Just like its predecessor, Mount & Blade 2 Bannerlord includes different cultures and nations. At the beginning of the game, before we even create a character, we have to choose our culture.
First of all, it is worth noting that this is not a choice of factions. This decision determines only the storyline background of our character and is associated with specific bonuses, which we will describe below.
However, we can actually align ourselves with one of the six factions (which are called the same as the cultures) only later in the game and then this is something that affects our access to different units.
Best cultures to choose from:
- Battanians. They give you a 10 percent speed bonus in the forests. It’s a pretty good choice, because there’s a lot of woodland – and we can try to lure enemies there. But ultimately, it’s not the best option.
- Aserai. A good choice for those who want to focus on trading and organizing caravans. This culture will provide a bonus for creating caravans and will reduce any trading penalties.
- Empire. The Empire has a bonus to building projects in cities as well as siege machines. So it’s a future-oriented choice, the positive effects of which you will feel after many hours of playing when you build your own castle and want to conquer other fortresses.
- Khuzaits. You will get a 10 percent speed bonus on the campaign map. It’s not a bad choice but without much impact on recruitment or growth. However, it will allow you to better decide where you will fight (or make it easier for you to escape the enemies).
- Vladians. You will receive a 20 percent bonus to experienced gained by your units after battles. This is a good choice if you want to focus on the rapid development of your troops.
- Sturgians. This choice will give you a 20 percent bonus when moving around in the snow. There’s relatively little snow on the game map so… it’s not worth it. Even though there are additional bonuses to diplomacy with the heads of mountain clans.
Don’t forget to take a look at our list of tips for Mount & Blade 2 Bannerlord. We have plenty of guides that will help you.
