Commanding armies in Bannerlord looks simple until your elite cavalry charge into a forest and your archers decide now is the time to admire the scenery. I learned the hard way. Winning battles here is not about clicking “charge” and hoping the AI is in a good mood. It is about control, timing, and reading the ground like a suspicious medieval landlord.
Below is a practical, battle-tested guide to leading armies properly, written by someone who has made every mistake so you do not have to.
Understand the Battlefield Before You Fight
Bannerlord rewards commanders who pause and think. Terrain matters more than troop numbers far more often than the game admits.
- High ground boosts archers and makes cavalry charges deadlier
- Forests blunt cavalry and break formation cohesion
- Rivers slow advances and ruin last-second retreats
- Narrow passes turn infantry into absolute menaces
Before issuing a single order, rotate the camera, find the slope, and ask yourself where your enemy wants to stand. Then stand there first.
Build Purposeful Formations, Not Blob Armies
If all your troops are in one formation, you are not commanding an army. You are herding goats.
- Infantry should hold the line and absorb pressure
- Archers exist to kill morale and officers from safety
- Cavalry flanks, disrupts, and finishes broken units
- Horse archers harass, bait, and drag enemies out of shape
Split units cleanly and give them space to do their jobs. Bannerlord’s formation tools are good enough that there is no excuse not to use them.
Timing Beats Aggression Every Time
Charging early feels heroic. It is also how battles are lost.
- Let archers soften targets before infantry engages
- Hold cavalry until enemy formations lose cohesion
- Use feigned retreats to pull enemies out of position
- Advance in stages rather than all at once
A delayed charge into a tired enemy is devastating. An early charge into a fresh shield wall is expensive and embarrassing.
Learn the Power of Delegated Commands
You do not need to micromanage every soldier, but you should know when to step in.
- Use delegate command for routine skirmishes
- Take manual control during sieges and large field battles
- Override AI when terrain or troop mix demands it
- Always control cavalry manually in critical moments
The AI is decent. It is not clever. You are here to be clever.
Morale Wins Battles Faster Than Swords
Most Bannerlord battles are decided mentally before they are decided physically.
- Killing enemy commanders causes morale collapse
- Surrounding units breaks resolve quickly
- Repeated cavalry charges terrify low-tier troops
- A routed unit can trigger mass panic
Watch the morale indicators. Once the enemy starts to crack, push hard and end it fast.
Sieges Are Chess, Not Checkers
Sieges punish impatience. Every reckless assault costs veterans you will miss later.
- Starve garrisons when time allows
- Destroy key siege engines before assaulting
- Use infantry shields to protect ladders
- Keep archers focused on walls, not random targets
A clean siege is quiet, controlled, and slightly cruel. As it should be.
Army Composition Matters More Than Numbers
A smaller army with synergy will often beat a larger one that lacks purpose.
- Mix shielded infantry with two-handed shock troops
- Pair archers with terrain advantage whenever possible
- Avoid overloading on cavalry without space to use it
- Upgrade troops consistently rather than unevenly
Quality scales harder than quantity in long campaigns.
Common Commander Mistakes to Avoid
I have made all of these. Please learn from my suffering.
- Charging cavalry into spears or forests
- Advancing infantry before archers are in position
- Ignoring flanks because “it looks fine”
- Forgetting to reposition after enemy reinforcements arrive
Bannerlord punishes laziness. It respects patience.
Takeaway From the Field
Commanding armies in Bannerlord is deeply satisfying once it clicks. You stop reacting and start dictating the battle. The moment when your infantry holds firm, archers rain death, and cavalry sweeps in at exactly the right time is pure medieval bliss.
Also, nothing feels better than winning a battle where you were technically outnumbered and absolutely out-thought.
