Mercenary/Outlaw Rating!

[ShinkuroYukinari]

Ah yes.
I've been playing around a lot with cheesy German merc strats and I've come to love using them. So I thought, why not make a tier list of them?
Link is here, and I would love to see your results!
As for me...

[amiggo1999]

Not sure about some of the ren-type units (forgot the name)

[Riotcoke]

Your list is okay, swiss pikes aren't S tier as they're just worse than highlanders, fusiliers are also shit.

[Riotcoke]

Not sure about some of the ren-type units (forgot the name)

Wonkou ronin don't have any multipliers, so they do like 15 damage flat for outlaw units they're pretty useless.

[edeholland]

I would really only make 4 units

[amiggo1999]

@Riotcoke that's wrong. They have 25 damage and 400 HP, which is actually not all that crappy.

[Riotcoke]

Oh, they're not that trash then, they're still not great units.

[deleted_user0]

1

[amiggo1999]

Somali-Tier: Sepoy

[_RDX_]

[_RDX_]

Nice thread. Would love to see people rating natives as well, it will be very interesting. Nootka on top tier confirmed.

[dansil92]

I think I'm a little more forgiving of some of the worse mercs, like arsonists or barbary which are situational- but they do have great stats for their costs

Most of those ranged cav outlaws are bad even vs cav so those get the bottom of the list.

Lil bombards are quite effective vs aztec since they have no negatives vs their light infantry but very immobile and costs a whole coin mine each. The only time I've found them to be hugely useful is as India in very late game where i have no artillery options at all and have the resources to spare.

Swiss are fast and powerful, probably the best melee merc
Highlanders are much more situational but have a place and are very good at what they do
Black riders are kind of overrated in my opinion, they have almost identical stats to a war wagon and are so expensive. Maybe as china, idk
Iron troops are absolute monsters, shame the shipment isnt super cost effective and china already has so many anti infantry options

[Riotcoke]

Putting yomjimbo in D tier is heresy.

[HUMMAN]

l

[dansil92]

Putting yomjimbo in D tier is heresy.

Yes i realized my mistake where i confused it for mongol riders. Yojimbo Probably middle tier, effective but overpriced

Stradiots are great i should mention that also

[amiggo1999]

Yojimbo are decent yea. They kill anything in meelee mode, except for heavy inf. What I don't understand is why so many rated the li'l bombards are mid-tier. They have shitty stats for their incredibly high price, take for ever to train and move slow af. Also they die to like 6 hits of a spy lol.

[Peachrocks]

Ah yes.

Link is here

Ooooh. This tool is shiny. Would have been handy for my native list.

Jaegers and Iron Troops are really good. Manchu are slightly overrated because two of the civs that get the shipment have lesser anti cav options. All outlaws aside Thugees and Renegados are very poor because of their inefficient cost, inefficient population and in some cases woeful stats. Thugees and Renegados also have funky firing patterns. Pisteleros aren't 'as bad' as the others but yeah.

Arsonists and Ninjas make me sad and I've seen them in the saloon together way too many times. Fusilers are situational but extremely frail per cost. Lil Bombards can be lolzy but are largely impractical. Still I'd rather see them then Ninjas or Arsonists.

[zoom]

S: Elmeti, Mamelukes, Repentant Iron Troops, Repentant Jägers.
A: Iron Troops, Jat Lancers, Jägers, Manchu, Yojimbo.
B: Highlanders, Stradiots.
C: Black Riders, Hackapells, L'il Bombards, Ronin, Swiss Pikemen.
D: Barbary Corsairs, Fusiliers, Ninjas.
E: Landsknechts.
F: Arsonists.

For EP, just remove Repentant Iron Troops and Repentant Jägers, altogether. Grades vary a little depending on whether a unit is sent, or trained. Most shipments aren't worth it, regardless. I haven't a clue about most outlaws.

[Riotcoke]

It's funny, civs that don't have any cannons litreally have no counter to Repentant Iron Troops in mass.

[dansil92]

Yeah you could probably train pure iron troops vs aztec lol

I think Lil bombards are popular is just how much hp they have vs a civ with bad anti artillery such as aztec or even japan in some circumstances, and that they are pretty effective vs cav and dragoons if well protected due to their high base damage and lack of negative multipliers. If you pull trick them the speed is more reasonable. Im not saying a great merc but for india it can be a godsend

[[Armag] diarouga]

Not sure about some of the ren-type units (forgot the name)

This one is more accurate :)

[Papist]

Because of their high pop cost, I don't think any outlaw breaks into the first tier.

[[Armag] diarouga]

I don't know, thugs are outlaws are really good, and when playing brit/japan pop doesn't really matter.

[Papist]

Yeah you could probably train pure iron troops vs aztec lol

I think Lil bombards are popular is just how much hp they have vs a civ with bad anti artillery such as aztec or even japan in some circumstances, and that they are pretty effective vs cav and dragoons if well protected due to their high base damage and lack of negative multipliers. If you pull trick them the speed is more reasonable. Im not saying a great merc but for india it can be a godsend

They cost 1200 gold each and only do 400 damage a shot. If you're at a point in the game where it's viable to waste that many resources, you've already won.

If you want artillery as India, you can get them from the Otto, Brit, and French consulate.

[evilcheadar]

Not sure about some of the ren-type units (forgot the name)

Wonkou ronin don't have any multipliers, so they do like 15 damage flat for outlaw units they're pretty useless.

hp and resist