SP - General Elite Mercenary Companies

[Reiksmarshal]

I'm proposing two changes about Mercenary Companies:

1. Mercenary Companies should be elite battle hardened troops (Best unique troops in the game)

Currently they suck compared to regular troops and are pretty much just a useless punching bag. For example the Skolderbrotva should be one of the best maybe even the best melee troops in the game as they are based off the Jomsvikings/Varangian Guards. Their top tier troop could be tier 7 and these guys should be scary as hell on the battle field.

2. You are able to hire them in taverns like other mercenary troops

They should appear in taverns in small groups to hire so that the player can gain access to these troops types. THIS would add so much flavor to players armies or they could make small elite mercenary companies as their own.

This is not a big ask and would go a long way in making some really cool game role playing immersion. Imagine forming your own band of Skolderbrotva mercenaries to aid the Strugian kingdom from collapsing and being the anchor on the battle field and doesn't crumble to the pressure on the shield wall. The mercenary companies would be the elites and the generic mercenaries will be your average units.

 

[Terco_Viejo]

I'm not really sold on Tier 7... I'd leave them at T6 by increasing the skills that make the group/unit concerned strong. That said, I like what you're saying in broad strokes.

It's true that in my opinion the main faction troop trees suffer from redundancy (+ info here), however, to complement your thread I would like to bring a comment by @Ulfhedinn , which I think would be a very interesting solution related to minor factions, both mercenaries and bandits. Of course I am of the opinion that in matters of skills/effectiveness minor mercenary faction > minor bandit faction.

Ulfhedinn said:

All minor factions should have a maximum of 7 units (half a major faction).

Mercenary minor factions should:
- Sell units from their roster permanently. (More expensive)
- Sell units from their roster in a temporary contract. (Less expensive)
- Being hired just to attack a specific target in a temporary contract. (Less expensive than entering in a total war)
- Reset the relationship with the factions after the end of the war or the end of temporary contract.
- Have a main territory; village or castle. (Where your troops can train, for a price) (*)
- To be able to choose one, and only one, to join and create your own kingdom with their units.

Bandit minor factions should:
- Be able to negotiate a truce when the leader is captured.
- Be more aggressive and capable of attacking villages, castles and cities.
- Have a main territory; hideout. (Which is rebuilt if you attack and have not eliminated the lords).
- To be able to choose one, and only one, to join and create your own kingdom with their units. (Like a rebel army)**

**And that's how I improved the Wolfskins, because I see them more as a rebellious faction of Battania, who preserve the old ways and characterize themselves as "ancient celts". A much better background:

Spoiler

(*) - Have a main territory; village or castle. refuge (Where your troops can train, for a price)

In my eyes it would be better to have a VC-like refuge creation mechanic, so that this type of settlement would be portable (a 2.0 version for Bannerlord of what we have in VC) and without the factors that condition stationary settlements (castles/cities/towns).

 

[Ulfhedinn_]

Thanks for the mention, Terco. I'll take this space to talk more about this idea:

1. In terms of units, we are able to make mods that can contribute a lot in that aspect, just like I did. I already have a roster of units for each minor faction considering all these inherent characteristics. However, none of this will make much impact until the mechanics of the minor factions are improved. That's what we really need from TW! With an intelligent and functional minor faction in the game, there will be many options of mods for you to choose which one you like the most.

Here I have an example of unit tree for Skolderbrotva (The only minor faction with a Tier 6 unit):

SKOLDERBROTVA (Mercenary)

T2                Skolderbrotva Víkingr                    

T3   Skolderbrotva Hirðmaðr   Skolderbrotva Veiðimaðr                        

T4   Skolderbrotva Hersir     Skolderbrotva Bogmaðr                  

T5   Skolderbrotva Berserkr  

T6   Skolderbrotva Ulfheðinn

2. About hiring and other interactions, some options have already been mentioned above, with the excellent change/suggestion of Terco. It's not too much to ask, and that's basically what we need from the minor factions. A simple upgrade of these factions and Bannerlord has a lot to gain in gameplay/immersion.

 

[Terco_Viejo]

No doubt the minor factions, both mercenaries and bandits need love™. Not forgetting that all this also depends on the well-known damage-protection formula, currently very poorly implemented (imho) in Native by default.

 

[Reiksmarshal]

Exactly the minor factions need some attention and are in a bad place at the moment. My army just feels so bland in Bannerlord and these changes would go a long way in adding some spice to the rosters if these troops can be recruited and are elite troop status. Even if their best troop is tier 6 their stats could be unique and be better than other tier 6 troops as these troops are highly specialized and unique warriors.

 

[Ulfhedinn_]

Exactly the minor factions need some attention and are in a bad place at the moment. My army just feels so bland in Bannerlord and these changes would go a long way in adding some spice to the rosters if these troops can be recruited and are elite troop status.

Bloc once told me: "I do get why people would like to play with minor factions. They have really fine troop trees and it brings a nice touch to current troop rosters within the game."

And we're looking forward to TW still do something with the minor factions. However, looking at how they are developing the game, if they are to improve the minor factions, that will probably be one of the last things...

Even if their best troop is tier 6 their stats could be unique and be better than other tier 6 troops as these troops are highly specialized and unique warriors.

Yeah, we can do it.

 

[vota dc]

Some mercenary companies would be strange with stronger troop. Make sense for Skolderbrotva but why Lake Rats should have better troops? They could provide unique skills to minor factions that are less combat oriented for example empire has the forgotten legion that Is combat oriented but also ember that Is a religion order and the Imperial mafia.

 

[Ulfhedinn_]

Not everyone should receive the same "buff". But a unit up to Tier 5 is fine even in a criminal minor faction...
Just don't equip them with the best items and you can always modify the attributes. I made Lake Rats like this:

 

[Lord Ferdinand]

I agree

 

[Reiksmarshal]

Some mercenary companies would be strange with stronger troop. Make sense for Skolderbrotva but why Lake Rats should have better troops? They could provide unique skills to minor factions that are less combat oriented for example empire has the forgotten legion that Is combat oriented but also ember that Is a religion order and the Imperial mafia.

I agree that maybe not all should be better, but they could have unique skills that they are better at. Lake Rats could maybe have a better throwing skill and be an elite heavy skirmisher unit.

 

[vota dc]

I agree that maybe not all should be better, but they could have unique skills that they are better at. Lake Rats could maybe have a better throwing skill and be an elite heavy skirmisher unit.

I was thinking something like Lake Rats setting ambushes along rivers and swamps and Embers concerting enemies.

 

[LuciusDomitiusAurelianus]

Great thread with some awesome additions. The Minor Factions definitely need a ton of love for their troops and since I am here, may as well derail and taking up digital oxygen, sorry Minors also need...

- To be able to Marry and repopulate (I say that now, until the next time a Lake Rat Wrecker yeets me off of my horse and I try to exterminate them)
- Not be in hard-coded wars, that's just objectively bad design for a shallow lore reason.
- To auto-generate over-time, much like Rebel factions and actually...
- Failed Rebel Factions should become hirable Minors
- +1 to home-base
- Able to recruit them, related to the above point

 

[Lusitani 5th Empire]

My idea for mercenaries is that there should exist a highly specialized type of unit for each culture that has some unique and op capabilities but are expensive and low in numbers.
For example (similar to):
Nafta/greek fire throwers
Amazon women
Samurai
Berserkers
Hashishin
Immortals
Varangian guard
Hoplites
Knights Hospitaller/ Templar Knights
Jaguar Warriors
Potsdam Giants
Balearic Slingers
Mongol Horse Archers
Genoese crossbowmen
Swiss guard
Egyptian Chariots
English/Welsh longbowmen
Carthaginian/Persian/Indian... War elephants
Roman warhounds/ war dogs
Peltasts
Chinese repeating crossbow unit
Sappers and miners