Bannerlord Tactics: Infantry Guide, Volume I: Types, Strengths and Weaknesses

Heya fellas, in this series, each focusing on the different kinds of battlefield units, we get deep into trenches of Bannerlord and look at things on a very granular level. Let me know what you think and I'll stay hard at work(while at work), to make more helpful content for your Bannerlord experience.
Note that there are CLEARLY more statistically oriented guides out there(Strat gaming guides is your man for this kind of content), my guide here is based partially on intuition and experience as much as statistics, and often like real life, an amalgamation of information is more valuable than just statistics and 500 vs. 500 examples, after all, when are you ever fighting 500 Palace guards with your 500 Sturgian line breakers? You don't, it's always a mix...
Please comment, like and subscribe if you're interested in more of my ultra-late-game campaign, that may end up ending in utter despair, but that's the challenge of it. Any challenge where success is assured is no challenge at all.
My campaign is an extremely late-game campaign where I am resolved to give no peace to these scum Kingdoms attacking me - seven of the eight have been at war for years, with only Sturgia at a neutral stance. My family of warriors is now large though and with what remaining strength and valor we can must, we stand against the map of Calradia.
Join me on this adventure if you like huge battles, the use of advanced tactical maneuvers and intense Bannerlord gameplay, and subscribe to my channel if you want to follow along. This campaign is very lightly modded:
I use four mods:
Lord Retinue Uptier(Makes the enemy forces stronger, much less peasants and lower ranked troops)
www.nexusmods.com/mountandbla...
Improved AI Troops(Also makes enemy lords and their armies tougher by giving them a higher daily xp rate. This means you'll routinely face armies with HUGE numbers of the highest tier units, sometimes four or five times the normal amount in vanilla Bannerlord): www.nexusmods.com/mountandbla...
Death for all: This mod allows you to set the rate at which nobles die more often. I want both a harder challenging late-game but also a more realistic game. If you're cut down with a massive aserai two-handed axe, you shouldn't just be injured 99.9% of the time. It's a very customizable mod so you can just a little more death or set the death rate so high you get several deaths every battle. The number I often like is '10', some deaths but not a massacre of nobles...
www.nexusmods.com/mountandbla...
I also use the Dismemberment Plus Mod: It's highly customizable and works seamlessly with the new beta(and versions back to 1.28). I thoroughly recommend it if you enjoy carnage!:
steamcommunity.com/sharedfile...
I've also used Realistic Battle Mod in the past and highly recommend it for Ai and battle realism BUT I find the pace too slow for my taste and the AI is actually rather predictable after a half dozen battles. Still I wanted to put a plug in for it here, it's a GREAT mod and highly configurable. www.nexusmods.com/mountandbla...
Much of the music and inspiration for this and other videos in the channel are inspired by Epic History TV - probably THE best channel on youtube(and the internet for that matter) covering the Napoleonic wars. With amazing work Epic History TV takes you through the dramatic and incredibly story of Napoleon covering all of his most famous battles. I HIGHLY recommend it.
Epic History TV:
/ @epichistorytv
#bannerlord #war #medieval #bannerlordgameplay #bannerlordmod

[@HeadlessHorsemanProductions]

Heya fellas, had two or three episodes lately where my mic was a little harsh, fear not, like our tactics, we've worked to clean that up, but I'll share this guide anyways. Enjoy and let me know if you want more granular views in this game.

[@SaxonSpooner]

I didnt think it sounded to bad, as for the guide it isn't a bad idea to go down to the minute detail of things from time to time, it helps to make you think on the subject and ways to use them to your advantage. as for the Vlandian pikemen i think they are meant to be interspersed with Vlandian crossbowmen, to protect them from cav on a field, could be good on a slope too, but other wise pretty useless unless you put them in squares and create choke point for enemies, works in siege defence usually behind the main gate. It funny in the in game history the pikemen evolve to have smaller spears and equip shields, hell even the crossbowmen get pavise.

[@ferg4486]

@@SaxonSpooner That sounds great, but unfortunately the game mechanics don't allow you to pick your troops. I have more fian champions than sharpshooters and I mostly get sharpshooters. How come? I have more sturgian axe-men than battanian skirmishers and I get more skirmishers on the field. How come? If I go with top tier then I get all khans and fians, but never a good mix. I think it should be proportionate to the amount of each troop you have on your party. Well, at least on console it doesn't work that way unfortunately D:

[@angrygoldfish9607]

"Lived happily ever after, till he was drawn and quartered" lol, I think one of your major strengths in your videos is your banter. It feels like I'm hanging out with a friend talking video games when I watch your episodes. I'm sure you honed your banter through years in the military and fire dept. Keep up the great work. I enjoy all your videos. I stumbled my way through recording and producing a couple of episodes today (that'll teach me to record an episode before I take a nap). The battles are pretty cool though. I think you'll like episode 9 in particular. It's uploading now but I'll let you know when it's successfully online.

[@HeadlessHorsemanProductions]

The banter does indeed come from my military/fire service career, but also through age. I remember being young and I realize today that not only did I not know sh*t, I had NO confidence, no real strong ability to articulate myself and could never have made these videos with the same pizazz as I have today. it takes time, my friend, to learn who YOU are, but I have no doubt once you do, you'll be successful in whatever you really want to do.

[@angrygoldfish9607]

Thanks for the encouragement man.

[@gusguz_gaming8342]

Was looking for a vid like this for some while, great vid man.

[@HeadlessHorsemanProductions]

Thanks brother, it's actually part of a series, now already four videos long, I just need to do some processing and there will be more granular level to these guides and episodes featuring specific tactics...

[@davudbooth5446]

Took on a force of 800 sturgians with my party of 300, using cavalry as a barrier between enemy lines and my archers, had low infantry numbers used as a bit of a sacrifice. Used my elite cavalry to flank the enemy and disorient enemy archers. First time I truly felt a dominant victory.

[@davudbooth5446]

Next battle, I get in a scuffle with some banner knights, take critical damage,. I then began my charge on the archers, took a bolt to the face and was kia. Lol this game is a riot.

[@HeadlessHorsemanProductions]

Sounds like YOU can probably be teaching US, not the other way around. And I agree, at least the pure combat part of Bannerlord is fantastic...

[@s.novozhilov1856]

damn I desired this 😆keep going!

[@HeadlessHorsemanProductions]

Thanks for the feedback I probably will!

[@Illijixz-Alper]

wow nice :D

[@HeadlessHorsemanProductions]

Thank you!

[@EricGasz69420]

I play on console so it’s a lil harder to do crazy tactics but I still try. How do you feel about the Aserai infantry troop line? I love the palace guards and I find their shield boys are super versatile with both shields/spears and throwing weapons

[@HeadlessHorsemanProductions]

I love 'em, probably only second to Sturgia for overall strength BUT if I had to pick one line for a Kingdom I might actually take Battania because they have all three true types of infantry, plus the specialized Wildlings which are badass with 10 javelins... I'll be curious to see how console guys do with some tactics, and unfortunately I have no way of really adapting my tactics to help them without playing it myself, which is unlikely...

[@EricGasz69420]

@@HeadlessHorsemanProductions console is pretty similar, you just have smaller battles and it’s a lil more difficult to micro your groups. Your videos definitely help out us console guys! The 10 javelins you get with the Wildlings do allow you to really soften up enemies before engaging vs the 4 or 5 you get with the aserai vets. I’m glad someone on KZbin is shouting them out, all the other bannerlord guides shit on them and the rest of Battania’s infantry for that matter… Keep up the good work and thanks for the vids!

[@wetworks8]

I find myself constantly trying to find a way to equally split shock troops and shield infantry before battles. I've read it was easier to do in the first game. Khans guard,once out of arrows and charged in and dismounted has worked pretty well so far,especially from behind the enemy line.

[@HeadlessHorsemanProductions]

They are basically nasty in all three phases of combat, horse, foot, ranged...

[@arrgylerawrgyle3784]

Remember there is a smaller box when setting up units to set preference for that unit. You can sort for shield, high low tiers, thrown weapons... I agree it's not exactly the best but it is a huge boost over release where there was no filter

[@wetworks8]

@@HeadlessHorsemanProductions If Huktuu had the time I'm sure he would fill his 450+ party with just them, His cities are stock full of them awaiting deployment if he had the time to visit .Unfortunateley he finds himself with rabid dogs of the south nipping his heals every time he turns his back,despite throwing them a bone. I expect soon they will learn not to bite the hand that feeds you. 1127 may be an interesting year.

[@wetworks8]

@@arrgylerawrgyle3784 Yeah,I have dabbled with that. I guess random parties in your army contribute to your starting troop choice. Most of whic,mine have not been managed.Possibly a commander failure. Going to try family ran parties only with precise troop choice's. Regardless a mix of shields,shock and randoms with a relevant banner seems to be working. Thanks for the reply dude.Appreciated.

[@MrAdriaxe]

The reason those shock troops all carry a sword is so they can 1H when they carry a banner. It's lame.

[@HeadlessHorsemanProductions]

Ya, I hadn't realized that's part or one of the reasons, you're right, but I suppose it's necessary with the banner's addition...

[@itsmats4953]

it is of the topic of this video but how did you level your companions to the point where almost every one has 330 in ther skill set based on what type of fighter there are.

[@HeadlessHorsemanProductions]

lots and lots and LOTS of fighting(30+ years of continuous war), but also high-level parents breed high level children... Strange to say, my children are actually mostly level 50 when they come 'of age', because their dad is level 53...

[@potatolord2196]

Pikes can work with alot of micro, but they still don't justify their cost and get outperformed by volgiers, even against calvary

[@HeadlessHorsemanProductions]

My experience too. I like spears in my army, I just want them to have a shield too given how powerful archers are...

[@jefmorard5923]

You can have skolder and lake's rats by minors faction mode They are badass ! They make me thinks they are Varangians

[@HeadlessHorsemanProductions]

I think they are my two favorite factions for the minor clans, but partly because I love javelins and throwing weapons on my units for versatility

[@kurt4732]

bro i like your vids too much but please get a miccc its like coming from war radio or sth like that

[@HeadlessHorsemanProductions]

Yeah I made mention of this at the beginning. Was just a few episodes where the mic had some harshness, bear with me, it'll be better in an episode or two...