[tasti man LH]

So, what books would I look at to find information regarding the various mercenary companies of Shadowrun?

Fields of Fire isn't quite what I'm looking for since flipping through that, all it's about is how to play a mercenary character and not necessarily about the merc corporations and outfits.

I do already own 10 Mercs, but I'm looking for information on the "mainstream" merc companies, so to speak. What books are there for that?

And as an additional note: any particular merc corp that specializes in assassination or unconventional warfare?

[Nightmare]

And as an additional note: any particular merc corp that specializes in assassination or unconventional warfare?

10,000 Daggers has been mentioned as one of the types to take potential assassination/unconventional warfare contracts.

[Mystic]

WAR! for the fluff. State of the Art 2063 and Fields of Fire have info, but dated. Runner Havens mentions Combat, Inc. And Vice mentions the connection between the 58th Battle Brigade and the Triads. 

But there is also some up to date stuff in the Aztlan section of Storm Front.

[Crimsondude]

State of the Art: 2063

The big four are MET2000, Tsunami, Combat, Inc., and 10,000 Daggers.

[Carpool]

El Caudrillo! I worked them into the background of my weapons specialist and our GM has used Picador to pull me and our team into some weeeeeeeeeeeeeeird shit

[Crimsondude]

Fields of Fire is the shit as far as any sourcebook for any game goes. I have a merc buddy who treats it as his bible. No shit.

[Mystic]

El Caudrillo! I worked them into the background of my weapons specialist and our GM has used Picador to pull me and our team into some weeeeeeeeeeeeeeird shit

That puts a smile on my face. 

[Carpool]

Quote from: Carpool on July 12, 2014, 08:20:55 PM
El Caudrillo! I worked them into the background of my weapons specialist and our GM has used Picador to pull me and our team into some weeeeeeeeeeeeeeird shit

That puts a smile on my face. 


Oh thank you! Breaker is the most well realized of my character, even if he began as a copypasta of the 4e Weapons Spec, he took on a life of his own and background that has endured.

[Sengir]

WAR! for the fluff

Recommending that book borders on criminal assault...and the fluff it has on mercenaries is mostly just repetition from SOTA 63, nothing really to be gained from reading it.


As for the original question, 10,000 Daggers are the largest group which specializes in unconventional warfare.

[martinchaen]

I thought WAR! was a good book. I see absolutely no problem recommending it, as it has far more than just repeated material from SOTA 2063 in addition to some of that.

[tasti man LH]

Well, when I actually peeked at WAR!, the only bad thing I can think of about that section is just Aufhenban waxing poetic about how awesome Black Star is...without really explaining what Black Star DOES.

Still, 10,000 Daggers? I'll keep that in mind....

[Mystic]

Well, when I actually peeked at WAR!, the only bad thing I can think of about that section is just Aufhenban just waxing poetic about how awesome Black Star is...without really explaining what Black Star DOES.

Still, 10,000 Daggers? I'll keep that in mind....

I've always considered Black Star as "insurgents for hire" blanketing themselves in righteous indignation. But as a whole, they're of little consequence after they were gutted by the end of the war.

[Crimsondude]

Well, when I actually peeked at WAR!, the only bad thing I can think of about that section is just Aufhenban just waxing poetic about how awesome Black Star is...without really explaining what Black Star DOES.

Officially, they are the violent arm of the "official" anarchist movement.

This secretive group is unusual for a large-scale anarchist organization in that it is composed almost exclusively of shadowrunners. Operating underground, its intended goal is to recruit, train and foster insurrectionist activities. Some anarchists view this group as somewhat elitist, and it does indeed serve a paramilitary special forces role for the anarchist movement at times. Organized into networked affinity teams, Black Star runners do not hesitate to take on shadow ops that put a dent in the system.

Realistically, what Mystic said.

[tasti man LH]

Well, FWIW, all this is because I have a player who wants to make a character that's a merc, in 4th edition (circa 2073), so naturally the events of Storm Front haven't happened yet. So even if he does pick Black Star (which I doubt) they aren't in the state of being completely gutted as they were at the end of the AzAm War.

[Sengir]

I thought WAR! was a good book. I see absolutely no problem recommending it, as it has far more than just repeated material from SOTA 2063 in addition to some of that.

Sure, it also adds
- Killing Holocaust victims once over to steal their necromantic treasures (worth 1500 ¥ or something and violating every rules on magic items)
- Typography running berserk
- Information on street festivals alternating with sections claiming the city looks like a second Stalingrad
-- And again alternating with blurps on jungle warfare, because on of the few constants in the book is the authors' assumption that Bogota lies in the rainfores
- Aircraft carriers turned into submarines because the authors didn't know what "Ballast Tanks" do in SR
- Explosive rules which turn a bag of hand grenades into a mini nuke
- MRSI for arrows which simply doubles their damage
- The comically overpowered Slow spell

What it doesn't have: Any information on the actual war. No front lines, battles, geographic references, not even a single map in the whole book. This "product" is so exceptionally comically bad and devoid of any saving graces that it can't even work as a cautionary tale.