underwent regular changes and updates as it cruised through Early Access. Unit balancing has always been a focus for the TaleWorlds team, and the meta units have changed since the early days.
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This list takes a look at the best units in Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord, as it stands in the full release. Some you may be familiar with from Early Access, and some you may be surprised to see.
Updated November 18, 2022, by Christopher Argentino: With Mount & Blade 2 officially releasing to the public on October 25, 2022, we wanted to look at some new troops you should add to your army. We have a few newcomers to the list that will help you in taking down enemy armies with ease. After reading through our list and composing your army with the best infantry in Bannerlord, but also some of the best cavalry and marksman in the game, you'll be worthy of holding the Dragon Banner and conquering all of Calradia. Now go forth and become the true Bannerlord.
13 Imperial Legionary
Throughout the changes, the Imperial Legionary has remained one of the most versatile infantry units in the game. These heavily-armored Tier Five troops of the Empire boast some of the best armor-to-weight ratio stats of any other heavy unit in the game. This means they sponge damage and act as a very flexible front line.
With the buffs to Javelins, the Legionary's Pila is also a formidable weapon. It was always pretty good anyway, but with the bonus damage to shields for thrown weapons, the Pila is even better. Make sure to turn off fire-at-will for your Legionaries, especially if you want a coordinated attack.
Here's a closer look at this unit's skills:
- One Handed - 130
- Two Handed - 80
- Polearm - 130
- Bow - 60
- Crossbow - 60
- Throwing - 80
- Riding - 20
- Athletics - 130
12 Khuzait Darkhan
Much like the Legionaries, the Khuzait Darkhan are a formidable force, with a good mix of Polearm, Heavy Armor, and their slick saber that deals decent damage.
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Darkhan are best when you play towards their biggest strength: their Polearm allows them to tackle most types of cavalry. The Imperial Legionaries, on the other hand, can only handle cavalry up until they throw their Pila.
Here's a rundown of the Darkhan's stats:
- One Handed - 130
- Two Handed - 60
- Polearm - 130
- Bow - 80
- Crossbow - 20
- Throwing - 60
- Riding - 80
- Athletics - 130
11 Vlandian Voulgier
The Voulgier is a strong two-handed unit that wields its powerful namesake: the Voulge. This polearm is both a spear and a close-range axe, which can cut through multiple enemies at once and quickly dismount knights and other cavalry units. These units are heavy hitters and make a strong front line or work as shock troops.
While they don't have the same ranged flexibility as other units' Javelins or Pila, the Voulgier does come equipped with a short-range throwing axe. The range isn't fantastic, but it's actually quite powerful. A few volleys of the axe and you can cut through even heavily armored units.
Here's a closer look at the Voulgier's stats:
- One Handed - 80
- Two Handed - 130
- Polearm - 130
- Bow - 20
- Crossbow - 60
- Throwing - 80
- Riding - 60
- Athletics - 130
10 Sturgian Heroic Line Breaker (Ulfhednar)
In close competition with the Voulgier is the two-handed Sturgian Heroic Line Breaker, a powerful, fast, and overall high-damage unit. The Line Breakers wield a powerful axe and can deal awesome damage, but their lower armor statistics than the Voulgier can be a letdown in long fights.
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These units are best utilized as a type of shock troop. With an armor rating of just above 14, they find it much harder to hold their own against a cavalry charge, for example. They can be strong if used appropriately on the battlefield.
Here are the Line Breaker's stats:
- One Handed - 100
- Two Handed - 110
- Polearm - 40
- Crossbow - 15
- Throwing - 50
- Riding - 45
- Athletics - 130
9 Battanian Fian Champion
The Battanian Fian Champion ranged unit is the best archer unit in the game. That's without mentioning how busted ranged is in Mount & Blade in general. They're equipped with a Woodland Bow (loads of damage, very accurate) and two stacks of Bodkin Arrows, which are also powerful. With a stack of these archers in play, you'll often find that AI morale cracks and crumbles before the battle even starts. You'll need to increase your party size to create an all-powerful Fian army.
It's not only at range where these units excel: thanks to their melee weapon, incredibly high athletic skill, and decent armor, you can use these troops to hold off a melee attack or even hold their own against cavalry. A very well-rounded unit with awesome stats that justify how difficult they are to obtain.
Take a look at the full stats for the Fian Champion:
- One Handed - 90
- Two Handed - 220
- Polearm - 50
- Bow - 260
- Crossbow - 25
- Throwing - 40
- Riding - 60
- Athletics - 170
8 Imperial Palatine Guard
If you’re looking for a troop to support your squared formation Legionaries, the Palatine Guard is what you’re looking for. They aren’t only great archers to keep with you during all stages of the game. But they can also be great at One-handed combat.
Their 130 One-Handed, and 130 Athletics are heaven-sent when they run out of arrows, and it’s time to fight your enemies head-on.
Now here's the full stat list:
- One Handed - 130
- Two Handed - 30
- Polearm - 80
- Bow - 140
- Crossbow - 80
- Throwing - 60
- Riding - 40
- Athletics - 130
7 Aserai Vanguard Faris
Out of all the troops on our list, the Vanguard Faris will be the easiest to get a hold of. Not because training this unit all the way to Tier Six is a walk in the park, but because Aserai villages are full of Aserai Youths that want to find adventure in foreign lands.
The combination of its 200 Polearm, 170 One-Handed, 140 Throwing, and 170 Riding is a match made in heaven to give you a strong Heavy Cavalry to flank your enemy troops.
Now for some Vanguard Farris stats:
- One Handed - 170
- Two Handed - 60
- Polearm - 200
- Bow - 65
- Crossbow - 20
- Throwing - 140
- Riding - 170
- Athletics - 90
6 Aserai Mameluke Heavy Cavalry
These heavy cavalry units are right up there as the best-mounted troops in Bannerlord, although some of the Khuzait cavalry does outclass them in certain areas. The Mameluke Heavy Cavalry is a versatile unit thanks to the Long Kaskara melee weapon and the Steppe War Bow. They're also faster compared to cavalry units of a similar type in other factions.
You can utilize these as heavy cavalry to charge into foot soldiers or keep them at range to use as mounted archers. They're certainly worth aiming for if you're playing as the Aserai, who don't have much else to offer except their heavy mounted Palace Guards unit and Master Archers.
Here are the Mameluke's stats:
- One Handed - 130
- Two Handed - 60
- Polearm - 60
- Bow - 130
- Crossbow - 20
- Throwing - 80
- Riding - 130
- Athletics - 80
5 Khuzait Khan's Guard
To stay on the theme of powerful cavalry units, we've got to mention the Khan's Guard. This unit has been subjected to all sorts of balance changes over the course of Early Access and yet still retains its spot at the top of the list for its class: mounted archery. It's pretty common to see these units listed as the very best units in the game.
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With an impressive bow skill of 260 and a powerful Steppe Recurve Bow, these are essentially Fian champions but with the benefit of riding a horse. Even better, their Glaive is a decent weapon to change into once they're out of arrows and can transform the Khan's Guard into decent shock troops. They're very, very good. However, they're also difficult to acquire: these are the final form of the Khuzait's rare noble unit line.
Here are the unit's stats:
- One Handed - 60
- Two Handed - 60
- Polearm - 220
- Bow - 260
- Crossbow - 25
- Throwing - 30
- Riding - 200
- Athletics - 60
4 Imperial Bucellarii
The Bucellari aren't as good as the Khan's Guard. You can see that by the stats. However, they are much, much easier to acquire. They train up from regular Imperial Recruits rather than the rare and expensive Noble line.
There's one area where they contend well with the Khan's Guard: heavy armor. Of course, as mounted ranged units this isn't massively important as they'll often be further from the fight, but it is something to keep in mind the next time you're considering your army composition.
Here is the breakdown of the Bucellarii stats:
- One Handed - 130
- Two Handed - 40
- Polearm - 60
- Bow - 130
- Crossbow - 60
- Throwing - 40
- Riding - 120
- Athletics - 100
3 Imperial Elite Cataphract
The Empire might be going through a Civil War as we play Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord, but its troops were the reason they had full control over Calradia before Emperor Arenicos passed.
There are three Imperial units in this list and for a good reason. The first one we’re taking into account is the Elite Cataphract. They aren’t just a great Cavalry unit (260 Polearm, 200 Riding), but with their 200 One-Handed stat, can also be a great infantry unit for those sweet Bannerlord sieges.
Here are some Elite Cataphract stats for you:
- One Handed - 200
- Two Handed - 60
- Polearm - 260
- Bow - 60
- Crossbow - 25
- Throwing - 45
- Riding - 200
- Athletics - 60
Imperial Cataphract or Vlandian Banner Knight? There's a lot to be said about the power of both of these units, although in terms of pure damage on the battlefield the Banner Knights just take the top spot. It's all about that Couched Lance damage.
We all know how broken the Couched Lance can be, whether it's utilized by the player or the AI. The lance deals incredible damage and can kill even heavily armored troops in a single blow. The Banner Knights are devastating with their lances.
These are the Banner Knight's stats:
- One Handed - 220
- Two Handed - 60
- Polearm - 260
- Bow - 25
- Crossbow - 60
- Throwing - 30
- Riding - 200
- Athletics - 60
1 Vlandian Sharpshooter
The competition between the Vlandian Sharpshooter and Imperial Sergeant Crossbowman has raged over the past year as various patches change up unit equipment. As it currently stands, it's the Vlandian Sharpshooter that snatches the title of best crossbow unit in the game.
This is thanks to the powerful Bound Crossbow, currently the best Crossbow in the game. Although the Imperial Sergeant Crossbowman does appear to be better in terms of bow skill, the difference between the Bound Crossbow (Vlandian) and the Hickory Crossbow (Imperial) is a massive difference.
Here are the Sharpshooter stats:
- One Handed - 130
- Two Handed - 60
- Polearm - 80
- Bow - 20
- Crossbow - 130
- Throwing - 60
- Riding - 80
- Athletics - 130
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