This is unit overhaul mod I began for myself to overhaul the major faction units as I had various issues with vanilla units:

• I found the vanilla troop trees to be lacking uniqueness or 'flavour' with examples such as most infantry lines ending up at sword/shield with a javelin.
• There were various cases of upgraded units having worse armour than previous tiers and skills that didn't match their equipment.
• Ranged units often had the same weapon skill and melee weapons as dedicated infantry in the same tier, along with similar armour.
  

My overhaul aims to make each faction feel a bit more unique while maintaining a better balance in equipment upgrades between tiers. As examples, Recruit tier infantry now have basic shields in many cases and archers have weaker armour and melee weapon/skill compared to their faction's infantry. Almost every unit has adjusted equipment and some troops have been converted into different types to alter upgrade trees:

VLANDIA
Still following a Western/Norman theme for the most part, Vlandia retains the crossbow line for ranged troops. Infantry are now wielding a mix of maces and swords with the option to branch into pikemen or voulgiers at higher tiers. Cavalry have been expanded to start at T3, with the main troop cavalry being lighter than Knights. The noble Knight line of heavy cavalry become the most skilled cavalry in the game. The main troops progress from leather to mail armour in what I would class as medium overall ratings.

STURGIA
Redesigned to be more focused on aggressive infantry, Viking influenced. The primary line of warriors wield axes and throwing axes while other branches offer options for spear infantry with javelins or bowmen with shields (not used while firing). The bowmen are not as strong as other factions at range but more competent when joining the melee. The 'berserker' branch are low armour with high damage 2h axes and increased skills, making them wreak havoc if they make it into enemy lines. The main faction troops are generally lower armoured but have increased weapon skills. Noble troops are better armoured, progressing from sword and shield infantry into 2h sword cavalry, unique to this faction.

EMPIRE
The main focus is the Roman style Legionary line, combining high armour with pila. To counter this they don't have the highest melee output. Branching into Praetorians at higher tiers trades the pila for stronger equipment. The other main faction units are auxiliary archers and light cavalry - not as strong as other factions' dedicated units but capable of doing a job. The noble tree progresses from Roman style Equites into later style Cataphracts, the heaviest cavalry in the game but not as skilled as Vlandian knights.

BATTANIA
Another faction primarily focused on foot units, Battania now has a basic line of archers alongside their skirmishers. While not as strong as noble archers they provide some extra flexibility. Cavalry use is limited to lighter horsemen equipped with javelins with no heavy cavalry in the faction. Most units use a mix of weapons to reflect more individuality in warriors bringing their own equipment rather than the uniform gear of the Empire; you'll see infantry with a mix of swords, spears and axes. The branch of two handed warriors provide the higher damage options. Battanian nobles remain excellent archers with two hand swords, unique to this faction.

ASERAI
Aserai troops cover a range of unit types with their archers amongst the most skilled in the game. Separate lines offer options for spear infantry or the sword and shield of Mamelukes, available in both infantry and medium cavalry form. Their noble line of lancers may not be as heavily armoured as Imperial Cataphracts but can still be devastating on the charge.

KHUZAIT
Currently the least changed faction (aside from armour adjustments), Khuzait remain focused on horse archers in both the primary and noble trees. Melee cavalry remain available in the primary tree to support the horse archers while basic archers and spear infantry can be trained for garrison duties.

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Compatibility

• Main file is compatible with 1.5.2 stable and 1.5.3 beta but won't work with versions older than 1.5.1 as TW added new characters for 1.5.1 that are included here.
• Fully save game compatible. Names, equipment and upgrade paths have been changed but all vanilla unit IDs remain with no 'new' units added. I have been able to add and remove this mod without affecting save games.
• Should be compatible with upcoming beta patches if they don't add new units. If any new units are added I would have to add them to this.
• It would be compatible with other mods that don't edit the spnpccharacters file, but bear in mind that any mod that changes equipment (such as recent versions of Realistic Battle) would throw off the armour balance of these units as they are based on vanilla armour values.
  

How to Install or Remove

• Backup the vanilla/original xml file spnpccharacters in the folder Bannerlord > Modules > SandBoxCore > Module Data (save a copy in a separate location)
  

• Copy my xml file spnpccharacters into the folder Bannerlord > Modules > SandBoxCore > Module Data.
• To remove, simply copy the original spnpccharacters xml file back into the folder.
  

Planned Features and Changes
As I've seen plenty of people unhappy with vanilla units I decided to upload my version in case anyone else would enjoy it. I've labelled it version 1.0 as I'm now working through a playthrough to see what adjustments need to be made. Current plans include:

• Further adjustment of major faction units, either for balance or to make them more unique. I'll probably add more of a mix of skills.
• Adjust minor faction units and bandits to bring them in line with main faction changes.
• Add more variance in unit appearance while maintaining the same armour values.
• Make use of any new assets added by TW (new armour etc.) if appropriate.
  

I intend to utilise TW assets and not introduce my own in order to keep the mod save game compatible each time TW release a new beta This will also enable users to add or remove it without breaking saves.
Feedback is welcome.