Cavalry in Mount & Blade II Bannerlord is the closest thing the game has to a battlefield cheat code. Speed, shock power, and the ability to bully infantry formations make mounted troops incredibly valuable. A well timed charge can turn a messy fight into a decisive rout.
That said, not all cavalry are built the same. Some specialise in devastating shock charges, others excel at skirmishing, and a few simply exist to look impressive while being immediately skewered by a spear wall.
This ranking focuses on battlefield performance, survivability, versatility, and how consistently a unit performs in large battles. The list also considers equipment and mount quality, which often decides whether a cavalryman survives the first charge or becomes an expensive lawn ornament.
What Makes a Strong Cavalry Unit in Bannerlord
Before the ranking, it helps to understand what separates elite cavalry from mediocre horse riders.
Key traits include:
• High riding and weapon skills
• Armoured warhorses that survive arrow fire
• Strong melee weapons such as lances or long swords
• Good armour that keeps riders alive during chaotic melee
• Reliable AI behaviour in charges
Units with strong armour and couched lance capability almost always outperform lightly equipped cavalry.
Elite Cataphracts (Empire)
Elite Cataphracts are widely considered the most dominant cavalry unit in the game. They represent the Empire’s version of classical Byzantine heavy cavalry and they behave exactly how you would expect.
Why They Are So Strong
• Extremely heavy armour for both rider and horse
• Devastating couched lance charges
• Excellent melee weapons after the charge
• Very high survivability in prolonged combat
Once Cataphracts punch through the front line they continue fighting effectively instead of dying immediately. Many cavalry units collapse after the initial charge. Cataphracts simply keep going.
In large battles they are frighteningly consistent.
Banner Knights (Vlandia)
Banner Knights are the aristocratic cavalry of Vlandia and arguably the most aggressive shock cavalry in the game.
They hit hard and fast.
Strengths
• Powerful couched lance attacks
• Excellent warhorses
• Very strong melee swords after impact
• High armour values
Banner Knights often achieve the highest kill counts during the first clash. When used properly they can wipe entire infantry formations in seconds.
Their weakness is that they can sometimes overextend during chaotic fights, which leads to losses if they get surrounded.
Druzhinnik Champions (Sturgia)
Sturgia is usually known for infantry, but their noble cavalry line ends in the Druzhinnik Champion and it is quietly one of the best cavalry units in the game.
What Makes Them Different
• Excellent armour
• Strong one handed weapons
• Very durable mounts
• Surprisingly effective in prolonged melee
Druzhinniks behave more like heavily armoured mounted warriors than pure shock cavalry. They may not deliver the most explosive charge in Bannerlord, but they survive longer and grind enemies down.
They are particularly effective in messy battles where cavalry ends up fighting inside infantry formations.
Khans Guard (Khuzait)
Technically the Khans Guard are horse archers, but ignoring them in a cavalry discussion would be ridiculous.
They dominate open battlefields.
Why They Are So Dangerous
• Elite horse archery skills
• Fast and manoeuvrable mounts
• Deadly glaives for close combat
• Excellent survivability due to mobility
Khans Guard can dismantle entire armies before melee even begins. Their combination of ranged harassment and lethal melee capability makes them arguably the strongest single unit type in Bannerlord.
They are less effective in cramped terrain or siege battles, but on open fields they are terrifying.
Faris (Aserai)
The Aserai Faris sit somewhere between heavy cavalry and elite skirmishers.
They bring versatility.
Key Traits
• Powerful javelin volleys before contact
• Solid melee weapons
• Good mobility
• Decent armour
Faris units excel in harassment and flanking. A javelin volley just before a charge can break infantry formations and soften targets.
They lack the raw staying power of Cataphracts but they are extremely flexible in skilled hands.
Imperial Bucellarii
The Bucellarii are elite mounted skirmishers that combine ranged harassment with respectable melee ability.
Why Players Like Them
• Strong bow skill
• Good horse speed
• Solid melee weapons
• Effective hit and run tactics
They are not meant to charge head first into heavy infantry. Instead they wear down enemies and create chaos in enemy formations.
Used properly they feel more like mobile assassins than standard cavalry.
Vlandian Vanguard
The Vlandian Vanguard is a solid mid tier cavalry unit that often gets overshadowed by Banner Knights.
Still, they are reliable.
Advantages
• Strong lance charges
• Good armour for their tier
• Effective against lighter infantry
Their biggest weakness is simply competition. Banner Knights exist, and once you unlock those there is little reason to keep Vanguards around.
Sturgian Horse Raider
The Horse Raider represents Sturgia’s attempt at a lighter cavalry style.
They function more as raiders than battlefield tanks.
Characteristics
• Throwing weapons for early damage
• Moderate armour
• Good speed
They can perform well in flanking attacks but struggle against disciplined infantry or heavy cavalry.
In prolonged fights they often get outclassed.
Battanian Mounted Skirmisher
Battania focuses heavily on infantry and archers, and their cavalry reflects that reality.
Mounted Skirmishers are serviceable but rarely impressive.
Role on the Battlefield
• Light harassment cavalry
• Throwing weapon attacks
• Fast movement
They are useful early in campaigns but quickly fall behind heavier cavalry units from other factions.
Think of them as mobile troublemakers rather than battle winners.
Cavalry Tactics That Actually Work
Even the strongest cavalry unit fails if used poorly. Bannerlord rewards timing and positioning more than raw stats.
Good cavalry use usually involves:
• Charging enemy flanks instead of spear walls
• Pulling cavalry back after a charge to regroup
• Using horse archers to disrupt formations first
• Timing charges when infantry lines clash
Many players lose cavalry simply because they leave them stuck in the middle of infantry.
Pull them out, reform, and charge again. Your kill count will jump dramatically.
Takeaway
Cavalry in Bannerlord captures something historians love about mounted warfare. Speed changes everything. A few dozen elite riders can shatter formations that would otherwise grind through infantry for ten minutes.
If you want raw dominance, Elite Cataphracts and Banner Knights are the obvious picks. If you prefer tactical control, Khans Guard and Bucellarii bring a completely different style of warfare.
Either way, once you start commanding proper cavalry charges, infantry battles begin to feel a bit slow. That might just be the medieval strategist in all of us waking up.
