Mercenary
Mercenaries are specialized units that a civilization can hire through access such as a Tavern, Monastery, Saloon, Palace, Lombard or a Home City shipment. Their roles and statistics differ from the regular unit roster.
How it works
Most mercenaries cost a large amount of Coin and occupy more population than ordinary line infantry or cavalry. Available hires depend on the civilization, map, Age, cards and current version; some settlements offer units or technologies through separate alliance rules.
Player decision
Hire a mercenary when its specialized role fills a real army gap or a shipment timing can swing a fight. Check the cost and population before committing, and do not assume a unit sold by one civilization is available to another.
Cost and combat profile
Mercenaries are powerful specialist units that generally cost Coin alone, or Influence for African civilizations. They are usually stronger than the ordinary unit role they resemble, but their price, population cost and availability make them a deliberate investment. A Black Rider, for example, is a mercenary cavalry unit related to a Dragoon role, while a Landsknecht fills a heavy hand infantry role. Some mercenaries have no direct standard counterpart. Their increased strength does not make them universally superior: counters, population limits and shipment delay still determine whether they fit the current fight.
How mercenaries enter the game
In the original game, mercenaries are primarily available through Home City shipments, with each civilization receiving access to selected groups. Some mercenaries can arrive as early as the Commerce Age, while larger mixed mercenary army shipments are generally an Industrial Age option. In Definitive Edition, several civilizations can choose The Mercenary Contractor as a Fortress Age reward, opening specific mercenary recruitment regardless of the random map. Germans can gain guaranteed German or related mercenary selections with the Mercenary Camps card, and some civilizations use other buildings or systems. Check the civilization and map because the available units are not identical for all players.
Shipment delay and timing
Mercenary shipments take longer to arrive than ordinary shipments in the source profile: selecting one adds a 60-second arrival time rather than the standard 40 seconds, a 50 percent increase. This delay changes when the force can affect a fight. Send the card before the army urgently needs it, and make sure the receiving point is safe. A mercenary shipment can create a strong timing when the opponent has committed to a different army, but it will not rescue a base if it arrives after the defense has collapsed. Plan experience generation and card order around the delay.
Mercenary upgrades and limitations
Because mercenaries begin with strong statistics, many ordinary upgrades and Home City cards do not affect them. A smaller set of cards, technologies and civilization bonuses can improve selected mercenaries, sometimes making them exceptionally powerful. Do not assume a standard Musketeer or cavalry card applies just because a mercenary resembles that unit. Read its class tags and the specific upgrade text. German mercenaries have particularly strong support through multiple training buildings and specialized improvements; Dutch and Swedish access can also be strong in relevant releases. These are civilization-specific advantages rather than a shared rule for all mercenaries.
Map pools, taverns and equivalent buildings
The mercenaries offered by a Tavern or equivalent can vary by map, drawing from a random pool available to players with access. The map therefore affects which mercenary army can be trained even when the civilization is unchanged. Some maps offer unique units, while others may not provide a mercenary option that fills the desired counter role. The Mercenary Contractor and selected cards can reduce this uncertainty by guaranteeing a package, but those options consume a Politician or deck slot. Scout the map and inspect the available training building before planning an army around a particular mercenary.
When mercenaries are worth the cost
A mercenary is most valuable when its strength or role changes a specific engagement and the economy can pay its high Coin or Influence cost without stopping ordinary production. A small group may add a decisive counter, protect artillery or threaten a base; a large group can consume so much population and currency that the rest of the army becomes too small. Check whether the opponent can counter the unit and whether an upgrade benefits it before investing. Mercenaries can be used alone or attached to a conventional force, and mixed compositions make it harder for the opponent to answer every role with a single counter.
Keep civilization and release rules separate
Mercenary access has expanded and changed through Definitive Edition updates and expansions. The older Home City-only model does not describe every later Tavern, Palace, Consulate or revolution route. Campaign scenarios can also grant mercenaries directly as scripted reinforcements. Use the individual mercenary, civilization and version entries to distinguish a shipment from a trainable unit and a regular multiplayer choice from a scenario reward.
Build a composition around expensive units
Mercenaries often have high Coin costs and use a larger share of the population than ordinary units. Their strength can justify a small specialist group that removes a key counter or protects artillery, but replacing the whole army with mercenaries may leave too few units to screen or reinforce. Pair them with ordinary production that costs other resources, and reserve enough Coin for upgrades or Age advancement. Because many standard cards do not improve mercenaries, inspect their tags before investing in an upgrade that may not apply.
Shipment package or local training
A Home City shipment provides a selected group directly and can create a concentrated timing, while Tavern or equivalent training lets the player choose from the map’s available pool and produce reinforcements over time. The shipment has a longer arrival delay; local training requires the right building, resources and safe access. Choose the route according to whether the army needs an immediate fixed group or a flexible queue. Some civilizations gain direct mercenary access through Politicians, cards or other unique buildings, so use the civilization page to confirm the production path.
Account for map and version differences
The random mercenary pool changes with the map, while later expansions and Definitive Edition add new units and access methods. A mercenary shown in one map’s Tavern may be unavailable elsewhere. Campaign scenarios can also use special mercenary groups that are not part of a standard match. Before planning a build, check the selected map, civilization, release and production building. The individual unit entry provides the correct combat role and statistics.
Use specialist units at the correct timing
Mercenaries are strongest when the opponent has not yet prepared the right counter. A shipment of heavy cavalry can punish a ranged line, while hand infantry can hold cavalry away from artillery. Scout before selecting the card and avoid sending a unit whose intended target has already left the field. The higher Coin price and longer arrival make a wrong choice costly. Keep the group behind a screen and combine it with ordinary units that can absorb losses.
Keep population for the supporting force
A mercenary group can be powerful but still needs ordinary units to screen and reinforce it. Leave population room for that support.
Check the arrival point
Set a safe rally point before sending a mercenary shipment so the expensive force does not arrive into enemy fire.
Use a mixed force
Pair mercenaries with lower-cost units that cover their weaknesses and preserve reinforcements.
Protect the specialist group
Withdraw costly mercenaries before their supporting screen breaks.
Population, tags and upgrade rules
Mercenaries are identified by their class tags as well as by their name. A unit that resembles Cavalry or heavy Infantry may still respond differently to upgrades and counters if its tags differ from an ordinary counterpart. This matters for bonus damage, technologies and Home City cards: do not assume a Cavalry improvement affects every mercenary just because its model rides a horse. Read the individual unit’s classification and the effect’s eligible classes before investing. Mercenaries also tend to use more population than ordinary units, and several are expensive enough to limit how many supporting units fit in the army. Build a screen and a counter for the enemy’s likely answer instead of filling population with only high-cost specialists.
Choose a hiring route and a timing
A Home City shipment gives a selected group at once and is useful when the player needs a fixed reinforcement package. A Tavern or an equivalent building offers a local training queue selected from the map’s available pool, which is more flexible but depends on the building, resources and safe access. Some expansions and civilizations add Palace, Monastery, Lombard, Consulate or other routes, so the older Home City-only rule does not describe every current game. Map pools can change which units are available, while scripted campaign reinforcements may be unique to a scenario. Mercenary shipments also arrive more slowly than standard shipments in the cited profile, making early selection important. Check the map and release, send the force before the fight becomes urgent, and protect the arrival point so a delayed, expensive group can contribute rather than appearing directly into enemy fire.