How SPECIAL Is The Druzhinnik Champion? Bannerlord Cavalry units troops Guide

This is a 1.8. Bannerlord in Depth Analysis of the Cavalry troop knows as Druzhinnik Champion.
This video is part of a Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Playlist where we analyze each unit not only based on their equipment but also on statistics taken after intensive testings.
The Data will be trimmed down and showcased both throughout the video and at the end to allow the viewer to know as much as possible about the unit in question.
A score will also be provided at the end based on Lyon’s opinion, this score shouldn’t be taken as hard evidence, as different playstyles may impact the way viewers evaluate units.
In this here video we are going to talk about the Sturgian Druzhinnik Champion.
A very different unit that your typical knight. This unit aims at being a versatile option capable of fighting on foot when needed.
And remember, criticism and constructive feedback are always appreciated.

[@zerophoenix8312]

I noticed most of the swords in Bannerlord are either too long or too heavy when compared with their irl counterparts, which is probably why many of those sword wielding troops are underperforming

[@LyonExodus]

i'd say it more than maces and axes tend to be way faster at swinging and deliver either an qual or superior base DMG than swords that makes the few fast swords stand out. We are confident that wight only impacts movement speed while lenght plays a big role especially in a patch like 1.8. where everything above 110 perform worse than it used to

[@zerophoenix8312]

@@LyonExodus The weight of parts will have some impact on the whole weapon's swing speed and damage, you can test this by editing some the weight stats in crafting_pieces.xml. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is usually when playing a medieval slasher game, you would expect swords to be some fast and nimble weapon that can do better job at killing light armored units than axes and maces, but in Bannerlord they are just slow and clunky, plus the damage is low af.

[@chaotixthefox]

If talking about IRL counterparts, you wouldn't be seeing a whole lot of swords on the battlefield period.

[@LyonExodus]

@@chaotixthefox they were a bit expensive to make weren't they? Axes and spears were very popular for a long time since less metal was required. I am not an historian, but i think that would likely be the reason.

[@chaotixthefox]

@@LyonExodus That is correct. Also a sword's ideal fight is unamored or lightly armored 1v1 combat, which means it is most at home as a civilian sidearm, a role in which it proliferated when metal became more common in the late medieval period and onwards. Spears have more reach, axes have more power and can hook, other pole arms had both far more reach and damage, etc.

[@richard_darwin]

This is why i wish we could move specific troops into certain battle groups. Then i could dismount these guys (but not my other cav) to act as elite infantry.

[@IRRob.]

They should bring back now it was in warband where you could do that :(. That way you could also get non combat companions to retreat at the beginning of fights

[@LyonExodus]

The system is very dodgy for sure. but if you play faction bounded you should be able to separate the Champions from the Horse raider relieably enough.

[@delanovanraalte3646]

@@IRRob. i just make them archers

[@ShakeTonMilshake]

Do you guys know if they gets the infantry/on foot captain perks when dismounted ? I’m planning to use them as pure infantry

[@rjbandit7712]

@@ShakeTonMilshake Yes they do

[@colhammer1]

Good morning. Have been Looking forward to this one. Have a Nice weekend

[@LyonExodus]

Sleeping is tough, but hopefully the awake time can be nice. The Awake time suked too. Good thing today i can lay back and rest

[@christophesiewecke9208]

Awesome! Great video! Looking forward to more!

[@blazezz1101]

The sword that the Druzhinnik Champion spawns sure isn't good but at least it's not as bad as the longer and slower swords the other factions use esp against low tier units. After watching your video, I realize that the roles of Sturgian Heavy Spearman can easily be replaced either by the tankier Druzhinnik Champion or the less armored Horse Raider with the ability to throw javelins when both units are dismounted.

[@LyonExodus]

The spearman is definitely not an irreplacable unit even faction wise. They are good, but defiantely limited in what they can do. I'd pick an Axeman over them any day and dismount Cav if i need a spear.

[@vietnguyenhoang5795]

@@LyonExodus I have been brewing for a buff of Spearmans.They can brace with 2 kinds of bracing,brace with shield/without shield.Shielded bracing reduces their brace damage and somewhat decreases the bracing precision,but offers protection to cav-archers strat.Brace without shields are as normal,but with better damage and bracing precision,but that offers no proction against missile troops.That will make them more versatile and at least better and irreplaceable by Druzhinniks,whose spears cannot brace

[@Do_Go0d]

your video/production quality has gone up so much!

Your videos are literally the best out there when it comes to bannerlord, and I like your voice. I'd love to see more videos about unit comparisons soon, especially after bannerlords release.

[@LyonExodus]

Plan to bring updates this summer. Thanks for the compliments.

[@takuoku2546]

maybe the sturgian noble troop line can divert into 2 at teir 5. so the varyag line can stay as infantry with a 2 handed axe, 2 shields, and a sidearm but can also upgrade into cav. I think this will make sturgians more unique and it will make it so you can get all troop types teir 6: cav, horsearchers, archers, javcav, infantry

[@Lobster_Lars]

Why 2 shields? That would look bizarre

[@lucifereldiablo7770]

​@@Lobster_Lars 1 on the back 1 in the hand looks cool

[@Lucasekane1986]

great vid very informative thank you ^^. would you do the mercs and minor troop line after finishing the main faction troops , honestly am just interested with camel riders how would they preform ^^; thank again

[@LyonExodus]

I might end up making some 10m videos analyzing each minor faction depending on culture. A little longer videos but only the stricly necessary information will be told. The Custom Battles does allow you to use them, same as militia. While for bandits you need a mod, hopefully someone can make one, or update one of the old ones.

[@Lucasekane1986]

@@LyonExodus really appreciate all the effort thank you looking forward for future vids :D

[@khyroz9519]

how do perks work for them? do they still benefit from cavalry perks when you dismount them? And do they benefit from infantry perks once you dismount them?

[@vietnguyenhoang5795]

Quite a versatile thing.They can couch charge,spear bracing for cavs,act as Super Legionnaires when on foot,or skirmish with their javelin(As far as I remember they can thrown javelins,maybe I'm messing them with Horse Raiders)both on foot and on horseback.

[@LyonExodus]

definitely confusing them with the Raiders when it comes to the throwing

[@vietnguyenhoang5795]

@@LyonExodus Haha my bad.I've been absent from gaming for a while,since the 1.5 when Heroic Line Breakers are still called ulfhednars and Otroks are called Warrior Sons.Btw,have you reviewed the Horse Raiders?They are kind of like Vlandian Light Cavalry,inferior to Banner Knights but still good when you use them properly.

[@LyonExodus]

more than 30 units have been analyzed. the only missing are the Marksman, Heavy Lancer and Heavy Horse Archer of the Khuzait

[@vietnguyenhoang5795]

@@LyonExodus The Horse Archers definitely tops out because of the following reasons: 1.There are only 2 TRUE mounted archers,Khuzait Horse Archers and Imperial Bucellarii,the latter being inferior to the first. 2.They are stupidly strong both in melee charges and devastating horse archery.If for some reasons they are weak,that is only because of shield wall formation/supreme foot archers(Battanian Fian Champions are a perfect example to counter this).

[@delanovanraalte3646]

@@vietnguyenhoang5795 khan's guard they can beat nearly everything

[@TheSturgian]

I actually find these units to be the best cavalry units in Bannerlord. First of all, they are above the Banner Knights. FAR above actually. The Banner Knights kills roughly the same amount, but they lose so much due to their armour. Spearman-based infantry can't stop both of them, but dense infantry walls are very effective against Banner Knights, washing them off their horses before they even retreat while the Druzhinnik Champions survive in better chances due to superior armour. They also have a better thrust speed than than the Banner Knights, despite having a slightly worse (but still very good) lance. Banner Knights are eliminated out of there. Battanian Horsemen and Khuzait Heavy Lancers are, well, tier 5 cavalry. Nor can they do anything good. Now we only have the Aserai Vanguard Faris and Imperial Elite Cataphracts left. Druzhinnik Champions are, despite being the best cavalry unit, not too distinct from normal cavalry behaviour. They charge, reposition, and then charge multiple times. Charging power of both of these units are roughly the same, and the Aserai Vanguard Faris, despite being one of my favourite cavalry units and having decent armour, have their lances on par with the Druzhinnik Champions and have inferior armour. Inferior armour = more deaths equal kills. Now for the big guys. Druzhinnik Champions vs Elite Cataphracts. Now, why they are BETTER than Elite Cataphracts is because they are only slightly behind the Elite Cataphracts in armour (and have slightly superior helmets) but WAY better in lances. Horse durability goes to Cataphracts, but spear infantry which damages horses is not what stops cavalry, it's dense infantry walls. And Druzhinnik Champions are better at breaking walls than Elite Cataphracts, so they win this and become the best cavalry in Bannerlord. My Pros and Cons List PROS: + Very good shield + Very good armour + 1st option good sidearm + Good thrust speed + Better at repositioning due to 74 maneuvering + Good at breaking walls by means of lancing + Good at sieges CONS: - Bad 2nd option sidearm - Horrible troop line My score is a 4,5/5 (No cavalry is perfect rn)

[@LyonExodus]

Thanks for sharing your thinking. There is an updated video about cavalry data that dates back to patch 1.0. If i remember correctly cavalry has been pretty much the same since. There they made it in the top 3 if you don't count the Faris (since javs in testing tend to perform a bit better than in reality)

[@TheSturgian]

@@LyonExodus Aye, really nice bro :) we're finally in the top 3!

[@worldsokayestcatdad6798]

I would love to see your analysis of the Khan's Guard, seeing as you've already covered the Battanian Fian Champion and these are often talked about in pairs.

[@bendautel8505]

Imo - it's the most powerful single unit in the game and has been across patches, other than when it lost a quiver. No other unit trades remotely close with it in the hands of a player. I'd welcome counterpoints, but this is what I've seen consistently across ~1300 hrs of play.

[@worldsokayestcatdad6798]

@@bendautel8505 They actually haven't lost a quiver, it's all the previous ranks before it that have. They were given a Steppe Recurve Bow instead of the Steppe War Bow they used to have. A little bit on the dumb side knowing the rank before them has the Steppe War Bow.

[@bendautel8505]

@@worldsokayestcatdad6798 ah yeah that was what I was thinking of, thanks!

[@janthony21]

When they removed the throwing axes, I was so sad.

[@Zeinoov]

Great video bro ❤️ how did you do the intro of the soldier at the start 00:01?

[@LyonExodus]

I use the new King Election cutscene from 1.8. I simply kit my hero with the same gear of the unit to cover, then use the conole comand to kill the current ruler of the faction. Then with the magic of editing that happens.

[@Zeinoov]

@@LyonExodus ah I didn't try the 1.8 yet. I'm recording a series with 1.7.0. I think i should jump to 1.8 seems cool update

[@LyonExodus]

1.8. has some BIG issues. i'd say it's safer to stay on 1.7.2. for the time being.

[@Zeinoov]

@@LyonExodus yeah for this period I'll stay. Till they fix the new update as always but great features they are adding

[@gogogusto]

Man despite Sturgia always being one of the first kingdoms to get wiped out, their army looks to be slept on HARD.

[@DestroyerOfOgis]

Vlandian bias, nothing else. Sturgia stronk.

[@TheSturgian]

Sturgia's performance can be explained by their geography. At the start we are at war with the Vlandians, and yeah fine that goes like it does. 3 possibilities for the war. Bad ending: Vlandia takes Nevyansk Castle and Raganvad makes peace with Vlandia, subjecting his kingdom to an economy crushing tribute. Very bad ending: Vlandia takes Varcheg and expands into Mazhadan Castle, forcing Sturgia to getting dragged into a whirlpool created by the Northern Empire and the Khuzait Khanate. Good ending (quite rare): Sturgia takes over Caleus Castle and routes Vlandia back, managing to end the war and fortify their settlements, for now.

[@certifiedredditgenius]

@@TheSturgian Every playthrough I've ever had, the Sturgians actually do a solid job against the Vlandians and Battanians. The issue comes, like you said, when they lose Nevyansk Castle which is stupidly isolated from the rest of their fiefs and the Northern Empire and Khuzaits join in as well. Even the Empire tends to lose battle for battle with Sturgia but the never ending wars cause a massive drain on them. Perfect for Khuzaits to endlessly spam horse archers and take a load of fiefs. All my playthroughs end with Battania going first to Vlandia and the now much stronger kingdom starts to steamroll with Sturgia dying next to a combo of Khuzaits, NE, and Vlandia.

[@samblack5313]

@@TheSturgian It's the length of their front. The distance from Varcheg to Tyal, is massive, and the AI will never successfully hold both fronts. You as the player can hold one of them, but if the AI cant hold the other (which is most often the case), it is a losing battle. Only one save EVER have I seen them not get obliterated. They expanded downwards like a knife through the centre of the map.

[@raoizawn]

Can you make video about Empire cav dude ?

[@LyonExodus]

another 2 videos for Sturgia than the viewers get to decide if they want to see Khuzait ot Empire first.

[@HistoricalWeapons]

Doesn’t need noble horse

[@BaskinTimi]

Can you do a video about horse raider?

[@LyonExodus]

By the end there is going to be a video for every top tier troop. Tomorrow i'll make a poll asking what viewers want to see next between Linebreaker and Horse Raider.

[@BaskinTimi]

actually the narrow Warsword isnt bad because it has huge swing speed if you have a strong weapon but your opponent hits you first it doesnt matter. you wont be able to hit unless you have like 80 armor against a 200 1h skill opponent the best 1h for ai is the fastest one not the longest or the strongest

[@nguyentran7068]

Yeah but this only applies to the player since regardless of swing speed (unless a sword vs a long spear) units should always trade blows 1 by 1. I've seen my companions fighting looters and despite good gears and skills they still get hit several times

[@LCInfantry]

Please tell us how many units you use in these tested battles. Because the KD is harder to understand when we don’t know how many ppl you are using

[@LyonExodus]

i believe for those it was 500 V 500. Scaling it down to 300 V 300 yielded pretty much the same results but the difference among units was less obvious. With this said. this video is for 1.8. there is an updated video for cavalry units if you are interested. The methodology is explained in that one.

[@LCInfantry]

@@LyonExodus Thanks you

[@mortache]

Their round shields look way bigger than most other cavalries to me. Do tiny differences in shield size matter? Or does the game only care if its "small" or "large"? Also the lance looks way too small to do any couching, the AI just gets in each other's way when doing a charge

[@LyonExodus]

The shield size does matter. both length and wideness. But they are hidden values in the XML files. The shield hitbox also matters, probably even more than the size. But i have no idea how to access that one. For example the Battanain shields should be as good as the Sturgians but the hitbox leaves some parts opened so the units can get hit in the head and shoulders. While the Sturgian shield allows very few high hits but leaves the legs uncovered.

[@mortache]

@@LyonExodus I once massed Druzhnniks because their shields looked cool while charging with a lance and I wondered how effective they would be to charge against Battanian archers. Turns out their tiny spears greatly diminish their offensive capabilities

[@LyonExodus]

i don't think that says much about the cavalry. it's hard for any unit to beat some Fians T4 T5 & T6 also if you want, you can compare the VS archers performance of the cavalry units.

[@mortache]

@@LyonExodus I mean it seemed like the smaller lances made it easier for them to miss the target when thrusting, and landing couched hits was also rare when bunched up in a charge. Its just my anecdote though. If I wanna minmax I take full Khan's Guards, and if I am roleplaying I either take full set of my faction troops or the local troops of the place I'm in. The rest gets donated or turned into Anatomy lessons

[@marques4404]

Have you already done Khan's Guard?

[@LyonExodus]

Empire and Khuzait have not been done yet. I did test all units already tho. and in case you wonder, yes, the Khan's would be better than these guys in most things. They simply don't do cover the same role

[@tylerbryanhead]

I'm experimenting with using them as dragoons. Going for a Sturgian/battanian army. Use them to harass and kill archers and keep enemy cav busy while my archers are earning their paycheck, then when the infantry lines meet I charge then dismount behind them. Suddenly the enemy has in practical terms a force of teir 6 infantry attacking them from the rear while my sturgian infantry is tying them up from the front. The AI shits the bed. Another great use is to have them dismount and hold a strategic position on the battlefront like a bridge before the enemy can put it to any use until the bulk of my infantry gets there. Having strong infantry holding a funnel while fians do their work is disgusting. Sturgians require a little more skill to wield properly, but when you figure them out they can be devastating. Just shun open field engagements if possible. Make the enemy fight you in the woods, rivers, mountains, villages, and other rough terrain.

[@jason200912]

After the new update the sturgians have the strongest charge damage. Just make sure not to get stuck and charge all the way through. If stuck, the Khans guard still remains on top.

[@jason200912]

Aserai with javs off and imperial elites are able to match the sturgians

[@varpix5026]

Heroic Line Breaker

[@LyonExodus]

likely to be next. i'll run the poll in a few hours

[@TheSturgian]

Coming from another update, it seems they nerfed these dudes. Or is it just me?

[@BaskinTimi]

So as i understand they are Good cav And if you dismount them they are better version of veteran spearmen

[@LyonExodus]

Spearmen and them are very similar. and even if i didn't tested them i wouldn't be surprised if the Druzhinnik end up being good Vs cav when dismounted. they got the short and fast spear + heavy armor

[@BaskinTimi]

​@@LyonExodus i tested it for you in custom battles 80vs80 chataphracts vs every inf (and some of T6 cavs) chataphracts vs spearman spearman only lost 8 them chataphracts escaped Druzhnik lost 4 than chataphracts escaped Banner knight lost 7 than chataphracts escaped chataphracts: they lost 4 but they switched to swords after brace so i wont count it legionaries lost 7 than chataphracts escaped vlandian sargeants LOST THE BATTLE and only killed 8 (i let them brace for the 1st charge than F1 F3 because they didnt brace again) Battanian wildlings actually WON the battle with 10 loses only and most of the Kills were javelins and some of them didnt even run out of javelins i was suprised about this test Battanian oathsworns LOST the battle similar results with sargeants Khuzait darkhan and Aserai vet inf had similar results with sturgian spearman And the vlandian pikeman never fucking mind

[@LyonExodus]

this all sounds in line with my findings. When i tried to get pictures for the Cataphract TN i used Wildlings and they were having a blast blowing up riders from their horses. When in loose they are a surprisingly good anti cav option.

[@shimonbarkokhba3433]

as for 1 part you are wrong the cavalry of the kuzaits have it easy khans guard can do anything

[@LyonExodus]

i fail to see where this video talks about Kahn's Guards. Can you tell me?

[@shimonbarkokhba3433]

@@LyonExodus you said in this game calvary does not have it easy khans guard are too op

[@LyonExodus]

@@shimonbarkokhba3433 Khans guards are not cavalry. they are horse archers

[@shimonbarkokhba3433]

@@LyonExodusok. but still it gets away with so much

[@LyonExodus]

@@shimonbarkokhba3433 it's absolutely a stupid unit. but when i say cavalry does have it easy i am only talking about the guys with a shield and with the cavalry tag.

[@RenzitoARG]

Thank google for the subtitles...

[@BaskinTimi]

if you dont like the troop Line use the fokin sea raiders like come on

[@nguyentran7068]

Wow this useless now that they removed your ability to set up specialized group for each type of troop. Now you would have to dismount these guys among with other cavaliers that you don't want to dismount

[@strodion2105]

It's pronounced like druzhinnik, not druzinnik

[@ax23mgh8]

With awful speech like this I'd consider not talking at all lmao

[@LyonExodus]

Did you ever heard Churchill speak?

[@TheSturgian]

​@@LyonExodus He's probably a vlandian lmao