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What Determines Speed in Bannerlord? Unraveling the Secrets of the Open Road

Movement speed in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord is a complex calculation influenced by a myriad of factors. It’s not just about having the fastest horse; it’s a delicate balancing act of party composition, leadership skills, terrain, and even the weight of your baggage. Understanding these elements is crucial for efficient campaigning, trading, and surviving in the harsh world of Calradia. The primary factors determining your party’s speed are: party size, composition (infantry vs. cavalry), leadership skills (particularly Pathfinding), the number of mounted units, encumbrance (inventory weight), terrain, time of day, weather, and party morale. Each of these aspects interacts with the others, creating a dynamic system that demands careful management.

Dissecting the Speed Equation: Key Factors Explained

Let’s break down each of the major speed determinants in Bannerlord to give you a comprehensive understanding of how to optimize your travel time:

Party Size and Composition

Party Size: This is perhaps the most significant limiter. A larger party, even with ample horses, will inherently move slower due to logistical complexities and increased disorganization. Think of it like trying to herd a massive flock of sheep – more sheep, more chaos, less speed.
Infantry vs. Cavalry Ratio: Having a predominantly infantry-based force drastically reduces your speed. Foot soldiers are simply slower than mounted troops. Moreover, if your infantry lacks spare mounts to ride (even temporarily), the penalty is even more pronounced. Investing in horses for your infantry to use as pack animals is a crucial speed boost.
Mounted Units: The higher the ratio of cavalry to infantry, the faster your party will generally be, up to a point. Having a strong core of cavalry allows for quicker scouting, raiding, and overall map traversal.

Leadership Skills and Perks

Pathfinding Skill: This skill is paramount. The Pathfinding skill, primarily found in the Scouting skill tree, directly impacts your party’s speed. High Pathfinding allows you to navigate difficult terrain more effectively, avoid obstacles, and generally move faster across the map. Invest skill points in Pathfinding as soon as you can!
Other Scouting Skills: The scouting tree also provides perks which may affect how your party travels. It is well worth looking at this tree if you want to min max travel speed.

Encumbrance and Inventory Management

Inventory Weight: Overburdening your party with excessive loot or resources will severely hamper your speed. Monitor your carry capacity closely. The base carry capacity for a Hero is 60. For each troop you have in your party, you will increase the capacity by 1.
Horses as Pack Animals: Horses in your inventory act as pack animals, increasing your carry capacity and mitigating the speed penalty of a heavy load. However, there’s a threshold. Once you have more horses than unmounted infantry, the extra horses are considered a “herd,” and they begin to incur a speed penalty. This is why balancing your horse numbers is crucial.

Environmental Factors

Terrain: Different terrains have different speed modifiers. Forests, mountains, and swamps will significantly slow down your party, while open plains offer the fastest travel. Pathfinding skill mitigates these penalties but doesn’t eliminate them entirely.
Day/Night Cycle: Parties move slower at night. This is especially noticeable in heavily wooded areas or during adverse weather conditions.
Weather: Rain and snow severely impact party speed. Visibility is also reduced, making navigation more challenging.

Party Morale

High Morale: A happy army is a fast army. Morale boosts movement speed, while low morale can significantly hinder it. Ensure your troops are well-fed, paid on time, and victorious in battle to maintain high morale.

Prisoners

Prisoners Held: The more prisoners your party holds, the slower your speed. This is intuitive – they add weight and require guarding, diverting resources and slowing down the overall pace.

The Art of Optimization: Mastering Bannerlord’s Speed Mechanics

To truly master movement speed in Bannerlord, you need to consider all these factors holistically. Here are some practical tips for maximizing your party’s velocity:

Prioritize Pathfinding: Invest heavily in the Pathfinding skill of your party leader or scout. This is the single most impactful skill for increasing speed.
Balance Cavalry and Infantry: Aim for a balanced force, leaning towards cavalry if speed is a priority. Ensure your infantry has spare horses to act as pack animals.
Manage Inventory Carefully: Avoid carrying unnecessary weight. Store excess goods in towns or castles whenever possible.
Utilize Pack Animals Wisely: Use horses strategically as pack animals, but avoid exceeding the point where they become a burden.
Plan Your Routes: Choose routes that avoid difficult terrain whenever possible. Use the map to identify open plains and roads.
Travel During Daylight: Travel during the day to take advantage of better visibility and faster movement speeds.
Maintain High Morale: Keep your troops happy and well-supplied to maintain high morale and optimal speed.
Minimize Prisoners: Avoid taking on too many prisoners, or ransom them quickly to reduce the speed penalty.
Consider Clan Roles: Appoint a companion with high Scouting to the scout role in your clan party as this will increase your parties effective movement speed on the world map.
Disorganized Penalty: This will happen after laying siege. Regardless if you attack or not, the moment you decide to lay siege on a settlement or castle you will get disorganized if you pack up and leave. This should only occur after you have attempted to assault a settlement.

By carefully managing these factors, you can significantly increase your party’s speed and gain a competitive edge in the dynamic world of Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are 15 frequently asked questions related to speed in Bannerlord, designed to provide further clarity and practical advice:

What is the cheapest horse you can buy for movement speed in Bannerlord?

The Sumpter Horse is often the cheapest option and will increase party speed. The Midlands palfrey is the most easily attainable/cheapest (usually) tier 1 mount.
Do too many horses slow you down in Bannerlord?

Yes. Once you have more horses than unmounted infantry, the excess horses start to be added to herd animals for the penalty. So, balance is key.
Why is my party disorganized in Bannerlord 2?

The disorganized penalty can occur after engaging in certain activities, such as sieges or taking a long time to make a decision on the world map. It usually fades after marching for a bit.
How do you increase world speed in Bannerlord?

You increase world speed primarily by buying horses that increase the speed of your party. Look for horses with a positive “Party Speed” modifier in their tooltip. Investing in Pathfinding will help you better traverse difficult terrain.
What is the fastest horse in Bannerlord?

The fastest horse varies and is dependent on the stats of the horses, however, in Warband the fastest horse is the Courser.
How many horses should I have in Bannerlord?

A good rule of thumb is one pack animal for every foot soldier and one spare mount plus one pack animal for every cavalry unit. Every soldier can be responsible for 2 horses.
Do lame horses recover in Bannerlord?

Yes, lame horses can recover if they are carried in your inventory for a while. There is also a medicine perk “Veterinarian” that gives you a 30% chance per day to recover a lame horse and 50% chance to recover a mount from lost cavalry after battles.
Do Sumpter horses increase party speed in Bannerlord?

Yes, Sumpter horses increase party speed when used as pack animals. They are a cheap and effective way to boost your carrying capacity and reduce the encumbrance penalty.
Does horse armor slow you down in Bannerlord?

No, the weight of horse armor does not affect its speed or maneuvering.
Is executing nobles worth it in Bannerlord?

There is no real benefit, you will lose relations with a bunch of clans, its only useful really late game when you want to get rid of a few leftover clans from a kingdom.
What is the carry capacity in Bannerlord?

The base carry capacity for a Hero is 60. For each troop you have in your party, you will increase the capacity by 1.
Can the AI execute you in Bannerlord?

Yes. It is possible for the AI to execute you in Bannerlord.
What affects morale in Bannerlord?

Many factors including pay level, food, and victories.
Do prisoners affect party speed?

Yes, prisoners slow down your party.
What activities affect party speed negatively?

Laying siege, getting penalized for too many herds, and bad weather can slow down your party.

For more on the educational aspects of gaming, be sure to visit the Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/ or GamesLearningSociety.org. Their research highlights how games like Bannerlord can foster strategic thinking and resource management skills.

What determines speed Bannerlord?