How to Get Started in Mount and Blade: Warband

Creating Your Character

Answer the start-up questions. When you first start a new game, you will be put through a series of questions. Your choices will affect starting gear, skills, and money. Answering the top noble choices grants you more money, while picking lower hunter, street picker options grant you bows.

Create a name, assign skillpoints, and attribute points. After assigning a name, put points into skills that fit you. For attribute points, STR give 2 hitpoints per level, and allows you to increase STR related skills. AGI lets you move faster, plus 10 weapon proficiency. INT gives two extra skillpoints, etc. CHA gives 1 more troop slot.

Create your characters physical body. This is completely up to you, and if desired you can stick with the defaults.

Beginning the Game

Wait to spawn at one of its cities. You will be attacked by a lone bandit, then approached/tended to by a merchant (if you kill bandit or knocked out). He will give you a quest to find 5 men, then hunt bandits. It is recommended to do this quest regardless of whether you're new or a pro.

Recruit your men. You need to visit villages, which cost 20 denar (currency). you will then return to the merchant, and he will have you hunt a small party of bandits. After interrogating the bandit, got to the hide out (don't bother returning to the merchant; he has nothing to say). The hideout shouldn't be that bad itself; the real killer is the walk there. After eliminating the bandits, return to the merchant. He will thank you, pay you, and give you one more quests that takes place in the town itself.

Be ready to fight. If you choose to accept the quest, be prepared once you step out side, after a few seconds, the merchant will give the command and you along with some other townsfolk, will fight off bandits and ruffians. Regardless of if you win or lose, the merchant's party will win. He will explain everything to the lord of the town, but is banished. After a talk and goodbye, you will be cast into the world of Calradia.

After the Quest

Buy a little of gear but save as much as possible for recruits.

Start gathering recruits. Any recruits are fine, but try to upgrade them as soon as possible. Start with low tier troops to save on money, and work your way up to better units.

Start hunting bandits. Bandits should not be too hard, although some bandits are stronger than others (such as in the top north shores; that area is very dangerous for beginners).

Do jobs. Taking jobs from lords, villages, town guild leaders, and kings can net you a lot of money depending on the job.

Become a mercenary for a faction. If you have enough troops, doing this gets you a considerable amount of money that increases with amount of and tier of troops.

Get on the good side of a king. It can prove very beneficial, and you might eventually become his vassal!