Troop trees determine the quality of soldier you purchase from an individual in a town in Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord. The higher rank and nobility of the person you’re speaking to, the better troops they can provide you, which means they will cost a higher price. Those who are in small villages can only offer you recruits, whereas those who have some influence in the world have the potential to provide you with archers or polearm fighters.

There are several different troop trees available for you to find in Bannerlord. Many of them are associated with various factions, meaning you need to go to different parts of the map to locate them. Not every location will have them. They’re broken up to different parts of the world, so if you’re looking for a particular faction to lean toward, or you want a specific troop type, you will need to venture toward that faction’s side of the map, or find a city aligned with it, to find the troops you want to add to your army.

You can always look up the type of troops you can recruit in the game’s encyclopedia, and you may want to do it to get an idea of what type of troops you want to branch out toward when you near the larger armies of the game. There are a great number of specialized troops in the game, and some of them only evolve into stronger troops at a significantly lower rate or don’t have an expansive tree. They may only have one line of troop upgrades, which stacks up to being two. Some have four different trees, starting at a recruit, and later becoming a veteran warrior.

Here are the troop trees for each of the available factions in the game:

Vlandian

  • Vlandian:Vlandian Recruit:Flandian FootmanVlandian InfantryVlandian Light Cavalry > Vlandian VanguardVlandian Swordsman > Vlandian SergeantVlandian Spearman > Vlandian BillmanVlandian Volugier or Vlandian PikemanVlandian Levy Crossbowman >Vlandian Crossbowman > Valndian Hardened Crossbowman > Vlandian Sharpshooter

Sturgian

  • SturgianSturgian RecruitSturgian Woodsman Sturgian Hunter > Sturgian Archer > Sturgian Veteran BowmanSturgian Brigand > Sturgian Hardened Brigand > Sturgian Horse RaiderSturgian Warrior > Sturgian SoldierSturgian SpearmanSturgian Shock TrooperSturgian Veteran WarriorSturgian Berserker > Sturgian Ulfhednar

Khuzait

  • Khyzait NomadKhuzait FootmanKhuzait Spearman > Khuyzait Spear Infantry > Khuzait DarkhanKhuzait Hunter > Khauzait Archer > Khuzait MarksmanKhuzait Tribal WarriorKhuzait Horseman > Khuzait Lancer > Khuzait Heavy LancerKhuzait Raider > Khuzait Horse Archer > Khuzait Heavy Horse Archer

Imperial

  • Imperial RecruitImperial Archer > Imperial Trained ArcherImperial Veteran ArcherImperial Palatine GuardImperial BucellariiImperial Crossbowman Imperial Sergeant CrossbowmanImperial Infantryman > Imperial Trained InfantrymanImperial Menavliation > Imperial Elite MenavliationImperial Veteran Infantryman > Imperial Legionary

Battanian

  • Battanian VolunteerBattanian Wood RunnerBattanian Skirmisher > Battanian Veteran SkirmisherBattanian WildlingBattanian Mounted SkirmisherBattanian Raider > Battanian Flaxman > BAttanian Veteran FalxmanBattanian Clan WarriorBattanian Scout > Battanian HorsemanBattanian Trained Warrior > Battanian Picked Warrior > Battanian Trained Spearman

Aserai

  • Aserai Recruit > Aserai TribesmanAserai Footman > Aserai Infantry > Aserai Veteran InfantryAseraiu Skirmisher > Aserai Archer >Aseria Master Archer

These are not all of the smaller specialized troops in the game. These break down the more generic ones you’re bound to find while exploring Bannerlord and you start expanding your army. You want a diverse set of troops at your command, so make sure to find the ones that fit together, and pick from the recruits that can continue to grow as they travel with you. Plan out your army wisely, and investigate more, specialized troops you find through the game’s encyclopedia.

  • Flandian FootmanVlandian InfantryVlandian Light Cavalry > Vlandian VanguardVlandian Swordsman > Vlandian SergeantVlandian Spearman > Vlandian BillmanVlandian Volugier or Vlandian PikemanVlandian Levy Crossbowman >Vlandian Crossbowman > Valndian Hardened Crossbowman > Vlandian Sharpshooter

  • Vlandian InfantryVlandian Light Cavalry > Vlandian VanguardVlandian Swordsman > Vlandian Sergeant

  • Vlandian Spearman > Vlandian BillmanVlandian Volugier or Vlandian Pikeman

  • Vlandian Light Cavalry > Vlandian VanguardVlandian Swordsman > Vlandian Sergeant

  • Vlandian Volugier or Vlandian Pikeman

  • Sturgian Woodsman Sturgian Hunter > Sturgian Archer > Sturgian Veteran BowmanSturgian Brigand > Sturgian Hardened Brigand > Sturgian Horse RaiderSturgian Warrior > Sturgian SoldierSturgian SpearmanSturgian Shock TrooperSturgian Veteran WarriorSturgian Berserker > Sturgian Ulfhednar

  • Sturgian Hunter > Sturgian Archer > Sturgian Veteran BowmanSturgian Brigand > Sturgian Hardened Brigand > Sturgian Horse Raider

  • Sturgian SpearmanSturgian Shock TrooperSturgian Veteran WarriorSturgian Berserker > Sturgian Ulfhednar

  • Sturgian Shock TrooperSturgian Veteran Warrior

  • Khuzait FootmanKhuzait Spearman > Khuyzait Spear Infantry > Khuzait DarkhanKhuzait Hunter > Khauzait Archer > Khuzait MarksmanKhuzait Tribal WarriorKhuzait Horseman > Khuzait Lancer > Khuzait Heavy LancerKhuzait Raider > Khuzait Horse Archer > Khuzait Heavy Horse Archer

  • Khuzait Spearman > Khuyzait Spear Infantry > Khuzait DarkhanKhuzait Hunter > Khauzait Archer > Khuzait Marksman

  • Khuzait Horseman > Khuzait Lancer > Khuzait Heavy LancerKhuzait Raider > Khuzait Horse Archer > Khuzait Heavy Horse Archer

  • Imperial Archer > Imperial Trained ArcherImperial Veteran ArcherImperial Palatine GuardImperial BucellariiImperial Crossbowman Imperial Sergeant CrossbowmanImperial Infantryman > Imperial Trained InfantrymanImperial Menavliation > Imperial Elite MenavliationImperial Veteran Infantryman > Imperial Legionary

  • Imperial Veteran ArcherImperial Palatine GuardImperial BucellariiImperial Crossbowman Imperial Sergeant Crossbowman

  • Imperial Palatine GuardImperial Bucellarii

  • Imperial Menavliation > Imperial Elite MenavliationImperial Veteran Infantryman > Imperial Legionary

  • Battanian Wood RunnerBattanian Skirmisher > Battanian Veteran SkirmisherBattanian WildlingBattanian Mounted SkirmisherBattanian Raider > Battanian Flaxman > BAttanian Veteran FalxmanBattanian Clan WarriorBattanian Scout > Battanian HorsemanBattanian Trained Warrior > Battanian Picked Warrior > Battanian Trained Spearman

  • Battanian Skirmisher > Battanian Veteran SkirmisherBattanian WildlingBattanian Mounted SkirmisherBattanian Raider > Battanian Flaxman > BAttanian Veteran Falxman

  • Battanian WildlingBattanian Mounted Skirmisher

  • Battanian Scout > Battanian HorsemanBattanian Trained Warrior > Battanian Picked Warrior > Battanian Trained Spearman

  • Aserai Footman > Aserai Infantry > Aserai Veteran InfantryAseraiu Skirmisher > Aserai Archer >Aseria Master Archer