Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Horse Guide for Speed, Charge and Survival
In Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, your horse is not just transport. It is your insurance policy, your escape plan, and occasionally your most reliable weapon. Pick the wrong one and you are a dismounted target with regrets. Pick the right one and you are basically a medieval sports car with a lance.
Let’s break down the best horses in Calradia, what they actually do well, and where to find them without wandering the map like a lost merchant.
What Makes a Horse “Best” in Bannerlord?
Before chasing the most expensive saddle in town, here is what actually matters:
- Speed controls map travel and battlefield mobility
- Maneuver affects turning and tight movement
- Charge Damage determines how hard you slam into infantry
- Hit Points decide how long your horse survives arrow storms
- Riding Skill Requirement gates the top-tier mounts
If you are building heavy cavalry, you want armour and charge. If you are skirmishing or chasing routed enemies, speed and maneuver matter more. Traders just want map speed and low cost. It depends on your playstyle.
Imperial Charger
The Imperial Charger is the classic heavy cavalry mount. It is not subtle. It is not delicate. It exists to turn infantry lines into bowling pins.
Why it is strong:
- High charge damage
- Solid armour
- Good hit points
- Stable handling for shock cavalry
You feel the difference immediately when you plough through a line of recruits. This is the mount for cataphract energy.
Where to find it:
Imperial towns such as those in the territories of the Northern, Western and Southern Empire factions. Check major cities rather than villages.
Best for: Heavy cavalry builds, lancers, anyone who thinks subtlety is overrated.
Battanian Thoroughbred
If you prefer speed and skirmishing, the Battanian Thoroughbred is your friend. It is lighter, quicker and far more responsive.
Why it stands out:
- High speed
- Excellent maneuver
- Ideal for horse archers and light cavalry
You will not flatten shield walls with it, but you will circle them, harass them and leave before they know what happened.
Where to find it:
Battanian towns in the western forest regions of Calradia. Availability improves as prosperity rises.
Best for: Horse archers, mobile commanders, players who like hit and run tactics.
Aserai War Horse
The Aserai War Horse balances speed and durability. It feels versatile, which makes it popular for mid to late game cavalry.
Strengths:
- Good top speed
- Decent armour
- Reliable charge
It will not dominate a single stat category, but it rarely disappoints. If the Imperial Charger is a tank and the Battanian mount is a sports bike, this is a well tuned grand tourer.
Where to find it:
Aserai cities in the southern desert regions. Expect higher prices if the area is war torn.
Best for: Balanced cavalry builds and players who want flexibility.
Steppe War Horse
For players leaning into the Khuzait style, the Steppe War Horse is practically mandatory.
Why it works:
- High speed
- Strong maneuver
- Excellent synergy with mounted archery
This mount thrives in open terrain. On flat plains you feel almost unfair. In tight siege approaches, less so.
Where to find it:
Khuzait towns across the eastern steppes.
Best for: Dedicated horse archers and anyone recreating a mounted nomad fantasy.
Noble Mounts and Late Game Options
Once your Riding skill climbs high enough, you can access elite horses with improved stats across the board. These often include:
- Noble horses tied to faction cultures
- High tier war mounts with strong armour and speed
- Expensive tournament or rare market variants
They are costly, sometimes rare, and absolutely worth it for late game field battles. Keep an eye on prosperous cities and tournament rewards.
Where to Buy Horses Efficiently
Instead of randomly checking every settlement, try this approach:
- Visit high prosperity towns in the culture that produces the mount you want
- Check after wars or caravan arrivals, inventory refreshes over time
- Invest in trade skill if you are flipping horses for profit
- Capture noble mounts from defeated lords
Also remember that pack animals improve map speed when carrying goods. A war horse is not automatically the best choice for trading runs.
Choosing the Right Horse for Your Build
Ask yourself:
- Are you charging first or flanking wide
- Are you commanding cavalry or riding solo
- Do you need speed on the campaign map
- Can you meet the Riding requirement
A heavy lancer should not be on a fragile speed mount. A horse archer does not need a brick with hooves. Match the horse to the build and your battles become noticeably smoother.
Seven Swords Takeaway
Horses in Bannerlord quietly shape your entire experience. They change how you fight, how you travel, even how confident you feel riding toward a wall of spears.
If you are early game, aim for affordability and mobility. Mid game, specialise. Late game, invest in high tier war mounts that complement your strategy.
And if you ever underestimate your mount, try charging infantry on a cheap saddle horse. You will learn very quickly why horse stats matter.
Calradia is big. Make sure you are riding something worthy of conquering it.
