TaleWorlds Entertainment just released War Sails, the first major expansion for Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord, on November 26, 2025. After getting delayed from its original June 17 release date, the naval combat DLC is now available on PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG, plus PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S with full cross-play support. This expansion fundamentally changes how Bannerlord plays by adding an entirely new dimension to warfare across the seas of Calradia.
What Naval Combat Actually Looks Like
War Sails introduces full naval battles where you command ships from the helm, manage wind and sail configurations, use oars for secondary propulsion, and board enemy vessels with grappling hooks. Smaller ships are controlled directly at the rudder, while massive warships require you to command from the quarterdeck. This isn’t simplified arcade sailing. TaleWorlds built a system that considers wind direction, sail types, hull weight, crew efficiency, and tactical positioning.
The wind dial shows three sail configurations: square rigging for downwind speed, lateen sails for maneuverability, and hybrid designs that balance both. Unfurling sails builds momentum when the wind is favorable, but you need to furl them tight when quick turns become necessary. When wind fails completely, your oarsmen become the difference between life and death. Rowing provides secondary thrust that keeps ships mobile even in dead calm, but oars retract automatically when hulls draw alongside to prevent shearing damage.
Combat revolves around ramming, missile exchanges, and boarding actions. Ships function as individual formations that follow your orders. You can select allied vessels and issue commands to move, follow, skirmish, engage, or target specific enemies. AI captains handle their ships intelligently, choosing to skirmish if they hold missile superiority, support pressured allies, avoid collisions, or close distance for ramming strikes when the tactical situation favors it.
Boarding Mechanics and Ship Capture
The boarding system creates intense close-quarters combat across multiple connected ships. When you give the board command, your crew throws grappling hooks toward enemy vessels. A single successful connection draws the hulls together and forms a rope bridge. Multiple hooks speed up the process and create additional crossing points for your troops. Once connected, you direct your crew’s stance through Defend, Follow, Charge, or Hold and Fire at Will commands.
Large naval battles often create clusters of chained ships where multiple hulls lock together. If your ship connects indirectly through another vessel, ordering a Charge sends troops surging across every link in the chain to reach enemies on distant ships. This creates dynamic battlefield conditions where controlling the center of a ship cluster provides massive tactical advantages. But if the fight turns against you, return to the control point and order your crew to cut the bridges loose, or slash them yourself with a blade.
Timing matters critically when cutting bridges because any troops standing on them fall into the water and drown, including your own soldiers. Victory comes from destroying every enemy ship regardless of survivors in the water, or eliminating all enemy troops whichever happens first. After winning, you can claim defeated ships as prizes depending on your skills, perks, and the condition of captured hulls. Damaged vessels might sink before you can take them, while pristine warships become valuable additions to your growing fleet.
The Nords Return to Mount and Blade
War Sails brings the Nords back to the Mount and Blade universe as a fully playable faction for the first time since Warband. This Viking-inspired culture dominates northern coastal regions with their superior naval traditions and fierce warrior culture. The Nords field multiple specialized troop types including Sky’s Chosen archers who wield bows comparable to Battania’s legendary Fian Champions, though with smaller arrow counts.
The faction includes several major clans led by distinct noble families. Each clan leader has unique personality traits, skills, and strategic preferences that affect how they interact with you politically and militarily. One notable addition is the first confirmed female faction leader in the Nords, representing TaleWorlds’ commitment to historical accuracy since Viking culture did include powerful women in leadership roles.
Nord troops excel at naval combat and coastal warfare but struggle against heavy cavalry and armored infantry on open land. Their tier 5 and 6 units compete well with other factions’ elite troops in specialized environments, but the lack of cavalry options makes them vulnerable during field battles away from water. This design choice forces Nord players to leverage their naval superiority for strategic mobility while avoiding unfavorable ground engagements.
Complete Ship Roster and Types
War Sails includes 18 to 20 ship types depending on how you count variants. The roster breaks down into warships, trade vessels, and specialized craft. Early game options like the Light Longship cost around 15,000 to 16,000 denars and provide basic combat capabilities. Mid-tier ships like the Dromon or Sambuk run 30,000 to 60,000 denars with improved crew capacity and combat power. End-game warships like the Heavy Dromon or Round Ship approach 100,000 denars but dominate naval battles with massive crews and superior firepower.
| Ship Category | Examples | Primary Use |
|---|---|---|
| Early Warships | Light Longship, Galley, Dromon | Basic raiding, coastal defense, starting fleet |
| Trade Vessels | Naer, Trade Cog, Fishing Boat | Cargo transport, trade missions, economy |
| Mid-Tier Warships | Sambuk, War Cog, Heavy Galley | Fleet backbone, balanced combat capability |
| Elite Warships | Heavy Dromon, Round Ship, Golden Eagle | Fleet flagships, major battles, naval dominance |
Trade ships sacrifice combat power for cargo capacity. The Trade Cog hauls around 2,600 units of cargo with only 30 crew, making it perfect for merchant operations but vulnerable to pirate attacks. The Naer offers cheaper early-game trading at 12,000 to 13,000 denars with modest capacity. Fishing boats serve specialized economic roles, generating income from coastal waters without requiring combat capabilities.
Each ship features customizable sails with different colors and patterns representing your faction or personal banner. The visual customization adds personality to your fleet while making it easier to identify your ships during chaotic multi-faction naval battles. Larger warships also include upgraded structural components and weapon systems that increase effectiveness at the cost of higher maintenance.
Strategic Campaign Integration
Naval warfare isn’t isolated from the main campaign. Ships enable new strategic options for trade, troop movement, coastal raids, and siege support. Coastal towns and castles become vulnerable to amphibious assaults where you land troops directly from ships. This opens flanking opportunities against enemies who focused their defenses on land approaches.
The expansion adds maritime trade routes that generate income from transporting goods between coastal settlements. Building a merchant fleet creates passive revenue streams while your warships patrol sea lanes preventing pirate attacks. Balancing economic and military fleets becomes a strategic decision similar to managing garrison troops versus field armies.
Naval superiority grants map control advantages similar to how cavalry mobility dominates land warfare. Your fleets can intercept enemy reinforcements sailing to besieged cities, blockade ports to strangle enemy economies, or evacuate troops from losing battles before they’re captured. The campaign map now includes sea zones where naval battles occur, complete with weather effects and visibility conditions that impact tactical options.
The Delay and Development Drama
War Sails was originally announced for June 17, 2025, but TaleWorlds delayed it to early Fall after admitting they weren’t ready. The official statement emphasized needing more development time to reach expected quality levels and apply additional polish. The team used those extra months refining naval combat mechanics, balancing ship types, improving AI captain behavior, and addressing integration issues with the base game.
Community reaction to the delay was surprisingly positive. Bannerlord launched in early access in March 2020 and spent two years in development before the official 1.0 release in October 2022. Players appreciated that TaleWorlds recognized quality issues before shipping rather than launching a broken product and patching it later. The decision to delay also coincided with major base game improvements arriving in patch 1.3.4 that addressed longstanding bugs and balance problems.
The November 26 launch date places War Sails right at the start of the holiday season when player counts traditionally surge. TaleWorlds is offering a 10 percent launch discount for the first two weeks, pricing the expansion at $22.49 instead of the standard $24.99. The base game is also 50 percent off on select platforms, creating an attractive entry point for new players curious about the naval combat addition.
Pricing Controversy and Value Discussion
The $24.99 price tag sparked debate in the Bannerlord community. Some players argue that’s expensive for a single expansion, especially considering the base game costs $49.99 and free mods already add various gameplay modifications. Critics point out that War Sails represents half the base game’s price while only adding one faction and naval mechanics.
Defenders counter that War Sails includes substantial content: 18 to 20 ships with full customization, an entirely new combat system with sophisticated sailing mechanics, the Nords faction with multiple troop trees and clan structures, new skills and perks for naval progression, maritime trade systems, amphibious assault options, and integration throughout the campaign. Compared to typical AAA DLC that offers 20-minute questlines and armor reskins for $10, War Sails provides significantly more gameplay value.
The reality is that developing naval combat from scratch required massive engineering work. TaleWorlds didn’t just add ships as mobile platforms. They built wind simulation, sail physics, oar mechanics, ship-to-ship collision systems, boarding with dynamic rope bridges, multi-vessel combat coordination, AI pathfinding for naval terrain, and campaign map integration. That level of systems design justifies premium pricing compared to simple content packs.
Base Game Improvements in Patch 1.3.4
War Sails launches alongside patch 1.3.4 for the base game, which includes substantial quality-of-life improvements and bug fixes. The update addresses long-standing issues with kingdom management, improves AI behavior during sieges, rebalances troop progression across all factions, and optimizes performance for lower-end hardware. These changes benefit all players regardless of whether they purchase War Sails.
Notable additions include enhanced control options for managing your kingdom, better tools for delegating administrative tasks to companions, improved clan roles that provide meaningful bonuses, and refined relationship mechanics that make diplomacy more impactful. The patch also fixes exploits that allowed players to cheese the economic system or manipulate influence gains unfairly.
Mod compatibility received attention too. TaleWorlds adjusted how mods interface with core systems to reduce conflicts when multiple mods modify similar features. This doesn’t eliminate all compatibility problems, but it makes maintaining large mod lists more manageable. The naval combat systems are also exposed to modders, suggesting we’ll see community-created ships, factions, and naval mechanics in the coming months.
FAQs
When did War Sails release for Bannerlord?
War Sails launched on November 26, 2025, for PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG, plus PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. The expansion was originally scheduled for June 17 but got delayed to early Fall for additional development time.
How much does War Sails cost?
The expansion is priced at $24.99 USD with a 10 percent launch discount for the first two weeks, bringing the price to $22.49. The base game is also 50 percent off on select platforms during the launch period.
Do I need the base game to play War Sails?
Yes, War Sails is an expansion that requires Mount and Blade II: Bannerlord. It’s not a standalone title. You must own the base game to access the naval combat content, Nords faction, and new campaign features.
How many ships are in War Sails?
The expansion includes 18 to 20 ship types depending on variants. This breaks down into early, mid, and late-game warships, plus trade vessels and specialized craft like fishing boats. Ships range from 12,000 denars for basic trade vessels to 100,000 denars for elite warships.
Can you fight naval battles in multiplayer?
War Sails focuses exclusively on single-player campaign content. The naval combat system, ship progression, and Nords faction are designed for the single-player experience. TaleWorlds hasn’t announced plans for multiplayer naval battles.
What makes the Nords different from other factions?
The Nords excel at naval combat and coastal warfare with superior ship-based troops and specialized unit types. However, they lack cavalry options, making them vulnerable during open field battles. Their tier 5 archers rival Battanian Fian Champions in bow quality but carry fewer arrows.
Is War Sails worth the price?
That depends on how much you value naval combat. If you enjoy Bannerlord’s strategic layer and want an entirely new dimension of warfare, the expansion offers substantial content. If you mainly play for land battles and sieges, the $25 price might feel steep for content you’ll rarely engage with.
Will there be more Bannerlord expansions?
TaleWorlds hasn’t officially announced future expansions, but War Sails’ success will likely determine their DLC strategy. The company spent years developing this expansion, suggesting they’re committed to long-term support if players respond positively.
Does War Sails work with mods?
Patch 1.3.4 improved mod compatibility, but some existing mods may conflict with naval combat systems. TaleWorlds exposed the new naval mechanics to modders, allowing community creators to build custom ships, factions, and related content. Check mod descriptions for War Sails compatibility notes.
Conclusion
War Sails represents the most ambitious expansion attempt in Mount and Blade history. TaleWorlds didn’t just add a new faction or minor features. They built an entirely new combat system with sailing mechanics, wind physics, ship management, and strategic integration that fundamentally changes how you approach conquest across Calradia. The months of delay between June and November clearly went toward polishing these complex systems rather than rushing out broken content. Whether you think $25 is reasonable for this much new gameplay depends on your priorities. Players who love strategic depth, tactical variety, and mastering new mechanics will find War Sails worth every denar. The naval combat creates fresh tactical challenges that force you to rethink strategies that worked perfectly on land. Boarding enemy ships with grappling hooks while managing wind direction and oar rowing in real-time delivers intense moments that rival the best sieges from the base game. The Nords add cultural flavor that’s been missing since Warband, bringing Viking aesthetics and naval traditions to a fantasy medieval world that desperately needed more maritime content. Coastal towns finally matter strategically beyond being convenient trade hubs. Amphibious assaults open tactical options against kingdoms that invested everything in land defenses. For players who never cared about ships and just want more land battles, War Sails won’t convert you. The expansion serves a specific audience that’s been requesting naval combat since Bannerlord launched in early access five years ago. TaleWorlds delivered on that request with a sophisticated system that respects the complexity of Age of Sail warfare while remaining accessible enough to learn within a few battles. The 10 percent launch discount and base game sale create the perfect opportunity to jump in. November 26 marks the beginning of Calradia’s transformation from a land-locked medieval simulator into a true sandbox where controlling the seas matters as much as holding castles. Set sail, command your fleet, and discover whether you’re the next legendary admiral or just shark food waiting to happen. Either way, the seas are waiting.