Highlights

  • Battle Brothers is a challenging turn-based game where precision is key - every move counts.
  • Mods like Uncapped Perk Points and Fantasy Brothers enhance gameplay and customization.
  • Smart Recruiter and Settlement Situation Tooltips improve recruitment and settlement management.

There are times when players might just want to try out a challenging turn-based game where every single move needs to be calculated and executed with the highest level of precision possible. Even a small mistake will be punished, and this is something that is personified to a T in Battle Brothers. This game is not for the faint of heart, showing the brutality of being a mercenary group and being thrust into situations where survival is almost completely unlikely.

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However, as long as players keep a cool head and learn from their mistakes, this game can be pretty enjoyable indeed. Players who enjoy Battle Brothers will probably have a great time experimenting with the various mods released for this game as well. The best of the bunch are mentioned below, with these mods having a significant impact on gameplay in many ways.

Updated March 3, 2024 by Rhenn Taguiam: With Battle Brothers receiving both its comic series and its novel, fans of open-world experiences can look into Battle Brothers for a more unique take on the genre. As players build their mercenary company and explore a procedurally-generated low fantasy world, they might realize how certain quality-of-life changes could potentially make the experience more manageable.

Thankfully, the fanbase has created some of the best Battle Brothers mods to help players maximize their playthroughs. Among must-try mods include a major gameplay overhaul, a fantasy transformation, easier inventory management, and better brother customization options.

1 Uncapped Perk Points

Removes Perk Points Cap And Allows Upgrades After Level 11

Uncapped Perk Points

The Problem

Level 11 puts a hard stop on stat development alongside Perk Points capacity

The Solution

Provide a way to bypass level and point capacity limitations

Link

Uncapped Perk Points

While the Middle Ages-inspired aesthetic of Battle Brothers makes it one of the least weird strategy games on the market in terms of visual themes, its mods certainly give players quite a lot of options for crazy gameplay situations. This is what players can encounter with Uncapped Perk Points, practically allowing their units to bypass the pinnacle of their potential.

With this mod activated, levels and point capacity limits won't hinder a brother's progression in the game. Levels still allow them to gain stat developments, possibly resulting in juggernauts on the battlefield akin to legendary figures in history.

2 Event Frequency Mod

Increase Event Triggers In The World Map

Event Frequency Mod 

The Problem

Random events (or the lack thereof) can make playthroughs dull

The Solution

Adjust frequency of random events depending on the player’s desires

Link

Event Frequency Mod

Similar to other management games, events make an important part of Battle Brothers gameplay. In the game, players not only explore the overworld to find places of interest, but areas they visit may prompt events that can drastically affect gameplay elements there. Unfortunately, Battle Brothers suffers from an events problem that can hinder overall enjoyment: sometimes, there are either too many or too few events for players to encounter.

Thanks to the Event Frequency Mod, players of Battle Brothers can encounter events in precisely the frequency they want. The mod offers five versions, each of which increases the frequency of events occurring but not the frequency of one event being higher than the other. Across each version, players may now have an event roughly every 1 to 1.5, 2 to 2.5, and 3 days.

3 End's Inventory Management Overhaul

Optimize Inventory For Better Accessibility

Inventory Management Mod

The Problem

The game’s inventory can seem lacking in features that can make unit management easier

The Solution

Add inventory features that show more data on items, favoriting and disallowing certain items for sale, marking potential loot of interest

Link

End’s Inventory Management Overhaul

Despite the depth of gameplay offered by Battle Brothers, some players may still find its QoL features lacking, especially in terms of overall management. The limited inventory space the game offers players in its initial run can make late-game management trickier, especially when players have to make hard choices for gear that everyone can technically use.

This is where End's Inventory Management Overhaul comes in, which is essentially a way for players to better optimize their inventory management. Thanks to this mod, players have access to more data on their items as well as features that allow favoriting items, as well as disabling the ability to accidentally sell them. Loot of interest also becomes marked, making it easier for players to make judgment calls on loot to keep and sell.

4 Fantasy Brothers

Ups The Fantasy Elements

Fantasy Brothers

The Problem

Medieval-era aesthetic of the game can seem too bland for others

The Solution

Add fantasy-themed elements for a change of perspective, which includes not only a town but a plethora of gameplay changes like new enemies and dungeons, items and equipment, events, and even a unique Skill System

Link

Fantasy Brothers

While Battle Brothers can technically be classified as a fantasy management game, its Middle Ages-inspired setting doesn't have the traditional trappings of a stereotypical fantasy game. Thanks to the Fantasy Brothers mod, players may finally have the mercenary troupe that is often a common element in fantasy literature and video game stories.

This mod adds a plethora of changes that transform Battle Brothers into a more fantasy-inclined story. Not only is there an entirely new Fantasy Town, but the mod also packs new enemies, events, quests, and even legendary dungeons for players to explore. The Adventurer Background also paves the way for better creative backgrounds, which works in tandem with the new Skill Book mechanic that enhances customization.

5 Ultra Bros

Provide Better Customization Options For Units

Ultra Bros

The Problem

Players might want more out of the game’s unit customization offerings

The Solution

Players can now further modify Attributes and Perks, Talents, as well as Avatar Traits

Link

Ultra Bros

Battle Brothers joins the likes of Darkest Dungeon as one of the most difficult strategy RPGs on the market today, especially when players need to face challenging encounters with a team of recruits they're not sure are up to par for their needs until they finish hiring them. With Ultra Bros, players receive the opportunity to further modify their brothers, allowing them to be better prepared for the game's tough encounters.

The Ultra Bros mod provides players with better customization options for their recruitment process. On top of a revamped recruitment UI, players are now able to access better perks and talents as well as attribute customization, giving them a better chance of tailor-fitting their mercenaries to their needs.

6 Swifter

Control The Game’s Pacing For An Optimal Experience

Swifter mod for Battle Brothers

The Problem

The game’s speed in specific areas can be too fast or too slow for players

The Solution

Customize the speed of specific game areas, such as world map movement, combat speed, and even event frequency

Link

Swifter

Roaming around on the overworld can lead to a ton of fun events in Battle Brothers. However, after a point, the sheer time it takes to move from one place to another can become quite grating.

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This can be altered with the Swifter mod, which does precisely what is stated in the title. It also fixes the frequency at which events appear in the game, appearing proportional to the game speed instead of getting bugged like it used to be in other speed-up mods.

7 Settlement Situations MSU

Events Now Reveal Implications

Battle Brothers artwork

The Problem

Players don’t know how events would directly affect their gameplay

The Solution

Events now come with tooltips that provide statistical effects of their decisions

Link

Settlement Situations MSU

Certain settlements have situations that govern everything from their overall hostility to the quality of recruits that can be obtained. However, some of the situations that affect settlements don't really show their effect clearly.

With Settlements Situations MSU, the exact metrics in a settlement that are being affected are mentioned quite clearly in the settlement tooltip. It's a simple yet great mod that clears things up quite easily for players.

8 Clever Recruiter

Successor Of The Smart Recruiter

Clever Recruiter mod for Battle Brothers

The Problem

Smart Recruiter can still feel clunky in the context of fully customizing recruitment parameters

The Solution

Mod lets Smart Recruiter become even more configurable such as pre-tryout determination of talents, attributes, and other stats

Link

Clever Recruiter

Players need to put potential recruits through tryouts to check their capabilities and attributes. This can get kind of grating after a point, especially since tryouts aren't exactly cheap.

Clever Recruiter is a mod that changes this dynamic by giving players a clear look at all attributes, leading to a ton of money being saved in the long run. Players can also try out an alternative option where only the most obvious traits are visible while revealing the rest mandates paying for a tryout.

9 Cart Upgrade

Put More Items In The Cart

A group of units in Battle Brothers

The Problem

The original iteration of cart upgrading in the game will give 27 Item Slots

The Solution

Add 54 Item Slots per upgrade instead of 27

Link

Cart Upgrade

Carrying items can prove to be a major pain in Battle Brothers, with cart upgrades being downright necessary to hoard powerful items for a big group of mercenaries. However, after a while, even these upgrades end up feeling quite lacking. This changes with the Cart Upgrade, allowing players to carry more than what the game offers them.

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With this simple mod, each cart upgrade will now give 54 additional slots instead of the usual 27. Players who don't want to think twice before keeping loot will be well-serviced by this great upgrade.

10 Stronghold Roster UI Add-on

Stronghold Roster UI Add-on mod for Battle Brothers

The Problem

The retrieval/storage of brothers from the Stronghold can use some UI work

The Solution

Improved UI with easier retrieval, storage, and dismissal of brothers. They can now be renamed, inspected, and have their equipment altered

Link

UI Addon For Stronghold Mod

The Stronghold mod is one of the best mods for Battle Brothers. The sheer fact that people are building add-on mods on top of this mod shows just how crucial this modification is for fans to enjoy the game even more.

Storing and receiving mercenaries from a stronghold can be quite cumbersome because of the UI, and this changes with the use of the Stronghold Roster UI Add-on. Suffice it to say, this simple mod can take care of a major headache from an otherwise enjoyable mod, now that it gives players even more optimization controls with their custom base.

11 Tweaks And Fixes

Small Optimization Changes To Make Gameplay More Enjoyable

Battle Brothers - Encountering an event

The Problem

Certain aspects of the game need fixing but seem too “small” for updates and patches

The Solution

Mod adds small but helpful tweaks to gameplay such as optimizing starting seeds, adding new champions, removing bad traits on companions, and changes to perks

Link

Tweaks and Fixes

Battle Brothers is a brutal game, and players who fail over and over again might get somewhat irritated at the frequency of their losses. With mods, the game can be changed just enough to alleviate this frustration without losing the main thing that made this game so memorable in the first place.

These Tweaks and Fixes seem pretty small but make a world of difference to the gameplay. The fact that the game is made infinitely less frustrating with this mod makes Battle Brothers a blast to play through.

12 Bro Editor

Alter The Appearance & Characteristics Of Brothers

Bro Editor in Battle Brothers

The Problem

Units have limited customization options to fully optimize them for the player’s needs

The Solution

Edit the appearance and characteristics of units to suit the company’s specific needs

Link

Bro Editor

The various mercenaries that can be hired in the game all feel pretty unique due to the game's great procedural generation. However, there are times when players might want a few more options to customize the characters they have in their group.

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This is where the Bro Editor helps out a lot, allowing players to customize everything from their group's attributes to the traits and injuries they have. It's a simple mod that works in-game and is great for players who want some of their characters to be really unique as well, improving overall immersion.

13 Smart Recruiter

Skip Blind Trials Of Expensive Mercenaries

Battle Brothers - Arsenal of weapons

The Problem

Even expensive mercenaries can end up becoming unoptimized units in combat

The Solution

View statistics and attributes of potential recruits

Link

Smart Recruiter

Recruiting mercenaries is a huge challenge in Battle Brothers, with most recruitable troops being useless once their stats are revealed. Tryouts are too expensive and don't show everything a player might need either!

This is where the Smart Recruiter mod comes into the picture. It's a simple tweak that lets players check out the attributes of all the mercenaries they're trying out for themselves, which is a godsend in so many ways.

14 Faster

Speed Up The Game

Battle Brothers - Lining up to fight

The Problem

Game can get slow for some players

The Solution

Speed up specific aspects of the game, specifically camping, caravan escorts, and combat

Link

Faster

Given the genre of Battle Brothers as a unit-management title with RPG elements, its turn-based combat always runs the risk of being too slow for most people's liking. The Faster mod makes this issue a thing of the past in Battle Brothers with a small yet impactful change.

Everything from movement to attacking has its speed improved with this mod, which is pretty great indeed. Players will have one less thing to be frustrated about in Battle Brothers, which is valuable for obvious reasons.

15 Settlement Situation Tooltips

Shows The Effects Of Situations In Settlements

Settlement Situation Tooltips mod for Battle Brothers

The Problem

Situations in settlements don’t cover the full extent of their effects

The Solution

Players can now see a more technical view of the effects of settlement events

Link

Settlement Situation Tooltips

Throughout their journey, players will stumble upon several settlements with their posse of rowdy mercenaries. Each settlement has situations that they're dealing with, but finding them out is a royal pain in the game's usual UI.

This is where the Settlement Situation Tooltips mod proves to be a massive help. It's a simple extension that allows players to check out the various situations that a settlement is dealing with through helpful tooltips. In turn, players will get a more statistical point of view when it comes to assessing just how settlements are altered by the game's slate of events.

16 Pause Without Conflicts

Adds Auto-Pause To Important Game Moments

Battle Brothers - In the middle of battle

The Problem

Pausing isn’t immediately possible in specific game situations, and doing so with mods usually breaks the game

The Solution

Auto-pause when seeing any enemy party or at dawn after camping

Link

Pause Without Conflicts

Auto-pausing is a function that Battle Brothers would benefit a ton from, given the sheer amount of combat that is present in this game. However, this feature is completely absent from Battle Brothers for some inexplicable reason.

Thankfully, modders are here to save the day, with Pause Without Conflict. This Mod pauses the game upon sighting another enemy group or while camping, which is pretty useful for players to ensure they're not caught off-guard and have ample time to prepare for encounters.

17 Stronghold

Add Base-Building To The Game

Battle Brothers - The map of places to go

The Problem

The game’s traveling mercenary team leaves much to be desired in terms of long-term sustainability

The Solution

Simulate a permanent camp with a base, complete with locations and buildings with features

Link

Stronghold

For the most part, the mercenary group that players control is fairly nomadic and doesn't really have a place where they can settle. This all changes, however, with the advent of the Stronghold mod.

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It allows players to create their very own base on the map, letting them house talented mercenaries and get a good deal on their trades as well, extending the playthrough value of the game. The Stronghold mod is a must-have for players who want to tinker around with more gameplay mechanics in this solid title, especially when it comes to fulfilling Battle Brothers' base-building potential.

18 Tryout Talents

Reveal Skills And Talent Stars Of A New Brother

Tryout Talents mod for Battle Brothers

The Problem

Players go in blind when recruiting a new Brother, knowing their stats only after signing them into the troupe

The Solution

Reveal the Skills and Talent Stars of a recruit

Link

Tryout Talents

Tryouts are pretty expensive but necessary to help gauge a potential recruit's talent in Battle Brothers. However, even after these investments, these tryouts still don't show the traits and talents that these mercenaries might have, which is pretty irritating once players realize they've gotten an underwhelming recruit but only after they actually hired them with hard-earned money.

The Tryout Talents mod takes care of this issue by integrating precisely the ability to see a recruit's stats in advance in Battle Brothers. It's a simple yet useful mod that makes a world of difference for players who rely on these tryouts to form the best mercenary group around.

19 Level All The Skills

Make Skill Leveling More Convenient

Battle Brothers - On the battlefield

The Problem

Game only lets players increase 3 Skills per level

The Solution

Can now increase all Skills on level up

Link

Level All The Skills

There are times when Battle Brothers feels so incredibly challenging that players will opt for anything that lets them even the playing field. Imbalanced and overpowered mods are among the many options that players could choose to go with, and Level All The Skills can show players how hilariously out-of-control things can get.

When used, Level All The Skills will let players increase all their skills per level up instead of only a few at a time. As a result, units become extremely hyper-competent really fast - although this doesn't take away the challenge factor from Battle Brothers. The function of this mod is stated in the title itself and potentially allows players to create monstrous mercenary groups with a bit of time investment.

20 Legends Mod Beta

Touted As The Largest Overhaul Mod

View of the battlefield in Battle Brothers

The Problem

The game’s replay value can suffer due to the frequency of certain events and predictable gameplay

The Solution

Mod overhauls the game’s base system, providing world generation and alternate starting options with new enemies, commanders, effects, weapons, and even skills

Link

Legends Mod Beta

Battle Brothers is a game that most people will play over and over again, mainly because their first few tries ended in total annihilation. With that in mind, the game's charm might get lost with this repetition, which is a real shame.

This is where the Legends Mod plays a huge role, easily being the most popular mod for this game by a country mile. It changes so many things about the game (including alternative starts, different characters, new worlds, and the like) that Battle Brothers feels like a completely new experience!

Battle Brothers
Battle Brothers

Platform(s)
Nintendo Switch , PlayStation 4 , PlayStation 5 , Xbox One , Microsoft Windows
Released
April 27, 2015
Developer
Overhype Studios, Ukiyo Publishing Limited
Genre(s)
Indie Games , Tactical , RPG , Strategy , Adventure