A further source of irregular troops are the bands of footloose young men and would be adventurers who wander off to seek their fortunes in such places as the Border Princes or the Wasteland. The most successful of these fighters may even end up as nobles in some distant land. Others become brigands or pirates, most are never seen again, but a steady stream return to their homeland, with scars, tall tales and a total inability either to settle down into normal society or accept discipline as regular soldiers. They are good fighters but liable to cause trouble in taverns, when they are not roaming around in dangerous bands.

The Elector Counts wisely seek to recruit such bands as irregular troops for two reasons. The first is to bring these headstrong fighters under some sort of control and thus prevent brigandage and rebellion. The other reason is that they represent a ready source of expendable troops, often brave, reckless and hardened to the rigours of campaigning. The polite and diplomatic term for such troops is 'Free Companies'. There are other terms which are less polite but more accurate!

Unit Size: 10+

Weapons & Armour: Free Company fighters are armed with a haphazard collection of weapons, including swords, daggers, halberds, bludgeons and pistols. However, for game purpose all models in a Free Company unit count as being armed with two hand weapons, regardless of what weapons they are actually wielding (since it tends to be their most common weapon choice).

Options:

• Any unit may be equipped with light armour (+1 pt per model).
• Upgrade one Fighter into a Musician (+5 pts).
• Upgrade one Fighter into a Standard Bearer (+10 pts).
• Promote one Fighter to Sergeant (+10 pts).

Special Rules: Militia.