The Mount and Blade series has been with us for many years. These are sandbox medieval games, and you will learn everything about this series here and now.
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The subject of our Pixel Sundays article this week is the Mount and Blade series. These are medieval sandbox games where you can act freely. You start all alone and can eventually lead your own army or even a kingdom.
It all actually started in the garage of Armağan Yavuz. He, together with his wife, İpek Yavuz, worked on his game Mount and Blade as a hobby. He handled the game’s code while his wife was responsible for the graphics. The first alpha versions of the game were available on his website as early as 2004, allowing him to gather feedback from fans.
After getting some money from supporters, Armağan, who was still studying at Bilkent University in Ankara, founded his own company in 2005 – TaleWorlds. Some beta versions of the game were sold, and the income was used for the full development of the game.
The first part of the game was then released by Paradox in 2008. Mount and Blade sold more than 1 million copies, earning TaleWorlds around 3 million dollars. With this money, the company worked on the second part, Mount and Blade: Warband, which was released in 2010. Paradox lost the license in 2014, so the latest game, Mount and Blade 2 Bannerlord, was published only by TaleWorlds.
Mount and Blade revolutionized the medieval simulation genre by introducing many new and unique elements at the time. First, we have a realistic combat system, which works in four directions. Attacks can be executed from above, the sides, or below. Naturally, these can also be blocked, but you need to pay attention to your opponent and block in the correct direction. This system makes combat more exciting and challenging, and it is especially interesting for PvP, where players often fake attacks to confuse the opponent.
The game features various weapons like spears, swords, axes, bows, and more, each with unique calculations and damage values. Attacks are stronger at high speeds while riding, and shortbows have high penetration but poor range. However, large longbows cannot be used on horseback.
But what you have most in Mount and Blade is your own freedom. The game has no fixed storyline you must follow. You can simply travel the world and write your own story. It doesn’t matter what you want to do – be a mercenary, a trader, or a ruler – anything is possible, and all the decisions are entirely yours. You can even establish your own kingdom and subdue all other rulers. This freedom means the game never really gets boring, and you can have infinite playthroughs where you do something different each time (or at least try to before falling back on your favorite strategy – do you know this problem, and in which game do you have it? Feel free to comment below).
The game also offers an open world where you can freely move across the map. You can visit various cities, castles, and villages. In cities and villages, you can trade, and castles are the properties of lords. If you want to have a castle or a city for yourself, you need to join a kingdom and prove yourself worthy through good deeds. Alternatively, you can become your own ruler and conquer a castle by yourself – but, of course, not entirely alone.
You can hire troops in different villages and cities. Each faction has its own special units that are stronger than those of other nations. In general, there are four types of troops: infantry units, equipped with swords, lances, and shields, or alternatively with a large sword without a shield; archers and crossbowmen, who fight from a distance; cavalry, who fight with lances, swords, and shields on horseback; and mounted archers, who use the speed of their horses to ride around and shoot at enemies.
Battles take place in third-person or first-person view. You switch from the map view to the battlefield, where you can command your troops on how to position themselves and what to do. For example, your infantry might form a shield wall, or your cavalry might charge through enemies at full speed. Your units level up over time, making them much stronger but also more expensive. You need to pay them wages and provide food, or else they will leave your troop if you go bankrupt.
There are many ways to earn money in the game. One option is trading – traveling from city to city, buying cheap goods, and selling them for profit. You can also sell loot from your raids or buy workshops that produce goods for you, or you can invest in a caravan. Both of these options require a significant initial investment but provide passive income later. Even better are cities and castles, as they come with several villages that pay you taxes.
You can also participate in tournaments in cities and win rewards. If you bet on yourself and win, you can make a considerable profit. Another effective way to earn money while improving relationships with lords or boosting your charm skill is completing quests. Important city and village residents may have missions for you, such as protecting a caravan or ambushing enemies. There are also missions like rigging bets to make money. Some lords, especially those from your faction, may give you quests like delivering horses for the war or collecting taxes from villages.
After the first Mount and Blade game, Mount & Blade: Warband was released in 2010 as a standalone expansion of the original. This game also introduced a multiplayer mode, allowing battles of up to 100 vs. 100 players. Additionally, a new faction, the Sarranids, was added, representing the Sultan’s troops who fight with camels. Diplomacy was also expanded, and for the first time, it was possible to establish your own kingdom, which wasn’t available in the first game.
In 2011, Mount & Blade: With Fire & Sword was released. This game is based on the novel “With Fire and Sword” and also brought some new features. It was the first time we had a historically accurate setting with existing nations like Poland-Lithuania, the Tsardom of Russia, and Sweden. The game is set in the 17th century, introducing muskets and pistols as new weapons. This game also features a structured storyline.
Then, two years ago in 2022, the latest game in the series was released: Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord. This is the most comprehensive Mount and Blade game to date. First and foremost, we have much improved graphics, which keep the game current and appealing to new players. Characters are much more detailed, and the environments look significantly better.
Battles have also been reworked. In this game, you can position your troops with great precision and form a good strategy. The siege mechanics, including trebuchets, catapults, and battering rams, have been significantly improved. Powerful PCs now allow the simulation of larger battles with up to 1000 units at once. The AI has also been greatly improved, often waiting for you to make the first move and using intelligent tactics to defeat you.
The skills and leveling system has also been significantly improved. Now there are 18 different skills, each of which can be improved in different ways, depending on the experience points you invest. It’s not possible to max out all skills in the game, preventing players from becoming too overpowered. Skills like smithing allow you to craft weapons better than anything else in the game. Smithing is also a very lucrative hobby since powerful weapons can be sold for a high price. However, you’ll need to invest a lot of time into improving your smithing skill.
Additionally, the diplomacy system has been reworked. Now you can propose and vote for new policies within your kingdom using influence. You gain influence by winning battles and implementing kingdom policies. You also need influence to form armies with other rulers in your kingdom, allowing you to fight with even more troops. Without armies, besieging large cities would be nearly impossible.
You can also appoint a governor to your own cities. Depending on the level and skills of the governor, you get different bonuses such as increased city growth or higher taxes. You can also marry and have children. These children will take over your game progress if you die, ensuring that your legacy continues. If you die without having children, it’s game over. But don’t worry; dying in battles is very unlikely for lords. In most cases, you will only be injured.
We have already talked a lot about the gameplay, but let’s summarize most of it and add some more details. Just as a small note, this will mainly be about the gameplay in the newest title, Mount and Blade II Bannerlord.
As it is a sandbox game, where you can do whatever you want, this should be quite clear by now. In the game, you have both your individual level, which is needed for improving skills, and your clan level. This is increased by gaining renown, which you earn from battles and tournament victories. A higher clan level increases your troop limit and gives you other advantages within kingdoms. Starting at clan level 1, you can join a kingdom as a mercenary and fight large battles against other kings.
If we take a quick look at the map, we can see that there are a total of 8 kingdoms. In the east, we have the Khuzait in turquoise, who are inspired by the Mongols and Huns and focus on their cavalry. In the south, we have the Aserai in yellow, who are inspired by Arabic tribes. In the north, in blue, we have the Sturgians, inspired by Nordic peoples. Centrally, we have three empires: the Northern (light purple), the Western (violet-red), and the Southern (purple). Finally, we have the Battanians in green, inspired by Celtic tribes, and in the far west in red, we have Vlandia, inspired by the Franks. Looking closely, it becomes clear that this is an alternate map of the Mediterranean region.
You can join any of these kingdoms, and you can even manage to take over the kingdom from within and become the king. There is always war in the land, ensuring there’s never a dull moment. It’s also important to figure out how your ideal troop composition looks. Whether you prefer more archers or focus on cavalry is entirely up to you, and you can test your setup beforehand in the battle sandbox.
When you have taken over a city from a foreign kingdom, it is important to maintain loyalty. To do so, it may be worthwhile to appoint a governor who comes from that land; otherwise, the city may rebel and declare independence.
Mods have been a part of Mount and Blade games since the very beginning. There were mods for the very first game that either improved graphics or added alternative scenarios, like the mod “The Last Days of the Third Age,” which brings you into the Lord of the Rings universe in Middle-earth.
With each new game, more cool mods were added, and modding was made easier for the community. Now, with Mount & Blade II Bannerlord, you can even add mods directly through Steam, making modding and using mods accessible to a wider group. Now, there are thousands of mods that make the game more enjoyable, add new features, introduce new maps, or something else, and many more mods will continue to be developed by the community in the future.
Mount and Blade has had a significant influence on other games, which have incorporated aspects of its gameplay. For example, the attack and block combat system can also be found in other games, such as For Honor and Kingdom Come Deliverance. Kingdom Come Deliverance shares even more similarities with Bannerlord, as it also has a large medieval setting with an open world where you can basically do whatever you want, though it is more story-focused.
The realistic battles in the game have also influenced other games indirectly. As Mount and Blade set new standards, other games had to adapt and include detailed battles in their gameplay.
The future of Mount and Blade is, of course, something that interests every fan. However, let’s get straight to the point – there is no official announcement for a third installment yet. But that doesn’t mean there will never be one. Mount & Blade II Bannerlord had millions of sales, and even today, more than four years after its release, it still has more than 50,000 daily players. Since the game is still played by so many people, the modding community is unlikely to stop creating new great mods for Mount and Blade II Bannerlord. And we all hope that maybe, in a few years, a third part of this series or at least an official DLC will be released.
The Mount and Blade franchise has established itself as a milestone in the gaming world. With its open-world elements and all the freedom it offers, it is a unique experience, perfect for any fan of medieval combat. The realistic battles with up to 1,000 troops are both thrilling and strategic. And if the game ever gets too boring or repetitive, you can simply download one of the thousands of mods and introduce many new features into the game.
So I’m going to start another run in Bannerlord now. Have you gotten the itch to try Mount and Blade II Bannerlord or maybe one of the older Mount and Blade games? Then be sure to check out AllKeyShop. AllKeyShop compares the prices of more than 60 verified merchants and always gives you the best price for video games.
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