Mercenaries
Mercenaries are soldiers for hire that can be fielded in a variety of Faction armies (see also Who Works for Whom). Alternatively, you can field an army made up entirely of Mercenary models.
Mercenaries are an eclectic bunch from all walks of life; from the in-it-for-the-money Steelhead licensed companies, to the vendetta-focused Nyss Hunters. Some of the colorful characters you'll meet include murderers for hire, shambling undead, snake charming elves, and the list goes on.
Tip !
Alternatively you should simply become a Mercenary player, in which case your entire army must be Mercenary models (warcaster, warjacks, units, etc). |
Starting your own Mercenary force
Introduction
Most factions represent a group owing allegiance to a particular homeland, organization, ruler, or species. Whereas Mercenary models are mostly in it for the money. Some pursue their own specific agenda but all mercs are out to make a lot of money... except Cephalyx. It's a hard faction to sum up.
When building a pure Mercenary army most mercenary models can be fielded alongside each other, and together they represent a mercenary force in the employ of any given client. There are some theme restrictions, battlegroup restrictions, and animosities that limit who can be fielded together, but for the most part anything goes. For instance although Rhulic troops will work for a Human warcaster and vice versa, no one will work for the Cephalyx (unless they've been enslaved).
Aesthetic
If there is one overarching "feel" to Mercenaries, it is that most of it is second-rate and cobbled together. The warjacks are mostly decommissioned military warjacks or repurposed laborjacks. Mercenaries boast no warjacks that shoot like Cygnaran Defenders or hit like Khadoran Juggernauts. Instead, they rely on cheap mainstays like the Mariner and the Nomad to get the job done on a budget.
Playstyle
Mercenaries have two great strengths compared to the other factions. They have the best selection of solos in the game and a bevy of cheap but effective warjack and unit options. Many Mercenary solos and units hand out abilities that can solve problems that the mercenary casters cannot, such as stealth removal, magic weapon or pathfinder.
Mercenary warcasters tend to be low focus (usually 6), support-oriented, and most have unusual and very powerful feats.
In general, cheaper is better with Mercenaries as many high cost picks are hampered by poor stats. More is more, as they say.
Starter Sets
Unfortunately, there are no Mercenary starter sets aimed at new players. Maybe that will change with the new Steelhead theme force being released in early 2019, though...
Worthwhile early purchases
Since there is no starter or theme force box to get you going, a lot of people get into mercs via some other faction like Cygnar. However, most players who pick Mercs first start with either human or Rhulic casters depending on their preference.
If humans are your thing, pick whichever caster you like best (Damiano1 is a good choice for beginners.) then get three Nomad heavy warjack kits (or two and a Toro) and magnetize the arms so you can make them Rovers if you want.
If you choose a Rhulic caster (Ossrum1 is the best of the three.) get 2-4 Grundback Gunners and buy Blaster bits from the PP parts store so you can have either. Then buy 2 Drillers and your battlegroup is set for a good long time. The first solos you buy should be Ragman, Gorman and probably Eiryss1 in that order.
For units, Steelhead Halberdiers, Kayazy Eliminators and Aiyana and Holt are the most commonly-used. Forge Guard are fine if your starting caster is Ossrum. With that staple, you can run a decent army with almost any caster. (Note: If you pick Shae1 as your first caster, disregard this advice and start collecting Privateer stuff.)
Starting a Theme Force
It is best to start with Irregulars and branch out since most things in Irregulars can be used in at least one other theme.
Conclusion
Naturally given the sprawl, there is quite a bloat of models to collect in the Mercenary "faction" if you want to 'catch them all'. Also 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 ... with some exceptions (such as Cephalyx, Rhulic's monopoly on their warjacks, and various Animosities). On top of all these options, a mercenary player has access to every unit from three different factions in the Llaelese Resistance theme force, making the options nearly endless.
However, the theme forces within the faction provide incentive to play groupings of models that make more sense (fluffwise, at least), and are a good point to start your purchasing choice from.
Line of Sight article : Mercenary List Pairings Part 1 and Part 2 |
Theme Forces
Hammer Strike
The Rhul is a nation of Dwarves and Ogrun, located in an impregnable mountainous region between Khador and Ios. Rhul has a military on par with any of the Iron Kingdoms described as being powerful enough to squash the entire Legion of Everblight trivially, and they defend their own borders meticulously, but only involve themselves in the conflicts of the Iron Kingdoms to keep the trade lanes open and provide training and combat experience to its troops. On the tabletop, Rhul play to all the standard tropes of dwarves: slow, sturdy, well-trained, and well-equipped.
Rhulic models are less restricted than Cephalyx, however they have more restrictions than human mercenaries. Unlike the other Mercenary warjacks, the Rhulic warjacks can only be taken by Rhulic warcasters and Rhulic jack marshals.
This list was last updated: 2021.11 (Edit)
Warcasters
Warjacks
- Light
- Heavy
- Colossal
Battle Engines
Units
- Herne & Jonne
- Horgenhold Forge Guard
- Horgenhold Artillery Corps
- Hammerfall High Shield Gun Corps
- Ogrun Assault Corps
- Tactical Arcanist Corps
Solos
The Irregulars
The "default" Mercenary theme force, this theme allows (almost) any Mercenary model, and gives bonuses to jack marshals.
This list was last updated: 2020.12 (Edit)
Warcasters
- All Mercenary warcasters, except the Cephalyx ones.
Warjacks
- All non-character Mercenary warjacks,
- Character warjacks can be taken, but only if they have a bond and they're in their bonded model's battlegroup.
Battle Engines
Units
- Alexia1
- Boomhowler1
- Croe's Cutthroats
- Cylena Raefyll & Nyss Hunters
- Dannon Blythe & Bull
- Herne & Jonne
- Idrian Skirmishers
- Kayazy Assassins
- Kayazy Eliminators
- Lady Aiyana & Master Holt
- Lynus Wesselbaum & Edrea Lloryrr
- MacHorne1 ('Jack Marshal)
- Precursor Knights
- The Commodore Cannon & Crew (★)
- The Devil's Shadow Mutineers
(★) The Commodore Cannon can only be included if your warcaster is a Privateer.
Solos
- Alexia2
- Alexia3
- Alten Ashley
- Anastasia di Bray
- Balthazar Bamfist
- Black Bella1
- Black Bella2
- Bloody Bradigan
- Boomhowler2
- Boomhowler3
- Bosun Grogspar
- Brun Cragback & Lug (Lesser Warlock & Companion Warbeast)
- Captain Crawtooth
- Colbie Sterling, Captain of the BRI - ('Jack Marshal)
- Crosse1 ("Junior Warcaster")
- Dahlia Hallyr & Skarath (Lesser Warlock & Companion Warbeast)
- Dez1
- Dez2
- Dirty Meg ('Jack Marshal)
- Doc Killingsworth
- Eilish1
- Eiryss1
- Eiryss2
-
Eiryss3 - Eiryss4
- First Mate Hawk
- Flubbin
- Flugwug the Filcher
- Glyn Cormier, Illuminated One
- Gobber Tinker
- Grand Master Gabriel Throne
- Gorman1
- Gorman2
- Gubbin1
- Gubbin2
- Gudrun1
- Gudrun2
- Harlan Versh, Illuminated One
- Harlowe Holdemhigh
- Hermit of Henge Hold
- Hutchuk, Ogrun Bounty Hunter
- J.A.I.M.s
- Kell Bailoch
- Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress
- Lord Rockbottom
- MacHorne2 ('Jack Marshal)
- Madelyn Corbeau, Ordic Courtesan - (Warcaster Attachment)
- Major Harrison Gibbs
- Master Gunner Dougal MacNaile
- Orin1
- Ragman
- Raluk Moorclaw, the Ironmonger ('Jack Marshal)
- Reinholdt, Gobber Speculator (Warcaster Attachment)
- Rhupert Carvolo, Piper of Ord
- Rorsh & Brine (Lesser Warlock & Companion Warbeast)
- Rutger Shaw, Professional Adventurer ('Jack Marshal)
- Savio Montero Acosta
- Saxon Orrik
- Scythe
- Sergeant Nicholas Verendrye
- Stannis Brocker
- Sylys Wishnalyrr (Warcaster Attachment)
- Taryn Di La Rovissi, Llaelese Gun Mage
- Thor Steinhammer ('Jack Marshal)
- Underboss Vizkova
- Viktor Pendrake
- Weird Wendell, Gremlin Wrangler
- Widget, Tinker Extraordinaire
- Wrong Eye & Snapjaw (Lesser Warlock & Companion Warbeast)
The Kingmaker's Army
Cygnaran rebels and hired sellswords led by Magnus in his ultimately successful effort to install a new king of Cygnar.
This list was last updated: 2021.11 (Edit)
Warcasters
Warjacks
- Non-character Mercenary warjacks (only the "Human" ones)
- Character warjacks can be taken, but only if they're in their bonded model's battlegroup.
Units
- Croe's Cutthroats
- Boomhowler1
- Long Gunners (★)
- Rangers (★)
- Steelhead Cannon Crew
- Steelhead Halberdiers
- Steelhead Heavy Cavalry
- Steelhead Mortar Crew
- Steelhead Riflemen
- Steelhead Volley Gun Crew
- Trencher Long Gunners (★)
- Trencher Infantry (★)
Solos
- Boomhowler2
- Boomhowler3
- Dirty Meg
('Jack Marshal) - Kell Bailoch
- Madelyn Corbeau
(Warcaster Attachment) - Orin Midwinter
- Raluk Moorclaw
('Jack Marshal) - Sergeant Nicolas Verendrye
- Stannis Brocker
- Steelhead Arcanist
- Steelhead Gunner
- Steelhead Ironhead
(★) These models are normally Cygnar models, but become Mercenary models when taken in this theme.
Llaelese Resistance
A guerilla force made up of Llaelese patriots engaged in a desperate struggle to restore Llael as a free and independent nation.
The Llaelese Resistance fights against the Khadoran occupation of their homeland. At the beginning of the occupation they sold their services to Cygnar and the Protectorate to fund their war against Khador. They have since morphed into a cloak and dagger organization engaged in a guerilla war. The Resistance is more a ruthless terrorist organization than a group of noble freedom fighters, depicted in the fluff using chemical weapons and torture to achieve their goals.
This list was last updated: 2022.04 (Edit)
Warcasters
Warjacks
- All non-character Mercenary warjacks
- Character warjacks can be taken, but only if they have a bond and they're in their bonded model's battlegroup.
Solos
- Anastasia di Bray
- Colbie Sterling, Captain of the BRI - ('Jack Marshal)
- Eilish Garrity, the Occultist
- Crosse1 - ("Junior Warcaster")
- Glyn Cormier, Illuminated One
- Gobber Tinker
- Gorman1
- Gorman2
- Harlan Versh, Illuminated One
- MacHorne2
- Major Harrison Gibbs
- Madelyn Corbeau - (Warcaster Attachment)
- Ragman
- Reinholdt, Gobber Speculator - (Warcaster Attachment)
- Rhupert Carvolo
- Rutger Shaw - ('Jack Marshal)
- Sergeant Nicolas Verendrye
- Sylys Wyshnalyrr - (Warcaster Attachment)
- Taryn di la Rovissi, Llaelese Gun Mage
- Menite Archon
- Morrowan Archon
- Thamarite Archon
Mercenary Units
Non-Mercenary Units
You can also include up to two non-character units from one of Cygnar, the Protectorate, or the Crucible Guard. (Note: The two units have to be from the same Faction.)
- Arcane Tempest Gun Mages
- Field Mechaniks
- Long Gunner Infantry
- Rangers
- Silver Line Stormguard
- Storm Lances
- Stormblade Infantry
- Stormguard Infantry
- Stormsmith Grenadiers
- Stormsmith Storm Tower
- Sword Knights
- Tempest Blazers
- Trencher Cannon Crew
- Trencher Chain Gun Crew
- Trencher Commandos
- Trencher Express Team
- Trencher Infantry
- Trencher Long Gunners
- Trencher Mechaniks
Operating Theater
Important |
Cephalyx are an reclusive and pitiless race of pyschicaly powerful creatures that live underground. They are arguably the worst of the worst as being caught by the Cephalyx is a far worse fate than anything Cryx or Skorne might do to you. They capture and experiment upon live creatures, turning them into unthinking brutes to wage their wars for them. On the tabletop, they play as a swarm of expendable infantry interspersed with hulking Monstrosities and backed by powerful psychic overlords.
Cephalyx fall under the Mercenary umbrella for the purposes of tournament pairings, but are a sub-faction unto themselves for all intents and purposes (although they can include some regular Mercenary units within their armies by using the Cephalyx Dominator). From a fluff perspective, they have no interest in coin or the wars of the world above beyond replenishing their supply of drudges to further their own inscrutable ends. Some Cephalyx models can be used in Cryx armies, notably the Cephalyx Overlords.
This list was last updated: 2020.02 (Edit)
Warcasters
Monstrosities
Warjacks
- Cephalyx warcasters cannot take warjacks.
- Asphyxious4 can take warjacks.
- MacHorne1 plus a Cephalyx Dominator can take a warjack.
Solos
- Bloat Thrall
- Bloat Thrall Overseer Mobius
- Cephalyx Agitator
- Doctor Stygius
(Warcaster Attachment) - Machine Wraith
- Pistol Wraith
- Void Archon
Units
- Asphyxious4
("Junior Warcaster") - Cephalyx Mind Bender & Drudges
- Cephalyx Mind Slaver & Drudges
- Cephalyx Overlords
- You can also include any non-Cephalyx Mercenary unit(s), as long as they are led by a Cephalyx Dominator
Steelhead
The Steelhead theme reflects the fighting tactics of the mercenary company, rows of artillery supporting waves of infantry. Cavalry models in particular will be useful in both scenario play, and to "bounce" away key enemy models that deserve to be lit up by cannon fire.
This list was last updated: 2021.02 (Edit)
Warcasters
- All Mercenary warcasters, except the Cephalyx ones.
Warjacks
- All non-character Mercenary warjacks,
- Rocinante
- Other character warjacks can be taken, but only if they have a bond and they're in their bonded model's battlegroup.
Units
- Alexia1
- Dannon Blythe & Bull
- Herne & Jonne
- Steelhead Cannon Crew
- Steelhead Halberdiers
- Steelhead Heavy Cavalry
- Steelhead Mortar Crew
- Steelhead Riflemen
- Steelhead Volley Gun Crew
Solos
- Alexia2
- Alexia3
- Anastasia di Bray
- Boomhowler2
- Death Archon
- Dez1
- Dez2
- Eiryss1
- Gorman1
- Gorman2
- Madelyn Corbeau, Ordic Courtesan - (Warcaster Attachment)
- Ogrun Bokur
- Reinholdt, Gobber Speculator - (Warcaster Attachment)
- Rhupert Carvolo, Piper of Ord
- Rutger Shaw, Professional Adventurer - ('Jack Marshal)
- Saxon Orrik
- Sergeant Nicolas Verendrye
- Sylys Wyshnalyrr, The Seeker - (Warcaster Attachment)
- Stannis Brocker
- Steelhead Arcanist
- Steelhead Gunner
- Steelhead Ironhead
- Taryn di la Rovissi, Llaelese Gun Mage
The Talion Charter
The Charter is a group of pirates and privateers who also happen to sell their services as armies for hire. Outside of the Talion Charter theme force, they are essentially no different than other human mercenaries. On the tabletop they tend to be flimsy, fast and have trouble with high ARM. The core units gain bonuses from a multitude of solos and command attachments geared specifically toward privateer models, though with theme forces and all the associated bonuses becoming the norm, this is no longer a unique feature, but they were the first.
This list was last updated: 2021.02 (Edit)
Warcasters
- Captain Bartolo Montador
- Captain Phinneus Shae
- Captain Rahera, Terror of the Wailing Sea
- Fiona the Black
Warjacks
- All non-character warjacks (human only, not the Rhulic ones)
- Scallywag
- Other character warjacks can be taken, but only if they have a bond and they're in their bonded model's battlegroup.
Solos
- Black Bella1
- Black Bella2
- Bloody Bradigan
- Bosun Grogspar
- Captain Crawtooth
- Death Archon
- Dirty Meg
('Jack Marshal) - Doc Killingsworth
- First Mate Hawk
- Lord Rockbottom
- Master Gunner Dougal MacNaile
- Powder Monkey
- Swamp Gobber River Raiders
Units
- Press Gangers
- Sea Dog Crew
- Sea Dog Deck Gun
- Lady Aiyana & Master Holt
- Scharde Dirge Seers (★)
- Scharde Pirates (★)
- The Commodore Cannon & Crew
- The Devil's Shadow Mutineers
Mercenary Models
Unreleased Models
Last Updated: 2019.01
- Steelhead Volley Gun Crew
- Steelhead Mortar Crew
- Steelhead Cannon Crew
- Steelhead Arcanist
- Steelhead Ironhead
- Steelhead Gunner
- Theme - Steelhead
- J.A.I.M.s
Warcasters
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Warjacks & Monstrosities
Light
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Heavy
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Character Heavy
Colossal
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Battle Engines
Mercenary Minion models
These models are both Mercenary models and Minion models, making them perfect for a player that wants to expand their collection from one to the other.
-NOTE- This list is badly out of date.
Solos
- Alten Ashley
- Brun Cragback & Lug - (Lesser Warlock)
- Dahlia Hallyr & Skarath - (Lesser Warlock)
- Eilish Garrity, the Occultist
- Gobber Tinker
- Gudrun the Wanderer
- Hermit of Henge Hold
- Hutchuk, Ogrun Bounty Hunter
- J.A.I.M.s
- Lanyssa Ryssyl, Nyss Sorceress
- Ogrun Bokur
- Orin Midwinter, Rogue Inquisitor
- Raluk Moorclaw, the Ironmonger - ('Jack Marshal)
- Rorsh & Brine - (Lesser Warlock)
- Saxon Orrik
- Swamp Gobber River Raider
- Thamarite Advocate
- Viktor Pendrake
- Void Archon
- Wrongeye & Snapjaw - (Lesser Warlock)
Units