Battle Brothers gets its first proper patch in a year — three new weapons and tougher bandits

Overhype Studios quietly dropped the first proper Battle Brothers patch in nearly a year. It adds three new weapons, a new bandit tier, and extra noble troops — no fanfare, just a changelog and a pile of rusty steel.

The three new weapons are the Pollaxe, the Executioner's Sword, and the Estoc. The Pollaxe can stagger enemies with its blunt end or split shields in a single blow. The Executioner's Sword is heavy and carries a fatigue penalty but is described as versatile and powerful in the right hands — the devs acknowledge it's not exactly a battlefield staple, but nobody's stopping you. The Estoc is the armour-piercer of the trio: low raw damage, but it largely ignores plate mail, which is its entire personality.

On the enemy side, Overhype addressed a long-standing balance issue where Bandits — the faction players fight most in the early game — became irrelevant by mid-game. The fix is a new enemy type called Brigand Marauders: veteran bandits with better stats, more perks, and worn-but-functional armour. They start appearing as party leaders and eventually roam in full groups, keeping the faction threatening past the opening hours. Northern noble houses also got a unit addition — Men at Arms, who arrive with heavier armour than standard footmen and come in both two-handed and shield loadouts, bringing them closer to their southern counterparts.

Battle Brothers has always had a devoted following, and a patch after a year of silence will land well with that crowd. No roadmap or next update window was mentioned in the changelog.