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In WHFB my son fields a High Elves force with a lot of mercenaries (Dwarven axemen, Wood Elf archers, Dark Elf corsairs, Tomb King chariots, Bretonnian/Empire heavy cavalry etc). We usually play it as the Ellf troop (so Bretonnian "play as" Elven Heavy cavalry) but sometimes play as the original thing, makes for an interesting game.

Which 40K army would best be used in a similar way?

Fluff Wise I can see Tau having other races' troops as Auxilia, and Eldar skimmers would be believable, I can see the Imperium grabbing anything it can to help the Guard in dire straits, and maybe even a small or depleted Craftworld using mercenaries (as small or depleed staes have done since time immemorial).

As to combining troops but using them as themselves, that would require something like the roving mercenary companies of Medieval Europe - which 40K races are most likely to do that? I can imagine Human (IG, "rogue SM", CSM), DE, Orks and maybe even some Eldar being up for that.

Thoughts?

Eldar corsairs that operate outside of normal craftworld society i could see doing this. Kroot are mentioned repeatedly hiring out as independant mercs even though they're technically part of the empire still. Remember in most parts of the Imperium interaction with alien species. Be it trade , cooperation or fighting for mutual benefit is a huge heresy in itself. And can lead to such worlds populations being purged.

There are plenty of mercenary warbands in 40k

Like the Space Marines on Medrengrad in Dead Sky Black Sun.

coolyo294 wrote:Like the Space Marines on Medrengrad in Dead Sky Black Sun.

Yeah sort of... They were non-chaos renegades but yeah it's like that

If you have read the new Salamanders book: Fireborn there is a warband that includes various CSM, Dark Eldar and Kroot.

Ed_Bodger wrote:If you have read the new Salamanders book: Fireborn there is a warband that includes various CSM, Dark Eldar and Kroot.

You could field that with the DE list I guess - C:SM "Count As" Incubi, Kroot could be DE Warriors. Hmmm...Vespids as Scourges, "borrowed" Piranhas as Venoms.

The other option is the Lost & the Damned I suppose, though modelling the DE is a bit harder there

The ork codex might be a good rules system for a mercernary army as you can effectively field a shooty or assault based army that is still competitive and flexible.