Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I'm looking to compile/a compilation of all the mercenary bands that are known to be active in the 40k universe.

From the Ophratean Purebreds to the Loxatl, who knows some?

Obviously there are the Kroot. I imagine that a few other Tau sub-races hire themselves out as mercenaries as well.

An ork clan famous for it's kunnin do act as mercenaries at times in exchange for weaponry. Blood Axes if I'm not mistaken.

There are of course less-than-loyal Guard/Ex-Guard regiments and sorties that are often hired out by corrupt planetary governors and the like. What were those ones in Emperor's Mercy?

Other than that I can't think of much.

Emperor's faithful is indeed correct, the Blood Axe clan is a mercenary clan. It tends to secure weapons and other materiel that way, and generally once they're done fighting for a faction they tend to turn on it with the weapons they were paid with. Apparently, this is considered hilarious comedy in Ork Kultur.

Weren't the blood axe somewhat hated?

i remember reading this somewhere

Retrias wrote:Weren't the blood axe somewhat hated?

i remember reading this somewhere

Well, the other clans think they are untrustworthy and un-orkish because they plan their battles and campaigns.

Yes Blood axes are seen as unorky by the others because they don't attack humans on sight.

There are lots of human mercenaries, of all kinds. Lots of human planets with warrior cultures send out mercenaries. Some use the best technology others use 2 handed swords and leather armour.

Eldar that have abandoned their craftwords often become pirates so could possibly be persuaded to fight.

There are probably merc armies from the unrepresented (model-wise) races, too. I think one is mentioned in the Inquisitor rulebook, but I can't remember what it is called.

The Demiurg are occasionally employed by 'unscrupulous' planetary governors. And I'm pretty sure ork Freebooterz hire themselves out as mercenaries.

the fallen dark angels are mercs

There's plenty of mercenary bands taht hire themselves out to PDF and noble lords. Not many are mentioned though, but there is such thing as a mercenary license you purchase from the Administratum (source: Dark Heresy).

That's great news Melissia, and thanks everyone else. I won't include Kroot because they are part of the Tau Empire now so I don't think they hire themselves out.

Tentative List:

Blood Axe Orks

Orphratean Purebred (snakeskin-wearing genebred storm troopers)

Loxatl (evil ass lizards with flechete blasters)

Eldar Corsairs

Zodgrod Wartsnagga (elite runtherd, for hire to Ork warbosses, i'll take license here)

Imperial Death Cults - Moritat Travails, Assassins

Gunslingers (Bounty Hunters?)

Rogue Traders

Squats? (Rise of the Tau fan fiction made them look SO cash)

Any others? I'm just looking for miscellaneous mentions in books.

Kroot tell the tau that they're all in on the greater good stuff, but they still hire themselves out afaik in order to get genetic diversity

Ordo Dakka wrote:

Squats? (Rise of the Tau fan fiction made them look SO cash)

The horror...

I'd avoid this one!

Ordo Dakka wrote:That's great news Melissia, and thanks everyone else. I won't include Kroot because they are part of the Tau Empire now so I don't think they hire themselves out.

Vitruvian is correct.

Tau: All right! Kroot gonna come join the Greater Good?
Kroot: Uh...sure. Whatevs.
Tau: That "eating other people thing"? That's pretty gross dude.
Kroot: Uh huh.
Tau: You...you're not fighting for other races for money are you?
Kroot: Huh? What? No! Nononono. No.
Tau: I thought we had something special.
Kroot: We do. We do have something special, man. But...you just gotta let me be me. It's how I roll.

Okay, not the most accurate account, but the whole Tau/Kroot relationship is pretty murky.

Alpharius wrote:

Ordo Dakka wrote:

Squats? (Rise of the Tau fan fiction made them look SO cash)

The horror...

I'd avoid this one!

But he had a FLAIL POWER WEAPON!

:( ok ok lets leave them out.

Tarellian dog-soldiers; as i recall they are Mercs.

Also they are Kobolds: in Space!

Ordo Dakka wrote:That's great news Melissia, and thanks everyone else. I won't include Kroot because they are part of the Tau Empire now so I don't think they hire themselves out.

Tentative List:

Blood Axe Orks

Orphratean Purebred (snakeskin-wearing genebred storm troopers)

Loxatl (evil ass lizards with flechete blasters)

Eldar Corsairs

Zodgrod Wartsnagga (elite runtherd, for hire to Ork warbosses, i'll take license here)

Imperial Death Cults - Moritat Travails, Assassins

Gunslingers (Bounty Hunters?)

Rogue Traders

Squats? (Rise of the Tau fan fiction made them look SO cash)

Any others? I'm just looking for miscellaneous mentions in books.

There's probably chaos and dark eldar mercenaries too.

There was a Dark Eldar Merc in "Even unto Death"

Iur_tae_mont wrote:There was a Dark Eldar Merc in "Even unto Death"

And in Dan Abnett's "Sabbat Matyr".

Theres also in the eisenhorn novels an encounter with a mercenary force used against Gregor by his enemies. They sounded like from their training and equipment like somewhere between veteran imperial guard to maybe just below storm trooper level ability and gear. The name of them escapes me. But they were definitely Imperial mercenaries.

Lexx wrote:Theres also in the eisenhorn novels an encounter with a mercenary force used against Gregor by his enemies. They sounded like from their training and equipment like somewhere between veteran imperial guard to maybe just below storm trooper level ability and gear. The name of them escapes me. But they were definitely Imperial mercenaries.

"Jenizaros Vessoritas" that was the spanish name... in english i don't know...surely the direct translation and yeah... pretty badass those guys

Emperors Faithful wrote:

Iur_tae_mont wrote:There was a Dark Eldar Merc in "Even unto Death"

And in Dan Abnett's "Sabbat Matyr".

Who the Sniper? I can't remember the DE merc :(

Ordo Dakka wrote:

Emperors Faithful wrote:

Iur_tae_mont wrote:There was a Dark Eldar Merc in "Even unto Death"

And in Dan Abnett's "Sabbat Matyr".

Who the Sniper? I can't remember the DE merc :(

The sniper was a blood pact soldier called Saul... and the DE (one of those guys who hides in the shadows, who is supossed to be the state-of-the-art assassin) Skarwael, well.... you know what happen when you mess against scottish ninjas, surely you know

Black Corsair wrote:

Ordo Dakka wrote:

Emperors Faithful wrote:

Iur_tae_mont wrote:There was a Dark Eldar Merc in "Even unto Death"

And in Dan Abnett's "Sabbat Matyr".

Who the Sniper? I can't remember the DE merc :(

The sniper was a blood pact soldier called Saul... and the DE (one of those guys who hides in the shadows, who is supossed to be the state-of-the-art assassin) Skarwael, well.... you know what happen when you mess against scottish ninjas, surely you know

OH the mandrake! I remember!

Blood Axe Orks

Orphratean Purebred (snakeskin-wearing genebred storm troopers)

Loxatl (evil ass lizards with flechete blasters)

Eldar Corsairs

Zodgrod Wartsnagga (elite runtherd, for hire to Ork warbosses, i'll take license here)

Imperial Death Cults - Moritat Travails, Assassins

Gunslingers (Bounty Hunters?)

Rogue Traders

DE Mercenaries <-- Mandrakes (often lone mercs, probably because they don't want a serrated knife in the back on payday

Vessorine Janissaries <-- Storm Trooper equivalents, they use auto-guns in cold weather to stop jamming

Athonian Tunnel Rats <-- guard infantry from a hive-world where gang-warfare is rampant, i'm assuming some of these are for-hire, but they are a guard regiment (p141 of rulebook)

The Demiurg (squats) MIGHT not be full members of the Tau Empire

The Fallen - Dark Angels <-- single members most commonly

I think they were called Vessorine Janissarys in English

Black Corsair wrote:

Ordo Dakka wrote:

Emperors Faithful wrote:

Iur_tae_mont wrote:There was a Dark Eldar Merc in "Even unto Death"

And in Dan Abnett's "Sabbat Matyr".

Who the Sniper? I can't remember the DE merc :(

The sniper was a blood pact soldier called Saul... and the DE (one of those guys who hides in the shadows, who is supossed to be the state-of-the-art assassin) Skarwael, well.... you know what happen when you mess against scottish ninjas, surely you know

What happened to the DE Merc?
A fething scottish ninja, that's what!

Also, apparently Mandrakes can pilot spaceships. Who knew?

Emperors Faithful wrote:

Black Corsair wrote:

Ordo Dakka wrote:

Emperors Faithful wrote:

Iur_tae_mont wrote:There was a Dark Eldar Merc in "Even unto Death"

And in Dan Abnett's "Sabbat Matyr".

Who the Sniper? I can't remember the DE merc :(

The sniper was a blood pact soldier called Saul... and the DE (one of those guys who hides in the shadows, who is supossed to be the state-of-the-art assassin) Skarwael, well.... you know what happen when you mess against scottish ninjas, surely you know

What happened to the DE Merc?
A fething scottish ninja, that's what!

Also, apparently Mandrakes can pilot spaceships. Who knew?

IMO if you have the lifespan of an eldar or a DE, if you don't learn to pilot even a little spaceship, means you're a fething lazy....

Lifespan of DE probably isn't that long once you think about it.
After Anal-Butt-Rape their No.1 Cause of death would be getting stabbed in the bacl.

I'll make my own list of the races I know to be merc, shall I?

Kroot
Several rogue SM's
Demiurg (Squats)
Inumerable human forces
Several rogue eldar
Blood Axes and several Freebotterz
Tarrelian Dog Soldiers (Space Lizardmen)
Abhumans

Caradochian: Not much info on them but they are a winged mercenary alien race. Think theres been no mention of them since rogue trader.