You may have read that Mount & Blade, the coolest medieval sim ever, is getting multiplayer support sometime this year. I really, really hope this game gets some kind of ladder system. Right now, I see M&B as a kind of cross between Pokemon and Warhammer 40,000 – That is, I’ve trained my character to be incredibly awesome, and I’ve collected a vast army that has yet to lose a battle. Fun stuff.

Now, Lord Alex of the Nords, as I stated, has yet to lose a battle, and since I sincerely hope to kick every single one of your asses in online multiplayer, I’ve decided to be generous and share a few tips with you that may lead to some of you actually standing a chance:

Tip 1 – Invest in a good horse
There are times where I’ve noticed that my mount is a better weapon than my blade. Don’t be afraid to buy a heavily armored horse with high charge rating – It is literally the best tactical investment you can make. What you sacrifice in speed, you make up for in the ability to run down an entire column of enemies without slowing down. Great for disrupting archers while your ground forces catch up.

Tip 2 – Get a nice shield and a decent 1-hander
This may just be my play style talking, but I definitely prefer having a shield. Sure, a giant 2-handed axe is great for knocking down enemy horses in one hit, but having a shield significantly reduces the amount of arrow damage I take while getting over to the bad guys.

Tip 3 – Stop chasing that mounted AI
The mounted AI in this game seems to have one very annoying flaw: I’m pretty sure there’s a line of code somewhere that says IF enemy player is pursuing THEN run the hell away forever. You can literally chase one horse around all day and never get to him, assuming you’re not pelting him with arrows (most of them keep their shields up anyway). Meanwhile, your forces are left without you, which can seriously increase your casualties. I’ve noticed that if you stop chasing a mounted enemy, he’ll very quickly turn around and come after you (although he’ll turn right back around if you turn to face him). Just lead him back into your guys and let them deal with it.

Tip 4 -Kill those damn horses
This kinda plays into what I was talking about before: Mounted AI is incredibly annoying. If you’ve played the game at all, you’ve definitely had a battle where you’ve killed everybody except one mounted guy who just won’t hold still long enough to die. If your enemies have a lot of cavalry, aim low when you charge past them and cut their horses’ legs off. Once they’re on the ground, they’re easy pickings.

Tip 5 – Learn how to swing your weapon
This may come as a shock to some of you, but the way you swing your weapon is directly affected by the way you move your mouse. Instead of just clicking until your finger falls off, learn how to swing left, right, above, and how to thrust (assuming your weapon allows it). This is more of a minor detail, but it helps a lot when you’re trying to skirt the outsides of your enemy’s army.

I look forward to mounting your head on a pike.