Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord – War Sails Review – A Mariner’s Revenge

The Mount & Blade franchise has had a cult following since its first entry. It has always offered one of the best medieval battle simulations and sandbox experiences in the genre. Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord first came out in Early Access and has experienced its fair share of ups and downs during the Early Access and launch periods. The game was officially released back in 2022, and while the general reception was positive, it was still criticized for its lack of end-game content and features.

The first DLC for Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, War Sails, developed and published by TaleWorlds Entertainment, adds a variety of quality-of-life and missing diplomacy features into the base game, as well as an extensive new naval battle and navigation, a new faction, and an expanded world map. The DLC’s release was less than optimal, and players encountered many bugs and issues in the early days. However, this review is after a couple of weeks from release, and the game is in a much better state thanks to some updates and hotfixes the developers have pushed through.

There are a few features that have been brought into the base game, even if you don’t purchase the War Sails DLC. New diplomacy options have been added as part of the update which have been requested by players for a long time. We can now form alliances or trade agreements with other kingdoms. War progress has also been added, and peace negotiations have been revamped. Smaller clans and kingdoms can be destroyed, and we won’t have to pay tribute or deal with endless raids from losing factions. The stealth gameplay has been expanded as well, changing bandit hideouts and prison breaks with more engaging stealth mechanics and equipment. And finally, there are special events that can happen based on different situations and states of the game that can add a bit more immersion and depth to the RPG aspect of Bannerlord.

Many of these features were available through community mods before the DLC came out, some even more detailed and in-depth than those included in the update. However, these are still welcome additions to those who don’t use third-party mods or play on console, and the existing features can pave the way for modders to contribute and create more impressive additions to the game.

The main selling point of War Sails itself is the naval battles and the Nord faction. The Nord faction is located to the north of the map in a new region added by the DLC. They are inspired by Scandinavian and Viking culture, and are stronger in naval combat and navigation. Since before the DLC, Sturgians were the closest faction to the Vikings, they have been slightly modified to still be distinct from the Nord faction. The Nords are the first faction with an infantry noble troop tree, and they have no cavalry troops. However, all the Nord troops have the mariner trait, which is a new feature that buffs a unit’s combat performance in naval battles. They feel a bit slow and vulnerable against enemy cavalry in land battles, but their troops can dominate most naval encounters.

In the first days after release, the Nords felt especially weaker compared to other factions. But some balance updates have put them on a more equal footing against other kingdoms. Specifically, their tier six noble troop, the Nord Huscarls, is one of the strongest infantry and skirmisher units in the whole game.

One of the Nord areas is also an isolated island to the north west of the map, which makes it a fantastic location for players who want to establish their own kingdom without the threat of others immediately declaring war on them. The rest of the map expansion is done to help with naval combat and navigation. Some of the in-continent rivers were widened to allow for the passage of ships, and the narrow land mass between the Western Aserai and the Southern Empire kingdoms has been replaced by water, so the Aserais are a bit more isolated from land. The changes to the map feel well-suited for the update, as they create new opportunities and offer more variety in travel, both for the player and the AI kingdoms.

The naval battles and ships are the biggest update to Bannerlord. There is a tutorial that introduces us to the new mechanics in a short story mode. Bannerlord is still mostly a sandbox experience, and there was a story DLC in the works that was cancelled in favor of War Sails, so the naval tutorial feels like a small glimpse at what that could’ve been like. The story is also another aspect that introduced many bugs in the early days, but those have been fixed as well. But still, the story itself is just not that impressive. While the tutorial allows us to experience the new features of the game right away, it does feel a bit slow. There’s a lot of downtime and unnecessary travel between the chapters, and the characters are just not well developed enough to care one way or another. It’s not a terrible experience for learning the basics of naval travel, but it’s not something fun to experience on multiple playthroughs. At the end of the tutorial, we get a small ship and some crew so we can experience the new features on our own, and considering how expensive ships usually are in the early game, playing the tutorial is the best way to get started for a naval-focused playthrough. But playing an hour through the tutorial again doesn’t sound like something I would be willing to do in the future if I start a new game.

The naval battles themselves are quite fun. There’s a variety and different ships and upgrades, and various strategies during battles. We can skirmish using small, fast ships, use ballistas to destroy enemy sails or sink their ships entirely, ram through enemy ships with large, heavy warships, or pull them in by throwing hooks and boarding and fighting the enemy troops face to face. Weather conditions and season play a big role in ship controls and can change our decisions in each battle. Thrown weapons are very effective in naval battles, and in addition to Nords, other factions have received new mariner troops with various skills and combat styles that complement each faction’s playstyle on the sea.

Sea navigation also adds a lot of variety to gameplay. Even if we don’t plan on doing naval battles, having a fleet can be crucial in navigating the map and taking shortcuts when traveling. Enemy AI uses this as well, and if we have a strong mariner party, we can often intercept larger enemy fleets and fight against greater numbers with a better chance of success. War Sails also adds three new skills relating to Naval navigation and battles. Each skill affects a different aspect of the new mechanics, and we also find new wanderers that specialize in these skills.

Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, despite all of its flaws, is one of my favorite games. The War Sails DLC gave me a reason to revisit the game, and despite the messy launch and the mediocre story missions, I really enjoyed playing as the Nords and exploring the new naval gameplay. If you are a fan of the base game, the DLC will add a decent amount of content that is worth the $25 price tag.

Nima reviewed Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord – War Sails on PC with his own bought copy. This review is based on the version of the game available at the time of writing and our score will not be changed.