Last updated on November 29, 2025
Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord isn’t a game that tries to impress you in the first ten minutes. Honestly, the opening hours feel a bit plain, but then you start noticing how everything around you keeps shifting — small fights popping up everywhere, borders moving for reasons you didn’t even catch, armies clashing somewhere off-screen. At some point it just pulls you in without asking. With the War Sails expansion coming in, plus the huge update tied to it, the game suddenly feels different. Calradia actually has real stretches of sea now, not the old bits of water that were mostly there to decorate the map.
A Redrawn Calradia
War Sails isn’t just about ships. It delivers a map with over twice the amount of sea, significant territory shifts, and a completely new faction: the Nords, inspired by Viking culture. The northern reaches of the map have been reshaped to accommodate a new landmass, while the Sturgians were shifted eastward to avoid thematic overlap and to create more natural maritime conflict routes toward Battania and Vlandia.
Cities have been moved, economies adjusted, and entire trade paths rewritten to reflect the new map layout. Ostican and Chaikand now function as major sea-trading hubs, each featuring detailed ports you can walk through just like the usual town centers. Seeing ships of each culture being constructed in their docks adds a welcome layer of detail and atmosphere.
It’s important to mention that old saves no longer work, a consequence of how deeply War Sails alters the entire foundation of the game.
Life at sea and the new naval warfare
If you’re the kind of player who gets seasick just thinking about ships, don’t worry – Bannerlord still allows full land-based play. The AI behaves similarly, using boats mainly as transport between distant frontlines. Siege warfare remains the core route to conquer towns and castles, though fleets can now assist by blockading ports or intercepting armies across the water.
But when a true naval battle begins, the tone changes. Up to 16 vessels can crash into one another in chaotic waves of combat. Movement becomes crucial, with sails and oars serving distinct roles in maneuverability. There are no cannons – the historical setting doesn’t support them – so ballistae, archers, and rams take center stage.
Tactics or deck-grinding chaos? Your choice
When I jump into a naval fight, it usually turns into a bit of a circus. The decks are so narrow that my troops end up piled on top of each other, and I’m basically waving my weapon around hoping I actually hit someone and not my own guy’s helmet. I’ve had enemies get stuck in weird corners of the ship, too — the kind of spots where you don’t even notice them until the battle refuses to end and you have to go hunting for that last straggler.
For players who prefer something more deliberate, the tools are there. You can soften up ships from a distance with a ballista, try to line up a proper ramming angle—though the game can be picky about what counts—or thin out the enemy crew before you commit to boarding.
Personal fleets and memorable ships
Not every ship feels remarkable at first, but the standout ones quickly become favorites. A Dromakion heavy galley fitted with a ballista can dominate the seas in the right hands, while Nord longships or massive Vlandian roundships let you experiment with entirely different naval styles.
Upgrades are fairly straightforward – more speed, more durability, more ammo – though additions like fire braziers for burning arrows help add personality. Don’t expect anything wildly anachronistic; War Sails stays committed to the series’ grounded tone.
A new naval story to launch your journey
The expansion arrives with a dedicated naval storyline, accessible right after the tutorial. This short campaign, centered on rescuing a kidnapped sibling from pirates, works wonderfully as an introduction to the new systems. It includes set pieces you’re unlikely to stumble upon in the sandbox: sneaking onto ships, slipping through blockades, and steering a fireship directly into an enemy hull.
These moments humanize the pirates, and once you return to open play, you’ll see that they function like tougher bandit clans with clear patrol routes and larger crews of 40–60 men.
Maritime economy and the risks of seafaring
Unlike land bandits, pirate clans can’t be wiped out by raiding their hideouts. They linger in their assigned territories, which makes the seas more dangerous than they first appear. Sea trade can be lucrative, but ship maintenance costs – especially repairs after each journey – can drain your profits.
And most importantly, there are no groups of low-level looters on the water to farm for pocket money. It’s a high-risk, high-expense part of the world, and only becomes sustainable once your fleet or income reaches a certain threshold.
Conclusion
War Sails does something unusual for a sandbox expansion: it genuinely shifts how the whole game functions. The map, the economy, the pacing of a campaign—they’ve all been stirred up without losing what makes Mount & Blade feel like Mount & Blade. The naval system isn’t a side feature; it changes how factions interact, how you travel, and what kind of stories you end up telling in Calradia.
It’s effectively Bannerlord 2.0, substantial enough to justify starting a fresh campaign. For veterans, it’s a deep breath of sea air. For newcomers, it might be the perfect excuse to set sail.
Final Score
— 8.5/10 —
