Mercenary Tiers & Rewards

The Mercenary system in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is a core component of progression, offering significant rewards and challenges. Understanding how to climb the tiers and effectively manage your bounties is crucial for acquiring powerful gear, drachmae, and valuable engravings. This section will guide you through the intricacies of the Mercenary system, from identifying targets to maximizing your tier advancement.

Understanding Mercenary Tiers

There are 9 Mercenary Tiers, ranging from Tier F (the lowest) to Tier S1 (the highest). You begin at Tier F and progress upwards by defeating other mercenaries who are ranked higher than you. Each tier offers increasingly valuable rewards, including permanent stat bonuses and unique engravings. Your current tier is displayed in the Mercenaries tab of your menu.

How to Advance Tiers:

Identify Higher-Ranked Mercenaries: Open your Mercenaries tab. Mercenaries ranked above you will have a gold icon next to their name. Prioritize these targets.
Locate and Track: Select a higher-ranked mercenary from the list. If you haven't encountered them yet, their location will be unknown. You can often find clues to their whereabouts by interacting with notice boards, looting defeated enemies, or completing bounties. Once located, you can track them directly from the map.
Engage and Defeat: Confront the mercenary. Be prepared for a challenging fight, especially against those several tiers above you. use your abilities, weapon advantages, and environmental hazards.
Confirm the Kill: After defeating a mercenary, ensure you confirm the kill by interacting with their body. This is essential for your rank to update.
Claim Your Spot: Upon defeating a higher-ranked mercenary, you will automatically take their place in the tier system, moving up one rank.

Mercenary Tier Rewards

Each time you advance a tier, you unlock a permanent passive bonus that applies to your character. These bonuses are cumulative and significantly enhance your capabilities as you climb the ranks. Here's a breakdown of some key rewards:

Tier F: Starting Tier.
Tier E: +2.5% Drachmae from Contracts and Bounties.
Tier D: +5% XP from Contracts and Bounties.
Tier C: +5% Discount at Blacksmiths.
Tier B: +5% Ship Ramming Damage.
Tier A: +5% Discount at Engravers.
Tier S3: +5% Health.
Tier S2: +5% Warrior Damage.
Tier S1: +5% Assassin Damage.

Beyond these passive bonuses, defeating specific mercenaries can also reward you with unique Legendary Engravings or powerful Legendary Gear. Always check the mercenary's profile in the Mercenaries tab to see their potential drops before engaging.

Managing Your Bounty

As you commit crimes (killing civilians, stealing, destroying state property), a bounty will be placed on your head. This attracts mercenaries who will actively hunt you down. While this can be a nuisance, it also presents an opportunity for tier advancement.

Strategies for Bounty Management:

Embrace the Hunt: If you're looking to climb tiers, intentionally raising your bounty can be an effective strategy. Higher-ranked mercenaries are more likely to pursue you when your bounty is high.
Pay Off Your Bounty: You can pay off your bounty at any time by interacting with a bounty sponsor (marked with a purse icon on the map) or directly from the map screen. This will clear all active bounties and stop mercenaries from pursuing you.
Eliminate the Sponsor: Alternatively, you can eliminate the individual who placed the bounty on your head. This will also clear your bounty and prevent further mercenaries from being dispatched for that specific bounty.
Use the Mercenary Tab: The Mercenaries tab clearly shows which mercenaries are currently hunting you. Use this to your advantage to plan ambushes or avoid unwanted encounters.

Tips for Efficient Mercenary Hunting

Scout Ahead: Before engaging a high-tier mercenary, use Ikaros to scout their location and identify any guards, environmental hazards, or advantageous positions.
Exploit Weaknesses: Mercenaries often have specific weapon preferences or elemental weaknesses. Check their profile in the Mercenaries tab to tailor your loadout accordingly.
use Abilities: Abilities like 'Hero Strike', 'Rush Assassinate', and 'Second Wind' are invaluable in mercenary encounters. Don't be afraid to use your Adrenaline.
Environmental Kills: Lure mercenaries near cliffs for a quick Spartan Kick, or into flammable areas for a fiery demise.
Nighttime Infiltration: Mercenaries, like most NPCs, have reduced awareness at night, making stealth approaches more viable.
Level Up Your Gear: Ensure your weapons and armor are consistently upgraded to match your level. A powerful mercenary can quickly overwhelm an under-geared Kassandra or Alexios.

By consistently engaging higher-ranked mercenaries, managing your bounty strategically, and using the tips above, you'll swiftly climb the Mercenary Tiers, unlocking powerful rewards and becoming a legend in the Aegean.