what are the best early game recruits?

[Down with Orrix]

Hey there, really loving the game. Just wondering which professions and places get the best early game recruits. should i be spending less than 200, or like 400~ gold on my first recruits before trying to gear them up?

i keep getting some really poorly statted recruits and i feel like its costing me when they don't grow to their effectiveness. i recruited some 700 gold caravaner last game and he was killing people left and right with his high base melee attack and a polearm.

[Nurgus]

brawlers, farmhands, fishers, maybe thiefs, daytalers?! apprentice, im sure i forgot some

[WarWise]

Hey.
I usually go for guys without gear. When you hire noobs with gear you pay a lot for their equipment. Better to equip them with spare gear you have.

Each background gives you a random average on the most important stats, and also some hidden bonus or oportunities on special events.
For example, the trader has very low combat stats, but it seems to give some kind of bonus to trading, which could be good.

The really important thing are the STARS, and where they are set. A guy with at least one start in the major stats such as melee and ranged skill and melee and ranged defense and fatigue can turn out to be good.

If you get low initial stats on these and no stars, the guy will never end up good enough to last to end game.

These are my favorite combat backgrounds, in no special order:
Brawler: Good starting stats in combat skills.
Farmer: Good starting stats in fatigue and health.
Aprendice: Average skills, innate bonus to XP gain. Can be great or bad.
Fisher: Similar to farmer.
Wildman: Good starting stats in combat skills.
Caravan hands: Average stats.
Grave robber and grave digger: Good resolve, average combat skills.
Thief: Great defense stats.
Lumberjack: Great fatigue, health and combat skills.
Squire: Great stats overrall. Can be a great find if you find one with cheap gear.
Poacher and bowman: The best bets for early game ranged. Hunters are the best, but expensive.
Militia: Somewhat expensive, but good.
Witchhunter: Good stats overrall.

Average:
Dailytaler: Average stats, can be good or bad.
Deserter: Good combat skills, bad resolve.

Here is a list: https://battlebrothers.fandom.com/wiki/Character_Backgrounds

Besides the high end backgrounds such as noble and sellsword, I would avoid everyone else, unless you want them specificaly for their background, such as cultists or historians.

[BrowneHawk]

I think the important thing to keep in mind is anything under 200 is gonna give you some value. Lots of those recruit are cheaper than a wardog. And dont cost much to have per day.

[Kill'em ALL]

Farmhands and Brawlers are a mainstay of my early recruitment as they are both cheap and have boni to desirable statistics. I also like to get a Monk as early as possible, if only for all the positive events/preventing negative ones that he provides. He can also usually be your backline sergeant in the pinch.

Wildmen tend to be on expensive side early on (often prohibitively so to be honest) but can be really worth it if you can nick one for reasonable price. A good Bowyer is also worth getting as he can be a decent archer/crossbowman until you can get Hunters and also offers a chance to create a named bow which are otherwise notoriously hard to come by.

As stated before traits and talents are what mostly makes or breaks a recruit - you will always habe a use of someone with Iron Lungs and good fatigue, for instance.