Sounds like a solid start! I'd say you're using Bud right at this stage, mostly a rifle but occasionally let him fire that plasma gun when you need the possibility of a big hit. The Highwaymen of Darkmere and those dinosaur things (Cherooks?) you encounter on Aria's quest. Soon I'd let him go plasma full time, except where his big hits might inhibit the training of others.
I ran into my first tier 6 bounty! Grimdark fixed a bug and it sounds like I'll be seeing a lot more of them too, something like 45% when your bounty tally gets high enough. It was five opponents, two with Plasma guns and Duraplate, two with autorifles and at least combat armor and one idiot with a handgun in the long gun zone. I went home to get my 'A-Team,' I've been using bounties and the board clearing to train my new mercs Doyle and Felix and Rachael for respect, but I kinda figured this wasn't going to be a job for second-stringers. I saw a screenshot on the Discord where one of them was listed as a 'Black Gunner' and I sure as hell remember those guys from the trio guarding the Mindmancer.
Bud was a conundrum, he's up to 95 ranged and had the +5 bonus so I figured he was an auto-hit and of course those plasma bolts were free so I took him along, but broke Ayden out of mothballs and put the Space Marine's 140 ranged combat to use as well as Rebecca's 120 with the Warrioress and bitch bonuses. Bud's 75 health showed, he took the first shot by the bounty and lost 2/3rds of his health straight away, but thankfully did not take another shot. I do think in the long run I might decide Doyle belongs on the 'A-Team' or yank Olivia out of school (Warrioress auto-hit) as Bud has already gone down a few times and I don't want to see him get knocked up too badly. He's my Budman, right?
