Given that in age of empires 3 we could recruit different mercenaries at the tavern depending on the map, and Asian civs could recruit European troops from the consulate depending on the chosen alliance. I am hoping for a similar mechanic for Aoe 4. Out of the 2 I think a combination taking the best of both worlds is a good idea.
Choose a mercenary band from one of 3 options randomly chosen for the map. Each band offers 3 unique units recruitable at the trade post and one unique military tech. All units are recruited exclusively with gold though they are expensive.
You are limited to one mercenary camp in (where you recruit mercs) in age 2, 2 in age 3 and 4 in age 4. This should limit the number of mercs to a reasonable level so as to not replace conventional armies entirely.
White Company. Famous for their dismounted knights and longbows. Unique units Double Lancer Man-at-arms (a slow 2 pop unit composed of two men holding a lance with 2 reach good vs armour and cavalry), Squire (a medium cost mounted unit like a knight only very slightly less health armour and a speed somewhere between knights and horsemen), Company Longbowmen (the same as English longbowmen but with plus 1 range). Their unique tech: Italian Yew (increases the range of all archers (and longbowmen b) by +1.
Catalan Company. Primarily light infantry specialists known for mobility and aggressive close combat. Ascona Hunter (very fast almost knight speed spearmen that have a charged throwing spear attack like the donso but no melee armour or increased health), Azagaya skirmisher (an anti-cav javelin throwing infantry with decent armour penetration and decent melee damage but short range), Coltell Cleavers (cheap, fast raiding infantry that is more effective against villagers). Unique tech: Almogavar Dicipline (increases the speed of spearmen and javelins by +10%)
Company of St. George. Equipped with standard Italian weaponry of the late 1400’s. Barbiano Lancer (a knight that ignores half the braced spear effect when it charges with its lance), Condota Arbalelster (like crossbowmen but with a deploy pavise ability that renders them immobile but increases range by one and ranged armour by +4), Schiopettiere (an early hand cannoneer that has slightly less damage but is cheaper)
Swiss Company. Known for deadly long reaching pike wall and rapid advances to rush artillery. Swiss Pikemen (has 3 tiles reach bonus vs cavalry and absorbs some damage from nearby troops increasing survivability in numbers), Swiss Halberdier (has 2 tiles reach,high armour like a man at arms and a slight bonus vs cavalry), Lucerne Hammerer (deadly high damage but slow attack infantry that slows targets recently hit). Unique tech: Swiss charge (all infantry map-wide get +20% speed for 6 seconds every 45 seconds)
Landsknecht Company. Known for use of the use of the pike square and and deadly zweihanders to disrupt opposing pikes. German Pikemen (has 2 tiles reach bonus vs cavalry and absorbs damage from nearby troops increasing survivability in numbers), Company Landsknecht (same as regular Landsknecht but also decreases the damage of enemy infantry it hits by -1 damage), Dopplesoldner (a 2 pop Landsknecht like the gilded landsknecht though it disrupts enemy troops enemies it hits’ damage by -2 damage and stacks with Götz Schweiker effect). Unique tech: Gevierte Ordnung (unlocks a formation that increases the melee and range armour of pikemen and spearmen by +2 but slows them by 25%)
Yamada Nagamasa’s Japanese Mercenary Band. Ronin that served as shock troops to the Siamese king in the kingdom of Ayutthaya. Ronin Katana Samurai (like regular katana samurai but does area damage every 3rd attack), Ronin Naginata Samurai (a heavily armoured antilarge samurai), Matchlock Samarai (like hancannoneer but with heavy armour like a samurai) Unique tech: Shuinsen Logistics (men-at arms and similar units cost 10% less)
Mamluk Regiments. A caste of heavily armoured ‘slave soldier’ elites. Khassaki (a very high health, heavily armoured but low damage heavy cavalry like a knight but chonkier), Tabardariyya (heavy infantry equipped with an axe that do bonus damage vs armoured and inflict bleed), Furusiyyah (like the Rus horse archer but with a Parthian shot ability that enables them to fire whilst moving). Unique tech: Al-Nasir Breeding Lines (all cavalry is 5% faster and has +10% health).
If you have any other ideas for mercenary companies (especially non European ones), please post your ideas below and I will add them to my list.
Glad we are still getting some support.