Raising a strong army quickly in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord is a priority for any player who wants to stay ahead of rival lords. Well-trained troops not only increase your battlefield effectiveness but also deter enemies from engaging you. Training efficiently requires more than simply recruiting and waiting for them to level up. By combining smart tactics, skill investment, and use of the right in-game systems, you can turn recruits into hardened warriors in a fraction of the usual time.
Recruiting with Purpose
Start with villages that have higher relations with you, as they will offer better-quality recruits. The closer a troop is to its upgraded form when you recruit it, the faster you can integrate it into your main fighting force. Favour towns and villages belonging to the culture you intend to field, so upgrades follow the same troop tree and do not require retraining from scratch.
Leverage the Leadership Skill
Leadership affects troop morale, which is vital when training new units. A high-morale army fights better and gains experience more quickly through combat. Invest in perks such as ‘Veterans Respect’ and ‘Drill Sergeant’ which improve training speed and reduce the time it takes for recruits to level up. The higher your Leadership, the more troops you can train simultaneously without suffering drops in morale.
Use the Steward Skill to Expand Capacity
Stewardship not only increases your party size but also lets you maintain larger numbers of fresh recruits without running into food shortages or morale problems. More recruits in the field at once means faster collective training as you can rotate them through battles and skirmishes.
Join Large-Scale Battles Early
Even low-tier recruits gain experience from participating in combat, regardless of their personal kill count. Fighting alongside allies in large engagements allows your fresh troops to benefit from shared XP without as much risk of them being wiped out. It is a safe way to gain quick upgrades, especially if you stay mobile and avoid prolonged direct exposure to enemy elites.
Use a Companion with the ‘Trainer’ Role
Assign a companion with high Leadership and relevant perks as a Quartermaster or Trainer. Companions can passively train your troops every day, even when you are not actively fighting. This stacks with your own training perks, making it one of the fastest ways to raise troop quality without constant manual combat.
Raid Looters and Bandits
Looter and bandit groups provide low-risk experience for new recruits. Target weaker enemy groups first to ensure minimal casualties while still earning the XP needed for early promotions. Forest and mountain bandits tend to be slightly stronger but can also be farmed for faster progress once your recruits are no longer at their weakest.
Garrison and Retrain at Towns
Placing troops in a garrison with a governor who has training perks allows them to passively improve over time. While slower than active combat training, it works well if you are running multiple armies or cannot risk taking green recruits into dangerous battles.
Balance Combat Exposure and Safety
The key to fast troop training is putting recruits in situations where they gain maximum XP without suffering excessive losses. Use your elite troops to shield them, flank with cavalry to create openings, and pull them back if the battle turns against you. Experience gained is wasted if the troops do not survive long enough to upgrade.
Companion Perk Recommendations for Training Troops
- Leadership
- Veterans Respect: Improves daily XP gain for lower-tier troops.
- Drill Sergeant: Speeds up passive training across the party.
- Tactics
- Small Unit Tactics: Keeps engagements controlled, helping recruits survive.
- Encirclement: Creates safer opportunities for recruits to land hits.
- Steward
- Logistics Expert: Lowers food consumption, enabling larger training parties.
- Sound Reserves: Maintains high morale in extended campaigns.
- Medicine
- Perfect Health: Reduces permanent troop losses.
- Veterinarian: Keeps cavalry units and mounts in service longer.
- Roguery (Optional)
- One Step Ahead: Improves efficiency when farming bandits for training.
Battle Target Priority for Fast Training
- Low-Risk Fodder First
Send recruits against looters and weak bandit groups for early XP without heavy losses. - Avoid Enemy Elites Initially
Keep recruits away from heavy infantry and top-tier cavalry until they are better equipped. - Target Archers Once Engaged
Order recruits to attack archers after your frontline has tied up the enemy. - Clean-Up in Large Battles
Let allies weaken enemy forces before sending recruits to finish stragglers. - Separate Formations
Group recruits together under direct control so you can feed them the safest fights.
The Seven Swords Takeaway
Fast troop training in Bannerlord is about using every available system in tandem. Recruiting from favourable villages, investing in leadership and steward perks, fighting safe battles, and making use of companions or governors can dramatically cut the time it takes to turn recruits into veterans. The sooner your army reaches its peak strength, the more you can dictate the pace of the war.
