Warhammer 40K: Grimdark Mercenary Forces
Imperial. Chaos. Xeno. It doesn’t matter as long as you’ve got what they want – cold, hard cash! Here are the Merc units we’d love to see in 40k.
The galaxy is ablaze with wars and battles that rage in every corner. With all those wars being fought, there are bound to be some folks who just want to cash in and get paid. They might be pirates, deserters, traitors, mutants, or just bored – but these are the Mercs who we’d love to see introduced (or in some cases RE-introduced) to the game!
Ideally, we’d like to see a supplement that would be similar to the Dogs of War army book from old Warhammer Fantasy that had a ton of units that could be “hired” by the different armies. GW could introduce restrictions for who would hire these Mercs – but we’ll let them sort it out. For now, we’re just wish-listing here. So let’s get right into it.
Kroot Mercs
“Hey, Kroot are already in the game!” Yes – but not a proper Kroot Mercenary company. They have been relegated to T’au allies and can’t be used by anyone else, much less form their own army. We’d like to see them get an expanded role and maybe even an HQ or two to lead them. Hey, if the Space Marines can have a million chapters, can’t the Kroot get 1 merc company?
Beastmen
We’ve already seen Gor Half-horn introduced in Necromunda. Plus we’ve seen the Beastmen from Blackstone Fortress:
Clearly, there are Beastmen running around in 40k. Why haven’t they formed a herd and started offering their services to the highest bidder?! Don’t tell me they are on the lamb, either. Perhaps they just need a Shepherd to come along and guide them to greater things…
Beastmen in 40k could either be mutants or twisted by chaos – but we know at least one of them moves in Imperial-adjacent circles. This would be a pretty cool side-faction to expand upon and make a real Merc Company!
Aeldari Corsairs (Outcasts)
Prince Yriel didn’t always play so well with other Aeldari. He used to be known as a Pirate and a Corsair. There are actually a TON of Aeldari characters, units, and ACTIVE Corsair groups that float among the stars. As a sub-faction, it would be great to see them get a mini-dex or supplement treatment. They may come to the aid of their Aeldari kin or they could be paid to show-up and pick-off some weaker units while the “main” battle is taking place. Whatever the reason, the Corsairs would bring that Aeldari gracefulness to a Merc Company!
Blood Axes
Blood Axe Commandos are certainly a part of the game. Heck, they even have their own Ork Kultur and could easily be fielded as a full army. So why are they on this list? Because we’d love to see them branch out more.
They are one of the few Ork Clans that is willing to embrace “Da Hummies” tactics. They openly trade with the Imperium’s more backwater worlds anyways. What form of payment do you think the Humans take because it’s certainly not Ork Teeth. Readers, it’s already canon too:
I’m not saying that we open the flood gates an allow a full Ork-Imperium alliance, but it would be cool to be able to take a unit or two as Merc allies!
Blackstone Fortress Mercs
We’ve already mentioned the Beastmen from Blackstone Fortress, but what about the REST of these mercs? It’s a pretty diverse cast of characters with a Rogue Trader, Aeldari Ranger, Kroot Merc, Religious Zealots, a pair of deserters, a Rogue AI, and a Navigator. Shoot – three of them are basically already on this list – why not the rest of them? Specifically, I’d like to see more Rogue Traders show up and be able to be “hired” by other, non-Imperial armies. And the Imperial Navigator? That character opens up a whole new world of possibilities.
Blackstone Fortress, if nothing else, shows that there are folks out there that will look past their outside appearance and are willing to work towards a common goal: Getting Filthy Stinkin’ Rich!
Demiurg
Sure, they are allies with the T’au, but what do you think a bunch of Space Mining Dwarves are REALLY after? Money. Lots and lots of money. Why? Because they wanna be rich! And Merc work in the Grimdark has to pay well.
What other Merc Units would you like to see added to the game as “real” units? Let us know you’re suggestions in the comments!
