M&B Bannerlord Difficulty Levels Explained – Choosing the Best Difficulty for You

Updated:

01 Apr 2023

[Guide] M&B Bannerlord Difficulty Levels Explained – Choosing the Best Difficulty for You

Freebooter

Freebooter is an excellent option for gamers who are unfamiliar with the Mount and Blade series or who prefer a more laid-back gaming environment. The game is made to accommodate players who are new to the franchise and wish to explore it without becoming too confused by its complexity.

Due to its simple admission requirements and user-friendly gameplay, Freebooter is a dependable and trusted alternative for novice gamers. Freebooter also offers players who prefer a more relaxed and peaceful gaming environment exactly that. Without sacrificing the enjoyment and thrill for which the franchise is renowned, it offers a more laid-back approach to gameplay. Overall, both new and seasoned players should consider playing Freebooter.

Here’s how it works and what it changes:

Player received damage: in this setting, you receive damage that is 25% of what you normally would, so it is harder for you to die.
Friendly troops received damage: Your troops also receive 50% reduced damage, making them harder to die too.
Recruitment difficulty: You find 2 more troops at settlements and therefore expand your group more easily.
Map movement speed: You move on the map with a 10% speed bonus, this will make it easier for you to catch bandits and escape from big armies early on, which is a great starting advantage.
Persuasion success: in addition to your skills, you will have a 10% success bonus, this will help you to get people to do what you want, and as the name suggests, persuade them into your cause.
Combat AI difficulty: the enemies you face will have no special tricks up their sleeve and be more predictable, handing you the victory in most of the battles.
Clan member death possibility in battles: members of your clan who go into battle will definitely return alive; their death rate will be reduced to 0%
Hero deaths in combat: no heroes will die in the battle, meaning you will have to execute anyone you want dead, and that will have its consequences.

Here's who should choose this setting and why:

Freebooter's lower difficulty setting is advantageous for Mount and Blade series newcomers who aren't yet familiar with the gaming fundamentals because it lets them learn and explore the game more slowly.
Freebooter is a fantastic option for gamers who like a more relaxed and unhurried gaming experience because of the improved recruiting difficulty and decreased damage suffered, which make it simpler to go through the game without being too stressed out or irritated.
The map movement speed benefit that Freebooter offers will be appreciated by players that are seeking for a starting edge in the game, such as catching bandits or evading large armies early on.
The 10% success increase for persuasion is quite useful to players who wish to put more of an emphasis on persuasion and bargaining in the game since it can make persuading NPCs to support your cause or provide you with what you need.

Warrior

The warrior option is ideal for you if you appreciate a good challenge while yet want to take advantage of some early benefits. Although it provides you some initial benefits, you'll still need to put in a lot of effort and overcome some significant challenges. This implies that you'll have a genuine sense of joy and success when you do conquer those obstacles.

The warrior setting, in my opinion, achieves the perfect balance between being neither too simple nor too difficult to the point of being irritating. The challenge is exactly right to keep me interested in the game and inspired to keep playing. I'd advise trying the warrior option if you want a gameplay experience that's both difficult and rewarding.

Here’s how it works and what it changes:

Player received damage: You will receive 50% of what you normally would, which is a bit higher than the previous setting.
Friendly troops received damage: Your troops receive 75% of what they normally would, making them not too strong, but still giving them more hit points.
Recruitment difficulty: You will find 1 extra troops at settlements, which will have you travelling to different villages and cities to expand your group.
Map movement speed: You move on the map with a 5% speed bonus, which means you will still go faster than usual, but will still need some horses to speed you up
Persuasion success: you will have a 5% success bonus, which gives you a moderate bonus, while still requiring you to improve your related skills.
Combat AI difficulty: the AI difficulty will be set to “Veteran” in this difficulty setting. The enemies will employ widely used techniques, but you will most likely figure out their next moves after dealing with them for a while.
Clan member death possibility in battles: members of your clan who go into battle may, or may not come back alive; their death rate will be reduced to 50%, which is twice as less as the previous setting, so expect some casualties
Hero deaths in combat: in this setting the death in combat mechanic is disabled only for you, meaning commanders will be able to lose their lives in the battlefield, not the same goes for you though.

Here's who should choose this setting and why:

The warrior choice is ideal for you if you want challenges but yet want some early benefits.
In order to provide a gratifying gaming experience, this difficulty setting achieves a balance between being too easy and too challenging.
Choose the warrior option if you want something with a manageable degree of difficulty but still enough of a challenge to keep you engaged.
The warrior option is a fantastic option for gamers who want to feel rewarded after completing challenges because it has modest perks and a reasonable degree of challenge.

Bannerlord

A familiar face, maybe a Butterlord?

Prepare yourself for the best possible experience with Bannerlord thanks to the realistic difficulty setting. The game actually comes to life at this point, offering you the entire spectrum of difficulties and encounters that the designers planned. You'll engage in challenging combat and might even end yourself being caught and carried behind horses.

You'll remember the excitement of exploring the game's enormous environments, from the broad dunes to the towering mountains, forever. The realistic difficulty option is the way to go if you want a fully immersive and true gaming experience, but it's not for the faint of heart.

Here’s how it works and what it changes:

Player received damage: You will receive the full damage, no reductions, meaning you will have to take every battle seriously. Any arrow you shoot could be your last, and any javelin thrown could land into your heart.
Friendly troops received damage: Your troops will also receive no damage reductions; they will be as vulnerable as you will be.
Recruitment difficulty: You will only be able to recruit soldiers in castles, towns and cities, making it harder to expand your army.
Map movement speed: You move at the exact speed that your troops and passive skills provide, no bonus, no starting advantage, -nada-.
Persuasion success: The same goes for persuasion, you will rely solely on your skills and perks. You will have to start as a scarred shepherd and make your way to the towering palaces.
Combat AI difficulty: The AI difficulty will be set to realistic, meaning you will have to figure out the strategies and plans of each army. It will be easy to deal with in early game but wait until you see three hundred angry horsemen with bows galloping around you.
Clan member death possibility in battles: your clan members will have a 100% death rate, so you will have to keep up with the losses and bring more people in each passing day
Hero deaths in combat: Commanders and heroes may die in battle, just as in real life, which means you will have to carefully decide which battle to fight.

Here are 4 bullet points on who should choose this difficulty and why:

The realistic difficulty setting is ideal for you if you're a die-hard player looking for an intense gaming experience.
This difficulty setting will offer just what you're searching for in a challenge as long as you don't mind taking responsibility for your actions.
This is the setting you select if you love the Mount and Blade series and want to play the game precisely like the designers intended.
The realistic difficulty option is the way to go if you want to be completely immersed in the game and experience what it would be like to be a real-life mediaeval warlord.