M&B Bannerlord: Vlandia's Sharpshooter & Banner Knight Training Guide
Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord does not have a seasonal system like typical online games. Game balance adjustments are made through version updates. Recent major updates include v1.2 and v1.3. This article is based on information as of June 1, 2026.
Located in the western part of the Calradia continent, the Kingdom of Vlandia is known for its sturdy castles and heavily armored knights. At the core of its military power are the "Vlandian Sharpshooters," who form an unyielding firing line, and the "Vlandian Banner Knights," who devastate the battlefield. A warband equipped with these two troop types boasts such strength that it is said to be unstoppable. This article will thoroughly analyze the abilities of these elite units, the pride of Vlandia, and provide a detailed guide from recruitment to training, and effective deployment methods on the battlefield.
The Two Pillars of the Vlandian Army: Sharpshooters and Banner Knights
The strength of the Vlandian army lies in its simple yet powerful troop composition. Weaken the enemy from a distance, then charge with heavy cavalry when they are vulnerable. Vlandia's appeal is its ability to execute this classic yet perfectly refined tactic at the highest standard. The powerful rain of bolts unleashed by Sharpshooters shatters enemy shields and disrupts their formations. Seizing this opportunity, the Banner Knights' lance charge possesses destructive power capable of crushing any infantry line. This synergy between the two troop types is why Vlandia is considered almost invincible in field battles.
Vlandian Sharpshooters: The Immovable Archery Force — Detailed Explanation
The Vlandian Sharpshooter is a Tier 5 crossbowman, counted among the strongest archers across the entire Calradia continent. Its true value lies in high attack power and defensive capabilities that set it apart from other archers.
Troop Evaluation and Characteristics
The Sharpshooter's most distinctive feature is the massive "Pavis Shield" equipped on its back. This allows it to protect itself from enemy arrows and bolts during reloading or waiting, demonstrating overwhelming survivability in ranged engagements against other archery units. The crossbow it wields is also a top-tier "Bound Crossbow" or similar, with immense single-shot power.
- Strengths: High single-shot damage and penetration, excellent defensive performance and survivability thanks to the Pavis Shield, overwhelming strength in sieges (especially when defending).
- Weaknesses: Relatively few bolts carried, not strong in close combat, slower rate of fire compared to bows.
- Optimal Battlefields: Field battles with formations (especially on advantageous terrain like hills), sieges (both offense and defense), defensive battles in narrow passes.
Compared to archers of the same Tier, they hold an advantage over Imperial Legion Crossbowmen in terms of equipment (especially shields), and surpass Battanian Fian Champions (bowmen) in single-shot power and defense. While Fian Champions excel in rapid fire and close combat ability, Sharpshooters would likely win in pure ranged duels or siege defenses.
Training Tree and Costs
The path to becoming a Sharpshooter begins with a "Vlandian Recruit" conscripted from a Vlandian culture village. The training route is straightforward and easy to follow.
| Tier | Troop Name | Faction | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Vlandian Recruit | Vlandia | Basic peasant troop. The foundation for all Vlandian troops. |
| T2 | Vlandian Conscript Crossbowman | Vlandia | First equipped with a crossbow. Still vulnerable, but capable of ranged attacks. |
| T3 | Vlandian Crossbowman | Vlandia | Standard crossbowman. The ranged power of the unit increases from this stage. |
| T4 | Vlandian Heavy Crossbowman | Vlandia | Armor enhanced, equipped with a more powerful crossbow. Survivability greatly improved. |
| T5 | Vlandian Sharpshooter | Vlandia | The perfected form, equipped with a Pavis Shield and a top-tier crossbow. |
Efficient Recruitment and Training Guide
- Secure Recruitment Locations: Travel to Vlandian culture villages and recruit as many "Vlandian Recruits" as possible. Villages with high prosperity tend to have more recruitable soldiers.
- Safe Experience Grinding: Crossbowmen can safely defeat enemy troops from a distance early on, making their training relatively easy. Fight weaker enemy troops like bandits to earn experience. Utilizing terrain, such as positioning them on high ground at the start of a battle, makes it even more efficient.
- Cost Management: Upgrading to Tier 5 requires a considerable amount of Denar (in-game currency). The upgrade from Heavy Crossbowman to Sharpshooter, in particular, is expensive, so plan your finances carefully.
Vlandian Banner Knight: Heavy Cavalry Shaking the Earth — Detailed Explanation
The Vlandian Banner Knight is a Tier 6 noble troop, and its performance ranks it among the best heavily armored shock cavalry in the game. Once its charge begins, enemy ranks are trampled like paper.
Troop Evaluation and Characteristics
Covered in full plate armor, mounted on a powerful warhorse, and most fearsome of all is the power of its lance charge. The destructive force when charging into enemy lines at full speed is unmatched. In player polls on Reddit and elsewhere, it is highly popular and recognized for its strength, rivaling the Imperial Elite Cataphract for the title of strongest cavalry.
- Strengths: Overwhelming lance charge power, incredible survivability due to top-tier armor, breakthrough power that shatters infantry formations.
- Weaknesses: Highest maintenance and upgrade costs in the game, very difficult to recruit, may be inferior to specialized troops in chaotic melees or anti-cavalry combat.
- Optimal Battlefields: Large-scale field battles on open plains. Most effective when charging from the flank or rear while infantry hold the enemy.
While the Imperial Elite Cataphract is a very well-balanced and powerful heavy cavalry, the Banner Knight has an edge in pure charge destructive power and frontal durability. On the other hand, the Khuzait Khan's Guard is a powerful horse archer, and its versatility is not found in the Banner Knight. If the deployment objective is solely "destroying enemy lines," the Banner Knight is the best choice.
Training Tree and Costs
As a noble troop, the Banner Knight has a different recruitment source and training route than regular soldiers.
| Tier | Troop Name | Faction | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|
| T2 | Vlandian Squire | Vlandia (Noble) | The embryo of a noble troop. Can only be recruited from notables in villages attached to castles. |
| T3 | Vlandian Vanguard | Vlandia (Noble) | First mounted on a horse, possessing light cavalry abilities. |
| T4 | Vlandian Knight | Vlandia (Noble) | Heavily armored, with a powerful lance charge, becomes a main cavalry unit. |
| T5(T6) | Vlandian Banner Knight | Vlandia (Noble) | The perfected form. A heavily armored shock cavalry boasting top-tier performance in the game. |
※Although listed as Tier 5 in the in-game troop tree, its performance rivals or surpasses that of Tier 6 units.
Efficient Recruitment and Training Guide
- Improve Relations with Notables: The "Vlandian Squire," the base for Banner Knights, can only be recruited from notables (landowners) in "villages attached to castles" within Vlandian culture zones. You need to steadily improve your relations by completing quests for them and solving their problems.
- Persistently Patrol Villages: Even with high relations, whether noble troops appear in the recruitment list is a matter of luck. Persistence is required to regularly patrol multiple castle-attached villages and check their lists.
- Protect Valuable Troops: Squires, once recruited, are extremely valuable. To prevent losing them in combat, deploy them cautiously, such as keeping them at the rear in early battles, and aim for safe experience gain and upgrades.
Does the Mythical "Strongest Crossbow Cavalry" Exist?
Vlandia is a faction that excels with crossbows, but research indicates that "crossbow cavalry" do not exist in the regular troop tree. This is also true for the game as a whole; units that wield crossbows from horseback are exceedingly rare. Upgrading the mercenary "Hired Crossbow" will result in a cavalry unit equipped with a crossbow, but its performance is limited. While the player character themselves or companions can become effective crossbow cavalry by sufficiently raising "Crossbow" and "Riding" skills, it is not practical to deploy them on a large scale as AI units. For AI horse archers, units equipped with bows are still considered superior.
Summary
Vlandian Sharpshooters and Vlandian Banner Knights are extremely powerful units, each standing at the pinnacle of archers and cavalry, respectively. Sharpshooters establish a stable firing position with their high defense, whittling down any enemy. Banner Knights act as a decisive trump card, determining the course of battle with their overwhelming charge power. A warband combining these two troop types is arguably the strongest in Calradia for field battles on open plains. While training requires significant time and Denar, along with the persistence needed for noble troop recruitment, overcoming these challenges to assemble an elite Vlandian force will be a powerful asset to lead you to become the continent's ruler.
