Are Bi mercenaries good?

[Caius]

Im asking this, because I want to know if CA upgraded the mercenaries.

[GeneralHankerchief]

Merc elephants are still around, IIRC. If you can get your hands on one of those you're set.

Also, Mercenary Veteranarii (Comitatenses, basically) are available nearly everywhere and are a godsend to the horde factions that need to do a lot of siegework.

[SSJVegetaTrunks]

What do you mean "upgraded"? A lot of the mercs in RTW were powerful early on.

[Afkazar]

What do you mean "upgraded"? A lot of the mercs in RTW were powerful early on.agreed.My creatan archers turned the tide on more than one occasion.They managed to take out a onager unit right before it got off its last shot

[professorspatula]

The good thing with Bi mercenaries is they swing both ways, so everyone is happy.

[Severous]

Im on my first BI campaign and using mercenaries in my Hun horde:

- to use seige equipment. As Ive left my slow Hun infantry a long way behind on the campaign map....im using all cavalry armies.

- When the Huns settle down the horde disappears. I will need some troops. Mercenaries.

Im not using them in seiges unless I have to. They take a share of the loot.

[Fate]

Yes, i like the mercs in BI much more than in RTW.
In RTW if you were barbarian you could only generally get spearmen and barb cav, whereas on BI you can get gallegleah, Veteneraii, all the crazy roman barbarian cavalry, golden horde mercs.
I quite liked the selection of mercs for eastern factions in RTW and BI is pretty similar, some good units there.

[diamondback88]

I love golden band mercenaries... they're excellent for beefing up pathetic early armies of levy spearmen as the Germanic factions. Like has been mentioned, Vetinarii are also great for making sieges less painful for horde factions, but you'd better disband them after you take the town because they have appaling upkeep costs. Mercenary ballistae are also pretty fun for hordes, but they're only really useful when attacking wooden walls.. everything else just takes too damn long with ballistae. Hmm... what else... Merc horse archers can be useful too. Those mercenary foederati are just too useless compared to their upkeep to use more often than emergencies.