Your cavalry units can change the flow of the battle in seconds and are, arguably, the most important troops on the battlefield in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord.
With one swift charge, the enemy lines can instantly break and give a chance to your line or shock infantry to finish the battle.
Recommended Read: Best Infantry Units to Use in Bannerlord
Since there are so many Tier 6 cavalry units in the game, it should be easy enough to form a tier list with all of them and see, once and for all, which cavalry units are the best in Bannerlord.
Unfortunately, since horse archers are not considered cavalry by the TaleWorlds developers, we will sadly miss some of the best horse-riding troops in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord.
Table of contents
Bannerlord Cavalry Units Tier List
If you already know what the best factions in Bannerlord are, you know that there is only one horse-riding unit that deserves an S tier.
These are the finest cavalry units in Bannerlord, from best to worst:
| Unit | Tier | Faction |
|---|---|---|
| Sturgian Druzhinnik Champion | A | Sturgia |
| Imperial Elite Cataphract | A | Empire |
| Vlandian Banner Knight | A | Vlandia |
| Aserai Vanguard Faris | B | Aserai |
| Khuzait Heavy Lancer | C | Khuzait |
| Vlandian Vanguard | C | Vlandia |
| Sturgian Horse Raider | D | Sturgia |
| Battanian Horseman | D | Battania |
| Battanian Mounted Skirmisher | D | Battania |
| Mercenary Cavalry | F | Mercenary |
S Tier
There is nothing on horseback that can ever compare to the mighty Khuzait Khan’s Guard. Because they can beat all of these troops in combat, none of them deserve an S ranking.
A Tier
Sturgian Druzhinnik Champion
Though Sturgia is mostly a disappointment, when it comes to cavalry, they have one of the best, if not the best, unit in Bannerlord. We wanted Vikings, and we got this…
The Druzhinnik prides itself on having the second-best armor from the A tier, only being a bit weaker than the Cataphract. They do, however, have an incredible spear that can be couched.
This is why the Druzhinnik, with its huge and powerful shield, is the best when it comes to powerful and devastating charges through both infantry and skirmishers.
Their disadvantage, on the other hand, is their horse. It is the weakest out of the three A-tier contenders. The Druzhinnik Champion does not die easily. However, their horse usually does.
Imperial Elite Cataphract
The Empire is sure to have a high spot on every tier list, as their troops are, by far, the most balanced out of Calradia.
The Cataphract can be described as nothing else but a tank. It has the highest armor rating and the horse with the most HP and armor. You can’t bring down an Elite Cataphract that easily.
Even though this monster sounds perfect for a cavalry charge, there are some disadvantages that come with the bonuses. The Cataphract has a powerful but slow horse.
The spear that they wield also can’t be couched, making their charges maybe not as lethal as those of the Druzhinnik Champions. However, their spear is very powerful and can still deal amazing damage.
Vlandian Banner Knight
Since the Vlandians are the ancestors of Mount and Blade’s Swadians, it would be expected that their knight would be nothing less than impressive.
The Vlandian Banner Knight probably has some of the worst armor a Tier 6 cavalry can have in Bannerlord. However, their offensive power is no joke.
Their skill in polearm and their lance can kill most enemies in one shot. Also, their weapon is couchable, making their charges a sight to behold.
Vladian Banner Knights also use pretty good shields and have a good sword as well that can be used in sieges or when they fall down their horse.
B Tier
Aserai Vanguard Faris
The Aserai Vanguad Faris are nothing like the Mamelukes of Mount and Blade: Warband. However, they can do some amazing things that make more sense now.
They have speedy but flimsy horses that can run circles around most armies and possess the most powerful javelins in Bannerlord.
Aserai Vanguards have some of the smallest shields a Tier 6 can have, but they make up for it with a very powerful spear that can be couched.
The Aserai Vanguard Faris could easily get into Tier A if they were a bit beefier since, at the moment, they can quickly be broken down in a charge against the other three unit types.
C Tier
Khuzait Heavy Lancer
If the name doesn’t explain it, the Khuzait Heavy Lancer is slow and sturdy. Their horse moves almost backward, but it can sustain a lot of damage before going down.
Their couchable lance can deal amazing amounts of damage and will most likely kill an enemy in a single hit more often than not.
One slight problem with the Heavy Lancer is that their leg armor is a bit inadequate, and if someone wanted to take down one, they could do it by specifically targeting the legs.
They do have pretty good shields, on the other hand, and should be able to survive if they get stuck between too many infantry troops.
Vlandian Vanguard
The Vlandian Vanguard is extremely similar and different at the same time from the Khuzait Heavy Lancer.
The offensive equipment and capabilities are extremely similar. However, the Vanguard wears really lowly-rated body armor and has a horse that runs fast but falls easily.
If you’ve played other strategy games before, then you should know that the Vlandian Vanguard should be considered light cavalry. Don’t send them against heavily armored enemies, or you will regret it.
Valndian Vanguards are good but should always be forgotten when there is a much better choice, such as the Banner Knight.
D Tier
Sturgian Horse Raider
You wouldn’t think the Sturgian Horse Raiders would be any good since they are in the second lowest tier, but they are actually relatively decent.
Let’s start with the bad, so we can get that out of the way. Their spear is bad. It is weak, and it cannot be couched, which is horrible for most cavalry units.
Their horse is really slow but has a good chunk of HP, which gives it a fighting chance. On the good side, it has a huge shield and really good armor.
It also has some good javelins that can help when regrouping or when fighting other dangerous cavalry troops.
Battanian Horseman
These guys are a bit of a failure. They have the longest spear among all of the cavalry units on this list, but the damage is weak, and it isn’t couchable.
Their overall armor is good, but their head and leg armor seem to be lacking a bit. Since these points get hit every often when you are a horse rider, the Battanian Horseman gets a D rating.
Similarly to the Sturgian Horse Rider, their horse is beefy, with a good amount of HP, but slower than most.
The last disadvantage that the Horseman can be faulted for is their small shield. It isn’t as small as the Aserai’s Faris, but it is smaller than it should be for a frontline cavalry unit.
Battanian Mounted Skirmisher
Why these guys have been considered cavalry comes as a shock to us. They don’t have a spear, which means no charging from these guys, ever.
Their armor is really bad. Since they also have small shields, they can easily get sniped by enemy archers with a few well-placed shots.
What’s worse, their horses are slow. Skirmishers should always have fast horses to avoid enemies, but these units are supposed to be some kind of heavy skirmishers, so their horses have high HP.
They do have good javelins, though. However, compared to the advantages you would get from all the other troops on this list, these guys are nowhere near them.
F Tier
Mercenary Cavalry
If you saw our infantry tier list, then you would know that mercenary troops in Bannerlord are really bad.
The Mercenary Cavalry has the worst armor out of all these troops. Their horses are slow, have low HP, and have almost non-existent armor.
Their spear is bad, and it cannot be couched. The only upside for them is that their shield is above average, which shouldn’t be taken as a compliment.
Some piece of advice for new Bannerlord players? Don’t get mercenaries. Ever.
That’s everything you need to know about the best cavalry units and their ranking in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord!
Have any input or suggestions for this guide? Let us know in the comment section below.
