Ever dreamed of witnessing Joan of Arc leading Roman Centurions into battle, or Hannibal Barca deploying Japanese Samurai to conquer Rome? With the latest update to Age of Empires Mobile, your dreams can become a reality thanks to the new Mercenary Troops system. This exciting feature allows you to recruit units typically exclusive to other factions, bringing a fresh dynamic to your gameplay.

Starting at level 26, you'll unlock the Mercenary Camp, a new structure where you can contract and recruit these powerful warriors. Not only can you hire them, but you can also unlock and upgrade technology to enhance their combat abilities. To sweeten the deal, you can secure your first mercenaries for free through a special event that's currently live.

The Mercenary units you can add to your arsenal include Byzantine Cataphracts, Swiss Pikemen, Persian Immortals, Indian Battle Elephants, Roman Centurions, Egyptian Chariot Archers, Japanese Samurai, and Korean Archers. Each of these units comes with technology upgrades that will further boost their already impressive battlefield prowess.

The introduction of the Mercenary Troops system evokes memories of Total War games, like Rome: Total War and Medieval II, where players could overwhelm foes with hired swords. However, opinions may vary, as some players might feel this disrupts the game's balance. Only time will tell how this new system impacts the gameplay experience. Could we see unique units like the historical Landsknechts in future updates? We'll have to wait and see.

If you're eager to dive into the game and need guidance on which heroes to unlock first, check out our comprehensive tier list of all Age of Empires Mobile heroes, ranked by power. This will help you decide who's worth your time and resources.