Mercenaries
Mercenaries, often called Dogs of War, are an important aspect of warfare in the Old World, mostly made up of Tilean soldiers of fortune.
Overview
The larger part of regular armies are common militia, whose training and equipment is often lacking. Most of the standing regiments tend to be elite units, and therefore many times simply too few in numbers. Therefore most rulers, facing an arduous campaign, will employ free companies of mercenaries.
Regular Bretonnian armies all but refuse to hire mercenaries considering them dishonourable (and most Bretonnian lords care precious little for their peasants anyway - treating them as disposable 'cannon fodder').
On the other extreme are the Tilean city-states which simply don't have a regular army at all, employing whole mercenary armies, composed of several mercenary companies. These armies are sometimes even commanded by an experienced mercenary general. The majority of Mercenaries tend to be Tilean as well, noticeable by their trademark golden or bronzed armour. Tilea has produced the greatest Mercenary Generals and Paymasters.
In the Empire the standing of mercenaries seems to vary; skilled and professional free companies tend to be respected by most Imperial commanders while disorganized or unwilling rabble is often despised.
Dogs of War
The Dogs of War army is comprised of:
- Pikemen
- Crossbowmen
- Duellists
- Heavy Cavalry
- Light Cavalry
- Cannon
- Halfling Hot Pots
Regiments of Renown
The most famous of these cutthroat units are known as the Regiments of Renown.
- Al Muktar's Desert Dogs
- Anakonda's Amazons
- Bearmen of Urslo
- Birdmen of Catrazza
- Braganza's Besiegers
- Bronzino's Galloper Guns
- Dark Emissaries of Albion
- Fen Beasts - only together with Dark Emissary or Truthsayer of Albion
- Giants of Albion
- Golgfag's Ogres
- Leopold's Leopard Company
- Long Drong's Slayer Pirates
- Lumpin Croop's Fighting Cocks
- Malakai Makaisson's Goblin Hewer
- Marksmen of Miragliano
- Mengil Manhide's Manflayers
- Oglah Khan's Wolfboyz
- Pirazzo's Lost Legion
- Ricco's Republican Guard
- Ruglud's Armoured Orcs
- The Alcatani Fellowship
- The Cursed Company
- Tichi-Huichi's Raiders
- Truthsayers of Albion
- Vespero's Vendetta
- Voland's Venators
Gallery
Golthog, an Ogre Mercenary
Quotes
It's the hero's job to die gloriously; it's my job to get paid.
~ Marcello Finetti, Tilean mercenary. [2a] |
Notes
Almost any army in the game can hire these mercenaries for their own use, but there are certain restrictions; For instance, the vampire hunters Johann and Wilhelm are not allowed in a Vampire Counts army, for obvious reasons. The Bretonnian army does not allow the use of any mercenaries because they see this practice as dishonourable (though they are allowed to hire Gotrek and Felix). There is a wide variety of troops available, including assassins, Dragon riders, mutated bearmen, Corsairs, Goblin Wolf Riders and Orcish crossbowmen. Many of the Dogs of War regiments hail from Tilea.
Sources
- 1: Warhammer Armies: Dogs of War (5th Edition)
- 2: WFRP Rulebook (2nd Edition)
- 2a: Chapter VI: Combat, Damage & Movement, pg. 124