Seizing Power: Becoming Ruler of an Existing Kingdom in Bannerlord

As a Bannerlord player with over 500 hours under my belt and leader of a thriving YouTube channel, one of the most common questions I get asked is: can you actually take over an existing kingdom in-game and crown yourself king or queen?

The answer is yes! With enough patience and the right strategy, it is possible to pull off an internal coup to place yourself on the throne of realms like the Northern Empire, Vlandia, and more. However, I cannot sugarcoat it – actually ascending to become the monarch of an established faction is extremely difficult and may take dozens if not hundreds of in-game hours to achieve.

But for those willing to dedicate themselves to this monumental task of politics and war, the payoff is immense. There are few gaming highs comparable to seeing your clan banner flying proudly over towns and castles you conquested under a previous ruler.

So for would-be kings and queens, here is my definitive guide on how to take over an existing kingdom from the inside in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord:

Joining the Kingdom – Choosing Your Realm

The first step to conquest is picking which group you’ll pledge fealty to and steadily undermine from within.

Based on experience, I suggest the Northern Empire or Vlandia as prime targets. The Empire‘s aging leadership and decentralized power structure leaves them vulnerable to collapse. Vlandia‘s clans respect strength and boldness – traits any aspiring monarch needs.

On the other hand, beholden kingdoms like Battania or frontier realms like the Khuzaits are much harder to dominate as outsiders. But with enough skill anything is possible!

Once you pick your mark, officially join them by swearing allegiance to a powerful clan leader or the ruler themselves. This gives you legitimacy in the eyes of the nobles.

Pro Tip: Before joining, complete side activities like trading or killing bandits to build up at least Clan Tier 3 and amass 100k+ gold. This displays your strength and makes the lords more likely to bring you into the fold.

Slowly Winning Over the Nobles

Now begins the long, subtle process of starching the kingdom apart through soft power.

Your goal here is befriending every major clan leader in the realm. Focus on those with over 300 members as they have the heaviest sway if an election is called.

Gift items like horses and swords to build relation. Support their military aims in councils and on the battlefield. I aim for at least +20 relation with 5 of the top nobles before making further moves.

This phase is less exciting than open war but far more important! Lay the groundwork here and victory will come easier later.

Pro Tip: indirect benefits like backing a lord’s proposal or releasing their imprisoned clansmen also build rapport. Use a mix of overt and discreet methods.

Gaining Money and Prestige

As you complete quests, win battles, and loyally serve the current ruler you choose to later betray, your personal fame and reputation rises steadily.

The two essential stats here are clan renown, which represents public fame, and influence, your political capital. Before the current monarch mysteriously dies or loses his throne, you want:

• 1000 minimum renown – this puts you on even standing with top clans
• 800 minimum influence – enough sway to flip close votes your way

Additional gold also helps smooth over any stubborn electors through generous “campaign contributions”. I suggest having at least 300-500k in reserves by this phase.

Max out these critical stats through valor in battle, completing issues brought to your lord, and eliminating troublesome forest bandits. You‘ll be the toast of the taverns in no time!

Pro Tip: Projects that benefit the community like donating to temples also bolster renown without risking your neck in combat.

Defeating the Reigning Ruler

This is undoubtedly the trickiest and most dangerous stage. At some point you‘ll need to confront and topple the current monarch to trigger the election you rigged the deck for in previous steps.

There are a few approaches here but I favor capture and execution if possible. Defeating the king’s entire army and taking him prisoner leaves the line of succession wide open while avoiding an ugly direct kinslaying.

If capture proves too difficult, assassination is possible too. Take out not just the ruler but their popular heirs and spouses as well in close succession. This plunges the nobility into chaos, allowing an outsider like yourself to snatch away control.

I once fought alongside a gamer who expertly poisoned the top 5 Vlandian nobles in a fortnight – the chaos allowed his quick coronation but also destabilized the kingdom long term. Pick your method wisely!

Either way, directly warring on your lawful ruler will tank relations with many loyalist clans. But with proper preparations beforehand this will barely impact the coming election.

Pro Tip: A final, though costly approach is mass exile. Use intrigue focus actions to fabricate secrets and strip troublesome vassals of their lands.

Claiming the Throne

The dust settles after the previous monarch falls. Full blown civil war is avoided but tensions run high. In this volatile climate, all ruling clans convene for a tense vote on who will lead them to stability and greatness.

This is your time. Leverage factions, call in favors, and grease enough palms so that you – the bold usurper who was playing 5D chess while the nobles bickered about grain taxes – emerge victorious.

While the exact formula is opaque, based on community testing the election weighs the candidate’s:

• Relation with electing clan
• Renown stat
• Influence stat

You want at least +20 relation with 3 of the top 5 clans. 800 influence helps guarantee 1 automatic vote too. If renown is very high 1000+ this can make up for lower relations. Controlling multiple fiefs and amassing an army of elite troops also signals power.

After an anxious few days of deliberation, the nobles present you with the crown and orb. Glory to the new ruler! Through equal parts valor, charm, guile and timing you reshaped the realm in your image.

The greatly expanded list of duties now includes getting your new subjects to forget that time you raided their caravans a few years back… good luck!

And there you have it – the roadmap to going from wandering adventurer to monarch over hundreds of hours and cunning plays in Bannerlord. Have you managed to crown yourself ruler of an existing kingdom before? Let me know of your own experiences in the comments!