Mercenaries become available in Graveyard Keeper 2 after you unlock the Barracks and can make the early battles against zombies much easier. The four fighters form a single squad, increase your Defense Power, and, once fully upgraded, can meet the requirements of some battles on their own. However, they will not fight for free, and their fee gradually increases after each victory. In this guide, we'll explain how to hire mercenaries, upgrade their equipment, and eventually replace monetary payments with wine.
The quest becomes available after Herbert's Fighting Spirit Required quest, when you give him 3 Faith and gain access to the Barracks. Go inside and speak with the Merc Leader. You do not need to craft weapons or armor for the four fighters at this stage. The squad is already fully equipped, and all you need to provide is payment for their services. We cover the previous requirements for unlocking the Barracks and preparing for the first operation in our walkthrough of all Herbert's quests.
How to Hire Mercenaries
During the conversation, choose the option to pay for the next battle. The first hire costs 5 silver. Once the dialogue is complete, the four mercenaries provide 8 Defense Power and become available as a single squad on the battle preparation screen.Image unavailableKeep in mind that you are not hiring them permanently. The payment covers one victory. If you lose the battle or leave before it begins, you do not need to pay again. After a successful battle, the contract ends, so you must return to the Merc Leader and hire the squad again before the next operation.Do not assume the mercenaries are active simply because they are standing inside the Barracks. Until the squad has been paid, it contributes 0 Defense Power. If the payment option disappears from the dialogue, the group has already been hired. Open the Barracks screen and check your current total instead of trying to pay them a second time.
How to Reach 12 Barracks Quality for Herbert
During the early Swords and Bell quest, Herbert requires you to raise the Barracks quality to 12. Paid mercenaries contribute eight points, so the easiest solution is to build two Barricade I structures worth two points each. This brings the total to exactly 12, allowing you to report back to Herbert.Image unavailableBarracks quality has nothing to do with how many swords or other items you are carrying. The game adds together the contribution from hired squads and defensive structures prepared in the Barracks.Do not forget to also give Herbert the Magic bell. Both objectives of Swords and Bell must be completed before you can proceed to the first proper counterattack.
How to Upgrade Mercenaries
The first equipment upgrade becomes available after winning the initial battle in Herbert's Hope It Doesn't go South questline. Return to the Barracks and speak with the Merc Leader. Give him 3 Iron Ingots to improve the squad's equipment. Once upgraded, the hired mercenaries provide 16 Defense Power instead of eight.The second upgrade becomes available immediately afterward. This time, you need 3 Steel Ingots, increasing the squad's Defense Power from 16 to 24. If you do not yet have access to steel production, continue progressing through the story until you unlock the Royal Foundry or use our guide to obtaining Steel and Steel Ingots.Image unavailableThese upgrades are permanent, but they do not replace the hiring fee. Even fully upgraded mercenaries provide their 24 Defense Power only after you pay them for the next battle. Before every operation, first make sure the squad is hired, then calculate your total Defense Power.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire Mercenaries?
The fee increases after each victory. The first battle costs 5 silver, the next costs 7 silver and 50 bronze, followed by 10 silver, 15 silver, and 20 silver. If you continue paying with money after that, the price rises to 1 gold per battle.For this reason, there is no point in setting aside exactly five silver for every future fight. Always check the current price in the dialogue before confirming the payment, especially if you have already used the squad several times. Once the fee becomes high enough, another quest becomes available that lets you replace the ever-increasing monetary cost with a different form of payment.
Inflation
The Inflation quest directly follows Hooligans for Hire and becomes available once the mercenary fee reaches 20 silver. Talk to the Merc Leader about their high rates, then ask for a small discount. The fighters will not agree to work for less money, but they will offer an alternative form of payment.Image unavailableTo complete the quest, bring 3 bottles of Wine and give them to the mercenaries. After that, money is replaced with wine as their permanent payment method: future battles require 3 bottles of gold-quality Wine. If you plan to keep using the mercenaries until the end of the campaign, this is generally much more convenient than paying one gold for every battle.
Are Mercenaries Worth Using?
Early in the game, mercenaries are the easiest way to quickly reach the required Defense Power. The squad provides 8 points at first, 16 after the first equipment upgrade, and 24 after the second. All four fighters also occupy only one squad slot, allowing you to combine them with zombie fighters and additional squads later in the game.There is only one important drawback: once hired, the mercenaries automatically participate in the next eligible battle and occupy one squad slot. This matters most in battles that allow only a single squad. If the mercenaries are already hired, you cannot replace them with your own zombies for that operation. In the sewer battles, however, this can actually be useful because barricades and towers are unavailable there, while fully upgraded mercenaries provide exactly the 24 Defense Power required for the second sewer battle on their own. In every other case, simply compare the squad's strength with the requirements of the operation you are about to start.
