What are mercenaries worth really?

[j_dean80]

Of course, the value of the swordsman (as well as other mercenaries) is heavily increased with the assumption that white shields are his blocking power.
Throughout these quests the heroes encounter numerous evil mercenaries; despite having the same stats nobody has any issue that these mercenaries must roll black shields in defense.
The quest booklet does not specify what type of shields the mercenaries require when hired by a hero.
Zargon/Morcar is the ultimate authority on the matter, however the quest booklets Wizards of Morcar and Frozen Horror each give a different set price in KEEPING the Mercenaries. They are the same price when bought for 1 quest, however Wizards of Morcar says they must be paid 10 gold to keep them. However in the Frozen Horror it says you must pay them the full price for the next quest.

A crossbow is 350 gold if a hero buys it, but he gets to hold onto that between quests. A mercenary is not maintained unless the price is right.
If you go by the Frozen Horror purchase and pay them their full price each quest, well then that little bit adds up. You'll be paying 700 gold for a swordsman each group quest (7, not counting solo quests). But going by WoM price it's 160 gold for 7 quests.

Though either way is acceptable, I'd like to make the suggestion:
Going by Wizards of Morcar prices, the mercenaries need black shields to defend.
Going by Frozen Horror prices, the mercenaries get white shields.
This way you get a relatively fair price for the cost of each mercenary. 10 gold to keep a mercenary that has a more likeliness to die.

The Dark Warriors only need to roll 1 black shield to defend all skulls against them.

[wallydubbs]

Ah, but are they dark warriors? Yes, the same model figurine is used, but should the rules of Dark Company apply to Frozen Horror?

[j_dean80]

Ah, but are they dark warriors? Yes, the same model figurine is used, but should the rules of Dark Company apply to Frozen Horror?

I see all the "bad" ones using that model as being Dark Warriors. Heroes use white shields so their fellow comrades (mercs) should too.

[Anderas]

I did alter the price on a couple of random cards as a way to add a bit of flux into decision making

I think that's a great idea! Also, automatically the price goes up if they hire too many of them.
Cleptocopied!

[Anderas]

After playing a lot with numbers recently, I had to fix new mercenary prices.


I was using the Helbardier as Reference, then adjusting the price of the Swordsman until it was fitting with the helbardier,
then I recalculated the rest so that they fit with both, Helbardier and Swordsman.

I made sure that every gold coin you spend would also buy additional fight strength, no matter the combination.
It doesn't always work that way - say, if you have a strong hero group and you intend to dive into hell, but then you hire a couple of orcs and pirates, it's your own fault.
For a beginner hero on the other hand, both orc and pirate should be worth their money.

Likewise, the Swordsman is a good addition for a strong hero and makes the impression of delivering more than he is worth; for a weak hero he delivers less than he is worth... the combination is important.


Scouts and swordsmen both were too cheap. Even the new, higher scout price is a bargain.


Scout: 60 (can find and disarm traps)
Helbardier: 75
Crossbowman: 75
Swordsman: 120

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Then there are some of my own making: Some steps in the middle, some below and some above the normal merc range. They are nice additions, especially as I have the models painted.

Orc: 40 (special rule: Defends on black shields)
Pirate: 40 (Move 9, AT 2, DE 2, BP 1, MP 2)
Black dragon: 170 (Move 5, AT 4, DE 6, BP 3 , MP 2)
Vanir Warrior: 100 (Move 6, AT3, DE 4, BP 3, MP 3)
Aesir Warrior: 65 (Move 6, AT3, DE 2, BP 2, MP 3, special rule: May block movement of adjacent enemy models)

[Maurice76]

Anderas, is there a particular reason you're writing Halberdiers as "Helbardiers"? Maybe I am missing some tongue-in-cheek reference, though .

[Anderas]

I just have no clue how to write it.

Even more embarassing, I just checked my playcard, it has the same failure.

Thanks for the head up

[wallydubbs]

Anderas, could you explain Aesir Warrior's power on blocks movement? Does that mean whomever he's standing adjacent to cannot move (except for other heroes)?

[Anderas]

It is a shameless copy from the conan Boardgame.

Yes he can block the movement of one adjacent model that has the same base size.

Up until now I never tested that ability in HQ though

[Kurgan]

Mercs will be worth a lot in my games, because I will be using the various battle tactics wherein you get to roll stronger colored dice when flanking enemies, or defending in a group or coordinating your ranged attacks from adjacent squares... the more good guys bunched together, the stronger your dice! We're not going full fledged war here, but a little more advanced for those bigger battles.