Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord – What to Do When Not at War

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The main attractions when it comes to Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord are war and huge battles with hundreds of men and women.

However, there are moments in this strategy RPG when you have to wait and take your time as the lords of the realm decide if you should go to war or not.

Recommended Read: How to Make Peace in Bannerlord

In these sad moments, many of us have wondered, what can you do when you are not at war in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord?

Well, there are some things you can do when not at war, and we will list them all below for you to find some entertainment in peacetime.


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Peacetime Activities in Bannerlord

When it comes to war, most of us are experts. We know how to declare war, and we know how to conquer castles, but what do we do when the conflict ends and there is nobody to destroy?

Peace is one of the best moments in the Bannerlord to prepare for war. This is the moment when you can do all the little things that you normally don’t have any time to fulfill.

Here are some of the best things to do when not at war in Bannerlord:

  • Make money
  • Improve relations with villages and notable NPCs in settlements
  • Improve relations with lords and ladies you might wish to recruit in the future
  • Recruit and train new companions for clan roles
  • Recruit and train new troops for party and garrisons
  • Get better equipment for yourself (and your companions)
  • Make babies

All of these tasks can help you a lot if you do them before a war, as you won’t have to worry anymore about them at the worst times.

Make Money

This one is a given. Of course, you should use this opportunity to make money. However, the best money-making methods usually work when you have spare time.

Caravans work best when you are at peace since there is no one to destroy them every five minutes. Workshops as well, since you don’t risk workshops being destroyed due to hostile takeovers.

Smithing is another great way to make money that takes a lot of time. This is why it would be better to do it during peacetime when there is no chance of losing a fief.

Befriend NPCs

It would be very nice if you could recruit higher-tier troops from the start. This is why you should improve relations with notables in towns and villages.

By using this free time for various quests for these NPCs, you can get nice bonuses in the future that will help you a lot with your wars.

Also, since most of us usually plan our world conquest from the start of the game, it would be very nice if you could befriend the clans that you might want to recruit into your kingdom.

If you want to easily beat those dialogue checks and get a few vassals for a relatively good price, you need to do this before declaring independence.

So, if it wasn’t obvious, doing quests is a great way to spend time during peacetime. However, this can get boring as time passes, so you can do another one of the things listed here.

Recruit Companions and Troops

The easiest way to train troops is during wars. However, the best time to recruit them and send them to your garrisons for some passive training is when you are not at war in Bannerlord.

You can build up your garrisons and use that extra income from trading and smithing for something. This way, you can also train them before an upcoming war.

Peacetime is also the best time to go looking for great companions. You can get good wanderers and fill up your clan roles since they can greatly impact your power.

Get Better Gear

There is, almost always, better gear you can get. Either through trading or smithing, there is always a better weapon or armor you can get.

However, during wartime, the best thing you can do is look through loot for equipment. This changes during peacetime as you have all the time in the world to get exactly what you want.

You can also use this opportunity to get some gear for your companions as well, as they usually have some really bad, low-tier armor and weapons on them.

Make Babies

Though this might sound weird, making babies in Bannerlord takes a lot of time. You have to spend many in-game days in a settlement and wait for the married characters in the party to get pregnant randomly.

This is totally random, so just waiting in a town while you smith can also be great for increasing your clan members and giving everyone a chance to get the new generation starting.

If you don’t take special time for this, you might find yourself too old and unable to make babies anymore. This is why you should use peacetime as a moment to make heirs for your dynasty.

Don’t leave this task for later since you can always die and you can stand to lose everything if there is no one to take over afterward.


That’s everything you need to know about what to do when not at war in Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord!

Have any input or suggestions for this guide? Let us know in the comment section below.

Adrian Oprea

Based in London, United Kingdom, Adrian Oprea is a Guides Writer. As a professional single-player RPG player, Adrian has often been stigmatized. He has decided to pour his frustration into writing guides!

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