Getting Started with Mount & Blade: Warband Modding
Pick a module, install to Modules/, select from the launcher, play
Mount & Blade: Warband modding is the simplest "install a mod" flow in any game on this list. There's no mod loader to install, no script extender, no Workshop subscription dance — you pick a module from the launcher's dropdown.
This guide walks the standard install on the Steam version of Warband.
Step 1 — Download a module
Modules are total conversions or large overhauls; Warband doesn't really have "small mods" in the modern sense. Most modules ship as .zip or .exe installers from:
- Nexus Mods Warband page
- The TaleWorlds forums (older but still active)
- Steam Workshop (smaller selection)
Three legendary first picks:
- A Clash of Kings — Game of Thrones setting on Warband's engine. Long-running, highly polished.
- Brytenwalda — Dark Ages Britain. Hardcore historical realism.
- 1257 AD — High Medieval Europe with hundreds of factions. Massive scope.
Step 2 — Install the module
Extract or run the installer. The module's folder needs to end up at:
Steam/steamapps/common/Mount and Blade Warband/Modules/<module name>/
If the installer doesn't auto-detect this path, point it manually.
After installation, the module's folder contains its own module.ini, scripts, and assets — fully self-contained.
Step 3 — Launch with the module
Launch Warband normally. The launcher (TaleWorlds's pre-game window) has a Module dropdown at the top. Your installed module appears here alongside "Native" (vanilla Warband) and any DLC modules.
Pick the module. Click Play. Warband loads that module instead of vanilla.
Step 4 — Play
The game's loading screen, main menu, and content reflect the module. You're effectively playing a different game now.
Each module has its own save folder — switching modules doesn't share saves, which is the right behaviour (a save from A Clash of Kings is meaningless in 1257 AD).
Step 5 — Per-module configuration
Most major modules have config files in the module's folder. Common ones:
module.ini— engine settings (map size limits, troop counts, etc.).rgl_config.txt— graphics settings specific to the module.
Read the module's README before tweaking. Some modules ship pre-tuned for their intended scope.
Common gotchas
- Wrong Warband version. Some old modules require a specific Warband patch. Most have been updated to current Warband; some haven't. Read each module's compatibility note.
- Multiplayer with mods. Native multiplayer is module-specific too; servers run a specific module and clients must have that module installed.
- DLC vs Native. Modules built for Napoleonic Wars or Viking Conquest expect those DLCs. Don't try to load a Viking Conquest module without owning the DLC.
- Module folder not detected. Folder names matter. The module's folder name must match what
module.inideclares. - Crashes mid-battle in module X. Many old modules have edge-case bugs in 2026's Windows builds. The community has compatibility patches for popular ones; check the module's Nexus page.
If you're considering Bannerlord modding instead, the Bannerlord guide covers TaleWorlds's sequel. The two games' modding scenes are entirely separate ecosystems.