The mercenaries

Background

Leonera is an untamed island with gold discoveries in the hinterland, the town of Longfall a lawless melting pot. This exerts a magnetic attraction on people who, in pursuit of a quick doubloon and immortal glory, sell their fighting skills to the highest bidders: mercenaries.

Under the banner of the mighty OLHG, mercenaries can be found wherever fame, rum and fortune, but above all wealth, are to be expected. They will also fight as a part of other crews, provided they get paid accordingly, of course.

Hiring

Challenge level

A mercenary crew can hire the following number of characters from the different ranks:

1 Leader
1+ Mercenary
0-1 Deckhand character for every 2 mercenary characters*

Special rule: Mercenaries can only be fielded as their own crew if they are led by a mercenary captain.

*Deckhand characters from other crew lists can only be hired if the mercenary captain has the reinforcements trait.

History

When the colony was new, mercenaries from all corners of the globe flocked to the island. Individual freelancers from all walks of life who sold their services wherever their expertise was in demand. Then, one day, a dodgy rumtrader got sick of only ever selling rum. He reckoned that hiring out people for money was a bright idea. Cue his ideas of “agent” being a job and “relocation of precious metal cultural artefacts” being a field of business.

Today, an astonishingly short time later, the East-Leoneran Trading Company (ELTC) is the known world’s most powerful trading concern. Anybody who wants to make it as a mercenary on the island, without having their bones broken by a bunch of thugs during a dawn raid every few weeks, is on the ELTC’s books. For a very reasonable fee. Payable in advance, naturally.

Appearance

Mercenaries are a colourful bunch of individuals from all walks of life, and it shows. Some of them are still wearing their old uniform from their military days, some adapt to their favourite employer’s looks, while some appear to have plucked entire poultry farms to display their new-found wealth.

Mostly, however, a mercenary’s clothing is advertising for their services. It is supposed to give potential clients the impression that here is somebody who can not only fight well but will also, instead of whinging about expenses and things, simply darn any bulletholes in their doublet themselves and just get on with it.

Equipment

Mercenaries are usually highly specialised and always on the lookout to plugging the gap in the market, i.e. the gap in their potential employer’s ranks. Accordingly, all manner of weapons can be found at their disposal. Double-handed swords the height of a tall human, parrying swords, crossbows, arquebuses, pistols, even full-sized mortars can be hired for the suitable number of doubloons.

Even weapons in the broader sense, such as the ability to call Loas or trained animals, can be found among the mercenary troops, meaning that an OLHG team probably has one of the most diverse selections when it comes to weaponry.

Characteristics

Mercenaries usually fight as individuals for other crews to compensate for their employers’ weaknesses or boost their strengths. Mercenaries can be hired by any crew apart from the Shadows, even though not every mercenary will fight for every crew.

As a crew of their own, mercenaries are usually outnumbered due to the high price which their characters demand for their services. Mercenary captains who do not take this sufficiently into account or compensate accordingly can quickly be outmaneuvered by numerically superior teams before they know it.

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The crew recommends

Michael

This particular crew relies heavily on ranged combat to put opponents under pressure early on, but can also hold its own in close combat. The reasonably-priced Atl-Atl make up the numbers so the crew does not start the battle outnumbered. Mercenaries are a highly specialised team; players have to find their own style of play. Alternatively, the starter box can also be expanded by replacing one of the Atl-Atl with a Cazador Guard. Swallow and Buscar can then be replaced by specialists for 70 and 75 doubloons respectively, who are better suited to the individual playing style. There is a large selection of very solid characters in this price range.

Leader
Hernando

Deckhands
Atl-Atl
Atl-Atl

Specialists
Elita
Tornillo
Thlatholli
Buscar
Swallow

500 doubloons

Seeräuber Opa Fabian

Speed and concentrated firepower, and some bombs for good measure! But this list can also pack a punch in close combat and anyone who survives a duel with Don Pavo… well… I’ve never heard of a survivor 🙂

Leader
Don Pavo

Deckhands
Asaltore

Specialists
Clara Cadora
Hanna Solare
Crazy Perez
Senor Conejo
Cortante

500 doubloons