Mercenary
Mercenaries, also known as mercs, are NPPs that are hired onto a ship when a crew member of officer rank or above clicks the "hire jobbers" checkbox, provided there are less than a specific number of yellow-named pirates on the ship. Compared to swabbies, mercenaries perform better at duty puzzles, in sea battle frays, and can also fight in haunted seas and atlantis frays.
Mercenaries are affiliated with the Crimson Company, and can be identified by their bright red name, and their unique feisty name adjectives.
Hiring
Mercenaries can be hired in the configure voyage menu, using a slider similar to the swabbie hiring slider. In order to be hired, each mercenary requires 5 rum spice aboard in addition to rum, and they will consume both as the voyage progresses at a rate of 1 fine rum and 1.6 rum spice per mercenary per hour. Mercenaries will leave the vessel if the amount of rum spice falls below 5 per mercenary.
The number of mercenaries available depends on the ship. They can be hired in greater numbers compared to swabbies, as they won't always leave when a jobbing pirate comes aboard.
- Sloop: 6
- Cutter, Dhow, Fanchuan :10
- Longship: 13
- Baghlah, Junk: 16
- Merchant Brig: 18
- War Brig: 23
- Merchant Galleon: 28
- War Galleon: 32
- Xebec: 36
- War Frigate: 54
- Grand Frigate: 75
Upon a ship being configured for a blockade, the number of mercenaries will reduce.
Mercenaries are also called aboard the ship when players leave in the middle of a sea battle or sea monster hunt, but only if a player leaves outside of a break and if there's sufficient rum spice aboard.
Performance
Mercenaries perform better than swabbies, achieving better scores in duty reports, and can perform duty navigation. They also try to team during swordfight or rumble melees.
In sea monster hunts, they can defend in frays, but do not perform treasure haul or foraging. In cursed isles they cannot take control of a thrall, but will participate in frays on the island.
During blockades they contribute to flag influence. They do not participate in most expeditions, and cannot generate maneuver tokens.
Pay
In addition to consuming rum spice, mercenaries also take the same share of booty during division as a regular pirate. During sea monster hunts, they take a share of treasure chests equal to the ratio of mercenaries to pirates. For example, if there are 30 pirates and 30 mercenaries aboard, the mercenaries will take 50% of the hauled chests as their share. This is done as the chests are hauled aboard, and is announced to those on board.
During blockades, mercenaries are paid the same jobber pay as other pirates. If there are insufficient funds set aside to cover jobber pay, or insufficient rum spice, the mercenaries will leave the vessel immediately, and cannot be jobbed back until the vessel is out of battle.
During flotillas, mercenaries will take a share of any booty pillaged or hauled, based on a flat rate. They also contribute a flat rate to the restocking cut.
Historical notes
- Mercenaries were introduced with release 2023-03-28.
