Bannerlord One-Handed Weapons Build¶

For a full list of one-handed perks, see here.

Shield Build¶

One of the main advantages of focusing on a one-handed weapon build in Bannerlord, is the ability to wield a shield. While you will deal less damage than you would by using a two-handed build or even a powerful ranged based build, you will generally find it much easier to hold your ground in larger battles. For example, when besieging a settlement you will be the target of numerous archer, crossbow, and thrown weapon units firing from battlements. Without a shield, you will need to constantly alter your position to avoid incoming projectiles, but with a shield you will be able to edge your way forward, toward the gates and walls, while remaining in a tight formation.

If a shield build is what you want to work toward, you will benefit from selecting the following background skills during character creation (for a full breakdown of background skills, see Defining Background Skills):

• Family - ’Urban Blacksmith:’ +10 Skill Level and 1 Focus Point to Smithing and Two-Handed weapons. 1 Attribute Point to Vigor.

• Early Childhood - ’Your attention to detail:’ +10 Skill Level and 1 Focus Point to Athletics and One-Handed weapons. 1 Attribute Point to Control.

• Adolescence - ’With the alley gangs:’ +10 Skill Level and 1 Focus Point to Roguery and One-Handed weapons. 1 Attribute Point to Cunning.

• Youth - ’Trained with the infantry:’ +10 Skill Level and 1 Focus Point to Polearm and One-Handed weapons. 1 Attribute Point to Vigor.

• Young Adulthood - ’You defeated an enemy in battle:’ +10 Skill Level and 1 Focus Point to One-Handed weapons and Two-Handed weapons. 1 Attribute Point to Vigor. +1 to Valor and +20 Renown.

• Story Background - ’You subdued a raider:’ +10 Skill Level and 1 Focus Point to One-Handed weapons and Athletics. 1 Attribute Point to Vigor.

Selecting these background skills will provide you with the highest skill in one-handed weapons and their associated attributes and skills at the beginning of the game. You can then gradually improve your skill in one-handed weapons by investing attribute points in Vigor and skill points in one-handed combat. This will increase the learning rate of of that particular skill, allowing you to level it faster as you use one-handed weapons in battle scenarios. Aside from one-handed swords, maces, and axes, using your shield also contributes to levelling your skill one-handed combat. This applies when using it to block incoming melee hits, projectiles, and also when you use it to attack with a shield bash. To use shield bash, hold the right mouse button [RMB] and press [E] by default.

Sword, Mace, or Axe?¶

You will need to consider which weapon you want to specialise in one-handed combat between sword, mace, and axe at a relatively early stage. This is because at level 50 in the one-handed perk tree, you are given the option to gain +5% damage wielding one-handed axes and maces with the perk ‘To Be Blunt’, at the expense of +2% swing speed with the perk ‘Strong Arms’. This is the only point in the perk tree at which you will need to decide on the weapon that you’ll specialise in going forward. Keep in mind that blunt weapons do more damage to heavily armoured opponents, while swords are generally faster, have greater reach, and allow you to slash through multiple enemies. While you can slash through multiple enemies with axes, their reach is much shorter than swords and you won’t be able to do this with maces.

If you want to focus on creating the toughest possible tank build with a shield, you should focus on choosing the following perks from the one-handed perk tree: Deflect (Level 25), Shield Bearer (Level 75), Trainer (Level 100). At level 125 you will need to decide between Arrow Catcher and Shield Wall. The former will grant you a greater shield surface area for defence against ranged weapons, while the latter will reduce the damage to your shield when you block from the side. At level 200 you will benefit from Steel Core Shields. At level 225 you will benefit from Unwavering Defence. The alternate perks in this tree will improve your damage and speed with one-handed weapons, or provide bonuses to party management which are irrelevant to personal one-handed skills. While Deflect is the best option at level 25 if you want the toughest possible build, you might want to opt for Basher if you’d prefer to balance a good defence with reasonable offence.

In terms of equipment for a one-handed build, there are four weapon slots which allow for multiple options. If you want to focus on switching between damage types, you can have both a mace and a sword or axe in your weapon slots. This will allow you to use a sword when fighting multiple opponents, granting greater reach and the ability to slash through more than one enemy, with the option to switch to a mace if you encounter a particularly heavily armoured opponent. At the same time, you can keep a shield equipped at all times, but note that this will decrease your movement speed, whether you are wielding it or not, until you unlock the Shield Bearer perk at level 75. If you know that you want to stick to permanently wield either a sword, axe, or mace, you can use the extra slots to equip throwing weapons such as javelins, throwing axes, or throwing knives. These can be particulalry useful during sieges while assaulting battlements, or simply on the battlefield to take out a few enemies before they reach your shield wall.

Although most of the best weapons are those which can be crafted in smithing, there are some that can be acquired from large settlement markets, or from lords and other powerful opponents on the battlefield. In terms of one-handed weapons, you should look out for:

One-handed swords:¶

• Engraved Backsword: Superior cut damage, average swing speed and handling, no pierce damage

• Thamaskene Steel Spatha: Excellent pierce damage and good handling, less cut damage

• Thamaskene Steel Warsword: Superior swing speed and handling, less cut and pierce damage

One-handed axes:¶

• Round Bitted Fine Steel Hatchet: Excellent cut damage, good length and handling

• Northern Rectangular Bitted Axe: Excellent cut damage, good length and handling

• Northern Spiked Battle Axe: Excellent swing speed and handling, less cut damage and reach

One-handed maces:¶

• Cataphracts Mace: Superior blunt damage and reach, good handling

• Fullered Western Mace: Good swing speed and handling, less reach and blunt damage

• Calradic Mace: Superior swing speed and handling, less blunt damage and reach

These weapons are not too difficult to find in the early game, but they can be expensive. The swords are the most expensive, around 8,000 - 13,000 denars, while axes are much cheaper, between 2,000 - 4,000 denars. The maces are rarely found above 3,000 denars. Each of these weapons can be found on the battlefield, especially after fighting a lord. It is therefore recommended that you join a faction and participate in a large battle with an ally lord against an enemy lord as soon as possible. This will allow you to earn a lot of money in a short amount of time, while also providing you with an opportunity to loot some of the best items with little effort.