How To Recruit Companions In Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord

Companions are usually among the first major upgrades I look for in a new Bannerlord campaign. Early on, it's easy to think of them as slightly stronger troops with names, but the longer you play, the more valuable they become. A good companion can help manage your party, lead caravans, govern settlements, scout enemy movements, or eventually command their own forces.

I actually made the mistake during one of my first campaigns of ignoring companions almost entirely. I was focused on recruiting better troops and making denars, while completely overlooking how much easier certain parts of the game become when you have the right people working for you. Once I started paying attention to companion skills, managing my clan became significantly easier.

The good news is that recruiting companions isn't complicated once you know where to look.

Where To Find Companions

Most companions can be found inside taverns located in major towns across Calradia. If you're just starting, the easiest approach is simply visiting towns as you travel and checking the tavern district whenever you arrive. Recruitable companions usually appear as wanderers, and you'll be able to speak with them directly to learn a little about their background before deciding whether to hire them. Companions are commonly found in taverns throughout Calradia.

That said, constantly riding from town to town hoping to stumble across the right companion can become tedious. Fortunately, Bannerlord gives you a much better tool.

The Encyclopedia is probably the easiest way to track down companions.

By pressing "N", you can open the Encyclopedia and navigate to the Heroes section. From there, filtering for wanderers will show every recruitable companion currently available in your campaign. Selecting a character allows you to see their skills, background, and most importantly, their last known location. The Encyclopedia can be used to locate recruitable wanderers and view their skills and locations.

I use this constantly because it saves an incredible amount of time. Instead of wandering around the map randomly, I can immediately identify the companion I want and head directly to the town where they're staying.

Not Every Companion Is The Same

Something newer players often don't realize is that companions serve very different purposes.

Some are excellent fighters and perform well in combat from the moment you recruit them. Others are valuable because of their non-combat skills, such as Stewardship, Medicine, Scouting, or Trade. Depending on your campaign, one companion can end up being far more useful than another, even if they're weaker in battle.

Personally, I usually look for a good scout and a good surgeon as early as possible. Having a companion handle scouting makes moving around the map much easier, while a skilled medic can dramatically reduce troop losses over time.

Once my clan grows larger, I start paying more attention to governors, caravan leaders, and future party leaders.

What Makes A Good Companion?

The answer depends entirely on what you need.

If you're constantly chasing enemy lords across the map, a companion with strong scouting skills can make a huge difference. If you're losing too many soldiers after battles, finding someone with Medicine becomes a priority. If your goal is building a strong economy, companions with Trade and Stewardship can be extremely valuable.

This is why I rarely recruit companions based solely on combat ability anymore. Strong fighters are nice to have, but a companion who improves an important clan function often provides much more value over the course of an entire campaign.

I usually try to think about what my clan is missing before deciding who to hire.

Recruiting The Companion

Once you've found somebody you want to recruit, simply speak to them in the tavern and ask them to join your clan. Most companions require an upfront payment before they'll agree to travel with you. After paying the recruitment cost, they'll immediately become part of your party and can be equipped, assigned roles, or trained however you like. Recruitable companions can be hired directly through dialogue after meeting them in taverns.

The recruitment fee can feel expensive early in a campaign, but in my experience, it's almost always worth it if the companion fills an important role.

Give Them A Purpose

A mistake I see quite often is players recruiting companions and then never actually using them for anything.

Companions become much more valuable when they're assigned specific responsibilities. Some can serve as scouts, surgeons, engineers, or quartermasters within your party. Later on, they can lead caravans, govern settlements, or command their own parties once your clan reaches a higher tier. Companions can fill clan roles, lead parties, and perform various management tasks as they gain experience.

Whenever I recruit someone, I already have a role in mind for them. It helps me decide which skills are important and prevents companions from simply taking up space in my party.

Don't Be Afraid To Replace Them

Something that took me a while to learn is that not every companion needs to stay with you forever.

As your campaign develops, your priorities change. A companion who was incredibly useful during the early game might become less important once your kingdom starts expanding. Likewise, you may eventually discover a wanderer with much better skills for a particular role.

There's nothing wrong with being selective and adjusting your clan as new opportunities appear.

Final Thoughts

Companions are much more than extra soldiers. Over time, they become some of the most important members of your clan and can influence everything from your economy to your military strength.

Whenever I start a new Bannerlord campaign, recruiting good companions is usually one of my priorities because the benefits continue to grow throughout the entire game. Whether you're looking for a skilled surgeon, a reliable scout, a future governor, or a caravan leader, investing in the right companions early often pays off for the rest of the campaign.

The sooner you start building a strong group of companions, the easier many parts of Bannerlord become later on.