Mount and Blade Warband Server Hosting

Why Warband Still Fills Servers

Mount & Blade: Warband came out on 31 March 2010 as a standalone expansion to the original Mount & Blade, with a graphical overhaul, new motion-captured combat animations and, above all, proper multiplayer. Its combat is the draw: realistic mounted fighting, a detailed melee system, shields that stop arrows even when you are not defending, and projectiles you can pick up off the field and throw back.

That skill-based melee has kept a multiplayer community going for well over a decade, from clans and duel communities to public siege servers, and TaleWorlds was still announcing its Warband Native League tournaments in 2020. A game that rewards practice needs a place to practise, and that is what a dedicated server gives you.

Running your own server means you choose the mode, the maps, the module and the rules. It stays online between sessions, it does not depend on a player's home connection, and your clan always knows where to find each other.

Choosing a Game Mode

Warband's multiplayer modes play very differently, and the right server size follows from the mode. TaleWorlds lists Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Conquest, Battle and Siege, and the free Invasion update in December 2016 added a co-op mode against waves of AI.

The multiplayer equipment system runs through all of them: players earn gold by fighting and completing objectives, then spend it on better gear, balanced so the leading team does not run away with the match. Matches can be played on random maps as well as hand-made ones.

How Many Slots You Need

TaleWorlds advertises multiplayer battles with up to 64 players, and that is the natural ceiling for most Native servers. Our order form sells any number of slots from 10 to 200, one at a time, so you can match the size to your community exactly instead of rounding up to a package.

Start smaller than you think. A server with 20 regulars feels lively at 32 slots and empty at 64, and players join busy servers rather than empty ones. When the regular crowd outgrows it, add slots from the client area; nothing else changes.

The higher counts are for events and for modules built around very large battles. If that is your plan, talk to us about the module first so we can make sure the server is set up for it.

Native, Modules and the Steam Workshop

Warband calls its mods modules. Native is the base game; anything else is a module folder that changes items, scenes, factions or rules. Steam lists Warband with Steam Workshop support, and update 1.174 fixed server names when running multiplayer Workshop mods.

A multiplayer module has to be on the server and on every player's PC, in the same version. Upload it to the server with SFTP, point the server at it, and post a link and the version number wherever your players gather. Keep Native available if you want casual players to drop in.

The two official DLCs are a separate case. Napoleonic Wars is a multiplayer expansion set in the last years of Napoleon's empire, and Viking Conquest brings Dark Age Britain. Each has its own server files on TaleWorlds' website. This product is the Warband server, so if you want to run a DLC, open a ticket before you order.

Server Settings and Admins

A Warband server reads its settings from a configuration file: the server name, admin and join passwords, game mode, map rotation, team factions and limits on team size. In our panel you edit that file in the browser, or keep several and switch between them with the Commandline Manager.

1. Name the server clearly, with the mode and region in it.
2. Set a strong admin password and keep it among trusted admins.
3. Choose the mode, the factions and a map rotation that suits your slot count.
4. Add a join password for clan-only practice, or leave it blank for a public server.
5. Restart the server and check the log for errors before players arrive.

Admins can kick and ban from inside the game, which is the main tool for keeping a public server fair. Choose admins who are around at your busy hours and agree together what counts as team hitting or spawn camping.

Running Clan Nights and Events

Most Warband communities are built around a regular night: a weekly siege, a clan match, a duel tournament. The server makes that easy to repeat. Keep a config for each format, switch between them with the Commandline Manager, and the same server can host practice on Tuesday and a public siege on Saturday.

For a tournament, decide the format before you advertise it. Fix the mode, the map pool, the factions and the team size, put a join password on the server for the matches, and give the referees admin rights. Tell teams which version and which module the event uses, so nobody discovers a mismatch on the night.

• Book a time and post it in advance, with the region of the server.
• Test the exact config the day before with a few players.
• Take a snapshot of the working setup, so you can restore it if anything changes.
• Raise the slot count for the event and lower it again afterwards from the client area.

Updates, Backups and a Stable Server

Warband's own build has been 1.174 since October 2018, after 1.172 in March 2017 and 1.173 in January 2018, which brought stability and anti-cheat improvements. A stable build is good news for a server owner: a working setup keeps working.

Modules are where change comes from. Before updating one, take a snapshot in the Backup Manager; if the new version will not load, restore and carry on while you work out why. Keep a copy of your config files as well, since they hold most of what makes your server yours.

A nightly scheduled restart keeps a busy public server tidy, and the Log Viewer shows what went wrong if a module or map fails at start-up. If you get stuck, our support team is there around the clock.

What to Compare Before You Rent a Warband Server

For a classic like Warband, the details are simple but they matter.

1. Slot flexibilityCheck you can choose the exact size you need, not just a few fixed packages.
2. Memory includedWarband is light. You should not pay extra for RAM it does not use.
3. File accessModules and configs go in by file, so SFTP and a file manager are essential.
4. Locations with a ping testMelee timing depends on latency. Test from your own PC.
5. DDoS protectionPublic PvP servers attract attacks. Filtering should be standard.
6. Billing termsCompare monthly with 3, 6 and 12 month prices and look for setup fees.

Mount and Blade Warband Server Glossary

Native

The unmodded base game, which every Warband player has.

Module

Warband's word for a mod: a folder that changes items, scenes, factions or rules.

Siege

A mode where attackers storm a castle and defenders try to hold it.

Battle

A round-based mode with one life per round; the last team standing wins.

Invasion

The co-op mode added in 2016, fighting waves of AI opponents.

Multiplayer gold

Money earned in a match by fighting and objectives, spent on better equipment.

Random maps

Generated battlefields Warband can use alongside its hand-made multiplayer maps.

Napoleonic Wars

A multiplayer DLC for Warband set in the early 19th century.

Warband Server Help and Next Steps

Official pages and our own guides.

• Mount & Blade: Warband on SteamModes, DLC and the update history.
• Warband on TaleWorldsThe developer's page and server downloads.
• Gaming Deluxe control panelWhat the panel does and how to log in.
• Our server locations
• Contact support24/7 help with configs, modules and backups.