Are Mercs worth the cash?

[SeveredSoul]

Just want IYHO. Are mercs worth the paper, bills, greenbacks, dough, moola, ching..........

(SOMEBODY STOP ME&#33http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/dizzy.gif

[Spetulhu]

Siege engines are easily worth it if you buy them just for taking over a castle or two and then dismiss them. Other merc troop types are only useful as cannon fodder, since you can`t refill or merge merc units.

[PanthaPower]

I use them all the time. Especially in Early. It is always handy to have inns so that when you are in a surprise attack and your catlle is being sieged, you can get reinforcements quickly.

[Ueriah]

Also good for a filler troop... when you know that, say, the center of your line will get heavy casualties, send in the mercs and keep your own men alive... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[SmokWawelski]

Yes, they are good if you need to have troops fast, or just cannot build a specific unit yet.

[MasterM!nd]

As said before they are handy if you want the merc siege engines, or need some cannon fodder (wonder what the term was before the invention of cannons?) or just want to get some special units you cant build yet...

But if you plan on keeping em for long it might be a good idea to marry a princess to the merc leader, else you might risk him getting bought by the other side... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Exile]

I use them for the above reasons and when I play the Byz faction I tend to use them more. Byz support costs are steep anyway and they seem to get a discount on mercs. I use them for cannon fodder too, they're first to meet the enemy etc. I sometimes sacrifice a unit or two of mercs to pull the enemy out of a strong defensive position.

I put them under one of my loyal generals to avoid their being bribed. That happened to me once in a most unfortunate situation http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[PanthaPower]

Quote[/b] (Exile @ Jan. 02 2003,14:50)]I use them for the above reasons and when I play the Byz faction I tend to use them more. Byz support costs are steep anyway and they seem to get a discount on mercs. I use them for cannon fodder too, they're first to meet the enemy etc. I sometimes sacrifice a unit or two of mercs to pull the enemy out of a strong defensive position.

I put them under one of my loyal generals to avoid their being bribed. That happened to me once in a most unfortunate situation http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
Yeah, that's what I do too. They usually miss a good command rated general anyway. What I also do is giving one of my hears the command of a merc army just to bring him good vices and experience. I also add two spearmen because the available mercs tend to be mostly offensive in my experience.

[el_slapper]

They are very useful before a massive attack. But don't garrison with them - their upkeep is double the normal and the upkeep is from far the main espense concerning the military units.

Hire-attack-disband is the usual way to proceed to attacks. Especially early, as they seem to be numerous.

[Edratman]

Mercs are quite good, you often can get higher quality troops than you can build yourself at the time. I have found them most useful for aggressive moves in the beginning of the game. When playing Byz or HRE an inn is the first building I put in because you can't afford the normal tech tree with all those provinces.
They become rarer in the later game because each castle upgrade reduces the attraction factor for mercenaries.
Mercs also have a tendency to low loyalty, so I also replace them with faction troops as soon as I can afford to.

[TheViking]

I use them very scarcly. When i do use them i only hire htem to help garrison a recently taken territory. I have them there for 2 times or till i can get more of my own men there. then i send them into battles often where they all will die. If they should survive and win a battle i disband them and move my own men into that territory.

I never build Inns myself so i can onlyt hire them if a territory that i conquer have that building.

[Stormer]

erm most defenitly they worth the price they fast good and with high valour the can be unstopable but iv found in many occasions they get messed up by nobilarty (chiveric knights, Knight templars etc) but apart from that they good.

even though im not a big fan of them

[Lehesu]

I never use mercs in large numbers.

[Exile]

Quote[/b] (Edratman @ Jan. 02 2003,12:41)]...They become rarer in the later game because each castle upgrade reduces the attraction factor for mercenaries...
Very interesting. I knew that available mercs seem less numerous as the campaign progresses, but I was sure never why. So I suppose if mercs are an important part of my strategy in a particular campaign, I should dedicate a flop prov like Georgia or Sinai to Mercs - an Inn and don't upgrade the castle. I'll try it.

[Vertigo10]

Generally, I try not to rely on them too much after I get a keep, but in the early stages of the game, they make excellent shock troops. Not only do you not have to worry about losing your own troops, but they appear on that very turn, so they can help quickly send off an enemy who's besieging one of your provinces. You just have to make sure you don't keep them for *too* long, and that you have a steady cash flow; mercs definitely aren't cheap.

-Vert

[king steven]

there alright if your empire's about 2 hit the fan

[juststeve]

I try not to use them at all. I don't even like to build Inns - makes it easier to resist the temptation.

I think that mercs are just too poweful, especially in Early. If you have cash, you can make a really kick butt army (or 4) - just add a good general (an 5 star+ heir will do fine) and you can throw the whole game out of balance.
And it seems the more you fight, the more, and higher quality, mercs are available for hire.

[Dhepee]

I only use them for siege weapons. Once the siege is over I disband them, because it is more cost effective than building and maintaining, and then rebuilding the damage to the unit, than it is to just buy them and use them for a couple of turns. Why pay purchase price, plus long term upkeep, plus rebuild costs, when you can just buy them, use them for the few turns that you need them and go on. That said I don't fight out the siege unless I really need the castle or unless it is going to be more than a couple of years. Otherwise I have a whole bunch of lower level, and lower cost units, that follow my main army and sit out the sieges and do garrison duty afterwards.

[Doug-Thompson]

Only when they're good, armored infantry, siege engines I don't have, outstanding archers or excellent cavalry. It makes no sense to me to pay a lot of money for simple spearmen, for instance.

I use them to get an advantage very early over peasants and simple archers.

I'll hang on to English longbows or good armored cav, though.

[Empress_Zoe]

The Imperial Byzantine Emperors force, that accompanies him wherever he goes as bodyguard are a mix of Byz elite units and Mercs in my Byz Campaign.

Currently he has 2 units of Teutonic knights, one Santiago, 4 units of Rus Spearmen, 2 units of English Longbows.

I add as needed.

[HawaiianHobbit]

I'll try not to use them but their good if I need troops real fast. Hire,attack,disband.

[mystic brew]

for Byzantine I've had a really odd experience. Because they lack good spear infantry I had hired a cadre of Italian infantry, and I made a point of hiring Alans whenever they came up. And after a couple of days, when I came back to the campaign, I found the 5 units of Alans were no longer mercs. No little gold coins needed no more...

The eyties were still mercs, but not the alans...

really wierd

[Ikken Hisatsu]

Usually I only use them for siege engines. really, they just make the game too easy- if you have a decent cash flow you can raise an awesome army in one turn and kill an enemy. I like to work for my victory http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[mercian billman]

I only use mercenaries for offensive campaigns later in the game, but I find that during the first 20-30 they can be a good detterent. After that I defend my borders with homegrown armies.

[Kadagar_AV]

Quote[/b] (MasterMnd @ Jan. 02 2003,08:46)]As said before they are handy if you want the merc siege engines, or need some cannon fodder (wonder what the term was before the invention of cannons?)
I believe they were called, and are still called, infantry.

/sgt swedish armed forces, infantry (arctic).