The Best MERCENARY GUIDE for BANNERLORD - Get Paid to Raid™

[@jackgeary6928]

You identified what I think is the best kept secret of this game to eliminate nobles, namely a “failed” prison break. Nice vid. Well done.

[@renosnight4569]

You can significantly improve your party size if youre playing campaign and assign your brother to Steward. Usually bumps you upwards to 80~ depending on the perks you have and they do. Works same as scouting exploit 😉

[@Halcylion]

I prefer to develop my own steward skill, and have my brother lead his own party. That skill is too easy to increase, it's basically free levels.

[@ofrenic]

Just make sure you've all the food types and you'll get like 3 steward every day passively

[@LCInfantry]

If you snow ball early… then you can snowball early

[@grantcapps8022]

After almost 50 hours, I just realized you have to assign your steward, engineer, etc. thank you!

[@kittycatcat6962]

I have played for awhile beaten a few no death runs... I'm a little burn out so now I'm playing a sandbox no death not birth age 50 run... It's incredible it's casual it's honestly an amazing little break, in just few hours of non grinding gameplay my personal Steward was over 100, I'm ten intelligence and 5 endurance for smithing.. Which I haven't even started I might not even smith this game it's wild.. Super casual super fun

[@Flesson19]

Well done Hal U da man

[@Halcylion]

Thanks, man!

[@KCCOmug]

This video came out just in time for my Battanian Raider build. Only have points in non combat areas. High Charm, Scouting, and rougery. The prison break tactic worked like a charm. Was a lot of fun dashing to towns between the Western and Southern Empires to break out their prisoners. Just make sure you have a healthy treasury.

[@joshuabecton4746]

For prison breaks, I use a Short Sword. The smaller length makes it much easier to use in busting out those bloody lords.

[@shinrapresident7010]

''How does loaning money work?'' - Master of Coin, Lord Bronn of Highgarden

[@RowanCitrian]

God that bit about dungeons being always full hit me hard. At the stage of my latest playthrough where I'm nabbing lords all the time and I just want to lock them up to make the war effort just a bit easier for my faction, but everywhere I go has a dungeons stuffed full of recruits and other chaff units.

[@Halcylion]

I think that's been fixed. When I was about to finish the video, I needed footage of a full dungeon, but all of them were empty, so I reused a clip from before.

[@gghanoj3679]

I love your tutorials and playthroughs so much! Keep doing what you are doing!

[@PeterParker-ye5gd]

As a mercenary I go village to village forcing to give recruits it lets you attack and it replinishes your losses. Look for enemy partys/ armies also for even more boosts.

[@Gutenburg100]

Don't forget to hire troops that use maces instead of swords, axes, and polearms. This way you capture all enemies you attack instead of killing them. More people you can recruit and more people you can sell.

[@PeterParker-ye5gd]

@@Gutenburg100 very good point there.

[@krisfskyrm]

I always get 8 endurance first and by the time you half max those you can’t get another two endurance from smith and athletics to get to 10. Then all the leveled points you get can go into whatever else ya want.

[@Halcylion]

10 Endurance is a bit overkill... you can max everything at just 8. The only attribute I need at 10 is Social, because Trade is the only skill that requires 300 levels, whereas all the others get their final perk at 275.

[@relent1344]

@@Halcylion yeah, but 8 attribute points and 5 skill points mean 302, there is no need to invest 10 points in anything, but endurance cause athletics bonus is huge if reach 330 (i think a bonus of 28% more health). Awesome video @Halcylion.

[@Halcylion]

@@relent1344 10 points into an attribute also lowers the grind, so that's a bonus.

[@CoolGuyVerm]

I have a playthrough of a battanian Mercanry atm. I haven’t had this much fun with the game in a while! Using mainly blunt weapons for prisoners to ransom.

[@eduardokiryu5456]

Amazing guide: light hearted, funny and very educational

[@Jeezusknight]

I love playing as a Mercenary, the roguery aspect is something I should get more involved in. Good vid for explaining that side of things as it can be hard to find as a newer player.

[@Halcylion]

It's specifically designed to help new players, which is why I repeated things stated in my previous videos.

[@anubisftn]

Always glad to see your stuff. Great content as always! Thanks for sharing!

[@gamejunkie4035]

With this tutorial I started the Wildwood Mercenary Company. (WWMC for short). Used a few mods like Wood Elves for troops and Fourberie for more Bandit/mercenary gameplay. But in general this Tutorial started a great campaign for me. Thanks Hal. 💯

[@kaloyanradkov8962]

Halcy always makes the best quality content for Bannerlord!

[@daviddavidson505]

I'll give you this, you always find a way to make everything you do bandit-flavored.

[@paulydude8753]

I am loving playing as a merc. No towns or castles to look after. Just killing and looting. I have not tried with roguery yet though.

[@StratPlays]

Great guide bro! I'm so glad they buffed roguery in the last few patches - it's no longer a meme skill :D

[@Halcylion]

I can't remember a time when Roguery wasn't useful... then again, I haven't used it that long, I mostly focused on trading.

[@JayTraversJT]

24:06 Just marking this gem for myself. Great vid btw!

[@lootingluna8500]

pretty please delve back into series, I came across this video and decided to watch the bandit series and the trader series, absolutely amazing, love them both

[@murk336]

I like to use being a merc mid game to keep the factions that are getting too powerful in check. for example, the western empire will seem to absolutely annihilate everyone if I’m not careful, for 4 campaigns straight, they expand at ridiculous efficiency.

[@awuza7045]

Did not know mercs could be so profitable, thank you mate

[@Halcylion]

Technically speaking, it's the raiding part that's profitable. Mercenary contracts just allow you to do it legally. :)

[@awuza7045]

I love me some calradic legal loopholes

[@badxradxandy]

Just got this game in 2024, put 120 hrs into it and this is a great guide. Thank you.

[@pendantblade6361]

A Halcylion video a day keeps the bandits away.

[@Halcylion]

Only because you guys are becoming better bandits and other gangs know better than to mess with you.

[@arbleizbzh7672]

Great video! I love the sense of humor. I smashed that Subscribe button so hard, I broke my mouse and my finger. Thank you!!

[@kylekelly1167]

I noticed if I limit the waves to 4. The loot I got from defending a city from 1k troops was trash. So we might only get the loot from the last two waves. One might want to make a save before defending a city if you spawn too many troops in the stupid keep making all the troops stuck.

[@King-me]

The wisest words in this video were said at 0:20 -Sun Tzu

[@philjohnson1744]

Always love to see a new Hal vid.

[@Halcylion]

Always glad to deliver!

[@TheRealDaneBramage]

Great stuff! You never disappoint.

[@Victor-dm4qv]

I don't play this game, perhaps I will someday, but I enjoy watching these videos, even the guides. Maybe its the silky smooth voice that Halcylion possesses.

[@Halcylion]

You're too kind. :)

[@FallenstarPR-f1w]

I have no intend to do this but I enjoy watching you thrive on shady business

[@blazenetic]

High quality everything! Great video, thank you.

[@maxb4690]

Exactly what I was looking for!

[@blank4227]

my favorite activity, you must continue!

[@dawnstar9811]

I have been searching or new vids from you. Thanks for the content

[@SuperHankss]

You treat us well, thanks for all the great vids

[@ceesdiele9758]

Thank you for you super entertaining and informative guide 💯

[@Daman3tm]

Subscribed for that tiny Killdozer reference. Marvin Heemeyer truly is the last true American hero

[@bram7703]

I’m on PS5. Could you make a beginner guide for troop commanding to fight against the odds, especially against them damn horse archers.

[@Halcylion]

Hmm... I could do something with minimal editing in 1-2 days. It's something you actually see in this video, but takes too long to explain in a single comment.

[@bram7703]

@@Halcylion Thank you. It will not only help us beginning players on console but I’m sure it will also help people on PC. I keep losing battles as the enemy has more men or they have horse archers.

[@Halcylion]

@@bram7703 Until my video is done, it's best to avoid fighting armies that have more soldiers than you.

[@bram7703]

@@Halcylion not my choice 😅 I have a bad habit of…let’s say, pissing off everyone in Calradia. I play as a bandit.

[@talosisoursavior3061]

@@bram7703 it really depends on what your composition is and how good your troops are. in general, dealing with horse archers requires either your own cavalry or a bunch of archers, with ideally some infantry to block their arrows. dealing with larger armies usually requires you to have better quality troops, as there is only so much you can do with better tactics. However, I'd recommend putting your archers in an elevated position with infantry in a shield wall in front of them, as it allows them to outrange other archers, shoot over the heads of your infantry, and prevents enemy cavalry from getting too much momentum since they would have to go uphill. you can also put your own cavalry on the wings to block the enemy cavalry from charging your archers. meanwhile, their infantry will run into yours and if you are outnumbered, you need your archers to take them out while your own infantry just tries to survive.

[@atrixtussand2369]

The trick that you pull with quest Trouble with Brigands i discovered couple days ago by pure chance. I wasn't aiming on recruiting them but...since they soiled their pants i said, why not. Oh how i was surprised when i saw that this way i do 2 birds with one stone. Even better if you can combo it with "Gang leader needs recruits" quest. Or as an alternative if your roster is full. You can capture them all instead recruiting and than just hop to the village with the "Landowner needs manual laborers" and reap extra profit from that too. Best thing is the more you circulate them though your roster the more Leadership skill you get.

[@daodasbrot4817]

great video, will keep this for my second playthrough :-)

[@Raymond670]

I am glad to of found your guides. I might not play the game but it is entertaining to watch you. Keep going. 😊

[@inkslingerdrew]

crazy good info, good editing, good script, solid vid.

[@Big_Baby_Jesus]

Best guide ive found thank you

[@Downerfunk]

lol @ the dancers around the sorcerer table (Conan Exiles)

[@MoontasticoSonata]

"Do I need to keep drilling it into your heads?" 13:10 Man, that killed me laughing xDD

[@chengkuoklee5734]

I'm trying a mercenary build now focus in cunning. Because I'm suck in battle and want to make things fast, I chose to focus a lot on tactics. To my shock I'm pretty sure Tactic experience gain has been greatly nerfed. Luckily, with full 275 scouting + plus full calvary I'm able to outrun everybody.

[@Halcylion]

I've noticed that tactics levels up the fastest when you abandon soldiers to escape from an enemy. Of course, you'll be known as the most cowardly man in Calradia, but people just don't understand your big brain.

[@chengkuoklee5734]

@@Halcylion my previous play few months back I able to level up tactic without abandoning my people, something is not right this official release.

[@TheOriginalElkstone]

10:30 bro why do they keep fucking over this game in terms of actual fun. The squeeze was the only reason I'd ever consider playing this again and they seriously removed it

[@braden-vv6mr]

I have literally been binge watching like all of your videos i discovered along time ago with your kingdom come videos now that bannerlord is on consoles i get to watch and learn and laugh my ass off your fantastic!

[@sovietbear1917]

Hal's the best!

[@kurtschmidt5005]

This is awesome, love your guides!!!!

[@BracownReclidobo]

Doth my eyes deceive me?!?!?! HAL!!!!!!! Love your videos sir.

[@Halcylion]

After decades of not posting.... A guide finally emerges.

[@archimidis1527]

Comment just for the Algorithm. We need to help this awesome man

[@thisguyagain7857]

I just started my first campaign play through I'm playing it Nobel. All ready can't wait for the second playthrough because I'm going straight villain.

[@Halcylion]

I'm currently nearing the end of my villain playthrough... I can't wait to play as a noble myself. :)

[@KingCrab6572]

Awesome video man! Entertaining and informative! Subbed!

[@dylanxo689]

Very nice tutorial guide and funny commentary as hell😂 well done please make more!

[@ragnarokiscoming595]

Indeed the best mercenary guide i saw so far. It was just yours, but no need to watch anymore other 😂

[@Themattster97]

I pressed like before the video ended! You can’t tell me nothin!

[@agroplode9680]

Partner in Crime is like the old Merry Men at 275. It was stupidly strong back then but at least it was at 275, I have no idea why they reintroduced it at 150. Bandits are by far the most fun to run, add some peasants and you got a little revolution going on. I just pretend that Bandits are really the old people of Calradia that the Empire had crushed. Just like from the Dragon Banner story.

[@agroplode9680]

Metallurgy 225 from Engineering gives "looted items are very unlikely to get negative modifiers". I found some Bannerlordperks info from 1.7.0 patch that claims its 80% less. And Eng seem to level quite fast now. I get lots of normal items but also many positive modifiers that sell for extra Denars.

[@barcibus]

Their flight instinct is no longer removed

[@TimG84]

Loved this guide thank you

[@Uzzgub]

A Interaction for the Interaction God, a Comment for the Comment Throne, for the Almighty Algorithm

[@doommaker8287]

Me and my army of forest bandits like to raid a kingdoms Food supply villages then siege the towns until they starve

[@SickLiq]

Great vid, man. Shit's funny as hell. Useful too.

[@SMOKEY-Junior]

Appreciate this, really helpful 👌 🙏

[@TheTurbanatore]

Ok fine, I will like

[@jackburton2653]

Killdozer callout means instant Like!

[@justinsellers9402]

Great video!

[@defas2204]

4:15 ah yes, the kill dozer.

[@Fernando-qk9fd]

Hi, you mentioned a prision break guide. I cannot find it and i have watched most of your videos. I love the trader playthrough so much. Prision breaks I cannot consistently win, and I win almost all tournaments and solo villages.

[@Halcylion]

I didn't make a "prison break guide", I simply talked about prison breaks in my Rogue Trader Build Guide. And even then, I didn't really go in-depth about the subject. Just equip some good equipment and try to cheese the enemies in doorways or around corners, if you're not quite good at shieldless combat.

[@Fernando-qk9fd]

@@Halcylion thanks so much for the quick reply :)

[@bigmike8917]

more please mr Halylion *cheer*

[@Ealdorman_of_Mercia]

Hi May I ask you a question, great video by the way. When you prepare such a video, do you write then read the script or do you just speak over the video?

[@Halcylion]

I first organize my thoughts into a script, then I record the audio, and finally I edit the video to make sure that what's on screen matches the narration.

[@Gutenburg100]

Is it better to start the game traveling on foot rather than riding or riding first and then traveling on foot? Always feel so slow when I get dehorsed and it takes me forever to increase my athletic skill.

[@n.kosters4757]

I really wish u could build and upgrade your own bandit hideouts And take over the underworld of the cities getting your influence in form of rumors And ability to send assassins Being able to play as a Crimeboss / spymaster / robin hood

[@Halcylion]

There's a mod for that. Fourberie. It's even on the steam workshop, assuming, of course, you don't play on console.

[@gatsunoir]

great guide !

[@frankrizzo7746]

you are great dude

[@scottjuhnke6825]

Liked and subscribed.

[@papashmerda_3527]

I fux with yah 👍 subscribed… smoking a fat bowl while watching this video hits right 💨✊🏽

[@demoulius1529]

I have to try the PMC life some time..

[@teddyspaghetti2858]

Love your videos, just wanted to ask if you've ever tried the Realstic Battle Mod?

[@kameronbednarz8331]

You can be a merc and still own fiefs but you have to wait for a rebellion or siege a town after another army failed to besiege said town and swoop in when the defense is weak

[@Halcylion]

As far as I know, if you have a fief and try to join a faction as mercenary, you'll get a message saying that "fief owners can't be mercs"... and if you're already a merc, towns that you capture during your employment go to your employers. I tested this some time ago, but maybe things have changed, and I need to test it again.

[@kameronbednarz8331]

@@Halcylion that is very much true but you don't want to be in a contact when this happens. If you take a weak fief from a faction you can claim it as yours and not be in a kingdom or a faction but you had better be ready to pay for peace with said faction. Then after that it's all yours, also because your not a kingdom other kingdoms cannot start a war with you but you always can if you want.

[@AurioDK]

If you are in the campaign just ditch the starting main character as soon as the sister is available, she is FAR better to level than the starting character. As for money as a mercenary, just hold out in a siege for multiple rounds racking up influence for each round .... easy peasy and the millions start rolling in. No loot though ... just money except if you choose to sally out at some point.

[@ImmortalJunior]

Problem with roguery sadly, you have to raid to level it up, raiding is fun but the village notables hate you for it, and they're the source of your army and how you recruit, unless you just force them to give you recruits This is fine early game but late-late game your troop income is very important as you'll be going through troops like honey.... because it's yummy..

[@ImmortalJunior]

but this is only if you stick to been a bandit the entire game

[@Halcylion]

Oh man, you didn't pay attention to anything I've talked about. :( There's 3 things I've said in this video that directly contradict the point you're making. One of those 3 things is that you can stop a raid before burning the village if you want to save your relations. The other 2 can be summarized as "you don't need to raid to develop your rogue skill."

[@ImmortalJunior]

@@Halcylion I won't lie, i made my comment half way through x'D But i'm glad the notables relation isn't affected if you cancel before burning it down and you still get good raiding exp

[@rustyshackleford1508]

just raid vlandians

[@Tupalicious]

Prisonbreaks levels it aswell?

[@Hmcg27]

Thank you❤

[@morgan258]

I like your videos a lot : )

[@chengkuoklee5734]

Three months later I'm going to have trading empire playthrough. I want to know how many caravans my family can have after 20 years.

[@Halcylion]

If you want to reach trade 300, put 10 points into social as soon as possible. I tried maximizing my skill with just 8 points into social, and while that is possible.... it's an extremely long grind.

[@chengkuoklee5734]

@@Halcylion No, I'm not going for that. I just want to know how many families I can have in a vanilla game and sending most of them as caravan. It's going to be pacifist no war build. Ok, maybe a little to capture rebel city

[@avalonangeloflight]

attributes need no more ttan 7 (5) to hit max skills at 275 (it goes up to 288) there are only one that has 300 as max and that is trade

[@avalonangeloflight]

i have done this 8 times so i know it works

[@rc8727]

7 or 5 im misunderstanding what your saying​@@avalonangeloflight

[@JayTraversJT]

How does Smuggler Connections Increase profits?

[@vaspia19]

nice job

[@WilliamsAlexander4]

Very nice

[@benwilliams3539]

Can kingdoms declare war on you as an individual clan when you get fiefs? I was merc, then left so i could go capture a couple revel cities, but my clan level is still too low to create a kingsom. Can people declare war on me because i have fiefs or am i safe from wars because im not a kingdom?

[@hugolima9576]

How can I rescue prisoners? When I talk with then I don’t see any option

[@SuperPope69]

Over 500 hours in, didn't really learn anything but this was just super entertaining

[@ThatDudeCalled]

Paha, this is funny. You remind me of KillianExperience ahaha

[@Sturmavk]

What's an easy and not too harmful of a way to get a small criminal rating for the 50% less trade penalty perk in Roguery?

[@Halcylion]

Extorting villagers. Ask them to give you everything they've got, and if they offer 1 denar or a roll of cheese, take it and enjoy 10 criminal rating, but if they want to fight you instead, just let them go. Either that, or take a "buying stolen goods" mission from a criminal boss in a town.

[@Sturmavk]

@@Halcylion thx m8. Love your videos!

[@derrickkirkman595]

The gentle condescending attitude pearled in patronization, Beautifully done My Friend, Funny,Awesome And Informative 💯🫡🤣🤣

[@Bingliuau]

i used to use the night runner, but then i found nighttime is much shorter than daytime and night speed is slower. can that 5% wins 2% for a full day?

[@Halcylion]

For pure travelling, the speed increase is exactly the same. But I'd rather have 5% move speed for a shorter amount of time, because it's like a sprint. If I struggle to catch an enemy party because my speed is slightly below theirs, then I can definitely do it a night, when they slow down significantly due to the darkness, and I have a bigger speed advantage.

[@ferenctoka]

Can we keep up this 25% view/like ratio? Hal deserves it.

[@Halcylion]

Don't worry about ratios, just watch and if it helped, click a button. :)

[@kamronpeterson778]

Grease for the wheel