You also need to keep your troops fed and maintain their morale otherwise you won’t move as fast on the world screen. You can give some troops higher priority than others so they will be the first to fight. If you’re out of room, you can swap out something less valuable.Īt any time before or after battle, you can also access your party management screen in order to view the relative strengths and weaknesses of your forces. If there’s something you want, simply drag it into your inventory. You can elect to take none, some or all of the weapons and armor your men retrieve from the field of battle. If you are wounded or lose too many troops, you can choose to retreat or disengage.īut if you succeed in whittling down the enemy, you’ll receive gold, experience and equipment as your reward. It may also take several bouts to completely crush the enemy. If the two armies engaged in combat are large enough they will receive reinforcements throughout the battle. If you ride fast enough the lance will automatically be braced, and a single hit will kill even the most heavily armored opponent. Many heroes will charge into battle with a lance because it has the potential to do devastating damage. If you do decide to fight upon a trusty steed you need to make sure you have enough skill to ride the toughest and fastest horse available. Players can also equip shields but they aren’t an invincible force field-too many hits from a big axe will shatter even the stoutest defense. You’ll also need armor to protect yourself choose among many different types of light, medium and heavy armor, including helmets, boots and gloves.Īlthough mounted soldiers can easily trample individual enemies, a wall of pikes or a shower of arrows can quickly stop a charging knight. When the melee begins, players and their allies begin hacking and slashing away with a vast array of swords, clubs, pole arms, javelins and bows. You can give simple orders to your troops, such as hold position or charge, in order to gain the best tactical advantage. Many players choose to focus on mounted combat because they enjoy the thrill of crashing into enemy hordes and hacking down their opponents, but you can also choose to fight on foot.Įnemy forces deploy on opposite sides of the battle area and immediately begin to maneuver for position. When you choose to lead your men in battle, your forces will be sent to a third-person, “over-the-shoulder” view of the battle area. You can lead your party into battle yourself, order your men to fight without your leadership (a risky move) or leave a rearguard behind while your main forces try and escape. If you do choose to engage in battle, players are presented with a few basic tactical options. Some are benign while others will lead to confrontation. When you encounter another group on the world map a dialogue screen pops up that includes a few simple discussion options (no lines are voiced). As you fight more battles, if your allies survive, you can train them to become a wide variety of veteran troops, including knights, foot soldiers, archers or skirmishers. Players can recruit volunteers, hire mercenaries and persuade heroes to join forces with them. That’s been improved somewhat and players can now pursue marriage for love or power, manage estates and seek political alliances.īut battle is the main attraction. The original game offered players a “sandbox” style environment without any main storyline and quest. The player can navigate throughout the world map and encounter a vast ensemble of other NPC groups such as peasants, deserters, friendly warbands and hostile raiders. In single-player mode, players receive a “birds-eye view” of the world of Calradia, complete with vast deserts, snow-covered mountains and lush forests. Keep an eye on the ever-changing balance of power-don’t attack an allied caravan by mistake! The different factions make war with each other, negotiate truces and engage in trade.
Players can align themselves with several different historically inspired factions such as the Nords (Vikings), Sarranid Sultanate (Arabs) and Khergit Khanate (Mongols), and others. Mount & Blade: Warband gives players the long-awaited chance to test their mettle against other heroes.įor those unfamiliar with award-winning independent game, Mount & Blade and the new Warband expansion focus on the fictional medieval world of Calradia. Many players choose to focus on mounted combat because they enjoy the thrill of crashing into enemy hordes. Passed inspection: New multiplayer functionįailed Basic: Little improvement in graphics
Mount and Blade: Warband – PC Game Review By Paul Glasser