Like any video game that includes sword and shield combat, armor is paramount to your survival in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord. Once the fights go beyond small bandit groups in the woods and deserts of Calradia, you’ll start to see opponents no longer fall from one of your well-placed strikes, often taking several before they fall. It might dawn on you at this point that these enemies are wearing superior armor, and that you’ll need to upgrade your own peasant’s robes to something thicker if you hope to compete. The following post gives details on Bannerlord’s best armor by category–helmet, shoulders, body, arms, and legs–so you can figure out which combination works best.
We will provide two options for each bodily section: one that considers only the coverage, providing the highest armor rating; and another that provides the most amount of armor for the least amount of weight. Since there aren’t any measurements for weight other than numbers, we will simply refer to the weight value as weight (wt).
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Best Helmets in Bannerlord
Helmets in Bannerlord are all about coverage, since the weight difference is generally negligible compared to the lightest to heaviest body armors. Any head armor above 50 is going to weigh at least 3.0 wt or more, so you might go for the highest armor value in helmets and make up for it with the other armor pieces. The best helmet in Bannerlord is the Sturgian Decorated Goggled Helmet, which has an armor rating of 54 with a base cost of 170,000 denars and 3.8 wt to wear this glorious crown into battle. For those looking for lighter gear, a Warlord Helmet Over Mail offers 47 armor at a measly 2.0 wt. Some would argue you don’t need an armor rating above 47 if your character is a quick target, but frontline tanks will opt for that extra 7 armor if you want to max out these values.
Best Shoulder Armors in Bannerlord
Bannerlord offers slim pickings in terms of viable shoulder armor, meaning that you’ll probably find one that works once you unlock them all and stick with it for the rest of the game. The ideal armor in this game is the Brass Scale Shoulders found in Sturgia, in terms of armor-to-weight ratio. These pieces offer 18 body armor and 4 arm armor at a lowly 2.2 wt. The most resilient–and most expensive–shoulder armor in Bannerlord are the Reinforced Bronze Scale Shoulders of the Aseria, which grant 20 body armor and 12 arm armor. These are also among the heaviest shoulder sets in the game, weighing 5.8 wt. We should also mention the Scaled Warlord Pauldrons found in Battania, which offer the same body armor, but less arm armor (10) than the Bronze Scale Shoulders at 4.0 wt.
Best Arm Armors in Bannerlord
The best arm armors in Bannerlord are the Scale Warlord Bracers, which offer a 25 armor rating at 2.6 wt. In what is becoming a recurring theme, the lack of plate armor in this time in history means that scale armor wins the day. Expect to empty out your coffers to acquire a new one, though. For the light skirmishers out there, the Fian Bracers pictured right is a noble choice, providing 18 armor at only 0.5 wt, and looking better than most hand coverings in the game with its gold trim.
Best Leg Armors in Bannerlord
The sturdiest leg armor in Bannerlord is the Scaled Boots, which are the leg pieces of Battania’s Warlord set. They have a relatively good armor to weight ratio of 26 to 2.9, and the armor value is the highest in the game. For the most agile boots that still provide solide coverage for the legs, consider the Reinforced Suede Boots found in Khuzait shops. An armor rating of 20 is still among the better ratings in the game, and its weight of 1.0 is the same as many other leg armors that provide single-digit armor coverage.
Best Body Armor in Bannerlord
We saved the most important armor section for last. Body armor affects both arm and leg armor ratings, and because it’s the most likely area to be hit by an attack, this should be the first investment, even if you have to go bare elsewhere. The Heavy Lamellar Vest of Sturgia is by far the most efficient use of weight for light builds. Weighing only 7.1, this body armor still provides 35 body armor and 18 leg armor, with its only drawback being the 2 arm armor. It can be offset somewhat with a good shoulder piece but will always be a weakness. For pure tanks, the Imperial Heavy Scale Armor Over Mail Hauberk is a fortress. Some sets have more arm armor (16) and leg armor (16), but none can match its body armor (57).
Best Overall Armor Set in Bannerlord
This is where things get a bit subjective, since the “best” can mean a few things. Plus, some armor sets are more clearly defined than others. Based on the pieces mentioned above, you can probably gather that the “Warlord” set from Battania is our pick for the best matching armor in Bannerlord. This assumes you’re using the Highland Scale Armor Over Mail as the body piece, since it clearly matches the pauldrons and boots, rather than The Highborn Mail Armor that is superior but doesn’t match.
Matching the Warlord pieces will not only give you 60+ body armor with 40s in arm and leg–as well as a 53 armor rating for the Warlord’s Helmet–it will also make your character look like a gleaming knight in its silver scales. Further, scale armor is surprisingly light for the protection it provides, so you can still use stick-and-move tactics effectively while avoiding sudden death from flanking archers.
Ultimately, Bannerlord’s best armor is a matter of taste, since Taleworlds does a good job of balancing the pros and cons of each set. Recent updates have nerfed some of the more overpowered sets to instill even more balance, so it’s worth checking your troop trees to see what soldiers are wearing so you know where to look for your next vital piece.
