Why Duels Feel Brutal at First
Bannerlord duels have a habit of humbling you fast. One moment you feel like a seasoned warlord, the next you are flat on your back wondering how a looter with a chipped sword ended your career. That is because duels strip away chaos. No cavalry charge, no shield wall, no friendly archer saving you from your mistakes. It is just timing, positioning, and whether your brain is ahead of your mouse hand.
Once you accept that duels are closer to fencing than brawling, things start to click.
Understand the Combat Flow Before You Swing
Every duel follows a rhythm. Attacks come from four directions, blocks must match those directions, and panic clicking turns you into free experience for the AI. Winning starts with slowing down.
Instead of attacking constantly, let the opponent act first. Watch their shoulders and weapon angle. Bannerlord telegraphs attacks clearly, even if it feels fast at the start. The moment you recognise that overhead wind up or that right side slash, you are already ahead.
Blocking cleanly does more than stop damage. It drains the enemy’s momentum and opens small windows where they are vulnerable. Duels are about creating those windows, not forcing them.
Footwork Wins More Duels Than Damage
Standing still is the fastest way to lose a duel. Movement matters more than raw stats, especially early game.
Strafing slightly to your left or right changes the angle of incoming attacks and makes enemy swings miss by inches. Backpedalling constantly is a trap, since it kills your own counter timing and invites lunging strikes. Instead, circle, step in, step out, and stay just outside their comfortable range.
If you ever feel boxed in, reset the space. There is no shame in disengaging for half a second. The AI does it. You should too.
Choose the Right Weapon for 1v1 Fights
Not all weapons are duel friendly, even if they look cool.
One handed swords are the most forgiving. They have fast recovery, clean animations, and flexible attack angles. If you are learning duels, start here.
Axes hit harder but punish mistakes. Miss a swing and you will feel the delay immediately. They reward patience and punish greed.
Polearms can dominate duels with reach, but only if you control distance properly. Once an enemy gets inside your range, things fall apart quickly.
Two handed weapons are high risk, high reward. They end fights fast, both ways. Use them when you are confident, not when you are learning.
Feints Are Nice, Timing Is Better
Feinting gets talked about a lot, and yes, it works. Cancelling an attack to bait a block can open clean hits. That said, feints are a tool, not a crutch.
Good timing beats flashy mind games. A well placed delayed strike after a block is more reliable than constant feint spam. The AI adapts quickly if you repeat the same trick.
Mix things up. One clean feint per duel is usually enough to keep the opponent guessing.
Shields Change the Rules Completely
If a shield is involved, the duel becomes a test of patience.
Bashing a shield nonstop is pointless. You will drain stamina and accomplish nothing. Instead, attack the shield to force reactions, then punish the moment it drops or angles incorrectly.
Kicks can work, but only at very close range and with good timing. Miss a kick and you deserve whatever happens next.
If you are the one holding the shield, do not turtle. Shields are best used aggressively, blocking just long enough to create an opening.
Stamina and Armour Matter More Than You Think
Duels quietly punish exhaustion. Heavy armour keeps you alive but slows recovery. Light builds feel agile but collapse fast under pressure.
Pay attention to how long you can sustain attacks and blocks. If your swings feel sluggish, you are already losing the stamina war.
Winning duels often comes down to surviving the first exchange, then outlasting the opponent while they gas themselves out trying to finish you.
The Mental Game Is Half the Fight
The hardest part of Bannerlord duels is staying calm. Once you panic, your blocks get sloppy and your attacks predictable.
Treat every duel as information gathering. Even if you lose, notice what killed you. Was it impatience, spacing, or swinging first every time?
The best duelists are not aggressive. They are observant. They let mistakes happen, then capitalise without rushing.
Seven Swords Takeaway
Winning 1v1 duels in Bannerlord is less about reflexes and more about restraint. Slow down, move with purpose, and stop trying to end the fight in the first five seconds. Once the combat clicks, duels stop feeling unfair and start feeling surgical.
And when you finally drop that smug tournament champion with a perfectly timed counter, it feels better than winning an entire siege.
