Managing cities in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord is rewarding, but it can quickly turn into a headache when loyalty drops. A disloyal settlement leads to rebellions, wasted resources, and angry peasants that refuse to fall in line. If you want to keep your empire stable and growing, loyalty management should be one of your top priorities.
This guide walks you through the fastest ways to boost loyalty and stop your cities from slipping out of your control.
Why Loyalty Matters
Loyalty is the hidden glue that keeps your cities running smoothly. Low loyalty tanks prosperity, slows militia growth, and risks rebellion. If you’ve ever marched back from a war only to find a red warning about a rebellion in progress, you know the frustration. Keeping that loyalty high ensures your city remains a stronghold rather than a liability.
Quick Ways to Boost Loyalty
1. Appoint the Right Governor
- Culture match: Always assign a governor from the same culture as the city. Mismatched cultures can lead to a huge loyalty penalty.
- Governor perks: Focus on companions or clan members with perks in Stewardship or Charm. The right perks give a steady loyalty trickle that adds up over time.
2. Adjust Policies
Some policies provide direct loyalty boosts:
- Royal Guard: Adds security and loyalty by boosting your garrison.
- Council of the Commons: Can stabilise loyalty in certain situations, though at the cost of influence.
Review policies often, as the wrong ones can undo your progress.
3. Build the Right Projects
City projects are not just filler work. Prioritise:
- Fairgrounds: Increases daily loyalty.
- Festival and Games: Another steady loyalty booster.
- Garrison Barracks: Not only strengthens your hold militarily, but the increased security also supports loyalty indirectly.
4. Raise Security
Security and loyalty are linked. A city constantly raided or poorly defended will spiral into unrest. Keep a strong garrison and patrol nearby areas to keep bandits in check.
5. Manage Food Stocks
Starving cities will never be loyal. Keep an eye on the food balance and ensure grain caravans and nearby villages are protected. If the city’s granary runs dry, expect loyalty to nosedive.
Extra Tactics for Faster Gains
- Charm skills: Level up your Charm skill and use it to keep relations smooth with notables, as this trickles down into loyalty.
- Grant land wisely: If you own multiple fiefs, assign cities strategically to clans who can manage them properly. A weak clan lord ruling a massive city will only tank loyalty.
- Stay present: Visiting your city and leading festivals or managing trade yourself can sometimes tip the scales if things are getting unstable.
Seven Swords Takeaway
Loyalty in Bannerlord is less about flashy tricks and more about stacking small advantages. A governor of the right culture, steady fairgrounds projects, a decent garrison, and a watchful eye on food stocks will keep your city happy. Ignore these, and you’ll spend more time putting out rebellions than expanding your empire.
The faster you learn to balance loyalty, the smoother your campaign becomes. Instead of worrying about whether your latest conquest will break free, you can focus on what Bannerlord does best: conquering more.
