>>96159438
Armour is a money trap for new warbands and new players. Even with heavy armour and shield, your armour save isn't going to do much - a single S4 strike with a 5gc axe will likely invalidate the entire 50gc heavy armour (and a S3 strike with one will cut the your 5+ to a 6+ anyway), and it's not like you'll likely roll successfully for a 5+ or 6+ often anyway.

Consider just a helmet, it's 4+ vs stunned is well worth the 10gc. Shields are also still useful because of how cheap they are, only 5gc for 6+ (even 2-handed weapon carriers get the 6+ on ranged attacks too) is fine, better than nothing. Body armours are a mid to late game investment, even better if you scavenge it for free later while exploring the ruins, to keep your now more experienced heroes and even henchmen alive.

Good job on taking the max heroes, those are your warbands lifeblood, and the double hammer/mace/club's for your Youngbloods, giving them concussion is a good way of improving their value (and why people tend to take helmets).

Mercenaries can't take slings iirc.