Finding the best troops in Bannerlord is probably the main goal of any conquest playthrough, or it should be. It’s about more than just looking at the numbers and putting the most soldiers of a certain tier against an enemy.
You must also consider which strategies you like to use and which troops complement those tactics.
This article covers all the conventional parts of warfare, so you can better understand how to invest your time and denars in recruitment and training. That way, you’ll have a well-oiled war machine when you face your first real battlefield test. There are plenty of units to go over, so make sure to review them all.
You can also check out our formation guide for Bannerlord if you want to know how to utilize them properly.
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Which faction has the best troops in Bannerlord?
Ask this question in any forum related to this game, and you’d quickly find that most people consider Empire troops the best in Bannerlord.
While the Empire’s infantry, archers, and strong cavalry make them a favorite, the criteria for “best” is more objective. We rate it in terms of consistency at each level of warfare, from frontline infantry to archers to the cavalry to horse archers.
The same players who consider the Empire their favorites will also cite the Aserai units as their toughest opponent, and this is one reason we consider them the faction with the best troops.
- Aserai Veteran Infantry units can hold their own against most ground troops. They make up for their lesser armor compared to the tougher Imperial Legionary with 160 one-handed skill (compared to the standard 130 of most infantry).
- Aserai Master Archers are as deadly as any non-elite troop in the game (160 Bow skill), great on the ground, and in sieges.
- Aserain Mameluke Cavalry are good riders who fight well at range and in melee.
- Their Palace Guards live up to the name with 130 axe skills and weapons that do 120+ damage, making them great for both anti-cavalry and anti-siege fighting.
- The Aserai’s elite troops, the Vanguard Faris, are less formidable than Vlandia’s Banner Knights and Imperial Elite Cataphracts. However, they are easy to recruit, and can serve as your entire cavalry that no non-elite horseman troop can match.
Best Infantry Bannerlord
The best infantry troop in Bannerlord would have to be the Aserai Veteran Infantry.
Although there are some other suitable units as well. For example, the Imperial Infantry.
Even with their average offensive stats and decent weapons, the 5th-tier Imperial Legionary of the North, West, and Southern Empires make it hard to compete with their defensive capabilities.
Landing a hit on these troops is difficult enough, with the surface area of their Fortified Kite Shields taking so much space. Still, even a direct strike isn’t a guaranteed win against the heavily armored Imperial Helmet (40 armor) or Lamellar with Scale Armor (48 body).
A troop of these soldiers can hold the line against any faction’s infantry, and their shields negate arrows long enough for them to close the gap and apply pressure in any open-field engagement.
The Best Ranged Troops in Bannerlord
As the only Tier-6 archery units in the game, it is almost unfair how powerful the Battanian Fian Champions (archers) and Khuzait Khan’s Guards (horse archers) are compared to other units of their kind. The highest non-elite archery units in the game max out at 160 bow skills, whereas the Battanian Fian Champion has a bow skill of 260.
This means they are more accurate, do more damage, and have a much longer range than any archery unit in the game. A small troop of 20 or so BFCs on the high ground can change the course of an entire battle. Even if an enemy keys on this troop instead of all other soldiers, their losses would be so heavy while they close the gap it would still probably cost them an even match.
Regarding horse archers, no unit can match the Khuzait Khan’s Guards. Like the Fians, their 260-bow skill provides a considerable advantage over every other troop in the game. Only the Fian’s superior bows make them deadlier from range, but the Khan’s Guards’ 200 riding skill means they are also the most mobile unit in the game.
This is the ultimate hit-and-run unit for testing your opponent’s defenses at the beginning of a fight or even wearing down their numbers if their troops aren’t protected enough.
Best Cavalry Troops in Bannerlord
This one is a toss-up between Imperial Elite Cataphracts and Vlandian Banner Knights, depending on the state of battle. The Cataphracts will win a straight-up fight between these two units because of their superior armor–the Banner Knights wear a cloth hood about the shoulders instead of armor–but the Banner Knights are more effective against all other troops.
The Knights have a 20-point advantage in 1-Handed (220 to 200) and use shields with their polearms, unlike the Cataphracts.
This means Banner Knights will take less damage during the initial charge, but Cataphracts will dominate once that’s over and the horsemen are in the fray. Banner Knights also tend to be more effective when unhorsed because of the 20-point melee difference.
Best troops in Bannerlord for sieges and siege defense
Unsurprisingly, the best troops for attacking and defending castles in Bannerlord are the best-ranged troops we just covered in the previous section. An unhorsed Khan’s Guard is a deadly archer since his 260 bow skill translates to an extreme advantage in both attacking and defending keeps, as with Battanian Fian Champions.
It should be noted that most of the horsemen in Tier-6 units make better ground troops than infantry–meaning, an unhorsed Banner Knight or Imperial Elite Cataphract is always going to be stronger than any Tier-5 infantry because their 200+ one-handed and polearm skills still translate to ground combat against units that top out at 160 in these stats.
If you’re looking for standard units (Tier-5 or below) to guard your walls, the Elite Menavliatons, Sturgeon Heroic Linebreakers, and Mameluke Palace Guards have good skill and/or good length on their weapons. This makes them ideal for defending the tops of ladders where reach and power matter.
For the best troops for attacking and defending during a siege, the safest bet is the Vlandian Sharpshooter. Their deadly crossbow skill (130 skill, 100 damage) can halt the advance of besieging troops or pick off plenty from the attacking side.
In close, they overcome the usual weaknesses of ranged troops with high-quality swords and skills (130 in 1-handed) and large pavise shields that make them solid infantry units. Fittingly, this makes Imperial Sharpshooters the best troops for garrisons in Bannerlord as well, since stacking a bunch of them behind the walls will provide you a considerable support force against any encroaching army.
Best Troops in Bannerlord
Due to their unmatched versatility and ability to change the tide of battle single-handedly, the best overall troops in Bannerlord are the Battanian Fian Champions. As we’ve seen, they are both the best ground troops and the best at siege offense and defense because of their bow skill.
Moreover, Fian Champions have a skill of 220 in 2-Handed fighting and very good armor to make up for their lack of shields. This means that even after a melee troop has survived the onslaught of a costly approach, they could still be cut down to nothing by the Fian Champions in close quarters.
The Khuzait Khan’s Guards are also a cut above the Tier-6 horsemen simply because their archery skill makes them tough to match in any open field. Even Banner Knights and Elite Cataphracts will take some losses chasing them around the battlefield because they have the same 200-riding skill.
The “lesser” Tier-6 horsemen like the Sturgian Druzhinik Champion and Aserai Vanguard Faris will dominate other horsemen but have a hard time against Khan’s Guards. If you manage to field an army that has a sizable force of Battanian Fian Champions and Khan’s Guards together, you can erase the enemy’s advancing force before they even get close.
Know thy enemy
One of the best learning practices in Bannerlord is to experiment with different combinations of troops until you know their strengths in the early game. This will also teach you how to defeat these troops if you face them later. You might field an army of 300 easily replaceable infantry just to send them all while your archers set up on the hill.
You might use elite horse archers to go wide and split the enemy’s forces to send your cavalry straight down the middle. Even the most powerful units can be overwhelmed with superior tactics; along with your experimentation in combat, it’s also a good idea to spend some time in the encyclopedia looking over equipment and ratings to know what type of enemy you’ll face before you engage.
