Bannerlord’s vanilla arsenal is decent, but starts feeling familiar after a hundred hours. Especially when you have assembled the perfect party and half your soldiers use identical swords simply because there is little choice. Weapon mods solve that by adding hundreds of blades, spears, maces, and historical designs to forge or find at merchants.
These mods turn your arsenal from a dull collection of standard equipment into a weaponsmith’s paradise.
Vanilla Weapon Overhaul
The author admits that TaleWorlds seems to have forgotten certain weapons. Of the base game’s 326 crafted items, most are swords and spears, while throwing weapons and two-handed maces feel like afterthoughts. Vanilla Weapon Overhaul fixes that by expanding existing crafting templates through XSLT and moving parts between categories instead of building new models from scratch. Nothing is removed; everything is added.
- Extra crafting templates for overlooked weapon types
- Two-handed maces can now knock enemies down or off horses
- A new Throwing Mace template with a dedicated throwing category
- Configurable ammunition counts for throwing knives, axes, and javelins
- New mace and axe heads made in Blender, including mirrored and double blades
✅ What changes at the smithy: Want to craft a throwing mace or a proper two-handed mace with knockdown? Previously, you simply could not. The crafting templates now cover the gaps TaleWorlds left for some reason.
BUJ4A’S Custom Flails
Flails are another underdeveloped Bannerlord idea: they exist, but the selection is tiny. BUJ4A’s Custom Flails adds three new flails matching the base game’s style without unnecessary extras. A simple XML mod solving one problem without touching other mechanics.
- Three new flail variants
- Stats balanced around the base game
- No other mods required
- Compatible with existing saves
✅ Do you need it: If your character specializes in heavy melee weapons and you want a flail with decent stats instead of the default option, yes. It is tiny, barely takes any space, and conflicts with nothing. An ideal addition to any other weapon pack.
Armory Generator
One of the most unusual mods here, Armory Generator does not add weapons directly. It generates XML files for you to check, edit, and load into the game. Essentially, it produces unique forged items on an industrial scale, inspired by Dynamic Weapon Overhaul but taking a different approach. The author openly says it began as a joke project.
- Press F8/F9 at the smithy to generate weapons
- Creates XML files in /ModuleData/GeneratedItems
- Review the output, remove unwanted items, and edit whatever you like
- Reload your save to make the items appear in the world
- Experimental armor generation through MCM
- Compatible with weapons from Vanilla Weapon Overhaul and Open Source Weaponry
✅ Who needs it: Honestly, this is not for players who simply want to install a mod and play. Armory Generator suits anyone who wants control over every aspect of equipment or a world filled with distinctive forged items matching their style. It needs some file management, but gives you a personal arsenal no one else has.
Nac’s Blade Mod
A compact sword addition with 10 new smithing blades and no extras. Nac’s Blade Mod expands the smithing menu without changing game systems, balancing its additions around vanilla settings and mechanics.
- 10 new blade components for crafting
- Compatible with the standard smithing menu
- Works with any other mods
✅ Is it worth using: If Weapon Part Workshop or Reign of Sword already expands your smithy, this adds another ten sword blades on top. It is lightweight, installs in a minute, and, according to its author, conflicts with nothing. A useful way to expand smithing options without risking your existing setup.
Weapon Part Workshop
If you have wanted to forge your dream sword rather than settle for whatever the smithy offers, this is for you. Weapon Part Workshop adds 60+ components for two-handed swords alone, plus numerous mace, polearm, and throwing-weapon parts. It leaves vanilla troops untouched, focusing on your personal weapons and companion equipment.
- 60+ new two-handed sword parts
- More components for maces and spears
- New throwing axe and javelin variations
- Realistic Battle Mod compatibility
- No changes to vanilla troop equipment
✅ How gameplay changes: Instead of crafting from 15 guard and blade options, you gain hundreds of combinations. Want a long two-hander with a huge guard? No problem. Need a spiked mace head for penetrating armor? That works too. It provides the smithing freedom missing from the original system. I recommend it to anyone who values distinctive weapons, especially mercenaries or players building companion armies with individual equipment.
Dynamic Weapon Overhaul
This works differently from ordinary packs with fixed weapons. Dynamic Weapon Overhaul generates a huge arsenal when a new campaign starts, using Bannerlord’s crafting system and every available part. The result is hundreds of distinctive blades, axes, and spears that feel as though they have always belonged in the game.
- Weapon generation at campaign start
- Uses vanilla crafting parts
- Random weapon generation for each playthrough
- Greatly increased replayability
✅ Impact on the game: Every campaign gets fresh weapons instead of the same swords from your last run. You cannot predict the blades appearing at merchants or the smithy, making it feel like starting with a new weapon mod. Ideal for frequent restarts or short campaigns, with no more repeated arsenals.
Warlords Battlefield — Bannerlord Branches Overhaul
More than a weapon mod, this is a complete combat overhaul adding 250 weapons, 750 units, and 30 clans. Warlords Battlefield changes Bannerlord radically, expanding its world further. If you want a substantial content overhaul and are ready for big changes, it is one of the strongest options.
- 250 new weapons
- 750 units and 30 new clans
- Reworked troops and factions
- Versions with and without RBM
✅ What you get: A new battle experience thanks to an expanded arsenal, new factions, and reworked troops. The sheer volume of content makes each battle different. Be careful: it conflicts with most other total conversions, so check compatibility. It works best as a modpack’s foundation rather than an add-on.
Open Source Weaponry
Open Source Weaponry emphasizes compatibility and explicitly mentions working alongside troop mods. That makes it a strong choice if you want a huge selection of varied new weapons.
- A large amount of weapon content in one package
- Includes all fixes and optimizations
✅ Practical use: It runs alongside most other expansions without complicated setup. Convenient for new modders and anyone worried about breaking things: install, launch, and play.
Ancient Russian Armory
A themed mod adding historical Rus weapons. Ancient Russian Armory is worth installing if you want troops resembling warriors of early Rus. Less universal than broad packs, it works particularly well for campaigns focused on that equipment.
- Historical Rus theme
- Suited to armies styled after early Rus
✅ Who will enjoy it: If you play Sturgia or want a faction with Eastern European aesthetics, this adds the right authenticity. Your troops receive swords, axes, and spears resembling real regional equipment rather than generic designs for everyone. Recommended for themed campaigns, especially alongside armor mods to re-equip the entire party.
Lord’s Gear
A mod focused on equipment expansion and variety. Lord’s Gear automatically improves lords’ and companions’ equipment according to their skills and preferences, making them more effective in combat.
- Greater equipment variety
- Improved variations of original weapons
- Useful alongside combat and weapon mods
✅ How to use it: If you already have several weapon mods and want more equipment combinations, Lord’s Gear fills those gaps. It is particularly useful for companions and your character, providing options without an excessive number of new models. It bridges weapon and cosmetic mods.
How to install weapon mods correctly
Weapon mods are generally more stable than gameplay changes, but still need correct installation. Load-order errors or conflicting packs can break post-battle loot generation or cause crashes when entering the smithy.
The basic process:
- Back up saves: even stable mods can break existing saves when added
- Check compatibility: read mod pages and comments, especially when combining weapon packs
- Use a mod manager: Vortex or manual launcher ordering both work, provided you respect dependencies
- Install large overhauls first: Warlords Battlefield should load before smaller packs
- Test in a new campaign: some mods generate content at startup, making mid-campaign installation pointless
- Track updates: Bannerlord patches can break mods, so check that releases are current
Weapon mods are straightforward to install, but need the right order relative to other mods. Spend five minutes with the installation guide instead of searching every error and guessing: it saves plenty of debugging time.
Which Bannerlord weapon mods should you choose first?
It depends on your goal. For maximum smithing variety, Weapon Part Workshop offers hundreds of combinations. For straightforward content without complications, use Open Source Weaponry. For historical campaigns, combine Skye’s 15th century Polearm Pack and Ancient Russian Armory for a realistic arsenal rather than a generic blade collection.
For a radical change to the whole game, choose Warlords Battlefield, remembering that it is a full conversion rather than simply a weapon mod. It conflicts with most other major changes.
New weapons work best as part of a larger setup. Reworked combat complements changed armies, distinctive blades fit new armor, and the right load order maintains balance. My separate collection guide explains the logic of assembling your own setup.
If I missed a worthwhile weapon mod, or you know a new release worth testing, send it my way: I will check it and may add it here. To bring these ideas together, use my Bannerlord mod collection guide to plan the rest of your setup.
