As a continuation of Warband, success in Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord depends heavily on the many soldiers you can bring into battle at any given moment. Powerful units notwithstanding, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the numbers the AI-controlled Lords will control. You might find yourself owning the board with a strong retinue of 150 hardened men, only to be overwhelmed by an established noble with 250.
As you continue to face larger threats, the question becomes: How do I increase my party size in Bannerlord? This blog provides all the answers you need, some of which might be obvious, and some you may not be aware of.
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The Best Way To Increase Party Size in Bannerlord: Stewardship
The Steward skill is the most important in the game in terms of increasing party size, as it directly controls how many soldiers you can control as it goes up. According to the game’s stats, your party size increases by 0.25 per level of Steward. This might not sound like much at first, until you consider that a character with steward skill of 200 increases party size by 50 troops, which can make all the difference in any given battle.
This assumes you have the character with this skill installed as your party’s quartermaster, since the character’s party role is necessary to activate the skill and its perks. Acting as quartermaster in the party is also the way you increase the Steward skill. It is one of the easiest skills to level, since it rises on its own as long as that player fulfills that role. As such, it is recommended you decide on a permanent Quartermaster from the very beginning of the game. The player character is the ideal choice, since you don’t want to be dependent on another character for your party size. You might want to install that character as a governor later, or send them on missions.
Many companions, such as your brother in the campaign or a powerful spouse, will come into the party with a Steward skill of 150+. Installing these characters might work in the beginning, but you’d be hindering your player from leveling their Steward skill for later.
Perks That Raise Party Size in Bannerlord
There are several perks that increase party size in Bannerlord, which can be found throughout the skill trees. They are as follows:
| Perk | Skill (Rank) | Bonus to Party Size | Player Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prestige | One-Handed (250) | +15 | Party Leader |
| Horde Leader | Tactics (75) | +10 | Party Leader |
| Uplifting Spirit | Leadership (175) | +10 | Party Leader |
| Hope | Two-Handed (175) | +5 | Party Leader |
| Having Going | Athletics (75) | +5 | Party Leader |
| Merry Men | Bow (100) | +5 | Party Leader |
| Mounted Scouts | Scouting (150) | +5 | Party Leader |
| Leadership | Leader of the Masses (125) | +5* | Party Leader |
| Leadership | Authority (75) | +5 | Party Leader |
| Leadership | Talent Magnet (250) | +1 | Clan Leader |
| Leadership | Ultimate Leader (275) | +1* | Clan Leader |
*The Leadership skill “Leader of the Masses” provides +5 extra troops for every settlement you own.
*The Leadership skill “Ultimate Leader” grants +1 to party size for every level after 275. For example, a character with a level of 300 in Leadership would have a party size increase of 25 troops.
Leveling Clan Tier and Party Size
Raising your Clan Tier is the overarching goal of success in Bannerlord, so you should always be taking actions to elevate it; that is, gaining renown through such actions as winning tournaments, fighting tough battles, and taking settlements. Your party size limit increases by 15 troops each time you level your Clan Tier. This equates to a bonus of 45 by the time you reach Tier 3, but the game really opens up when you reach Tier 4 and find your Kingdom.
Bannerlord Royalty Benefits to Party Size
At tier 4, the player becomes eligible to become a King or Queen. After you’ve acquired a settlement and had the conversation with its governor to establish a Kingdom, you will see an immediate party size increase of 40 troops. This equals +100 troops counting the 60 extra you’ve acquired from Tier-level bonuses (Tier 4 times 15 troops per tier).
Kingdom Policies That Affect Party Size in Bannerlord
Once you’ve become the ruler of a faction, you can also increase party size through certain policies. The ‘Policies’ tab is found under Kingdom Management (K). You will need a certain amount of renown to enact these, and you may have to win a vote if you have other nobles in your kingdom:
- Noble Retinues – The party size of Tier 5+ clans is increased by 40, at the cost of 1 influence per day
- Royal Guard – Ruler’s party size is increased by 60, but non-ruler clans lost 0.2 influence per day
You should be aware of the downsides of each policy before you decide if the party size increase is worth it. For Noble Retinues, the influence loss might be offset by gains with other policies. For Royal Guard, you risk upsetting your vassals by detracting their daily influence, and in some cases, loyalty is more important than a few extra troops.
