Mount & Blade II Bannerlord Aserai Vanguard Faris: The Real History Behind Vanguard Faris

The Aserai Vanguard Faris, once poorly regarded among tier 6 cavalry units due to inadequate head protection, has begun delivering remarkable results through successive patches.

Particularly after version 1.3, with the accuracy buffs to ranged units, the Vanguard Faris's javelin accuracy improved dramatically, producing devastating outcomes.

In-game tournament scenario tests revealed that they traded evenly with Khuzait Khan's Guard in the early stages, with the Khan's Guard only able to dispatch them easily after the Vanguard Faris had exhausted their javelin supply.

The Vanguard Faris shows its most terrifying performance when charging as vanguard forces toward enemy infantry formations and when rushing out to intercept enemy cavalry. The rain of javelins they hurl at infantry formations demonstrates a different hit pattern compared to archer arrows.

Despite being standard shield infantry, we took devastating losses from them.

Simply put, due to AI characteristics, archers have very high accuracy and mostly aim at shields. However, thrown weapons have lower accuracy, so even when they aim at shields, javelins often strike legs or heads instead. This unstable accuracy actually instills greater fear in enemies.

In actual gameplay, you can observe numerous kill notifications appearing in rapid succession from these units. Their burst firepower is incomparable to arrows. Enemy shields break easily, and Jereeds that slip through shield gaps can kill opponents with just two hits.

The key difference between Vanguard Faris and javelin cavalry from other factions lies in their exceptional armor protection. Their combat effectiveness doesn't end when their javelins run out—far from it. 

Through successive patches, their defensive equipment has been continuously improved, making them incredibly resilient. In my battles, I've witnessed these warriors stubbornly endure and repel enemy forces even after my entire infantry formation had collapsed.

Unlike javelin cavalry from other factions, the Vanguard Faris boasts significantly better armor. Running out of javelins doesn't render them useless—their defensive capabilities have been steadily buffed over patches, making them extremely tough. I've seen these units survive and push back enemies even when my infantry lines were completely wiped out.

The contrast is stark: Battanian javelin cavalry barely reaches 30 armor rating with their tier 4 Hooked Javelins, while Faris sports 50+ armor rating (tier 6) and tier 6 Jereeds. Given Battanian cavalry's poor survivability, I favor Battanian Wildling infantry—they carry dual javelin sets for extended throwing capability.

 

The most effective way to use them is either intercepting and quickly eliminating enemy horse archers or lance cavalry at battle start, or maneuvering behind enemy infantry lines to hurl javelins at their rear. Until those moments arrive, you can order them to 'hold fire' to prevent wasting their javelins when they're not needed.

Fāris (فارس) is the Arabic term for 'knight' or 'horseman.' Pinpointing the precise historical inspiration for the in-game unit proved challenging, though they appear somewhat similar to Saracen heavy cavalry. Unlike Cataphracts with their clear lineage, the Faris represents a blend of Mamluk heavy cavalry and various medieval Islamic heavy cavalry traditions.

The armor Saladin wears in Kingdom of Heaven struck me as somewhat similar to the Faris design.

Even under AI control, they're remarkably effective and easy to mass-recruit. But to truly maximize their potential beyond what Cataphracts or Banner Knights offer, master their javelin deployment. Those javelins can one-shot even heavily armored Cataphracts charging head-on. 

The trick? Use 'hold fire' to prevent wasteful throwing, then unleash them at perfect moments: intercepting cavalry charges, targeting unshielded archers or two-hander infantry, or flanking enemy infantry locked in combat with your line. This tactical approach unlocks their full 100%+ effectiveness.