Note:This article might be outdated. You can help out by reviewing the contents for outdated information, making changes as necessary, once you believe the article is up to date, amend the based on version number. Based On: Warband 1.172 Latest Version: 1.174
They are closest in appearance and capability to Swadian Crossbowmen but require higher wages, making them less alluring. Mercenary Crossbowmen can provide a useful replacement for lost troops in the short term but should not be relied on due to their average abilities. However, though not as adept as Rhodok Veteran Crossbowmen or Rhodok Sharpshooters/Swadian Sharpshooters, Mercenary Crossbowmen can still inflict relatively consistent casualties on tiers-two-and-three troops if they are protected from melee combat by infantry lines.
As with all crossbowmen, it is advised you keep them on a hill with a screen of shielded melee troops to prevent devastating cavalry charges as well as to soak up hostile projectile fire - Mercenary Crossbowmen fare poorly in close combat against all but the weakest melee troops. Do note that they are the only fully-upgraded tier-three troops in the game, making them quite superior to same-tier ranged equivalents but with the downside of stagnating at mid-level.
Stats and Equipment[]
Note: Troops have a set of default stats; at the beginning of a new game, these stats are randomly adjusted for each type of troop. The following is the default set for this troop as seen within the game code and may not reflect the specific stats you will see during actual gameplay. For more information, see troop stats.
Mercenary Crossbowman - Default Stats and Equipment