Part 7

Learn Mount & Blade: Warband combat controls, damage types (cutting, blunt, piercing), and how to find and marry an NPC spouse.

Controls:

You can find useful commands in the controls menu or by pressing Backspace during a battle. Pressing Backspace also brings up a radar (a display showing nearby units) that shows all living units, enemy, ally, and your own. Enemy units appear red, while allied and your own units are color-coded by type (cavalry, infantry, or missile). Backspace also accesses army controls, such as 'blunt weapons only' for taking prisoners.

Damage & Other Important Calculations:

Damage is based on three factors: speed advantage, damage type, and enemy armor levels.

Speed Advantage: The faster your closing speed when striking an enemy, the greater the bonus. This bonus is listed for each attack that lands, even if blocked. Closing speed is the difference between your speed and the enemy's. Charging at each other on horseback grants a sizeable speed advantage bonus to any blow landed. Chasing someone running away lessens this bonus.

Damage Types: There are three types: Cutting (c), Blunt (b), and Piercing (p). Weapons list their damage types. Some weapons do cutting damage on a swing and piercing damage on a thrust.

• Cutting Damage: Typically the highest base damage, effective against lightly armored foes like archers.
• Piercing Damage: Ignores some armor and typically has more base damage than blunt, suitable for medium armored foes like lower-level horsemen.
• Blunt Damage: Ignores 3% more armor than piercing, suitable for heavily armored foes like knights, sergeants, and mamlukes. Finishing enemies with blunt damage causes them to fall unconscious, allowing them to be taken prisoner.

Damage values are listed after the damage type, e.g., 40c (40 cutting) or 27p (27 piercing).

Starting & Finishing Battles:

To start a battle, approach or be approached by an enemy (a faction you are at war with, bandits, or an enemy settlement). Bandits may offer passage for denars instead of forcing a fight. If you are friends with an enemy lord, you may convince him not to fight. The option to fight will usually indicate no other option. To siege a castle or town, select the option to build ladders or a siege tower, then choose to fight once the siege engine is built.

For each battle, you can lead your men, send them to fight without you (simulation), or retreat. Leading your men is generally recommended, as the simulation can be harsh and cause casualties, especially if your difficulty is not on maximum. Retreating is costly and often ineffective, as the pursuing group will likely remain close and pursue again.

Romance:

Benefits of a Spouse (Male PC marrying Female NPC (non-player character — anyone the game controls, not you)): Your wife can help improve your standing by resolving conflicts between lords, store items, and host feasts.

Finding and Attracting a Potential Spouse:

• Male PC seeking Female NPC: Visit castles/towns and speak to women. If they do not mention a husband, they are a potential spouse.
• Female PC seeking Male NPC: Find a male NPC and ask about cementing an alliance with his house. If he mentions an available male, you can speak with that man.

Attracting NPCs:

• Male NPC: Complete quests for him. Achieve a relation of more than 10.
• Female NPC: Learn poems from wandering poets (bards, ashiks) found in town taverns and discuss them with the lady. Dedicate tournament victories to her. Once her relation is above 25, she will be willing to marry you. Her male relative may object. You can elope or win over the relative by achieving a relation of 10-15+, after which he may allow the marriage.

Getting Married:

Once you have improved relations, formally propose by speaking to your chosen spouse and mentioning it. If accepted, wait for a feast.