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How to Become a Vassal in Mount and Blade: Bannerlord

Mount and Blade Bannerlord

Bannerlord, the latest addition to the Mount and Blade franchise, has a much more sharp gameplay loop. Sure, you’re still leading armies around the fantasy world and commanding them to build a kingdom, but it’s so much more than that. By adding and improving features, Mount and Blade: Bannerlord has effectively created the best game it could ever be.  The goal is to create a much more vibrant and interesting world to wage war in.

Your goal in Mount and Blade: Bannerlord is supposed to be to build your own kingdom and an army of vassal lords as their liege. But you don’t have to choose that path. Though it is tons of fun, you can choose to take on a lesser role if that’s more fun for you. Instead of having to wrangle with building and taking settlements, you could just follow orders and join one of the many factions in the game. It’s important to note a few things about this. Choosing a faction to join means that certain paths will close to you. If a faction is an avowed enemy of the faction you join, you won’t be able to treat with them. This guide will focus on how to join one of the existing kingdoms in Calradia, as well as what kind of gameplay shifts you can expect.

How to Become a Vassal in Mount and Blade: Bannerlord

Since you are still head of your own army, you retain command of your direct forces, but you lose certain features.

You have two options for how you would like to proceed. You can become a mercenary clan if you want, although this won’t form a formal relationship with the faction you’re hired by. Mercenary clans cannot own any fiefs that are a part of a kingdom. Either towns, castles or villages. Vassals are eligible to own lands in their own name. If you want to build an empire that’s a part of a whole, use the Vassal path. Also, those relationships I mentioned above only inherit if you’re a vassal. Picking the Mercenary clan path doesn’t force you into the diplomatic state of the client kingdom you join with.

To get to either the mercenary or Vassal path with a kingdom, you need to level up your clan. You need to be Clan Level 1 to be hired as a mercenary. The same level is required to become a Vassal. The process is actually similar as well. You need to find the Nobles of a respective faction and swear fealty to them to join up with them. When you talk to a Noble of a faction you wish to join as a merc,  follow the path laid out below in the dialogue:

  • There is something I’d like to discuss
  • I would like to enter the service of …
  • My sword is yours. For the right sum.
  • All Right. I accept.

To become a Vassal in Mount and Blade: Bannerlord, you need to find the Leader of that faction instead. You will often have to head to their base and speak to them there. The leader will only appear out in the world during wartime, most of the time. When you find them, simply speak to them and ask to join their service. The dialogue is similar, so just pay attention. Here are the dialogue options you want to pick.

  • There is something that I’d like to discuss
  • I would like to enter your service
  • My lord, I would pledge allegiance to you and be counted among your loyal followers
  • I am ready, …

Once you’ve done this, you’re fully a member of that faction. Go out into the world and complete missions they ask of you, or just attack their enemies, whatever suits your playstyle. You can still recruit companions to make this process a bit easier though. The companions offer a customizable fighter in your army that’s a bit tougher than the standard soldier you would recruit. Building your core followers out of these special NPCs can be a big help to succeeding in war.

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There’s a lot more to learn about this game, so pay attention. Other things you might want to learn are how to properly manage your party’s size and movement speed. No use building a massive army if it’s too slow to fight. Smithing and other crafting disciplines are key to outfitting your troops. And knowing how to deal with rival lords and vassals is key to actually building that army.

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