Your Favorite Mercs

Due to the upkeep cost, you can generally only take two and maybe three hired swords. What's your favorite combination?

So far just one - the imperial assasin from the town cryer annual. Excellent value for money.

I like the merchant and the bounty hunter. The reason I like both of these is that if you are lucky they both pay for themselves and sometimes make a profit.

The Tilean Marksman and the Witch for pirates. The witch for orcs.

A couple of questions about those guys:

1. Does the Merchant's bodyguard add +5 to your warband rating?

2. The last line of the bounty hunter's special rule just says his mark "counts as captured." Does that mean he gets the "Captured" result from the injuries chart IN ADDITION to the loot from his special rule?

3. I seem to remember some rules about nerfing the witch. Any info there?

1/ Technically yes, but since he isn't really a proper warrior in my group we ruled 'no'. He can't pick up treasure or claim any other objectives, you can't move him where you want, he doesn't gain xp or anything.

2/ That is indeed the case. It is a great way of getting more rare trade than you would normally get. Swapping a hero for a couple of lucky charms or some rabbit's feet, or something else like that is a great way to kit out your warband. They get their hero back for not much gold and you get equipment that you couldn't normally buy (assuming you are maxing out your rare trade, which often happens).

3/ I too vaguely remember something about nerfing of the witch, but I never used her so I don't remember at all, sorry.

Unfortunately I only play evil warbands, and hired swords is something that happens to other people, more or less.

The wages of sin are eternal lack of Hired Sword options.

When Da Bank played with us he often took a witch (especially with his orcs). He often brought us rules and scenarios to try out but I don't remember anything nerfing the witch.

Since we play that she had to see the target of any spell she's a bit nerfed anyway.

Playing pirates a lot makes the Bounty Hunter kind of suspect to us. That auto capture is REALLY good for pirates. I thought there was a rule that he wouldn't work with pirates but not when I looked for one.

As a dyed-in-the-wool Orc player I really like having an Ogre Bodyguard in my crew. I have often added a Warlock as well (normally near the end of a campaign) but the Ogre makes a great partner for a Troll - a very scary combo for most opponents!

I very often play the ogre. He is expensive but absolut dangerous.

The halhling is a classic choice for dwarfs and witch hunters.

The Tilean marksman gives you also a real boost in the range combat department.

For evil warbands i also recommend the dark elf assassin especially if you do not have much firepower.

I also play the merchant with my Marienburger. He is ok don't cost too much due to his abilities.

The elf scout is also useful. i hired him with my Kislevites.

Currently i am painting my Roadwarden minis.

I really like those two minis and his mobility (on paper) But i have not played him yet.

The warlock is also a nice choice if he gets the right spells (silver arrows ..)

You see i play a lot of warbands with a lot of hired swords.

But we have not played a campaign in the long run. I believe all my warbands have less than 10 games in their record.

I believe that the blood pact rule set of the article for the new Marienburg setting could make the hired swords more valuable. Without the blood pact rules they are cool but too expensive in the long run.