Lo-Fi Games

How can you find more mercs to hire, I tend to only find one merc per town.
Also, what is the best way to gear up? it is quiet annoying doing one guy at a time.
Another question is what is the best equipment to use? Armor wise, Sword wise, hat, shoes, etc.

Thanks for any help.

How do you create a big squad like that and max out your stats. I really want to test stuff like that out.