Potential new Civs, new Minor Civs and new shipments get discussed a lot however I’d love to see more interest in Mercenaries - not even Civ-specific ones, rather ones that are available to many civs as the traditional shipment or the random Saloon ones.
My suggestions revolve around a new type of Mercenary unit - Mercenary Contractors. They are essentially a Merc version of a Daimyo - high HP, able to train a few select units and able to buff Contractor-trained units’ attack. The Mercs trained via Contracts are slightly different to normal mercs in that when fighting outside their Merc Contractor’s aura radius they are generally weaker than the standard merc, however inside they are slightly more powerful than the norm, making the Contractors an important target!
European Mercenary Captain
The ‘generic’ Euro Merc captain.
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European Arquebusiers - Armoured, archaic ranged light infantry.
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European Demi-Lancers - Light, armoured lancer cavalrymen
Condotteri
Italian Mercenary Captain focused on 16th Century Italian Wars-era units. Trains and buffs:
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Italian Swordsmen - Armoured Hand Shock Infantry armed with sword and buckler - functioning as hand shock infantry
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Italian Mounted Crossbowmen - Archaic (used in the 16th century) Ranged Cavalry.
Scottish Mercenary Captains
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Redshanks - Merc version of Azaps. Able to switch between two-handed Claymore and shortbow. Redshanks were Scottish mercenaries of the 16th century, notably in Ireland.
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Highland Targeteer - Armed with a Targe (small round shield) and a 17th century Claymore (a broadsword this time). Has a Flintlock Pistol ‘Charged Shot’ abilitiy. Tagged as Light Infantry, the Targeteers are actually a Counter-Skirmisher unit, providing they can run to their victim in time.
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Multi-barreled Frame Gun - Towed by a mule, the Frame Gun was a light piece of artillery favoured by the Scots. In game it functions as a Merc version of the Organ Gun, though it’s able to switch between powerful short-range (cannister shot) and weaker (normal shot) long range.
A few examples there - I’m sure there’s plenty of Asian/African/NA versions as well.
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I have thought of a new mercenary unit myself, but when I came up with the idea I was very spontaneous about it and didn’t really base it on something historical. Anyway this mercenary unit would be a cowboy called either the [Troublemaker] or [Dynamite Goon] which will throw dynamite. It will function as the outlaw version of the Maltese [Fire Thrower].
This unit could also be available to the Aztecs after researching the [Gun Running] technology, just for the sake of giving them some kind of ranged unit with an “Area of Effect” attack. The other Native American civilisations could each get their different mercenary unit as well after researching the [Gun Running] technology.
Maybe the Lakota can train [Captured Horse Artillery] from the [Native Embassy], while the Haudenosaunee could get a Native American warrior called the [Blunderbuss Rider] which will function in a similar manner to the [Mounted Infantry] though I am not completely sure if the latter would fit for the Haudenosaunee. When it comes to the Incas then I am not sure what they could get.
As I said before the [Troublemaker] or [Dynamite Goon] concept together with the [Blunderbuss Rider] are just spontaneous ideas, but I just wanted to share these ideas with other users.
Some of this exists already. Filibusters and Miners already attack with dynamite. However, Miners are only in the campaign and unknown maps so I’d be in favour of a standard outlaw such as a renegade prospector.
I just came over from my post and OH MAN I want all of this IMMEDIATELY!!!
Everything you said sounds like absolute perfection. I play very merc heavy and so this is amazing! And absolutely going off my name you can tell I’m in love with the Scottish Units!
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Hell, if we’re reviving this, lemme throw in my Native ideas, since there are none currently;
- Cloud Sister
- Arapaho ranged cavalry, the mercenary version of the Carbine Cavalry. Would have a hero version, Chief Pretty Nose, available to Native American civs to ship in.
- Red Stick
- Fast Muskogee skirmisher, but armed with a warclub, giving them a melee AoE attack. Highly effective against heavy infantry.
- Osage Giant
- Tall Osage archer with a robust health pool and a high attack speed. Unsure how to make them more interesting.
- Koitsenko
- Elite Kiowa cavalry, good at both a range and in melee. Native version of the Yojimbo.
ADD: While the Yojimbo is more generalist in melee, I’d imagine the Koitsenko would be more of a lancer in melee, acting like a mercenary Tokala Soldier in melee stance, while being a generally useful cavalry archer at range.
- Gelwa
- A fast Haida raiding ship, available at the dock. Can quickly train…
- Stone-Crushers
- Mercenary version of the Flail Elephant, but slightly weaker and less pop cost.
(Haida have an interesting weapon that’s basically just a wrecking ball, but for a human - they’d drill into a rock and tie rope around it and just lob this thing around to destroy buildings and canoes.)
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Adding because I somehow forgot entirely, and have a few things I want to address about the previous list;
- Crazy Dog
- Crow warrior woman armed with a lance. Would be the mercenary version of the Cheyenne Dog Soldier, as a melee heavy cavalry unit good against cavalry units, with the addition of range of 3 on her melee attacks.
- Koitsenko (Adjusted)
- Elite Kiowa cavalry with a repeating rifle, the mercenary version of the Rifle Rider and a bonus into heavy infantry in melee.
I realized that being anti-cav at a range and anti-inf in melee would make them busted beyond control.
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I’d love to see all of these Native American mercenaries. It seems such a (sadly) untapped area!
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Yes, it is true, there are no mercenaries of American origin, and in South America there are no suitable outlaws for the area. There are outlaws from the old west from North America to Patagonia. It’s ridiculous.
I would also like to see mercenary elephants. I have no idea what they might be, but I suppose there are.
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Haha xD i’d love to see elephants, imagine the insane pop cost of that merc
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Maybe 8 or 10 pop, but very powerful (I guess).
I will add a two:
Kongolese Imbangala (Imbangala - Wikipedia):
The unit is available to the Dutch, Portuguese, and Hausa. The Imbangala is a high HP, high siege, 14-range archer (similar to the original Seminole Sharktooth Bowman). They could be used for sieging down buildings, and warding off HI and LC. Note that the Imbangala were known for their practice of cannibalism and involvement in the “people-trade” (apparently a component the Atlantic Triangular Trade is filter-sensitive) which could be used to give them some special ability (HP regen on kill?) if devs and players can overcome the unsavoury bit.
Philippine Luzone (Luzones - Wikipedia):
The unit is available to the Dutch, Portuguese, and any potential SEA (Southeast Asia) civs in the future (Siam, Burma, or Vietnam). Luzone is a melee infantry with good speed, very high melee attack and high ranged resistance (think Urumi without the splash damage). They should have an ability to gain some gold (50% of XP gain) for every unit they kill, so a good player can eventually make the unit pay for themselves. The Luzones were both commercially and militarily active in the SEA, which is used to justify the gold-gain ability.
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I would like to see the barbary corsair to change into a mercenary version of the pirate, shock infantry, instead of the rodelero. It would be more fitting.
The khevsurs could replace it as a rodelero like merc.
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