Hiring mercenaries does not come without risk. Mercenaries can sometimes prove unwilling to endanger themselves for an employer, no matter how much gold they have received. To represent this, roll a D6 for each mercenary unit your army includes prior to deployment:
On a roll of 2+, the mercenaries have held up their side of the contract, arriving on time and willing to fight. The unit is treated as being a part of your army, as if drawn from your own army list.
On a roll of a 1, the mercenaries have proven to be unreliable. Immediately roll on the Misbehaving Mercenaries table to find out the extent of the betrayal:
D6 | Result |
1 | Heavy Night: The mercenaries spent the night before the battle drinking their way through their pay. They arrive on time, but smelling like a brewery and wincing at loud noises. The mercenaries gain the Stupidity special rule. If the unit already has the Stupidity special rule, it must apply a +1 modifier to the dice roll every time it makes a Stupidity test. |
2-3 | You Get What You Pay For: The mercenaries do not feel they have been paid particularly well to take part in this battle. This has caused considerable grumbling in the ranks and, consequently, the mercenaries are dragging their feet rather than getting stuck in. The unit suffers a -1 modifier to both its Movement and Initiative characteristics (to a minimum of 1) for the duration of the battle. |
4-5 | "Sorry, the Cockerel Didn't Crow": The mercenaries arrive, but late. However, their late arrival means they enter the battlefield from an unexpected direction. The mercenaries gain the Ambushers special rule and must be held in reserve at the start of the battle. If the mercenaries already have the Ambushers special rule, they will only arrive during turn 2 on a roll of a natural 6 (rather than the usual 4+). |
6 | General Apathy: For whatever reason, the mercenaries do not appear to be especially invested in their employer's cause. Consequently, they feel little reason to stick around when the going gets tough. The unit suffers a -1 modifier to its Leadership characteristic (to a minimum of 2) for the duration of the battle. |