How to recruit and equip the best companions in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord
A guide to hiring the best of the best in the medieval continent of Calradia.
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Companions are unique characters you can hire inMount and Blade 2: Bannerlordand they can complete quests for you or help offset your own weaknesses. If you’re an unstoppable warrior in battle but lack the skills necessary to manage boring administrative tasks—or even your army’s finances—that’s where hiring the right companion comes in. In this case, one with a high Steward skill can make all the difference. Though they’re often expensive, a retinue of highly experienced companions is far more valuable than a band of regular soldiers.
But where do you find new companions to hire in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord, and how can you tell whether their skills are a good match for you? Like everything in Taleworlds' complex medieval sim, it’s complicated. That’s why we created this guide, which breaks down how Bannerlord companions work, where to find them, and what you can use them for.
How Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord companions work
Companions are a lot like regular soldiers in your party, only they have an actual name, backstory, and a set of skills. Those skills make companions a valuable addition to your clan, since the bonuses from them are applied to your own army—if a companion is riding with you—or any party you assign that companion to lead. Like your character, companions also level up as they gain more experience. That’s why it’s important to recruit companions early in your campaignso they have a chance to grow alongside you.
Here’s a quick overview of why companions are great:
There are a few things to keep in mind, however. Companions are expensive to hire and often have an increased wage, they take up a slot in your party, and you can only hire a limited number. They can also die if you have permadeath enabled.
Where to find
Where to find companions in Bannerlord
The continent of Calradia is a big place, but you have some handy tools to help you track down companions for hire. Here’s how to find what companions are available to hire and where they might be located:
Using the process above, you can find any companion anywhere in Calradia—assuming they haven’t already died, that is.
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Which to choose
The best Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord companions
Until Taleworlds adds hand-crafted companions that are the same across each campaign, there are no best companions we can recommend. Each one has a randomly assigned set of skills and is suited to different tasks, so it depends on what your needs are: A merchant and a warlord probably want two very different kinds of companions.
That said, a companion’s surname helps indicate what their skills are. Meeting a character with the surname Breakskull, for example, means that character will have a personality that is daring (+1 to Valor) and cruel (-1 to Mercy) and will favor two-handed weapons.
Here are some roles you should look out for, as well as the surnames associated with them:
How to equip
How to equip your companion
Bannerlord’s user interface can be a little messy, but equipping your companions or leveling up their skills is pretty much the same process as it is for your main character. By pressing ‘C’ or ‘I’, you’ll open either the character panel or inventory. This will display your main character, but near their name at the top of the screen you’ll see arrows you can select to change which character you’re looking at.
From there, you’ll have access to your companion’s character sheet or inventory, where you can apply talent points, select new perks, or equip armor and weapons.
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