Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord offers a broad sandbox where profit can come from battle, trade, or clever manoeuvring. If you want to build your warband quickly or fund a small army, you’ll need reliable income early on. Below is a structured breakdown of the most effective and sustainable ways to make money fast without breaking the balance of the game.
Looting Bandits and Selling Prisoners
One of the fastest and most consistent ways to earn early gold is by hunting looters, mountain bandits, and sea raiders. They are often lightly armed and travel in manageable numbers, making them ideal early targets.
- Focus on looters near towns for quicker return trips.
- Capture prisoners and sell them at taverns.
- Looted gear can be sold immediately or smelted for crafting materials.
Sea raiders drop better loot and weapons, but pose more danger. Engage them with a mounted force or superior numbers.
Trade Goods for Profit
Trading can be extremely lucrative if you understand price trends. Use the “Trade Rumors” system or companion perks like Trade Rumour Network to locate cheap goods and transport them to cities where demand is high.
- Buy salt, grain, or dates in desert towns like Askar or Sanala.
- Sell them in northern cities where food is scarce and prices are higher.
- Focus on horses, furs, and oil for larger profits once your capital increases.
Use pack animals or increase your stewardship skill to raise carrying capacity.
Arena Tournaments
Tournaments provide gold, renown, and valuable gear, especially early in the game. Even if you lose, betting on yourself can turn a small purse into a sizable reward.
- Save before entering to retry if needed.
- Equip lighter armour to move faster and dodge attacks.
- Sell any tournament reward you don’t need.
Winning a few tournaments early on can fund a decent warband.
Caravan Investment
If you have 15,000 to 20,000 denars, caravans offer passive income over time. They take a few days to become profitable, but once established, they can bring in 500 to 1000 denars daily.
- Assign companions with high Trade skill for better performance.
- Choose safe, central cities like Marunath or Epicrotea to reduce risk.
- Avoid caravans in war zones as they can be easily destroyed.
Caravans are best once you’ve stabilised your personal income.
Workshops: Slow but Steady
Workshops cost around 13,000 denars and produce steady income over time. Their effectiveness depends on city prosperity and local resource availability.
- Buy a brewery in a city with lots of grain.
- Consider a wool weavery in regions like Battanian or Vlandian towns.
- Check workshop output regularly; if profits drop below 50 per day, consider selling or replacing it.
Workshops are ideal for steady passive income but are not instant moneymakers.
Ransoming Lords
Once you are part of a faction, capturing enemy nobles in battle offers high-value ransom payments.
- Focus on mid-tier enemy lords who travel without large escorts.
- After capturing, wait a day or two for the ransom offer or sell them to a dungeon for faction favour.
This becomes viable once your army can reliably win field battles.
Smelting and Smithing
The smithing system allows you to break down looted weapons and reforge them into high-value gear. Crafted weapons can often be sold for thousands of denars.
- Smelt captured weapons instead of selling them outright.
- Reforge basic items into two-handed swords or javelins.
- Use charcoal efficiently and manage stamina by resting in towns.
This method scales with skill and time investment but is incredibly profitable long-term.
Raiding Villages (High Risk)
If you’re willing to take a hit to your reputation or want to roleplay a more ruthless character, raiding villages provides quick access to loot and prisoners. However, it makes enemies fast and invites retaliation.
- Choose poorly defended villages during wartime.
- Leave quickly after looting to avoid enemy patrols.
- Sell goods in nearby neutral cities.
Raiding is effective but can limit your future political options.
Final Tips
- Prioritise high mobility to chase down targets and reach trade destinations quickly.
- Avoid over-recruiting in the early game to keep wages low.
- Store extra loot in town stash boxes until market prices improve.
Whether you prefer trading, combat, or passive income, Bannerlord rewards players who plan, scout routes, and react to changing circumstances. Building wealth is not only about speed but also sustainability, especially once the wars begin to take their toll on the economy.
