My merchant caravan starting roster

In our next campaign I'm going to play the merchant caravan. By now, I'm still ''afraid'' of the result and I think I'll have to play very ''safe'' during the 4 first encounters.

I think that the potential of the warband is his ability to generate a lot of income and then hire a lot of hired swords. I expect my firsts games to be VERY dangerous... but after the pendulum will come back to me.

Here is the starting roster I chose:

Merchant: Sword, pistol
Apprentice: Sword
Knight Vanguard: Sword (x2) - we play you can reroll your parry
Magician: Staff (got the sword of rhezebel as spell)
Priest of Ranald(Handrich): Sword, throwing knives (Got the rumour of dearth spell)

Hired sword- Merchant

Wagon


My objective is to play with the priest and the merchant riding the wagon and shoot what comes close. The other are going to defend the wagon closely and use it as cover. I'll try to send the apprentice and the vanguard fight the strongest ennemies (so they have more chance to fall than other chracters) and then rout as soon as possible. Protecting the merchant and the priest is really important.

If I'm lucky a bit, The Rumour of dearth will permit me to buy a lot of items at half price and then I'll be ale to resell them the next game with a profit (thx to the merchant hired sword pawn broker ability).

As soon as possible I'll get the dubious income skill for the merchant that will give me around 20 GC ++ 75% of the time each game. I'll lose money a few times but I'll buy rabbit foot and a holy relic as soon as possible.

I'll then invest in other hired sword like a duellist and an ogre bodygurad soon.

Do you think this strategy can work ?

You will rule the money making phases for sure. I prefer to have a few henchmen in all of my games. I can't recommend sell swords with pikes enough for 35gc a guy you get to strike first against most things and if you keep them around the wagon opposing warbands have to commit a bit more. Granted Knight Vanguards can do this is well, It may just be I'm a numbers guy.

I agree that I need more warriors soon !

But the 180GC for the wagon hampers a lot a starting warband.

For sure, before hiring more hired swords I'll get a few marksmen and pray to get ''lad's got talent'' fast to fill the vacant hero slot.

By the way, Except for holy tomes, I wonder if there are any other way to improve priests prayer-casting chances... ?

I think the back of the BtB book list like one or two skills that allow you to reroll casts and something else. Also you have a extra 100gc to work with my friend! The Mechant Caravan gets 600 starting gold crowns in the same fasion as Marinburgers do.

your plan has one major flaw as I see it. you plan to send 2 heroes out to go OOA so you can draw a rout test.
This I think is a vary bad plan for you as it will result in -2 dice in exploration after the game (3 left)... this also doesn't take into account that your enemy could maybe take OOA one of your other heroes leaving you even less in the way of exploration dice.
with 3 dice your looking at only getting 2 Tresures on average (3.5 average roll each hero).
This translates into 55 GC.

If you can trim out 50 gold in equipment to buy two Sell Swords you will still be able to rout at 2 losses (them) and go up to 5 dice to get 3 Tresures (not a big boost but could get a 4th) to get 65 GC.
Granted it's +10 GC per game this rout but you protect your heroes better and you also can get one of those sell swords closer to a LGT roll sooner.

If your wanting to keep your numbers low you could try another build.
Drop the Knight and Aprentace and all there equipment allong with the Merchent for just the first game.
You now have 3 heroes and get the Sell Sword and throw him away first battle for the rout.
You will now rout at 1 loss and still get 3 dice for 2 Tresures along with this you sell them for 55 gold still so you make the same gold in all... though if the sell sword dies you get 60 gold but lets hope that doesn't happen.
the big advantage though is that you enter the battle with a warband rating of 60. Odds are good you will also face the Under Dog bonus.
If you opt for having the Aprentice vs the Mage in the warband your rating will be 52.
The reason I suggest this is because your plan is to rout ASAP anyway so you can get to the post game and make money. Doing this won't change your intent but will do one thing for you and get your guys advancing sooner (Aprentice advances after first game). This way you get to your good skills that much sooner.
Also if you saved enough gold from your build you can then hire your two missing heroes easy enough and your Merchen (HS) after this first game.

@Saltywndigo : Are you sure about the 600 GC... I've gone through the book and hvent seen this anywhere

@ Pervavita : Your plan sounds good... but I'd like to keep the apprentice instead of a sellsword (he's cheap and heroes have less chances to die than hired swords/henchmen)... but If Salty wendigo is right and the warband starts with 600 Gc, all my troubles are solved... I'll hire 2 sell swords at start and TADA !, 8 warriors so I can still rout after 2 are OOA. This will give me some money to equip with a few ranged weapons too...

Thx for the advices fellows !

Finally found it and YESSSS ! The warband starts with 600 GC.

With the extra 100 gold I'll get a sellsword with sword/shield and a marksmen with crossbow/axe

Now I have my chances against other warbands !!!

Thx alot guys !

Glad to see that works it out. yep 600 gold is a big help to these guys.