At which price do you hire elite backgrounds?

[Saint Scylla]

I'm currently at day 30 or so. My company lost a couple of brothers in a long trek through the frozen North* but we came back with 6000 coins, good loot and a lot of EXP. We visited a couple of fortresses but all the good fighters (level 2 or 3 Hedge Knight, Adventurous Noble, Squire, etc) are priced at 3000 or 4000. Quite a gamble without knowing their talents and traits, and a good chunk of the price is due to the equipment they carry.
So, as the title says: at which price do you hire elite backgrounds?

* it's insane over there: Orcs fighting Nachzherers on the road, large bands of armored Wiedergangers led by Necromancers in the country, gangs of Necrosavants attacking at night... Really fun, but uses a lot of tools.

[Andante]

sellswords and raiders are imo more cost effective, they have some of the best melee stats and *only* cost 2-3k.

[Cornuthaum]

'The problem with the elite backgrounds is that they all come with very expensive and often worse than what you already have prepared for them equipment. The 9k price tag on a hedge knight isn't because he's so good, it's because he's got, say, a Greatsword (3k), a Bascinet (3k) and a decent mail hauberk (1.5k)

I much prefer Sellswords even so, they just have better stats.

Also, I wish there was a "hire w/o equipment" option like in Jagged Alliance 2.

[Saint Scylla]

Thanks, do you know which buildings or settlements attract Sellswords and Raiders?

Originally posted by Cornuthaum:

Also, I wish there was a "hire w/o equipment" option like in Jagged Alliance 2.

Yep, it would be weird roleplay-wise, but very useful from a gameplay perspective.

[vlad728x]

Only if i have a lot of money to waste.
Best brother:
- cheap
- talanted in melee, melee def, stamina.
- have e good traits: iron lungs, Determined , Athletic, Brute.
- have a good stats.
Guys with elite backgrounds more or less have a good stats, but you don`t need good base without future for double price.
I hire Swordmaster or Retired Soldier for train brothers with Squire and Apprentice backgrounds, if I have found couple, who meet the requirements listed above. +4-5 meele very good.
You can find 1 - 2 elite backgrounds with traits & talents but if you playing iron man it will cost you a fortune. If playing with save you can save-hire all-check them- load- buy good ones.
Myself i don`t find more then 3 in reasonable time even with cheat on gold and hire / fire every person in every town (thats allow get new recruts faster).

In conclusion buy cheap guys you will faster find the best option with stats,traits, talents and a good base.

[WastedTrojan]

You can find sellswords in castles and big harbors and trade cities. My favorite recruits hands down, get a few before day 50.

[Muscarine]

Day 30 with 6k crowns get yourself some good armors, not a top tier background.

[nightworg]

Sellsword is a pain in the a... sometimes. There is an event where they wan't there sallary raised with like 10 gold. If you refuse they may leave you. With only 6000 i would hire a couple of these : Squire, Witchhunter, Retired soldier, Wildmen, Raider, Hunter.

[Steel]

I honestly prefer getting a retired soldier once I sit comfortably on gold, but I agree with Muscarine, the most important thing to do is getting decent armor on your frontline first and decent light armor on your archer, I have had more success in the game making sure everyone survives over getting 1 good recruit.

[Caveira]

Squire are cheap and very good, you can find some for less than 1k

[screeg]

Originally posted by Cornuthaum:

Also, I wish there was a "hire w/o equipment" option like in Jagged Alliance 2.

OMG, this is brilliant! Way to take a page from the greatest strategy game of all time (or at least my favorite, that's not up for debate).

[Rabid]

Originally posted by Totenkopf:

Squire are cheap and very good, you can find some for less than 1k

Yeah squires can be good if you find one cheap without much gear.

I still tend to go for farmers, brawlers and wildmen and then transition into sellswords after I have good armour, with raiders, adv nobles and hedge knights being a 'if the price is right' kind of thing. Hedge knights are the best but often come with a much higher price tag due to equipment I don't actually want...

It's worth keeping an eye out for high end recruits with particularly favourable equipment setups - you can nearly get a 'free' recruit like this, such as a squire for 2.5k who comes with a tier 3 mace, or a hedge knight with lamelar, bascinet and greatsword for 10k.