Latest revision as of 14:09, 13 January 2024

Mercenary models are normally allowed to be included in the armies of other factions as friendly, non-faction models on a theme-by-theme basis where they are seen onesy-twosey.

As a faction unto itself, Mercenaries are comprised of NINE mostly unrelated theme forces that allow wildly different models from nearly every faction in the game.

The Mercenary "faction" serves as a way for players to branch out and expand their collections. A Cygnar or Protectorate player could build a Llaelese Resistance army. A Cryx or Convergence player could expand into Strange Bedfellows. And once you have one of those forces built, an army in The Irregulars theme is usually easy to acquire. And so it goes.

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Starting your own Mercenary force

Introduction

Mercenaries are the largest, most expansive faction with no central unifying theme. Pirates, dwarfs, holy warriors, divine manifestations, undead, and clockwork angels are all considered mercenaries, but all fight for different reasons, so there is no concise way to sum it up.

Playstyle

There is so much variety in the faction that essentially any playstyle is possible. You will never shoot as well as Cygnar or fight as well as Grymkin or Cryx, so combined arms is usually the best way to go.

Mercenary warjacks tend to be cheap and no-frils.

Mercenary warcasters tend to be low focus (usually 6), support-oriented, and most have unusual and very powerful feats. Few are capable caster-killers.

Mercenaries do not feature fire, ice, lightning, force, or corrosion themes like the other Warmachine factions, but they do have the most blast weapons of any faction by a huge margin.

Starter Sets

No mercenary starter set exists or likely ever will.

Worthwhile early purchases

The Mercenary faction has nine theme forces, each at least as large as a mini-faction. Most factions have four or five. There is also very little model overlap between the themes so you need to plan your first purchases carefully.

It is best to pick your favorite caster and build around them. Research which theme forces they play in (the Talion Charter theme only allows Privateer warcasters, for example) and make a plan to build your army for those themes.

After your warcaster you'll need to buy a battlegroup. Human, Rhulic and Cephalyx casters are restricted to different types of models in their battlegroup. Human casters cannot run Rhulic warjacks and vice-versa. Cephalyx can run only monstrosities.

All the human merc warjacks are solid picks. For those on a budget, get 3 Nomad kits and magnetize the arms.

Cephalyx monstrosities can also be magnetized so 3 heavies will start you off on the right foot.

Rhulic players should start with 1-2 Drillers and 4 Gunners, then ask the Privateer Press online store if they sell you 4 Blaster gun bits to magnetize the Gunner/Blasters.

Unit and solo purchases are far more theme-dependent. In brief, your first purchases for each theme should be:

The Irregulars - Two units of Kayazy Eliminators, Hermit of Henge Hold, Gastone Crosse, Anastasia di Bray, Asphyxious4, Scythe

Soldiers of Fortune - Two units of Steelhead Halberdiers, one unit of Steelhead Heavy Cavalry, Stannis Brocker, Anastasia, Gorman1, Alexia2 (with three Thrall Warriors), Sergeant Nicholas Verendrye and the Steelhead Arcanist

Kingmaker's Army - Trencher Infantry, Trencher Long Gunners, Boomhowler, Solo Artist Kell Bailoch, Orin Midwinter and Steelhead Halberdiers

Llaelese Resistance - Ragman, Gorman1, Anastasia, Major Harrison Gibbs, two Morrowan Archons, two Thamarite Archons

Hammer Strike - 1-2 units of Horgenhold Forge Guard with Stone Lord Guvul Godor, 1 Hammerfall Siege Crawler, 2 units of Horgenhold Artillery Corps, Harlowe Holdemhigh and Gudrun the Wasted

Talion Charter - Three Powder Monkeys, Aiyana and Holt, Lord Rockbottom, First Mate Hawk, Bosun Grogspar, Doc Killingsworth, The Commodore Cannon & Crew, one each of Scharde Pirateswith their CA, Press Gangers and Sea Dog Pirates with Mr. Walls

Operating Theater - Asphyxious4, two Void Archons, Cephalyx Dominator, Doctor Stygius

Flame in the Darkness - Three Morrowan Battle Priests, Precursor Knights, two Thamarite Archons, Hermit of Henge Hold, Grand Master Gabriel Throne, and two Morrowan Archons.

Strange Bedfellows - Asphyxious4, Prefect Hypatia, Hermit of Henge Hold, three units of Negation Angels, two Void Archons

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Conclusion

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Given the sprawl, there is quite a bloat of models to collect in the Mercenary faction. You can mix-and-match so many different permutations of models/units and it is perfectly fine to field an army with Humans, Trollbloods, Dwarves, Undead, Gatormen, Ogrun, Farrow, Iosans, and Nyss. You can do almost anything. On top of all these options, a mercenary player has access to almost every unit from Cygnar, Protectorate, and Crucible Guard in the Llaelese Resistance theme force, and even a bit of Cryx, Khador, and Convergence at your disposal in other themes making the options nearly endless.

Theme Forces

Flame in the Darkness

This theme represents the Thamarite and Morrowan forces putting aside their ideological differences and teaming up to fight off the Infernal invasion. It is shared with Cygnar and Khador and grants access to their warjacks. It is a very melee-oriented force featuring angels and holy warriors.

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