6 Tactical Strategy Games With The Best Mercenary Systems, Ranked

Highlights

• Mercenaries in strategy games can turn the tide of war and provide players with unique troops and characters to enhance their gameplay.
• Different strategy games implement the mercenary system in various ways, from actual hired troops to characters who play a role under the “mercenary” system.
• The use of mercenaries in games like
  Battle Brothers, XCOM 2, Total War: Three Kingdoms
  , and more adds depth and complexity to the gameplay experience.

Strategy games are known for their deep and complex gameplay with a large variety of mechanics. One of the best of these mechanics, featured in many different strategy games, is the mercenary system. This is a part of gameplay design that allows players to recruit specific troops/characters and deploy them on the battlefield as needed, improving their game plans and bonuses.

The effects of introducing mercenaries to a battle can be devastating, and can often sway the tide in a war. Different strategy games implement this idea in different ways. Some are actual mercenary troops, hired for a fee, whereas others are specific characters that fill a role under the “mercenary” system, despite not actually being mercenaries by definition. Whatever the system, mercenaries are a great part of strategy games, and it’s always fun to see how different games will implement them.

6 Battle Brothers

Metacritic Rating: 80

Battle Brothers takes place in a medieval fantasy world where the player has to manage their own mercenary army. A large part of this is achieved through the excellent mercenary system, where players are tasked with recruiting and managing every single troop. Mercenaries are recruited from taverns, guilds, and sometimes even random encounters against wandering adventurers. There are so many different ways to hire mercenaries that it’s integral to the overall game.

The player’s mercenaries can undertake contracts and missions for a variety of clients, often culminating in large battles. Some are simple fetch sidequests, whereas others will see the mercenary band come up against giant beasts. Each mercenary has their own morale, fatigue, and combat ranking, so players will have to constantly manage their array of troops. Battle Brothers is an excellent tactical strategy game with an effective mercenary system – just be warned, it can be extremely difficult!

Metacritic Rating: 88

While the XCOM franchise is known for it’s interesting premise of alien invasions and secret organizations, its mercenary system often flies under the radar. In fact, mercenaries play a huge role in XCOM 2. Recruitment revolves around the player’s reputation with various Resistance Factions. Each faction offers different types of mercenaries, some of which will be more effective against certain enemies than others.

Players will have to earn each faction’s trust to unlock their mercenaries, which can be achieved by completing various objectives. These mercenaries offer different skills from their varying classes, and can greatly benefit the player’s team. Soldiers hired through these Resistance Factions can gain XP and become even stronger as they level up, allowing them to unlock new abilities and equip better loadouts. These mercenaries can greatly increase the player’s success in battles.

4 Total War: Three Kingdoms

Metacritic Rating: 85

In addition to controlling huge, epic armies in Total War: Three Kingdoms, players also have the opportunity to hire mercenaries to further add to their units. These can be hired through the construction of certain buildings, or through political negotiations. Sometimes, chance encounters can also lead to the addition of mercenary troops into the player’s ranks. Their general availability is affected through player choices in the game world, such as faction reputation and the state of the economy, making for an immersive, reactive world.

Mercenaries don’t come cheap in this title, as players will have to pay a fee to obtain them, and then pay further fees to maintain these troops. It can be well worth it, however, as mercenary troops fill various roles, including cavalry, siege engines, and archers, which can greatly affect the battlefield. The use of mercenaries is also complicated, as utilizing them can actually affect the player’s reputation with some factions who might have been allied with them in the past. It’s a deep, intricate system, but it greatly enhances the gameplay.

3 Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Metacritic Rating: 89

With players assuming the role of the professor in Fire Emblem: Three Houses, it’s only natural that mercenaries in this game would arrive in the form of… well, students. Each house has its unique appeal, and that’s particularly true when it comes to its students, who all have different abilities and skills. Players can also recruit students from other houses and add them to their own. Not only is Fire Emblem: Three Houses one of the best games in the franchise, it’s also one of the darkest.

Recruited students can be further trained, enhancing their skills and abilities. This can be very effective in maintaining the player’s progression, as certain mercenary students will be more effective against certain houses. Once they have been recruited, these students also gain a further bonus when they build relationships with their student peers, making for a consistently positive experience. The strategic deployment of these recruited mercenary students can greatly impact a battle.

2 Jagged Alliance 2

Gamefaqs Rating: 4.5

• Platforms: PC, macOS, Linux
• Release Date: July 23, 1999
• Developer: Sir-Tech

Jagged Alliance 2 is all about recruiting mercenaries. In fact, this tactical strategy RPG has a central goal of hiring mercenaries to protect the player from the wider, dystopian conflict which has swept over its fictional world. One of the best things about Jagged Alliance 2 is the fact that each and every mercenary has their own personality, traits, and skills, which greatly expands the immersive gameplay experience. They don’t just feel like mercenaries, they feel like people.

Mercenaries can be hired through the fictional “A.I.M.” website, allowing players to put together their ideal team based on various skills and abilities. Due to their unique natures and backgrounds, each mercenary will react to other recruited mercenaries in completely different ways, so players will also have to consider this when they go about recruiting. Once recruited, however, players can assemble their troops with whichever weapons, gear, and armor they see fit.

1 Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord

Metacritic Rating: 77

Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord is another strategy game that is fondly remembered for its epic battles and fantastic strategic gameplay, but one where the mercenary system is often overlooked. It really shouldn’t be. Mercenaries play a huge role here and really do add to the overall experience. Players can recruit them in taverns or through the menu, but there is always a fee.

The best way to recruit mercenaries is just to approach them in towns and start negotiations. It’s the best and most authentic way to do it, and really adds to the roleplaying experience. Once recruited, mercenaries become part of the player’s army, and they can be equipped with a wide variety of gear, weapons, and armor. Once again, there’s a morale and loyalty scale here which players will have to carefully manage, but if done effectively, mercenaries can be a fantastic addition to the player’s army.