A few expansion sets ago, Kevin promised mercenaries.

They didn't make it into RtL

They didn't make it into ToI

I was hoping simple, low maintenance, low management mercenaries whould save the game for 2 heroes. Keeping track of 2 characters per player can be pain and slows the game. My idea of a mercenary (I'm talking about normal quest based games, NOT RtL campaign!) is something like this:

Melee merc: HP12, A4, M3, CV1, attacks with Red+Green+Black, 2 surges = +1dmg

No skills. No fatigue. Cannot equip items. Cannot recieve gold (the character that 'hired' him gets the gold instead).

Can run, advance, battle and ready. Can carry 3 items in the backpack.

Should play very fast. The only thing to keep track of is his hit points.

The only thing that worries me is that he can become obsolete in the later stages of the quest. So maybe he needs some upgrades? For 500 gold a hero can buy him weapon upgrade that adds dice or makes better use of surges rolled.... I don't really know. What do you guys think?

It is possible.

Although, with your stats (12 HP and 4 armor), and only being worth 1 conquest means that the OL has little incentive to attack these guys for any reason. Even if you drop the armor to 2, the Overlord still probably won't target them unless the two heroes in play are tanks...

... and I keep finding myself coming back to saying "Conquest value should be based almost exclusively on the HP and Armor". I'm beginnning to think I have an obsession with that subject.

That's the point.

Mercenaries should be simple and easy to play and keep track of meatshields. And you shouldn't lose the game because they die.

Imagine a 2 player game with two 2CV heroes (random draws, right?), with not so hot skills and stats (lyssa & aurim). They wouldn't survive the first room normally. But with 2 mercs protecting them you can actually enjoy playing a weaker character, use their crap skills and perks and still have fun. Mercenaries may be tougher than, say, Lyssa, but Lyssa is a proud HERO, with fatigue, skills, items, potions and the player should concentrate on how to use her most efficiently, without losing time by micromanaging the other character.

Just play with each player using 2 characters

I think that is a realy good idea it helps out with the two player gaim so youy dont have to run two heroes by yourself

Biernath_John said:

Have you tried this out? It looks pretty low maintenance, like you say, so you could try it out next time you play.

PanzerKraken said:

I think the OP is saying that the second character just adds too much bookkeeping, so that wouldnt' really help. Also, two hero players would make a 3 player game, I think.

The idea of CV1 mercs is not a new one, yet I didn't try playing like that.

Now I'm addicted to Race for the Galaxy, and I play it almost exclusively - no time for other games. But I might find some time in December...