Once you start fighting other factions, expect them to use plenty of tactical maneuvers on you!.

Once you get the hang of things, try practicing maneuvers against opponents you know you can beat to see how to position your infantry and archers, while having cavalry follow you on flanking runs.

Tactical commands can be daunting for new players - but don't worry, bandits don't have tactics either, they'll always charge straight at you.

Cut your teeth on small bandit parties until you're ready to join a faction, and then follow them into war against other teams.

When first starting out, don't try to play gutsy and attack caravans and villages just yet - or you'll get factions pissed at you long before you're in a good position to take sides or hold your own against an army.

You can only carry so many weapons into battle, so make sure you have the right stuff equipped for the right scenarios (don't take lances into bandit hideouts, or short weapons with no reach on a huge cavalry charge).

If your enemy won't let you get an attack through, press E to kick or shield bash to break their defense.

Combat can be tricky to get the hang of for new players - you'll need to get used to seeing which way an enemy is preparing to strike and react accordingly to block - and keep yourself from getting overwhelmed whenever possible.

Sometimes if your speed is almost even, it will take forever to chase them down unless they're also looking for a fight - and waste valuable time, or let them regroup with others to bolster their numbers before turning to face you.

Before engaging an enemy when spotting them on the map - compare your speed to theirs.

Stock up on extra horses when possible - it'll increase your movement speed on the map if all of your units can ride between battles.

Trying to do everything on your own will get very hard otherwise.

Be sure to take on the main quest to speak to 10 nobles (aka the leaders of each faction), even after the tutorial has ended, as it will speed up your renown and notoriety by getting to know each of the factions, and you’ll be able to pick a faction to fight for all the quicker.

Mount and blade starting guide