Where to look for new companions, how to equip them, the main reasons why any companion is more useful than a regular unit: in this guide we have collected answers to these and other questions
Companions in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord are unique characters that you can recruit as regular units. In the future, a companion can be used as part of an army / squad or sent to independently complete quests that bring dinars (in-game currency). In M&B, you can be a first-class warrior, but you have absolutely no understanding (have low skills) in managing troops or a clan, and just these shortcomings can be compensated for by a well-chosen companion. That is why a retinue of unique companions is several times more effective than ordinary units hired in cities and villages.
In this guide, you will learn where to find new companions and how to know if their skills are appropriate for your particular case.
Basic mechanics
Companions are very similar to regular soldiers in your army, although there are some differences. For example, everyone has their own name, background, and skill set. These skills make companions such valuable characters and the best addition for the clan, since all their bonuses apply to the entire army as a whole (if the companion moves with you) or to another group to which you assigned him to the role of head. Like your hero, companions earn experience points and level up. This is why it is so important to hire as many companions as possible from the very beginning of the campaign: in this case, they will develop in parallel with your hero.
However, like the rest of Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord, which is in early access on Steam, the companion system is not finalized. You only get access to a limited number of satellites, and each of them is randomly generated and unique for the current campaign. Taleworlds has a lot of plans for where the game will take. So, the developers want to independently create some satellites that will have not only a background, but also a storyline, be individual personalities.
Here are some reasons why companions are better than other units and why they should be included in a group:
- Their skills are automatically applied to yours or another group, granting bonuses to all units.
- They can lead their own squads, which you will have to create as your clan develops.
- You can give companions and several soldiers a number of tasks. While they are doing them, it will be easier for you to focus on other missions.
- You can equip each companion separately, assigning weapons and armor to him in the same way as the main character. What cannot be done with regular soldiers.
However, not everything is so smooth:
- For each satellite you will have to pay several dinars – from 1000 to 2500. And often each of them requires a higher payment.
- Like regular soldiers, companions take place in a unit / army. Therefore, you can only hire a limited number of them.
- If you have instant death enabled, the satellite may die. Once and for all.
Where can I find Bannerlord companions?
The Continent of Caldaria is a huge location, but you have a few tools at your fingertips that will make it easier to find companions available for hire. Here’s how to find new companions:
- Press the N key to open the encyclopedia. Select the Heroes panel.
- Scroll down to the ‘Occupation’ panel and select ‘Wanderer’. This is the role assigned to any character in the game that you can hire as a companion.
- Click on any name from the wanderer list to open its unique page where you can view the list of skills. If you look to the right corner, you will see the locations where they were last seen. This is the easiest way to track a specific character. But remember that companions, like lords, often move around, so if you need several days to get to a certain place, there is a high probability that a particular character will leave it. However, nothing prevents you from finding the new location of the satellite through the encyclopedia.
- Upon arrival in any major city, go to the tavern area. The character bar at the top of the screen will list any characters to hire. Click on the desired portrait to talk to the character directly. You will be able to find out his background, the cost of hiring. If it suits you, then offer to join your squad.
Using the method described above, you will be able to locate any satellite in any part of Caldaria. Of course, if he does not die during your search.
Which companions in Bannerlord are best?
Until Taleworlds adds handcrafted characters (rather than randomly generated ones) to the game, we cannot provide a list of the best companions. Each NPC in the game has a random appearance, backstory, set of characteristics, name and location. Therefore, which companion to hire in a particular case depends on your needs. Obviously, satellites for trading or commanding an army will have completely different sets of characteristics.
However, Reddit user ImAShaaaark has proven that a companion’s last name can be used to determine their skill set. For example, a character with the last name Breakskull will be cocky (+1 Valor) and cruel (-1 Mercy). He also prefers to use two-handed weapons. You can check out a specific thread on the Reddit forum to learn about how the last name list affects the skills and characteristics of the characters.
Here are some notable names:
- Medics: Characters with the name Willowbark are great healers!
- Rogues: Black’s surname indicates that you are sure to meet a great Rogue with excellent combat skills. However, characters with the surname Longknife or Accursed have a higher cheating skill.
- Warriors: Shieldmaiden, Red and Coalbiter are high level warriors with the same stats, but different dispositions.
How to dress a companion?
Bannerlord’s user interface may seem confusing, but equipping companions and upgrading their skills is a process almost identical to the one you go through when interacting with the main character. Pressing the C or I key, you will open the character panel or inventory. Here you will see the main character, but next to his name at the top of the screen there are “arrows” that allow you to switch to any satellite. Remember that you cannot equip regular soldiers in Bannerlord! The same method will allow you to access your companion’s inventory, as well as – distribute talent points, select new perks or equip the desired weapons and armor.
