Tactical Tuesday: Join the Best…
…or Don’t Bother Showing Up
Alright, listen up. You don’t call yourself a merc without backing it up. If you’re here, you’re looking for something tougher. Something sharper. You’re sniffing around for a shot at joining them. The mercenary outfit with the kind of reputation that wakes people up in a cold sweat. These guys aren’t your barroom brawlers or wannabe heroes—I’m talking the hardest, leanest pack of professional killers-for-hire you’ll find anywhere. If you don’t have what it takes, stop pretending and scram now, because this crew doesn’t babysit. They break you—or worse—and only the best damned soldiers come out the other end standing.
Who They Are
This is a band of hardened warriors that blows ordinary outfits out of the water. They don’t ask about your past. Hell, they don’t care if you were a deserter, a thief, or some farmhand that stabbed their way out of a backwater brawl—if you can cut it, the slate’s wiped clean. If you can’t, you’ll be lucky to just walk away.
The outfit runs on discipline, skill, and grit. When you swear loyalty, it’s not to a flag or a king—it’s to them. The chain of command is God, and the rules are the gospel. You disobey, you screw up, you flinch in the face of death—well, they’ve got real creative ways to make sure you learn why that was the last mistake you’ll make. They don’t need bleeding hearts or glory hounds; they need fighters who’ll walk through hellfire because the order was given. That’s what makes them the elite.
What They Do
Where do they go? Wherever the war pays best. Small towns full of insurgents? Backwater jungles crawling with unseen death? Deserts hotter than the devil’s griddle? These guys are the cutting edge. Infantry, recon, airborne drops behind uncharted lines—this crew answers the call when others would run. They’re not there to wave flags or kiss babies; they’re there to win—or at least die trying.
Make no mistake, their missions are messy, brutal, and often the kind that governments like to forget. Need a rogue warlord extracted from inside his palace? Done before breakfast. Unstable region in the middle of imploding? Drop them in, and they’ll carve order out of chaos—if that pays the contract.
Training the Meat
Recruits don’t become full-fledged mercs overnight. The group takes its time grinding wannabes into the hardened professionals they need. Basic training is hell—days fade into nights, an unbroken cycle of blood, sweat, and dirt. You’ll march until your legs give out, shoot until you can hit a sparrow blindfolded, and fight until you forget what pain feels like.
Advanced training pushes you even further. Forced marches through unimaginable terrain, mastering close-quarters kills, survival in a dozen hostile conditions. The ones who break—because some always do—get thrown out or worse. You don’t fail upwards here. You survive and get better—or you don’t. Simple as that.
Deployment
Once you’ve earned your stripes, you’ll be sent to the kind of places that don’t earn postcards. Swamps rank with decay. Frozen cliffs haunted by death itself. Forgotten towns filled with the smell of ruin. Whatever the employer wants is where you’ll fight—and you’ll do it with precision and fury.
And here’s the thing. Your commanding officer? They’re not just watching the mission. No, they’re watching you. One strikeout, one screw-up that risks the mission or your team, and you’ll find yourself assigned to tasks that would make shoveling manure look cozy. Worse still—they might not just reassign you. They might turn you into an example for the rest of the squad.
The Code
Every merc outfit has rules, but this one? Their rules aren’t for show. Discipline runs everything. Off-duty hours? Sure, you might get them—but screw around, break civilian code, or wander off base? Your commander owns you, and they’ll decide just how badly you’re gonna hate life afterward. Sometimes it’s dropping pay. Sometimes it’s confiscating gear. Sometimes it’s hauling extra rations over a mountain with no sleep… just for the lesson.
But if you rise through the hell? If you prove you’re something more than just another nobody with a gun? Then you’ll earn a place among the most legendary soldiers for hire the world has never wanted to meet.
And here’s what makes these guys the real deal—the outfit takes care of its own. You get hurt on the job or wear yourself thin after too many wars, they’ve got places for you to recover, even in retirement. They don’t forget their brothers, living or dead. Comradeship like this? It’s rare.
The Final Word
You think you’ve got what it takes to join? Think long and hard before answering. It’s not just a job; it’s a promise. A promise that the next time you get dropped into some hellhole or betrayal’s rising like a storm, this group is the only thing keeping your sorry ass alive.
But hey, if you’ve got guts, grit, and a half-decent aim? There’s space for you in the realm of legends. Though most don’t make it past the handshake.
2d6 Table 1: Mission Objectives
When your squad gets the call, roll to see what kind of hell you’re walking into.
| Roll | Objective |
|---|---|
| 2 | Neutralize a rogue warlord entrenched in a remote fortress. |
| 3 | Extract a valuable defector from enemy-controlled territory. |
| 4 | Secure a downed intel drone before hostile forces arrive. |
| 5 | Eliminate an enemy weapons convoy moving through a jungle path. |
| 6 | Protect a high-value target during travel through treacherous terrain. |
| 7 | Recon and report activity in a disputed war zone—don’t get noticed. |
| 8 | Destroy an enemy supply depot in a heavily-guarded compound. |
| 9 | Retrieve stolen prototype tech from a fortified black-market den. |
| 10 | Maintain control of a contested outpost until reinforcements arrive. |
| 11 | Disrupt enemy communications before an impending assault. |
| 12 | Carry out an air assault and secure a key position deep behind enemy lines. |
2d6 Table 2: Unexpected Complications
The plan never survives first contact. Roll to see what goes sideways.
| Roll | Complication |
|---|---|
| 2 | A local informant turns out to be a double agent. |
| 3 | Your extraction vehicle gets shot down, leaving you stranded. |
| 4 | An unexpected sandstorm, blizzard, or flood hits mid-mission. |
| 5 | Friendly forces are mistaken for enemies—firefight ensues. |
| 6 | Supply crates meant for you end up in enemy hands. |
| 7 | Half the squad comes down with severe illness or poison. |
| 8 | Intel was bad—enemy has double the expected numbers. |
| 9 | Civilians are caught in the crossfire, complicating your tactics. |
| 10 | Enemy reinforcements arrive sooner than expected. |
| 11 | A key squad member goes missing during the mission. |
| 12 | A communications blackout leaves you cut off from HQ. |
2d6 Table 3: Squad Personalities
Every squad’s got its share of characters. Roll to flesh out their quirks.
| Roll | Personality |
|---|---|
| 2 | The grim sniper who only speaks when it’s absolutely necessary. |
| 3 | The battle-scarred medic with a dark sense of humor. |
| 4 | The hotheaded explosives expert itching for something to blow up. |
| 5 | The rookie trying to prove themselves, no matter the cost. |
| 6 | The gruff squad leader who doesn’t explain orders—just expects results. |
| 7 | The chatterbox gearhead who’s never quiet for a second. |
| 8 | The ex-con who joined to escape their past but still has short nerves. |
| 9 | The idealist who keeps reminding everyone why they fight. |
| 10 | The knife-wielding close combat specialist who enjoys the work a little too much. |
| 11 | The sharpshooting gambler who bets on anything and everything. |
| 12 | The quiet but deadly veteran, always one step ahead of the team. |
2d6 Table 4: Battlefield Scars
Every fight leaves a mark. Roll for the visible and invisible scars your mercenary carries.
| Roll | Scar |
|---|---|
| 2 | A vicious limp from a firefight gone bad. |
| 3 | Burn scars across the hands from a failed explosives mission. |
| 4 | An empty sleeve where an arm used to be. |
| 5 | A jagged facial scar leaving one eye permanently shut. |
| 6 | A deep grudge after losing the team in an ambush. |
| 7 | A tattoo tribute to a fallen comrade, burned into the skin. |
| 8 | Permanent shrapnel wounds crisscrossing the torso. |
| 9 | A barely controlled tremor that worsens under pressure. |
| 10 | A missing finger from a knife fight that went too far. |
| 11 | Tinnitus from too many close explosions. |
| 12 | A haunted expression, etched into the face, from seeing too much. |
These tables will spice up your TTRPG mercenary adventures with grit, danger, and depth—good luck out there, soldier.
The following tables add additional depth to your mercenary outfit and spark intragroup drama, perfect for a gritty military TTRPG experience.
2d6 Table 5: Group Reputation
What’s the word on the street about this mercenary outfit? Roll to find out.
| Roll | Reputation |
|---|---|
| 2 | Bloodthirsty and ruthless—they leave no survivors and take no prisoners. |
| 3 | Ghostlike—missions completed with no trace of who did it. |
| 4 | Reliable but expensive—the best doesn’t come cheap. |
| 5 | Wildcards—effective, but prone to leaving collateral damage. |
| 6 | Honor-bound mercs—known for protecting civilians (but for a price). |
| 7 | Shadowy—no one knows who’s in the group or where they’ll strike next. |
| 8 | Highly professional—they stick to the contract and finish the job clean. |
| 9 | Tactical geniuses—they turn impossible odds into victories. |
| 10 | Feared deserters—rumored to be run by ex-military turned outlaw. |
| 11 | Unpredictable—loyal to whoever pays, but no one knows for how long. |
| 12 | Legendary—they’ve pulled off impossible missions no others would dare. |
2d6 Table 6: Specialized Skills
What sets this mercenary crew apart? Roll to find out their unique edge.
| Roll | Specialization |
|---|---|
| 2 | Urban warfare specialists—masters of CQB and city ops. |
| 3 | Demolitions—they seem to have a love affair with making things explode. |
| 4 | Covert operations—infiltration and espionage are their bread and butter. |
| 5 | Tactical logistics—experts at sustaining troops in long engagements. |
| 6 | Recon experts—scouts with heightened awareness and great intel accuracy. |
| 7 | Guerrilla tactics—hit-and-run specialists, unpredictable and effective. |
| 8 | Anti-armor—famous for their ability to neutralize tanks and vehicles. |
| 9 | Long-range specialists—snipers that turn the tide of battles from afar. |
| 10 | Heavy weapons—bring in this crew to level a battlefield. |
| 11 | Psychological warfare—they manipulate fear in both allies and enemies. |
| 12 | Combined arms coordination—experts at using all resources as one force. |
2d6 Table 7: Internal Conflicts
Tensions brew beneath the surface. Roll for what’s causing friction within the squad.
| Roll | Conflict |
|---|---|
| 2 | Someone leaked team intel to a rival group, and no one knows who. |
| 3 | Two squadmates are in a bitter rivalry over a past betrayal. |
| 4 | A merc refuses to follow orders, questioning the chain of command. |
| 5 | A lost mission caused casualties, and blame is being passed around. |
| 6 | Someone’s hiding serious injuries, putting the squad at risk. |
| 7 | Authority clash—one merc thinks they should be running the show. |
| 8 | Allegations that someone is holding out extra loot or payments. |
| 9 | A squad member’s dark past has resurfaced, causing doubt from others. |
| 10 | Fighting over a rookie’s place in the squad—liability or potential? |
| 11 | Distrust over unnamed debts—who does someone owe, and why? |
| 12 | A merc’s habit (drugs, gambling, or recklessness) threatens the group. |
2d6 Table 8: Shared Secrets
What stories tie the squad together? Roll for a secret that binds the group—even if it’s a ticking bomb.
| Roll | Secret |
|---|---|
| 2 | The squad has a shared stash of black-market loot hidden off-grid. |
| 3 | They once accepted a mission but broke the contract for moral reasons. |
| 4 | A high-ranking officer from HQ is paying them under the table. |
| 5 | The squad left someone behind on a mission—they never discuss it. |
| 6 | They betrayed a client but made it look like an accident. |
| 7 | A mission went off-book, and they wiped out a village—it still haunts them. |
| 8 | They know the location of a top-secret weapon the world’s eager to find. |
| 9 | The squad once faked their deaths to escape bad intel and angry clients. |
| 10 | On a failed op, they made a deal with a warlord to walk away alive. |
| 11 | The squad is rumored to be protecting a person of interest in secret. |
| 12 | They’ve seen classified intel and know something world-shaking. |
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