To summarize, I’d like to propose changing the composition — and even the names — of the Byzantine mercenary contracts. Below, I’ll explain the changes I’m suggesting, followed by the reasoning behind them, their possible composition, and which existing contracts could be removed or modified.
Current System
First of all, I understand that the current mercenary mechanic in the game is a simple and effective solution to represent how foreign units are hired — using “special units from other civilizations.” Back in 2023, that was a clever and well-implemented idea. However, as of 2025, the system hasn’t seen major updates, and I believe it could be modernized into a version that feels more historically accurate.
Historical Background
Throughout Byzantine history, the empire employed many groups of mercenaries — that much is well known. However, there were never mercenary contracts involving forces from China, Delhi, or Mali, for example. With all the new units added to the game in recent updates, I think there’s a great opportunity to redesign the Byzantine contracts in a way that better reflects history — without necessarily creating entirely new units, since that would require considerable extra work.
Historically, the mercenaries hired by Rome (and later Byzantium) came from the nomadic tribes of Eastern Europe and Eurasia, later expanding into Central and even Western Europe — but rarely, if ever, from the Far East or Sub-Saharan Africa. Some of the most famous groups that served as mercenaries for Rome and Byzantium included: Eastern Europe and Eurasia (nomadic tribes) Later, Central and Western Europe Rarely from the Far East or Sub-Saharan Africa Famous groups that served as mercenaries for Rome and Byzantium included:
Huns and Goths (early Imperial period),
Rus and Magyars,
Varangians,
Pechenegs and Turks,
Franks and Normans,
Catalans, Latins, and Itali,
Several of these mercenary groups even formed their own organized companies, such as:
The Varangian Guard,
The Norman Company of George Maniakes,
The Catalan Grand Company,
The Latin Company
Proposed Rework
My final proposal is to rename and reorganize the Byzantine mercenary contracts to make them more historically accurate. There are already plenty of existing units that could fit naturally into these contracts, or could be slightly adjusted to represent specific types — for example, Frankish Axe Throwers or Catalan Javelin Riders. This wouldn’t necessarily require extensive development work. There’s no real need for a Silk Road Mercenary Contract, and both the* Western Mercenary Contract* and Western Mercenary Contract could be modified or replaced. Possible options might include:
Italian Mercenary Contract — Heavy Crossbowmen/Arbalétriers, gunpowder units, Heavy Pikemen, Condottieri,
- Eastern European Mercenary Contract — Semi-heavy cavalry, Horse Archers, possibly mounted monks
Franco-Norman Mercenary Contract — Heavy Pikemen, Axe Throwers, Heavy or Semi-heavy Cavalry,
Turkic Mercenary Contract — Horse Archers, Heavy Infantry, Light Cavalry,
Catalan/Spanish Mercenary Contract — Javelin Cavalry, Heavy Cavalry, Fast Infantry,
Latin Mercenary Contract — A combination of Italian and Spanish mercenaries
What do you think?