BASIC RULES:
1 Recovery Phase -
May turn over models which have been stunned and are lying face down.
May stand up models which have been knocked down and are lying face up.
2 Movement Phase -
a) Chargers Declare and Move all chargers
b) Remianing Moves Move remaining warriors
Running
When running move model at double his Movement value. The model cannot shoot of fight that turn.
Charging
May only charge modle in line of sight (360o) but may not charge past an enermy within 2".
Double Movement but must end with the attacker touching the enermies base. If you cannot reach the modle with a charge then move the warrior his normal movement towards the enemy.
May charge up stairs and over objects by passing Inititve test on 1D6 (6 always fails).
Jumping Down
May jump off roofs, balconies ect. Take a Inititve test for each 2" jumped upto a max of 6". If warrior fails roll for damage.
Diving Charge
If the enemy is within 2" of were you land you may charge. +1 Str. for each 2" jumped and +1 ‘to hit’ bonus during H-to-H combat
Falling
If a warrior is knocked down or stunned within 1" of a roof or buildings edge, then he must pass an Inititive testor he will fall.
If he falls he takes D3 hits at a strength equal to the distance fallen. Falling ignors armour saves but does not cause critical hits.
3. Shooting
During the shooting phase of your turn, each of your warriors may shoot once with one of his weapons. This means you can fire a bow, shoot with a crossbow or hurl a throwing knife, for example.
Work through the models one at a time. Pick which fighter is going to shoot, nominate his target, work out if he hits the enemy and, if he does so, any wounds or injuries caused, and then continue to the next shooter. You can take shots in any order you wish, but be sure to remember which models have already shot.
Hitting the Target
Use exactly the same method to hit your opponents as you would in a normal game of Warhammer. So, for example, a warrior with a Ballistic Skill of 3 will hit his enemies on a D6 roll of 4+ if no modifiers apply.
Modifiers for hard and soft cover, large targets, moving and shooting and so on apply, except that there is no penalty for shooting at individual targets, as all targets move as individual models.
Closest Target
You must shoot at the closest enemy as he represents the most immediate threat and therefore the most obvious target. However, you may shoot at a more distant target if it is easier to hit. For example, a closer target may be harder to hit because it is partly obscured by cover whilst a more distant target might be in the open and therefore an easier shot.
Range
Once you have decided to shoot and have chosen a target, you must measure to see whether the shot is within range. Each type of missile weapon has a maximum range as indicated in the Warhammer rulebook.
Assuming your target is within range you can proceed with the shot. If the target is out of range then you have automatically missed.
4. Hand to Hand Combat
Follow all the normal rules for hand-to-hand combat as explained in the Warhammer rulebook. Any exceptions are detailed below.
Who Strikes First
The model which charged the enemy strikes first. Otherwise, models fight in order of descending initiative. If the initiative values are equal, roll a dice to see who fights first. If a model has stood up in the Recovery Phase, he will strike last irrespective of all other circumstances.
Warriors Knocked Down
If an enemy is fighting a Warrior who was Knocked Down at the beginning of the hand-to-hand combat phase, he may attack him to put him out of his misery. Roll to hit as normal. If any of the attacks hit, the warrior goes out of action as explained before.
Warriors Stunned
A warrior who is stunned is at the mercy of his enemy. In one-on-one combat any model that is stunned is automatically taken out if a warrior decides to hit him with any of his attacks. Note that you may not stun and then automatically take a warrior out of action during the same hand-to-hand combat phase. If a warrior was standing at the beginning of the hand-to-hand combat phase, you must roll a 5-6 on the Injury Table to put him out of action during that phase, even if there are several opponents fighting against him or his opponent has multiple attacks.
In multiple combats a stunned warrior has more chance of survival. Where two or more models are fighting on the same side, some may be stunned and crawl away at 2" in their movement phase as long as one continues to fight.
Moving from Combat
Once models are engaged in hand-to-hand combat they cannot move away in their Movement phase. They must fight until they are taken out of action, or until they take out their enemies. Unlike in the normal game of Warhammer, there are no Break tests.
The exception to this rule is that if all your opponents are knocked down or stunned, you may move away from the combat if you wish, and even charge other enemies within range.
Critical Hits
If you roll a 6 when rolling to wound (whether you are using missile weapons or hand-to-hand weapons) you will cause a critical hit. Critical hits represent lucky shots or masterful strikes which give even relatively weak warriors a chance to tackle the most powerful heroes. Roll on the Critical Hit Table to determine the damage cause by the hit.
1-2: Hits weak spot: The attack ignores all armour saves.
3-4: Double Hit: The attack causes double the number of wounds it would normally cause. Roll any armour saves separatley.
5-6: Master Strike: The hit ignores all armour saves, causes double the number of wounds it would normally cause, and you gain +2 to any injury rolls.
Injuries
If the target has more than 1 wound then deduct 1 wound from his total for each wound he suffers. So long as the model has at least 1 wound remaining, he can continue to fight.
As soon as a fighter suffers his last remaining wound, roll to determine the extent of his injuries. The player who inflicted the wound rolls a D6 and consults the Injury table below.
1-2: Knocked Down: The force of the blow knocks the warrior to the ground. Lie the model face up to show that it has been "knocked down".
3-4: Stunned: The target falls to the ground, where he lies wounded and barely conscious. Lie the model face down to show that the warrior has been "stunned".
5-6: Out of Action: The target has been badly wounded and falls to the ground, unconcscious. He takes no further part in the game and the model is immediatley removed from play.
Knocked Down
A knocked down fighter falls to the ground, either because of a jarring blow he has sustained, because he has slipped, or because he has thrown himself to the ground to avoid injury. Lie the model face up to show that it is knocked down. The fighter cannot fight in hand-to-hand combat.
At the beginning of the warriors next turn he can stand up. The fighter may move at half rate (though he may not charge) and may shoot, but if he is engaged in hand-to-hand combat he may not move away, and will automatically strike las regardless of weapons or initiative. After this turn the model may fight normally even though it has 'zero' wounds left. If the model takes further wounds then roll for injury once more, just as if the model has sustained it's last wound.
Stunned
When a warrior is stunned, he is either badly injured or temporarily knocked out. Turn the model face down to shot the the warrior has been stunned. A model which has been stunned may do nothing but crawl 2" in the movement phase. The model may be turned over in the recovery phase, and is then treated as if it was knocked down.
Out of Action
Out of action indicates that the warrior is out of the combat and also out of the game. Remove the model from the tabletop.
Multiple Wounds
Some weapons cause multiple wounds, and some critical hits have a similar effect. In this case roll seperatly on the Injury Table for each wound suffered.
WEAPONS AND ARMOUR:
Weapons used in Warhammer Skirmish games are by and large the same ones you use in the Warhammer game, though there are several new weapons which suit the style of skirmish fighting.
Apart from the standard weapons there are several more unusual weapons which are rarer or more suited to individual warriors than units of troops. Life and death in Mordheim is decided by the amount and quality of weapons a man (or Dwarf, or Orc) carries. Below we describe the different weapons which warriors may wield as well as other equipment such as armour and shields. It is not unusual to see these much rarer weapons used in the streets of Mordheim.
Hand-to-hand Weapons
Dagger:
Daggers and knives are extremely common, and men are allowed to carry them in places where weapns are othersie forbidden. Many a warrior in Mordheim has died with a dagger stuck in his back
Range Strength Save Mod. Special
Close Combat As user -1 - None
Axe:
The axe is the traditional equipment of the Empire woodsman, and in poorer, rural areas it is also used as a weapon. An axe has a heavy blade and, if swung by a strong man, it is a difficult weapon to parry. The heavy blade of an axe can easily cut through armour, though it requires considerable strength from the wielder.
Range Strength Save Mod. Special
Close Combat As user - Extra -1 save mod.
Special Rules
Cutting Edge: A battle axe has an extra save modifier of -1, so a model with S4 using a battle axe has a -2 save modifier when he hits an opponent in hand-to-hand combat.
Hammer / Staff / Mace / Club:
Perhaps the simplest type of weapon, a hammer or a mace is brutal but never-the-less effective. These weapons range from the primitive wooden clubs studded with spikes to elaboratley forged Dwarven hammers made from the finest steel. A blow from a mace can easily crush a skull or knock a man unconscious.
Range Strength Save Mod. Special
Close Combat As user - Stun on 2-4
Special Rules
Concussion: Hammers and other bludgeoning weapons are excellent at knocking people senseless. When using a hammer, club or mace a roll of 2-4 is treated as a "stunned" result on the injury table.
Sword:
The sword is often referred to as the king of weapons. The most common sword avalable, the broadsword of the Empire, is a masterpiece by the standards of any smith- a full four feet of gleaming steel, double-edged and rezor-sharp.
Swords are much more effective weapons than crude clubs and axes, though learning to use a sword is a long and difficult process. It takes years to truly master the way of the sword. Most warriors of Mordheim die long before that.
Range Strength Save Mod. Special
Close Combat As user - Parry
Special Rules
Parry: Swords offer an excellent balance of defence and offence. A model armed with a sword may parry blows. When the opponent rolls to hit, a model with a sword may roll 1D6. If the score is greater than the highest "to hit" score of his opponent, then the model has parried the blow, and that attack is discarded. Note that you may parry only one attack in each combat phase, even if you have two swords.
Morning Star:
A morning star consists of a wooden or steel shaft with several heavy chains and spiked, steel balls attached to it. It is a very destructive weapon, but requires a great deal of skill from the warrior wielding it.
Range Strength Save Mod. Special
Close Combat As user +1 - Heavy, Difficult
Special Rules
Heavy: The morning star is extremely tiring to use and thus the +1 strength bonus applies only in the first hand-to-hand combat phase.
Difficult to use: A model armed with a morning star may not carry a second weapon in his other hand. He requires all his skill to wield the morning star. He can, however, use a shield.
Spear:
Spears range from the sharpened sticks used by goblins to the impressive cavalry spears of the Elves. The long range of a spear gives a warrior a considerable advantage in battle.
The best spears available are the broad-bladed, steel spears of the dwarves, though there are several types available in the shanty towns around Mordheim.
Range Strength Save Mod. Special
Close Combat As user - Strike First if charged/ +1 S
Special Rules
Strike First if charged: The long shaft of the spear allows a warrior to thrust at oncoming enemies before they have a chance to strike the speaman down. A warrior armed with a Spear will always strike first in the first round of combat, even if charged, unless his opponent has a spear or a lance.
Cavalry bonus: A mounted warrior armed with a spear recieves a +1 Strength bonus when he charges. If the warriors strength is 3, for example, his total strength will be 4 when he charges. Note that this bonus only appies for that turn.
Halberds, Flails, Double-handed weapons and lances work as described in the main Warhammer rules.
Bows and slings have been used in the Old World since time immemorial but blackpowder weapons are a very recent invention. They are unreliable and temperamental weapons, but they have a long range and hit exceedingly hard. Armour offers almost no protection against blackpowder weapons, as the lead bullets can penetrate the strongest steel of a brestplate or shield. The loud noise that blackpowder weapons make is very frightening and that alone can scare off the enemy!
Most blackpowder weapons are bought from the Dwarves at great expense, though some of the forges of Nuln and Altdorf have started to experiment in the making of Hand Guns.
Missile Weapons:
Duelling Pistol:
A Duelling Pistol is a work of art, and a gunsmith labours long and hard on producing a single one. Duelling pistols are often carried by Imperial nobles. They are used to solve disputes over love and honour, and many a noble has died at dawn in a duel over some grievance or other.
Duelling pistols are expensive weapons, and poorer warriors rarely have them, for even though they sometimes manage to steal or buy one, the ammunition is very expensive.
The wealthiest warband leaders and merchants in Mordheim carry pistols as status symbols, commanding great respect, admiration and envy.
Range Strength Save Mod. Special
10 4 -2 +1 to hit, fire every other turn
Special Rules
Accuracy: A Duelling pistol is built for accuracy. An accomplished duellist is able to hit a coin from 20 paces. All shots from a duelling pistol have a +1 to hit.
Prepare Shot: A duelling pistol takes a complete turn to reload, so you may fire only every other turn. If you have a brace of pistols (2), you may fire every turn.
Blunderbuss:
The Blunderbuss is a primitive blackpowder weapon which fires a hail of lead balls, rusty bolts, bent nails and other assorted scrap metal. A blunderbuss can be a powerful, if erratic, weapon. It takes such a long time to load that most warriors discard it after the first shot.
Range Strength Save Mod. Special
Template 3 - Fire Once, Template
Special Rules
Template: Take the large teardrop-shaped template from the Warhammer game and place the narrow end at the nozzle of the blunderbuss and the broad end over the target. Any models under the template take 1 S3 hit.
One Shot: It takes a very long time indeed to load a Blunderbuss. You may fire it only once per battle.
Short Bows, Bows, Long Bows, Slings, Crossbows, Repeating Crossbows, Javelins, Hand Guns and Pistols work as described in the main Warhammer rules.
Armour
When fighting becomes desperatley close, a good suit of amour may mean the difference between life and death. The finest armour in the known world is made in the forges of the Dwarf Strongholds, where the secrets of steel and fire are well understood. Hardened leather jackets are often worn by the hunters of Ostland, while the more urban soldiers of the cities prefer mail coats and steel breastplates. The forges of the empire have many skilled smiths capable of forging fine armour, for the humans learned this craft from the dwarf master smiths. In Mordheim, only the wealthy and powerful are able to afford the luxury of armour, apart from leather tunics, odd helmets and wooden shields. But the richest leaders of the most sucessful warbands wear suits of high-quality armour. A good suit of armour is just as much a symbol of wealth and power as it is protection against the weapons of enemies.
Dwarf Armour:
Dwarfs make the finest armour in the world, and in this they surpass any humans or even the great Elven smiths. A suit of armour from Karak Kadrin can withstand a blow or turn aside an arrow which would penetratea shoddy suit of armour made by mere humans.
Special Rules
Save: A warrior wearing Dwarf Armour has a basic D6 saving throw of 4, 5 or 6 against a wound.
Initiative: A warrior wearing Dwarf Armour will have his Initiative score halved.
Dwarf-sized: Only dwarves may wear Dwarf Armour.
Buckler:
Bucklers are small, round shields designed for parrying or deflecting blows. They are most often made of steel, for they need to be tremendously endurable to survive the brutal blows of hand-to-hand combat.
Using a buckler requires great skill, but a nimble warriors can protect himself from blows which would otherwise cripple him.
Special Rules
Parry: A model armed with a buckler may parry blows. When the opponent rolls to hit, a model with a buckler may roll one die. If the score is greater than the highest "to hit" score of his opponent, then the model has parried the blow, and that attack is discarded.If a warrior is also armed with a sword he may re-roll failed attempts to parry. You may only parry 1 attack in each hand-to-hand combat phase.
Helmet:
From the shining, steel helmets of Bretonnian Knights to the leather caps of the Skaven, all sensible warriors try to protect the most vulnerable part of their bodies. Even races like Orcs, who are not too bothered about head wounds, prefer to wear helmets because they can have an impressive array of horns and plumes.
Special Rules
Save: A model equipped with a helmet has a special 4+ save on a D6 against being stunned. If the save is made then treat the "stunned" result as "knocked down" instead. This save is not modified by the opponents strength.
Heavy Armour, Light Armour and Shields work as described in the main Warhammer rules.
Starting a Warband
The warband lists are used to recruit and equip your warband. You must recruit at least 3 warriors, including a leader. You have 500 gold crowns (GC) to recruit your warband and buy them weapons and armour. Any GC unspent are then discarded.
Heroes and Henchmen
For game purposes, we seperate the warriors in your warband into heroes and henchmen.
Leader
Every Warband must have a leader. He represents you, the player. He makes the descisions and leads your warriors through the ruthless battles in the darkness of Mordheim.
Other Heroes
Your warband may include up to five other heroes apart from your leader. They represent exceptional individuals who have the potential to grow to be mighty warriors and wizards. They form the core of your warband. Note that your warband may not include more heroes of any specific type than are listed in the Warband list. This means that some warbands may not have 6 heroes. In the forthcoming articles we will hopefully include the experience system which will allow the heroes to grow to their true potential, and henchmen to become heroes.
Henchmen
Henchmen typically fall into two groups. There are Henchmen like Dwarf Clansmen, Skaven Clanrats and Mercenary Warriors, who represent typical members of their race, and Warhounds, Chaos Hounds and Dire Wolves who represent more unusal creatures who may fight in a warband.
All henchmen belong to a Henchman group. The typical size for such a group is 1-5. All Henchmen in a group must stay within 6" of each other. If the members of the group become separated (e.g., because of missile casualties) you will have to rectify this in the next movement phase. The Henchman group may be joined by a hero and the whole group may use his Leadership value. When charging, the rule for keeping models within 6" of one another is suspended until all hand to hand combats are resolved. This means that Henchmen may charge seperate targets.
Weapons and Armour
Each hero you recruit can be armed with one or more weapons and any armour chosen from the appropriate lists (see below). The different types of warriors are restricted to different types of weapon. The equipment lists of each warband tell you exactly what equipment is available to them.
Every model in each henchman group must be armed and armoured in exaclty the same way. This means that if your henchman group has four warriors, and you want to buy them swords, you must buy 4 swords.