Is there a 'realistic' use for mercenaries?

[Digby Tatham Warter]

Anyone seen the film called the last valley, it's set in the 16th centuary, Michael Cain as the merc captain has to lead his men in a forlorn hope, no idea how accurate this is regarding real life.

[Oleander Ardens]

Heck, it was shot where I love to climb mountains - in the summer and the winter...

Cheers
OA

[mrtwisties]

[Technically off topic, but in reply to what some have said about using mercs as death fodder being a bad idea]

[Assumptions about playing styles ON]

Using mercs as "death fodder" in a siege assault makes good financial sense. Although they're more expensive to hire, you don't have to pay for their upkeep while they're on their way over, so it works out being cheaper in 9/10 cases. Mercs are also cheap garrison troops (over at least the short-medium term) for similar reasons.

Further, it doesn't make financial sense to have non-core troops in your field armies for anything other than the shortest period. Core troops can be replenished, which means they eventually attain extremely high levels of experience. Such units still cost the same amount to maintain but can then match or outperform their more expensive foes. This means that a stack of elite-equivalent quality costs you 10,000 - 15,000 less per turn.

Hence, if you retain four or five mercs (replacing them when depleted) and as a result it takes you twenty turns longer to get those experienced core troops, it'll cost you a hidden 240,000 - 360,000 mnai. That's the cost of hiring and upkeep for the extra soldiers you'll need to bridge the gap in military strength that arises from not having experienced field armies.

So, use mercenaries as death fodder so you don't needlessly wipe out experienced core troops. Use them as garrison troops. Use them as specialist troops to fill a hole in your roster. Use them for role-playing purposes.

But other than that, take Machiavelli's advice and avoid the buggers.

[/AAPSO]

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[mrtwisties]

If the experience system is screwed, though, this might be an exploit.

[Intranetusa]

The problem with too much mercs is that it removes a sense of urgency - you can be invaded by a large army and you won't have to worry since if you're swimming in money, you can hire huge stack of mercs 4 times a year... :(

[Digby Tatham Warter]

The problem with too much mercs is that it removes a sense of urgency - you can be invaded by a large army and you won't have to worry since if you're swimming in money, you can hire huge stack of mercs 4 times a year... :(

Good point, I don't like using them apart from cost, it's a waste of experienced gained(you can't retrain mercs). Like others have mentioned if I am assaulting walls, I may hire mercs to do the dirty work to save important troops, that's of course if the opposition looks a bit tasty.

Historically how much risk was there of mercs used as a garrison getting up to no good? I was wandering if mercs are used, that a script with a chance for the city to rebel or be sacked, might be applicable!

[Thaatu]

Historically how much risk was there of mercs used as a garrison getting up to no good? I was wandering if mercs are used, that a script with a chance for the city to rebel or be sacked, might be applicable!

There were risks especially if there were more mercs than other troops. Scripting it might be a bit tricky, since the engine probably can't check which troops are in the garrison.

[Pharnakes]

Nice idea, but could noly be done if there was a govenor in the city, which would bethe time when mercs would behave themselves, so I don't think this going to happen.

Shame, would deff be interesting. Stupid Epirotes.