Now that we’ve had the conclusion of the first season ofHouse of The Dragon, HBO’s prequel series toGame of Thrones, fans may be experiencing withdrawal. His next book is still a long way off, and who knows when the show will return for season two to give us that heady mix of intrigue, war, sex, and scheming. So where to turn now for your next fix? Well, here comesMount & BladeBannerlord, fresh off of early access, to scratch that itch. It’s ambitious, it’s epic, though admittedly it’s a bit less raunchy.
Bannerlord replicates the same kingdom politics and intrigue that the show is known for. The land of Calradia has been torn asunder by warring factions, ambitious nobles, and a seemingly endless number of bandits, and it’s up to you to take advantage of the chaos to make something of yourself in this world.
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Calradia and Westeros really are two peas in a pod, both poised precariously on the brink of all-out war between the aging and fractured empire, and a number of ambitious upstart powers. The old order is fading, and bloodshed seems inevitable. I hadn’t actually played much Bannerlord in the months leading up to the House of the Dragon premiere, but immediately after the show I was pulled back in - eager to scheme like OttoHightower, fight likeDaemon Targaryen, and definitelynotrule like that big softy KingViserys; indecision is OK in times of peace like he presided over, but in times of war it could prove mighty costly.
It’s not just war and scheming that Bannerlord thrives in, but stuff in between like jousting - something the game shares with the opening episode of House of the Dragon. Watching Daemon charging about on horseback, how could I resist? I loaded up the game and made it my mission to become jousting champion. There were a few dicey moments, such as when Caladog, King of the Battanians, knocked me off my horse and then stabbed me in the head, but I walked that one off within a week and was soon back in the saddle. A few tournaments later, I’d done it. I was the greatest warrior in all of Calradia.
That was when it occurred to me that maybe I was wasting my talents. The adulation of the crowd was one thing, and the prize money wasn’t bad either, but maybe I hadn’t set my ambitions high enough. At this point in time, I was actually in the service of the Battanians, whose king I had of course had a run-in with during one of the many tournaments I had attended. He had treated me well (despite an in-game reputation for being cruel and devious), but enemies were gathering on his borders, and recent changes in kingdom policy appeared to have upset one or two of his more powerful nobles. I decided that this was a chance I had to take.
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I withdrew to the outer reaches of the kingdom and began to concoct a coup. I patiently built an army, while still nominally under Caladog’s command. I made sure my men were equipped with the finest weapons and armour money could buy, and every so often I’d none-too-subtly ask minor nobles how happy they were under Caladog’s rule, hoping they might join my cause when the moment to strike finally came.
Then, after months of preparation, and finally assembling the dragon banner (like, like House of the Dragon, yeah?) I founded my own kingdom and declared war on my erstwhile allies the Battanians. What followed was a grueling war of attrition that saw thousands perish so that I might take Caladog’s throne. Swap a few of the names around and this could easily have been something straight out of A Song of Ice and Fire. Bannerlord does a fantastic job conveying the scale of these conflicts, and if you really want to get into the spirit of things, you can execute captured enemy nobles in a brutal show of strength. It’s not quite as delightfully gory as some of the sword-based executions meted out by Daemon in the show, but it does give the game a slightly nastier edge, in a good way.
Incidentally, for anyone who is into gore, and dismemberment in particular, I heartily recommend theDismembermentPlus modby TheSchwarz1 (pictured above) which lets you lop off heads and limbs to your heart’s content, bringing Bannerlord into line with the graphic nature of House of The Dragon.
My war ended after the siege of Marunath (the Battanian capital) during which the last remnants of Caladog’s forces were wiped out. He put up a good fight, and it was a truly epic encounter against my former Lord. Watching as my siege engines rumbled their way across the battlefield towards the walls, while ballista and catapult fire flew overhead, felt incredible. It was my moment, when I’d rise to really start making my mark on Calradia.
If you want betrayal, intrigue, and violence, and don’t want to wait years for the next series of HBO’s latest hit, you could do a lot worse than Mount & Blade II. It’s got everything fans of the show could want, and provides everything you need to emulate your favourite Targaryen.
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