The Best Riding Perks In Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord

It’s no surprise how important cavalry is in Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord, whether it’s part of an army composition or a character’s skill in riding and manipulating a horse into battle.

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If you don’t want to focus on an infantry or archer-heavy style that works well with the Sturgians or Battanians, the riding skill will be a valuable addition to your character’s arsenal. Picking the right perks can take your cavalry’s performance to new heights.

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9 agile horse

Mobility +10%. +30 Riding Skill to Troops in Formation

The first perks of the riding skill are Full Speed and Nimble Steed. The increased charge damage at full speed is a nice bonus, but the charge damage itself is only noticeable against low tier troops and the perk doesn’t work well in the late game and against heavily armored troops.

Nimble Steed’s mobility bonus, on the other hand, allows you to move around the battlefield with greater precision. Equestrian skills added to troops enhance several aspects of cavalry, making perks a better option in most scenarios.

8 veterinarian

Adds 20% health to mounts. Unit mounts in formation gain +10% health.

Well Strapped is a great perk early on when finding high tier mounts is hard, and once you find one you don’t want to lose it. This perk helps keep valuable horses in the early stages of the game by reducing the chance of your mount dying or crippling by 50%.

But once finding a mount is out of the question, a vet is a better perk in the long run. This perk increases the health of you and your army’s mounts, making them last longer in battle. If you’re relying heavily on your cavalry and your own horses, losing them early in a battle can cost you a lost battle.

7 nomadic tradition

+30% party speed bonus for mounted infantry. +10% damage bonus from speed against troops in formation.

Deeper Sacks are fantastic perks if you want to play trading style, as you can carry more goods with your pack animals and sell mounts for better profit. However, this playstyle is not suitable for everyone and every playthrough, so we recommend that you consider Nomadic Traditions.

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This perk increases your party’s movement speed on the world map if you have an extra mount for your infantry. The main downside to these styles is their low mobility, which is a great perk to have even if you’re playing an infantry or archer-heavy style, but Nomadic Traditions can alleviate some of this problem and speed up your army’s movement.

6 Archer

-15% accuracy penalty while equipped. Mount speed +5%. +2% party speed.

The riding skill tree has several perks that ultimately come down to your preference for ranged or melee weapons while on horseback. Sweeping Wind is a great mobility perk because it increases top speed and the party’s movement speed, but Sagittarius is a must-have perk if you want to use ranged weapons or use melee and ranged combinations on horseback.

Sagittarius reduces your accuracy penalty when on horseback for you and your troops, an important perk for mounted archery playstyles at lower levels, especially since the mounted accuracy penalty is really high before training your bow and riding skills.

5 horse archer

Ranged damage +10% while mounted. +5% damage from mounted archers in the party.

This perk selection will become clearer depending on your playstyle. Horse Archer is an important perk for a Khuzait or Aserai army that relies on ranged cavalry, and also a bonus to your character’s damage.

The Mounted Warrior is a better choice as Empire and Vlandian armies focus more on shock and melee cavalry, and is a great addition to the classic mounted polearm fighting style. If you’re playing with a mix of ranged and melee troops, mounted archers might be a better choice as they do slightly more damage overall.

4 breeder

Increases the chance of animals breeding in your party by 1% per day. +5% production rate for villages tied to the governing castle.

The Shepard perk is one of the best governor perks, as it gives you more chances to find tier 2 mounts in town. Finding high-tier horses for your army later in the game can be a challenge. But for your character, Breather is a better perk choice.

This perk provides a small opportunity for horses to breed. This can add up over time to provide your army with enough mounts, or even trade in mounts you don’t need for a little extra income.

three annoying buzz

+20% combat morale penalty on enemies with mound ranged kills. Mounted ranged kills by units in your formation give enemies a +5% combat morale penalty.

Squeezing an enemy’s combat morale is a very difficult task and usually only works when fighting smaller and weaker armies. However, if you want to maximize the effectiveness of this mechanic, perks like Pesky Buzz and Thunderous Charge can come in handy.

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Thunderous Charge increases an enemy’s combat morale penalty with a melee mounted kill, and Annoying Buzz does the same with a ranged mounted kill. The choice between the two depends on the battle and the composition of the army, but in general mounted archers are more likely to kill and retreat from the enemy in the early stages of battle.

2 cavalry tactics

Increases the support rate of cavalry units by 30% in clan-controlled settlements. -50% cavalry wages in governed settlements.

The different skills that help you guard, ransom, and recruit prisoners come with many perks, which when stacked together can provide a powerful and unique playstyle. Mounted Patrols are one of the perks that reduce the chance of an inmate escaping by 50%.

Unless you want a specific style, Cavalry Tactics is a safe late game choice. This perk increases the chance of cavalry units volunteering in settlements and reduces the salaries of cavalrymen in governing settlements.

One tough steed

+20% armor on mounts. +10 armor to troops in formation.

The final perk of riding skills increases your horse’s durability in a variety of ways. Dauntless Steed increases your horse’s resistance to staggering, allowing them to charge and move without getting stuck behind enemy lines.

Tough Steed increases your mount’s armor by 20%, which is a significant amount for higher-grade horse armor. Overall, Tough Steed can better protect your horse in large battles and help your cavalry withstand more attacks before dismounting.

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