used to counter powerful horse archers, as they tend to have heavier armour and can move quickly to take out horse archers, the most experienced of which tend to be slightly weaker in their defences. Most of the best cavalry units are recruited outside of the main troop trees, and are among the special troops for each faction.

Cavalry in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord.

Melee Cavalry

Imperial Elite Cataphract

These units benefit from having some of the best heavy armour for any melee horse unit. In addition, they use maces which provide devastating blunt damage to other heavily armoured troops, at the expense of reach. However they can use a lance (which cannot be couched) for better reach when necessary.

One Handed Two Handed Polearm Bow Crossbow Throwing Riding Athletics
200 60 260 60 25 45 200 60

Vlandian Banner Knight

The Vlandian Banner Knight has slightly less armour than the Imperial Elite Cataphract, but they do have the ability to couch their lances, providing them with superior damage when charging. This allows them to kill almost any unit in the game with one hit. They also have slightly better one-handed damage than the Cataphract, making them more effective on foot during sieges.

One Handed Two Handed Polearm Bow Crossbow Throwing Riding Athletics
220 60 260 25 60 30 200 60

Horse Archers

Khuzait Khan’s Guard

These units are the most powerful and versatile archers in the game. They deal the most damage with a bow while also having high skill with a polearm when melee combat becomes necessary. They use a glaive for their polearm, which can cut through multiple enemies at once and kill most units in one hit.

One Handed Two Handed Polearm Bow Crossbow Throwing Riding Athletics
60 60 220 260 25 30 200 60

Khuzait Kheshig

These horse archers are essentially the tier 5 version of the Khuzait Khan’s Guard. As such they have much worse stats in almost every area, but they retain high proficiency as horse archers due to their proficiency with bows.

One Handed Two Handed Polearm Bow Crossbow Throwing Riding Athletics
50 50 130 160 20 60 130 80

Throwing Cavalry

In terms of throwing cavalry, while they may not be the first pick for an army focused on cavalry use, they can be useful as shock troops which can chase down enemy horse archers and utilise their superior heavy armour to break through enemy lines. Of these troop types, the Sturgian Horse Raider provides the most ammunition, with two packs of javelins available at the start of each battle. However, the Aserai Vanguard Faris is far more versatile, with a good set of stats in both throwing and melee combat, making them useful both in the field and during sieges.

Aserai Vanguard Faris

One Handed Two Handed Polearm Bow Crossbow Throwing Riding Athletics
170 60 200 65 20 140 170 90

Jawwal Bedouin

This camel rider troop is much more of a glass cannon than the Aserai Vanguard Faris. The Jawwal Bedouin has extremely weak armor, but their throwing ability is just as good as the Faris. The only reason you might choose these troops over the Faris troops is if you specifically want some camel-based throwing cavalry foe aesthetics, but their throwing ability still cannot be denied.

One Handed Two Handed Polearm Bow Crossbow Throwing Riding Athletics
80 60 130 40 20 140 80 130
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Guide Information
  • Publisher
    TaleWorlds Entertainment
  • Platforms,
    PC, Steam
  • Genre
    Action RPG, Sandbox, Strategy
  • Guide Release
    23 April 2020
  • Last Updated
    21 December 2022
    Version History
  • Guide Author
    Scott Peers

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The empire of Calradia is plagued by inner conflict, tearing the structure of the old order as new lines are drawn on the map. The chaos creates a dangerous world, with opportunities to capitalise on the uncertainty of the future. Control trade routes to manipulate production and distribution of resources, join factions to gain renown and influence world politics, or create your own clan to build a world of your own. Whatever path you choose, this guide will help you to understand the intricacies of the Bannerlord economy, combat, factions, skills and perks, tactics, troop types, character builds, smithing system, quests, and much more to ensure that you are never left wondering what to do next, or how you might go about doing it. The guide covers:

  • A guide for campaign Quests, including main and side quests
  • A detailed guide covering the Combat system, includes basic and advanced techniques for different weapons
  • Guide to combat Tactics, includes how to organise troops on the battlefield and simulation battles
  • Guides for how to quickly gain Renown and Influence in Calradia
  • A Character Development guide to Factions, Skills, Companions, and Marriage
  • A guide covering Character Builds for different combat styles such as melee, mounted, and ranged
  • A comprehensive guide to all Perks associated with combat and governance
  • A detailed Army Troop Types guide including how to get the Best Troops of Each Type
  • An Economy guide covering How to Make Money quickly through raiding, conquest, and trading
  • A list of Recommended Mods for the campaign and battles!

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