Favourite Mercenary Regions

[PrestigeX]

Hi everyone,

very simple thread. What are your favourite Mercenary regions, and why ? Such as the time period, or the units you get there, or the variety, or the cost etc... Any reason you want.

I always like the Middle - East and Anatolia because of all the Horse options, and then curious additions like Camels, or Amernian Archers who are a steal considering they're like 200 florins or less with good stats

[Double A]

I don't like using mercenaries. They take extra loot when I sack a city.

Unless I find mercenary elephants. I like those

[Silverheart]

Jedda!
For the elephants...

And I also like northern Italy and the middle east when you pass through with crusading armies - the crusade mercenaries are tough for being christians... Unhorsed Knights rule!

Oh, and the Balkan region, too, with all the late-period heavy cavalry mercenaries and the Bulgarian Brigands.

[Miroslav Klose]

Anatolia, especially when I play with the Byzzies or the Crusaders, cause of the HA's, archers and the big choice of good mercs.

[FootSoldier]

I like the Balkans for Bulgarian Brigands (if playing a faction without long range archers - like Poland), and for Serbian Knights who appear later in the game. Serbian Knights are rock hard.

Then I like the Black Sea area for Alan Light Cavalry (because they can catch and beat the local fast horse archers), and for the Turkomans/Turcopoles on the south side (if I don't have any HA's). Both are available all game.

I like the Free Company polearm units in Northern Italy - again, if playing a faction that doesn't have troops like these. Poland and Hungary spring to mind - Italian factions too. They're late game.

I didn't use mercenaries for a long time, but now I'll take whatever adds to the faction I'm playing.

[John Haukewood]

Bruges and Antwerp; spear and crossbow mercs are classic, plus Flemish Pikemen later.

[Double A]

Spear & crossbow mercs are in every region though.

[painter]

Any region that has Alan Light Cavalry, Unhorsed Knights and Elephants. I usually work my way up from Jerusalem.

[MJDreamWalker13]

Northern Black Sea region for Bulgarian Brigands and Cuman Horse Archers.
I really like them Cuman Horse Archers. There's something about them... mhhmm.

[Jambat]

I can't answer for vanilla because I don't remember what it's like to play without GUAM or SS, but I find the Turkish portions of the map to usually contain the best options for supplementing my troops. Finding Greek Fire and fast and mobile missle cav is usually a godsend, plus they have a rather sturdy selection of cheap to elite ranged units to pick from.

But of course, if you can get an elephant that trumps all. Big gray engines of destruction and lamentation!

[Dekazon]

The Anatolian Region is pretty good. Cheap light calvary and horse archers.

[Danoico]

I coincide. Anatolia for the versatile cavalry.

Special mention to the mercenary spearmen. They always are there, where you need them.

Greetings from Mexico.

[shikaka]

Anatolia for turkic horse archers, and The Steppe for cuman horse archers.

But it depends on who I am playing. With the Rus, the mercenary spearmen are very valuable. And I love the 'holy cross' when I am playing factions without italian flag wagon

[King Of Scotland]

Around Inverness and Edinburgh, you can hire Highlanders and other Scots there.

[FootSoldier]

The merc xbows are good for all the catholic factions who don't have long range missiles, i.e. everyone except the English, the Italians, and late game French. I use them all the time now.

[Double A]

The merc xbows are good for all the catholic factions who don't have long range missiles, i.e. everyone except the English, the Italians, and late game French. I use them all the time now.

All the Catholics that don't have long range missiles have some form of ranged cavalry, which is even better in the right hands.

They don't call javelin cavalry "general assassins" for nothing.

[FootSoldier]

Hmm ... how about the Danes. They do get Mounted Xbows, but you need Citadel level and the top archery range to get them.

[Norwegian_viking]

I love merceneris in the early game, and when my army is getting short and no retraining is close.

Dublin and Scotland, because of the Golliace is my very favorite

[Il Medico]

I love using Bulgarian Brigands when I play Venice, cause I usally only field crossbowmen of my own until I get Venetians archers, so having them is a god send while I'm fighting the Byzzies.
The Late period has all the best stuff though. Europe in the late

[Silverheart]

The Free Company troops are not so impressive IMO. They look tough and cool, but I find them less useful than, for example, the all-game Mercenary Spearmen or Xbows.
But the Galloglaich from Scotland are great, butchers anything less than professional troops, and some of the heavies too!