In Mordheim, the opposing factions - warbands - are represented by models, assembled and painted by you, each representing a single warrior. Your tabletop becomes part of the City of the Damned: the scene of the action, with ruined buildings, overhangs and walkways where the battles take place.
The aim of the game is to outfight your opponent, which requires a mixture of skill and luck. You'll soon learn how to arm and equip your warband effectively, and how to exploit the ruins and other terrain to your best advantage.
You'll probably want to expand your basic warband as you and they gain experience. This is easy as there are lots of models available for the warbands and new miniatures are coming out all the time. With these you can expand your warband, equip your warriors with different weapons and armour, and hire mercenaries to join them.
At first you will probably want to play individual games (see the Scenarios section for more details) rather than a campaign. This will allow you to learn the rules, and also give you the opportunity to decide which type of warband is most suited to your particular style of play.
If you are playing in a campaign, you will have the chance to expand and improve your warband after each game. By winning battles your warband will gain riches and wyrdstone, discover magical artefacts and may also have the opportunity to recruit mercenaries.
In a campaign, every time your warband fights, its warriors grow in skill and experience. Raw recruits quickly progress to become fully fledged warriors, and your Heroes will learn new skills which will make them even better in combat. Each warband has its own objective and motivation for fighting in Mordheim, be it riches or political influence. Through countless battles and street skirmishes you can try to achieve your ambition and emerge victorious from the city!
While for its time Mordheim was a relatively new and untested idea there are now many games that aim to emulate the same style of skirmish combat with character progression elements. Frostgrave is a particularly well-known and similar game, but even games like D&D can have some similarities in the style of emergent randomness-driven storytelling with gameplay revolving around the optimising of dice rolls. Every decision you make will be subject to randomness, it is your role through exploration to descover how to tip the scales in your favour!
It is entirely up to you to what extent you wish to immerse yourself within the Mordheim fantasy universe, the reality-distorting effects of Wyrdstone offering a bizarre world where grounded heroes with deep backstories can participate alongside more upbeat and lighthearted warbands of your own creation (like a Goblin football team etc). As intimidating as the size of this book may seem, the rules section only covers the first 20 pages or so - the rest are your equipment and warband options to explore!
If you already play Warhammer, the basic rules of Mordheim will be familiar to you. Remember though, Warhammer is designed for fighting battles between entire armies, whilst Mordheim represents individual action between a dozen or so warriors.
As a result, some of the rules developed for mass combat in Warhammer do not apply to Mordheim, such as unit Break tests and rank bonuses. On the other hand, there are new rules for wounded warriors, climbing, parrying and other aspects of individual combat.
As well as this book, you will need the following items to play Mordheim.
You will need enough miniatures of the appropriate race/type to represent the warriors in your warband. It is a good idea to work out your warband on paper first and then purchase the miniatures that you require. It isn't always possible to get completely accurate miniatures, down to the eyeballs, but as long as it is clear which character is which model, that is usually fine.
As you will see in the Warbands section, each warband fights in a particular way - some are expert bowmen while others are better in hand-to-hand combat. When choosing which warband you want to lead you could choose one that reflects your preferred playing style, or you could read the background section and choose one that really captures your imagination. A good way of picking a warband is simply to pick the one with the models you like the best.
You will also need something to play your battles on. Any firm, level surface is best, such as a tabletop or an area of floor - most kitchen tables will do. It's a good idea to use an old sheet or blanket to protect the table from scratches. Some players make a special gaming board from chipboard or other similar material (divided into two or more pieces for ease of storage) which they can use on top of a table to extend the playing area. Whatever you use, you will find that a square area approximately 4 x 4' is about right for most battles, and a 4 x 6' for games with more than four players. \page
The bitter struggles of a Mordheim battle take place in labyrinthine streets, ruined buildings and on derelict walkways. There are an abundance of companies out there who make terrain ideal for Mordheim, but many gamers enjoy making their own.
As a rule, a table packed with scenery will lead to closer and more exciting games. The game is in fact balanced around the idea that the board be extremely densely packed with buildings so if that isn't possible, it may be worth agreeing with your opponent on a way to reduce the strength of missile attacks.
There is a lot of information to keep track of during a battle: wounds sustained by warriors, reminders of who is hiding inside barrels, locations of treasure on the board, and any number of other situations. Counters can help you keep track of things on the tabletop. You can always keep notes about who is hidden, carrying treasure, etc, but counters are a convenient memory jogger and speed the game up. These can be as simple as using a dice (particularly useful for keeping track of how many turns have been played for example), or you can get creative and design your own.
Almost all dice rolls use a standard six-sided dice (shortened to D6). Sometimes you will be asked to modify the result of the dice roll. This is noted as D6 plus or minus a number, such as D6 + 1 or D6 - 2.
Roll the dice and add or subtract the number indicated to get the final result. You may have to roll a number of dice in one go. For example, 2D6 means roll two dice and add the scores together.
If you are given the opportunity to re-roll a dice roll, you must accept the second score, even if it's worse than the original. You may never re-roll a dice that you have already re-rolled.
You may come across the term D3. As there is no such thing as a three-sided dice, use the following method for determining a score between 1 and 3. Roll a D6 and halve the score, rounding up:
| Roll | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 - 2 | 1 |
| 3 - 4 | 2 |
| 5 - 6 | 3 |
The Artillery Dice is one of the more specialised dice used in Games Workshop Games. The dice is a standard six-sided dice but featuring the numbers 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10, with the final side marked with misfire. A standard six-sided dice can be used in place of an Artillery Dice, just double the face value of the dice, and a Six would count as the Misfire.
This is another more specialised dice used in Games Workshop Games. This is a standard six-sided dice that has no numbers but has Arrows and a hit marker. A standard six-sided dice can be used in place of a Scatter Dice:
| Roll | Direction | | : - : | : - : | | 1 | Top side | | 2 | Right side | | 3 | Bottom | | 4 | Left side | | 5 - 6 | Direct hit |
For measuring ranges you will need a tape measure marked in inches, or a couple of plastic range rulers.
To draw up your warband you will require a roster to note down their stats, skills, experience, equipment as well as your gold and Wyrdstone totals to carry from game to game. You will need one for your Heroes and one for your Henchmen. These rosters serve to help you keep track of your warband's progress, and can easily be found online if you search for "Mordheim Warband Roster".
You will also require stationery to play, and various designs of Mordheim roster sheets are easily found from all over the internet. They vary in design and shape, and whichever one suits you best is the one you should use - whatever helps you to keep track of your warband's experience, injuries, and character details. \page
In Mordheim the warriors each have different abilities, some being better at certain actions, for example, fighting, shooting or climbing, than they are at others. This variety in each warrior is represented in the form of characteristics and skills. Right now don't worry about skills - these come later with practice and battle experience. For now we just need to consider a warrior's characteristics.
Each model is defined by a set of characteristics: Movement, Weapon Skill, Ballistic Skill, Strength, Toughness, Wounds, Initiative, Attacks and Leadership. Each characteristic is assigned a value of (usually) between 1 and 10. The higher the value your model has for any characteristic the better - for example, a model with a Strength of 6 is stronger than a model that has a Strength of 2.
A model's Movement rate shows how far the model can move in a turn, under normal conditions. For example, a typical Human has a move of 4", while a fleet-footed Skaven has a move of 5".
Weapon Skill is a measure of close combat ability (i.e., how good the warrior is at hand-to- hand fighting). A deadly swordsman or a crazed berserker would have a high value compared to a lowly acolyte, for example. The higher the WS, the more likely your warrior is to hit their opponent and evade enemy attacks.
This shows how good a shot the individual is. When you shoot a bow or fire a pistol, the chance of hitting a target depends upon your model's Ballistic Skill. A normal Human has a BS of 3, though an experienced marksman might have a BS of 4, 5 or even higher.
Strength indicates how strong a warrior is! It is especially important for hand-to-hand combat, because the stronger you are the harder you can hit. A Strength value of 3 is about average.
This is a measure of how easily an individual can withstand a hit from a weapon or a blow from a club or fist. The tougher you are, the harder you are to wound or kill. An average Toughness value is 3, though a gnarled old warrior or an indomitable Dwarf might have a Toughness of 4.
A model's Wounds value shows how many times the model can be wounded before it collapses, is killed or incapacitated. Most individuals have only 1 Wound but veteran warriors or large creatures such as Ogres might have more.
The Initiative value indicates how agile and quick-witted the warrior is. It determines the attacking order in hand-to-hand combat, and is particularly important when the model is climbing and moving amidst the ruins of Mordheim.
The Attacks value indicates how many blows the model can make in hand-to-hand combat. Most warriors have an Attacks value of 1, but powerful fighters may have more. The more Attacks you have, the greater the chance you've got of beating your opponents into an unrecognisable pulp!
Leadership represents raw courage, self control and charisma. The higher the model's Leadership value, the more likely he is to remain steadfast in combat while others run off or are slain. For example, a cowardly Skaven may have a Leadership of 5, while a cool, calm Elf could have a Leadership of 8 or higher.
Some creatures in Mordheim have been given a '0' for certain characteristics which means that they have no ability in that field whatsoever. This usually applies to creatures unable to use missile weapons (who would have a BS of 0) but it might equally apply to other characteristics as well. If a model has a WS of 0 then it cannot attack in hand- to-hand combat, and any blows struck against it will automatically hit. Any Warrior brought to 0 in Strength or Toughness will immediately go Out of Action (more on that later).
A model's characteristic values are written in the form of a chart called a characteristics profile (or just profile).
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld | | :-: | :-: | :-: | :-: | :-: | :-: | :-: | :-: | :-: | :-: || : - : | : - : | : - : | : - : | : - : | : - : | : - : | : - : | : - : | : - : | | Useless Jeremy | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
The example above is a typical profile for a Human warrior. As you fight in more games against other players, your warriors will get better and their characteristics may increase. All these details are recorded using the Warband roster sheets provided at the back of this book. This is explained properly later on. For now it is enough to know what each characteristic is for and how their values vary.
Often in the game a model will be required to take a test on one of their own characteristics. In order to pass this test, the model has to roll a D6 and obtain a result equal to or lower than the value of the characteristic involved. Note that if you roll a 6, you automatically fail the test regardless of the model's characteristic value.
For example: Useless Jeremy is jumping down from a wall that is 3" high and has to take an Initiative test. He has an Initiative value of 3 on his characteristic profile and therefore will be successful if he rolls a 1, 2 or 3 on a D6. If he rolls a 4, 5 or 6 he will fail the test and fall down, suffering all the painful consequences and living up to his name!
Tests against the Leadership characteristic are done in a slightly different way. In the case of a Leadership test, you should roll two dice and add the two scores together. If the result is equal to or less than the model's Leadership characteristic, the test has been passed.
For example: Jeremy's Leadership is 7, so to pass a Leadership test he must roll 7 or less on 2D6.
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In Mordheim you are in a charge of a warband and your opponent is in charge of another.
The warriors and scenery in the game are set up on the tabletop in a way that is appropriate for the encounter you are fighting. Do not worry about this for now as these things will be explained in full in the Scenarios section.
To play, one side takes a turn, then the other side, then the original side and so on, much like in a game of draughts or chess. When it is your turn, you may move all your models, shoot with any warriors able to do so, and fight in hand-to- hand combat. Once your turn is complete, it is your opponent's turn to move, shoot and fight.
To keep track of who is doing what and when, each turn is split into four phases. This is the turn sequence:
1. Recovery: During this phase you deal with incapacitated warriors, recover models that are knocked down or stunned, and attempt to rally fleeing individuals.
2. Movement: During this phase you may move the warriors of your warband according to the rules given in the Movement section.
3. Shooting: In this phase you may shoot with any appropriate weapons as described in the rules for Shooting.
4. Hand-to-hand combat: During this phase all models in hand-to-hand combat may fight. Both sides fight in the hand-to-hand combat phase, regardless of whose turn it is.
During the recovery phase, warriors in your warband who have been stunned become knocked down instead and warriors who have been knocked down may stand up. For more details, see the Injuries section.
Fleeing models must take a leadership test. If the test is passed, the model is no longer fleeing, but can do nothing else this turn. If the test is failed, the model will continue to flee towards the closest table edge in the compulsory moves phase. For more details, see the rules for fleeing in the Leadership & Psychology section.
During the Movement phase models are moved in the following order:
-
Charge!: If you want a model in your warband to charge at an enemy model and attack it in hand-to-hand combat then you must do this at the start of the Movement phase before moving any of your other models. When you charge a model, declare to your opponent that you are doing so and indicate which of their models it is attacking.
-
Compulsory Moves: Sometimes a model is forced to move in a certain way and this is called a compulsory move. For example, a fighter whose nerve breaks must flee. A model with the Random Movement rule must move 2D6" in a certain direction. Make all of your models' compulsory moves before finishing any remaining movement.
-
Remaining Moves: Once you have moved your chargers and made any compulsory moves, you may move the rest of your warriors as you see fit.
During their Movement phase, models can traverse the board in any direction up to their Movement characteristic as measured in inches. They may move (including running and charging) up and down stairs, and over low obstacles such as barrels, boxes, etc., up to 1" high without deducting from this distance as they are considered to vault the objects. In normal circumstances models don't have to move their full distance, or at all if you do not want them to. All exceptions are explained later and invariably involve either charging, climbing, or compulsory moves.
The normal Movement value of models represents a warrior moving at a fairly rapid rate, but allows time for them to aim and shoot a weapon and generally observe what is going on around them. If you wish, a model may move much quicker than this - they can run! In doing so, they can cover twice the distance if moving at their normal speed (for example, 8" rather than 4"). Note that running is not the same as charging as it does not allow your model to engage the enemy in hand-to-hand combat.
A model can only run if there are no enemy models within 8" of it at the start of the turn (incapacitated and hidden models do not count). Check this distance after any charges have been declared. If there are any enemies within 8" at the start of the turn, the model will prepare to fight instead and so is unable to run. The running model can move closer than 8" to an enemy as it moves.
Any model that runs loses its chance to shoot during that turn. They are concentrating on running and are not prepared to fight, having sheathed or shouldered their weapons. You should declare that models are running as they move, as this will remind both players that the model is unable to shoot that turn. Running models can cast spells as normal.
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If you want a model to engage the enemy in hand-to-hand combat then you must make a special move called a charge. Declare to your opponent that your model is charging and indicate which enemy model they are going to attack. You can charge any opposing model if your warrior has the movement to reach them and has them in sight, and may climb as part of their charge as detailed in the climbing section. If your warrior wants to charge an enemy model that they can't see (e.g., because it is behind a corner or it is in Hiding), they must pass an Initiative test to detect it. If they fail the roll your model may not charge this turn as they tentatively roam forwards in search of their opponent. They move up to 4" towards the target, stopping no closer than 1" away from them.
A charge is like a running move, performed at double the Movement rate, but ends with the attacker moving into base-to-base contact with the enemy model. Once their bases are touching they are engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Models are also considered to be in hand-to-hand combat even when separated by a low wall or obstacle, where it is impossible for the bases to touch physically because the obstacle is in the way.
If an unengaged (i.e. not in hand-to-hand combat or the target of the charge) enemy model lies within 2" of the charge route, that model may choose to intercept the charger if they wish. Only one enemy model may attempt to intercept each charger. If the intercepting warrior would normally require a Fear test to engage the charger then they must pass one in order to be allowed to intercept. Failure means they will not move. If the intercepting warrior causes fear then move the models into contact and then take a Fear test for the original charger (assuming they would normally do so) as if they were the one being charged. Regardless of the results of this test it is still the original charger who counts as charging in the subsequent round of combat, not the intercepting warrior.
Sometimes a charging warrior may not reach the enemy, usually due to a failed Fear or Detection test. If this happens move your warrior up to 4" towards the enemy, stopping no closer than 1" away from them. This is called a failed charge. Failing a charge ends the model's turn, and they may not shoot or cast spells that turn.
Models cannot be moved into hand-to-hand combat except by charging - any move that brings a warrior into hand-to-hand combat is a charge by definition. A model that charges will 'strike first' in the first round of the ensuing combat.
If you can move your warrior into base contact with more than one enemy model with its charge move, it can charge them both. This might be inadvisable as it will then be fighting two enemies at once!
The Hiding rule represents warriors concealing themselves in a way that our unmoving and dramatically posed models cannot. A Hiding warrior conceals themself as best they can by stiffening alongside a column, crouching behind a small wall, or hiding inside a barrel. A model can hide if they end their move behind a low wall, a column or in a similar position where they could reasonably conceal themself. The player must declare that the warrior is hiding for it to count as being Hidden. It may be worth placing a counter next to it so that other players are aware of it.
A model that is Hidden is disregarded by the enemy warband's mandatory decisions. For example, a Hidden model will not prevent an enemy warband from running, will not count as the closest model for the purpose of shooting, and Frenzied models will not have to charge it. It is also considered wholly out of line of sight if an opponent wishes to charge them.
A model that runs, is incapacitated, or charges cannot hide that turn. Their sudden burst of speed does not give them time to hide. They also may not enter the Hidden mode if there are enemies within 4", or if they are within unobstructed line of sight of an enemy.
A model may stay hidden over several turns, so long as they stay behind a wall or similar feature. They may even move around so long as they stay hidden while doing so.
While hiding, a model cannot shoot or cast spells without giving away its position. If a hidden model shoots, or moves so that they can be seen, they are no longer hidden and can be shot at as normal.
If you wish to either shoot at, cast spells at, or charge a Hidden model your warriors may attempt to detect them. A model's detection range is twice their Initiative value in inches. An inattentive Orc with an Initiative value of 2 would therefore only attempt to detect enemies within 4". An eagle-eyed Elf with an Initiative of 5 however may attempt to detect enemies within 10"! Detecting an enemy requires an Initiative characteristic test, and each warrior may only attempt to detect once per turn. A model that is detected immediately loses its Hidden status.
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The ruined city of Mordheim is a dark and dangerous place, where tumbled down towers and blasted houses form a vast maze of streets and alleyways.
Open Ground: The tabletop surface, floors of buildings, connecting overhangs, and horizontal gaps of less than 3". are all considered to be open ground and will not affect movement even if the model is charging. It can also go through doors and hatches without slowing down.
Difficult Ground: Difficult ground includes steep or treacherous slopes, dense woodland or waist-deep water. Models move at half speed through Difficult Ground.
Walls and Barriers: Walls, hedges and other low obstacles form barriers that you can either go around or leap over. A model can leap over a barrier that is less than 1" high. This does not affect its movement in any way.
Often the ruined buildings of Mordheim do not have stairs or ladders, so your warriors will have to climb to reach the upper floors of buildings.
Any model (except mounted warriors) can attempt to climb up or down fences, walls, etc. They may attempt to climb up to their total Movement distance in a single movement phase (but cannot run while climbing). Any remaining movement distance can be used as normal. If the height is more than the model's normal move, they cannot climb the wall.
To climb, a model must take an Initiative test. If they fail it whilst climbing up, they cannot move that turn. If they fail it while climbing down, they fall from where they started their descent (see the Falling section) and may not shoot or cast spells that turn. Ladders do not require Initiative tests to climb.
Your warrior may jump down from high places such as walkways and balconies at any time during their movement phase.
Take an Initiative test for every full 2" they jump down. If they fails any of the tests, the model falls from the point where they jumped, takes damage (see Falling) and may not move any more, shoot, or cast spells for that turn. If successful, the model can continue their movement as normal (jumping down does not use up any of the model's Movement allowance).
You may charge any enemy troops that are below a balcony or overhang, etc, that your model is on. If an enemy model is within 2" of the place where your warrior lands, you may make a diving charge against it. Take an Initiative test for each full 2" of height your model jumped down from, like a normal jump. If they fail any of them your model has fallen and suffers damage, may not move any more during the movement phase and cannot charge the enemy. If they succeed, the model gains a +1 Strength bonus and +1 to hit bonus but only during the following hand-to- hand combat phase.
Models may traverse gaps of up to 3" wide without penalty. Jumps may only be horizontal or downwards (with falls of more than 1" requiring an initiative test upon landing) - even if the object they would land on is less than 1" higher than their starting point. A model may jump over a gap and still fire a missile weapon if it is not running. It may also jump as part of its charge or running move.
If a warrior is incapacitated within 1" of the edge of a roof or building, there is a chance that it will slip and fall off. Take an Initiative test. If the test is failed, the model falls over the edge to the ground and takes damage as detailed below.
A model that falls takes D3 hits at a Strength equal to the height in inches that it fell (e.g. if the model fell 4", it would take D3 hits at Strength 4). No armour saves apply. Falling will not cause critical hits (see the Hand-to-Hand Combat section for the Critical Hits rules). A model that falls may not move any further or hide during that turn, even if it is not hurt, and may neither shoot nor cast spells.
It is assumed that all warband members are capable enough swimmers, though moving through water is of course a fatiguing exercise. Water is considered Difficult Terrain (or worse, depending on the scenario). Aquatic models do not suffer any penalty for moving through water, and may become Hidden even if the model is fully visible by ducking beneath the surface.
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Warriors that fight in the ruins of Mordheim are usually armed to the teeth! Individual warriors often have several different weapons such as swords, knives, bows and even blackpowder weapons.
During your warband's shooting phase each of your warriors may shoot once with one of their weapons. This means that they 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 their target, work out whether they hit the enemy and, if they do, any wounds or injuries that are caused. Then continue with the next shooter. You can take shots in any order you wish. Be sure to remember or note down which models have already shot.
Each model can shoot once in the shooting phase, so long as they can see a target and assuming they have a suitable weapon. They may not fire in the following circumstances; if they are engaged in hand-to-hand combat, have run or failed a charge in the movement phase, have rallied this turn, or are incapacitated.
To shoot at a target, a model must be able to see it, and the only way to check this is to stoop over the tabletop for a model's eye view. Models can see all around themselves (i.e., 360°), and they may be turned freely to face in any direction before firing. Note that turning on the spot does not count as moving.
You must shoot at the closest unenagaged enemy disregarding incapacitated foes, as the former represents the most immediate threat and therefore the most obvious target. Different rules apply when shooting from an elevated position however (see right). You may always choose to shoot at Large or bigger foes if you can see them even if they are not the closest target.
You may not shoot at models that are engaged in hand-to-hand combat, as the risk of hitting your comrades is too great.
The many walls, ruined buildings and other masonry in Mordheim offer plenty of cover. If any portion of the target is hidden by a piece of scenery or another model, the shooting model will suffer a penalty as explained below.
Sometimes it will be obvious whether a target can be seen; at other times it will be more difficult, in which case always check the model's eye view. If the shooter can see only part of the target's body, the target is in cover and the shooter suffers a -1 penalty on their To Hit roll.
If a shot misses its target by 1, and that target claimed the -1 modifier for cover, then the shot strikes the cover instead. Normally this doesn't matter, but in the case where a model is concealed behind another warrior, or when the cover is a powder keg, it might be extremely important!
A model situated in an elevated position (i.e. anything that is more than 2" above the table surface, such as an upper floor of a building), may freely pick any target they can see and shoot at it including incapacitated warriors. The exception to this rule is that if there are enemies in the same building on the same floor, or connected by a walkway on the same floor to a neighbouring building. If in line of sight these enemies must be shot at, as they represent the most immediate threat just as if they were on street level.
It perhaps goes without saying, but warriors may only shoot at enemies within range of their weapons. Feel free to measure things out so you know what your options are!
To determine whether a shot hits its target, roll a D6. The dice score needed will depend upon how good a shot the shooter is (as indicated by their Ballistic Skill). The chart below shows the minimum D6 roll needed to score a hit.
| BS of shooter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D6 roll needed | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | -1 | -2 | - |
It is easier to hit a target that is in the open than a target behind cover. Usually it is also easier to hit a target if it is close compared to one further away. These situations are represented by the following modifiers:
| Condition | Description | Modifier |
|---|---|---|
| Cover | If any part of the model is obscured by scenery or other models then it counts as being in cover. | -1 |
| Long range | If you are shooting at a target that is more than half of your weapon's maximum range away. | -1 |
| Moving | If your model has moved at all (other than standing up, or turning to face your target) during this turn. | -1 |
| Large Target | If the target is Large or greater (see overleaf), or you are shooting into a combat. | +1 |
| Multiple Shots | If the model firing is shooting more than once (for example, with Quick Shot). | -1 |
Models with the Sniper special rule have trained themselves to pick out high priority targets even in the most stressful situations. They may not shoot into combats involving their own allies, but otherwise may ignore the usual Closest Target rules detailed to the left.
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| Unit type | Size |
|---|---|
| Infantry/war beasts/swarms | Small |
| Cavalry | Medium |
| Monstrous infantry | Large |
| Monstrous cavalry | Huge |
| Monsters | Gigantic |
| Ridden monsters | Titanic |
Once you have hit a target, test to see if a wound is inflicted. A shot may fail to cause a wound because it hits part of the target's equipment, just scratches the skin or causes some very minor injury which the warrior bravely (or stupidly) ignores. If you fail to cause a wound, the target is unharmed. To determine whether your shot has caused a wound, compare the Strength of the weapon with the Toughness of the target. You will find a complete description of the various weapons together with their Strength values and special rules in the Weapons & Armour section.
Wounding a target requires a D6 roll of a 4+. For each point your Strength exceeds their Toughness, you may add +1 to your roll. Similarly for each point their Toughness exceeds your Strength, you must subtract -1 from your roll. A roll of a 1 will always fail to wound no matter how strong you are, and a roll of a 6 will always succeed in wounding no matter how tough your opponent is. Example: Useless Jeremy is using a Strength 3 bow and successfully hits an Orc with Toughness 4. Normally he would need a 4+ to wound, but because the Orc's Toughness exceeds his Strength by 1 he now needs to roll a 5+ to wound.
Deploying your archers in the upper floors of buildings is almost always a good idea. They will be in cover and can freely pick their targets.
If you roll a 6 when rolling to wound you will cause a critical hit. Roll a D6 and consult the Critical Hit chart below to determine the damage caused by the critical hit. You should also roll to see whether the target's armour is effective in protecting it from taking damage - see the section on Armour overleaf.
In addition, if the attacker normally needs 6s to wound his target, they cannot cause a critical hit. Their opponent is simply too tough to suffer a serious injury at the hands of such a puny creature!
Depending on what weapon your warrior is using, you may roll on one of the following Critical Hit charts. For example, if your warrior is using a sword, roll on the Bladed Weapons chart. All the rules governing critical hits given in the main rules also apply to these tables.
Only attacks that rolled to hit are capable of causing critical hits. Most spells, impact hits, stomps, etcetera therefore cannot be critical hits.
(Bows, crossbows, blackpowder weapons, throwing knives etc.)
| Roll | Type | Description | | :-: | : - : | : - : | | 1-2 | Hits a Weak Spot | The missile penetrates its target's armour. Ignore all armour saves. | | 3-4 | Ricochet | If there are any other models within 6", the closest enemy model is also hit. Roll to wound and take any saves as normal for both targets. | | 5-6 | Master Shot | The missile hits an eye, the throat, or some other vulnerable part. The target suffers 2 wounds instead of 1. There is no armour save. |
(Clubs, maces, hammers, flails, double-handed hammers etc.)
| Roll | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Hammered | The target is knocked off balance. Your opponent may not fight this turn if they haven't already fought, even if they pass their armour save (but not Ward save). |
| 3-4 | Crushing Blow | The hit ignores armour saves and saves from helmets. |
| 5 | Wild Sweep | Such is the force of the attacker's strike that their victim is hurled away from them. This attack behaves in the same way as Crushing Blow but, should the victim survive, they are knocked 2" backwards (stopping if their movement brings them into contact with another character or a wall, with no further penalty.) |
| 6 | Bludgeoned | The victim automatically goes out of action if they fail their saves for this wound. Even if they have several wounds remaining, they will be taken out of action by this attack. Only effects models that are equal to or smaller than their attacker. Larger models suffer the 'Hammered' result instead. |
(Swords, axes, double-handed swords etc.)
| Roll | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Flesh Wound | This attack hits an unprotected area, so there is no armour save. |
| 3-4 | Bladestorm | The warrior unleashes a virtual hail of blows. The attack causes 2 wounds instead of 1. Take armour saves separately for each wound. |
| 5-6 | Sliced! | The strike ignores armour saves, causes 2 wounds, and your warrior gains +2 to any Injury rolls. |
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(War dogs, warhorses, Zombies, Possessed, animals etc.)
| Roll | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Body Blow | Your opponent staggers, allowing you to seize the initiative and make an additional attack. Immediately roll to hit and to wound. Any saves are taken as normal. |
| 3-4 | Crushing Blow | The blow lands with tremendous force. You gain +1 to the Injury roll. |
| 5-6 | Mighty Blow | With a mighty punch or flying kick you send your opponent sprawling to the ground! The attack ignores armour saves and you gain +2 to any Injury rolls. |
(Spears, halberds, lances etc.)
| Roll | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Stab | With a quick strike you penetrate your opponent's defences. You gain +1 to the Injury roll. |
| 3-4 | Thrust | The thrust lands with great force! Victims equal to or smaller in size are automatically knocked down even if they pass their armour save. Larger victims suffer an additional wound if they fail their save. |
| 5-6 | Kebab! | The thrust knocks the target back with titanic force, ripping apart armour and puncturing flesh. The attack ignores armour saves and you gain +2 to any Injury rolls. The victim is knocked backwards D6" and the attacker follows, staying in base contact. Any other models involved in the combat are separated and only the model which struck the blow and his target are still considered to be in combat. If the target collides with another model, the other model is hit once at S3. Victims larger than the attacker are only knocked back D3". |
Steel breastplates, chainmail, leather tunics, shields... all these and more are readily available in the forges of the villages surrounding Mordheim. That is if you are prepared to pay the price, since armour is very expensive.
If a warrior wearing armour suffers a wound, roll a D6. If the dice roll is sufficiently high the wounding hit has bounced off the armour and has not hurt the wearer at all. The dice score required varies according to the type of armour.
The table below summarises the most common armour types and the D6 rolls required to make a save. Note that carrying a shield increases the save by +1. For example, a warrior in light armour with a shield will save on a roll of a 5 or 6. A warrior who has a shield but no armour will save on a roll of a 6.
D6 score Armour required to save:
| Armour | Save |
|---|---|
| Light armour | 6+ |
| Heavy armour | 5+ |
| Gromril armour | 4+ |
Shield adds +1 to the armour save
Some weapons are better at penetrating armour than others. A shot from a short bow can be deflected relatively easily, but a shot from a crossbow penetrates armour much more effectively.
The higher a weapon's Strength, the more easily it can pierce armour. The chart below shows the reduction to the enemy's armour saving throw for different Strength weapons.
| Strength | Save modifier |
|---|---|
| 1- 3 | None |
| 4 | -1 |
| 5 | -2 |
| 6 | -3 |
| 7 | -4 |
| 8 | -5 |
| 9+ | -6 |
Some weapons are better at penetrating armour than their Strength value suggests (Elven bows, for example). This is covered in the entry for each particular weapon (see the Weapons & Armour section).
Example: Jeremy wears heavy armour and carries a shield. His armour save is 4+. He is hit by a crossbow (Strength 4) and therefore he will save on a D6 roll of 5+ (i.e. 4+ 1 = 5+).
Most warriors have a Wounds characteristic of 1, but some have a value of 2 or more. If the target has more than 1 wound then deduct 1 from their total each time they suffer a wound. For warbands with multiple heroes with multiple wounds it is strongly suggested to put dice next to wounded characters to show how many wounds they have remaining.
So long as the model has at least 1 wound remaining they may continue to fight without penalty. As soon as a fighter's Wounds are reduced to zero, roll to determine the extent of their injuries. The player who inflicted the wound rolls a D6 for the wound that reduced the model to zero wounds and for every wound the model receives after that. If a model suffers several wounds from one warrior's attacks in a single phase, roll once for each of them and apply the highest result.
| Roll | Result | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Knocked down | The force of the blow knocks the warrior down. Place the model face up to show that they have been knocked down. |
| 3-4 | Stunned | The target falls to the ground where they lie wounded and barely conscious. Turn the model face down to show that they have been stunned. |
| 5-6 | Out of action | The target has been badly hurt and falls to the ground unconscious. They takes no further part in the game and are immediately removed from the battle. |
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A fighter who has been knocked down falls to the ground either because of a jarring blow they have sustained, because they have slipped, or because they have thrown themselves to the ground to avoid injury. Turn the model face up to show that they have been knocked down. Knocked down models may crawl 2" during the movement phase, but may not fight in hand-to-hand combat, shoot, or cast spells. If they are in base-to-base contact with an enemy, a knocked down model can crawl 2" away only if the enemy is engaged in hand-to-hand combat with another opponent, otherwise they have to stay where they are. In combat they cannot strike back and the enemy will have a good chance of putting them out of action.
A warrior who has been knocked down may stand up at the start of their Recovery Phase. Warriors that have just stood up may not run or charge, but may shoot and cast spells as normal - with standing up counting as moving for the purposes of shooting. If they are engaged in hand-to-hand combat, they may not move away and will automatically strike last, irrespective of weapons or Initiative. After this turn the fighter moves and fights normally, even though they have zero wounds left. If the model takes any further wounds, then roll for injury once more, exactly as if the model had just sustained its last wound.
When a warrior is stunned, they are either badly injured or temporarily knocked out. Turn the model face down to show that they have been stunned. A fighter who is stunned may do nothing at all. A player may turn the model face up in the next recovery phase, and the warrior is then treated as knocked down.
A warrior who is out of action is also out of the game. Remove the model from the tabletop. It's impossible to tell at this point what the long term consequences are for their injury, but for game purposes it makes no difference at this stage. After the battle you can test to see whether they survive and if they sustain any serious lasting injuries as a result of their wounds. This will all be covered later in the Campaigns section, where the survival of warriors after battles is much more important!
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Models whose bases are touching are engaged in hand-to-hand combat. This can only happen once a warrior has charged their enemy, as models are otherwise not allowed to move into contact.
All close quarter fighting is worked out in the hand-to-hand combat phase. Regardless of whose turn it is, all models in hand-to-hand combat will fight. A warrior can fight against enemies to their side, front, or rear. In reality the fighters are constantly moving, dodging, and weaving as they struggle to kill their adversaries.
Models fighting in hand-to-hand combat do not shoot in the shooting phase. They are far too busy fighting for their lives. Any very close range shots they are able to make using pistols are treated like close combat weapon attacks (see the Weapons & Armour section).
A model that is fleeing, knocked down, or Stunned counts as Incapacitated and cannot fight.
Models fight in order of descending Initiative with the highest striking first. If their Initiatives are equal, roll a dice to see who strikes first.
If a model stood up in the Recovery phase of that turn, then they will strike last irrespective of any other circumstances.
Sometimes a model will be allowed to 'strike first' for some reason. Most commonly this is because they charged in that turn, but some equipment, skills and spells produce the same effect. If only one model 'strikes first' then it does so and the remainder of the combatants strike in Initiative order as described above.
If there are several models who are each entitled to 'strike first', then they determine the order of combat between themselves by Initiative, as described above. Once all those that were eligible to 'strike first' have fought, any other combatants fight in Initiative order.
A model can fight if its base is touching the base of an enemy model. Even models attacked from the side or rear can fight. If a warrior is touching more than one enemy, they can choose which to attack. If they have more than 1 Attack, they can divide them in any way the player wishes, so long as they make this clear before rolling to hit.
To determine whether hits are scored, roll a D6 for each model fighting. If a model has more than 1 Attack roll a single D6 for each attack.
The dice roll needed to score a hit on your enemy depends upon the Weapon Skills of the attacker and the foe. If the opponent's Weapon Skill is equal to your own then you will hit on a 4+. If theirs is higher you will hit on a 5+. If yours is higher you will hit on a 3+. Even small differences in Weapon Skill can therefore mean a great deal of difference!
With the exception of failing a Fear test attacks made in close combat may never hit on worse than a 5+.
Some maniac warriors carry two weapons, one in each hand, so they can rain a flurry of blows on their enemies. A warrior armed with two one-handed weapons must make 1 extra Attack with the additional weapon though will suffer -1 WS to all attacks to compensate for the difficulty in making precision blows while flailing. If they are armed with two different weapons (sword and dagger, for example) they may choose which weapon is using this bonus attack. Roll to hit and wound for each weapon separately.
Some weapons are so large or unwieldy that they require both hands to use, such as a flail or greatsword. Warriors who fight using these weapons may not equip a second weapon, shield, or buckler in their second hand.
Some warriors arrive to battle prepared for every situation, weighing themselves down with a halberd, a shield, a backup axe, a backup-backup axe, and a brace of pistols etc. While this allows them versatility when picking fights it is impossible in practice to switch weapons in and out in the middle of combat; fiddling with shieldstraps while fighting for your life simply isn't practical! Once in combat a Warrior may not change the weapons they use, if they begin a combat using an axe and shield they will continue to fight with them until the combat ends. For Warriors using multiple sorts of equipment it is worth using some sort of token so that players know what weapons they are using.
Unlike hits from shooting, the Strength of the attacker is used to determine wounds, rather than that of the weapon itself. However, some weapons confer a bonus on the attacker's Strength (see the Weapons & Armour section for full details).
Once your model has hit a target you must test to see whether a wound is inflicted. Sometimes a strike may fail to wound simply because it causes an insignificant injury or glances off the enemy's equipment.
To determine whether the blow has caused a wound compare the Strength of the weapon with the Toughness of the target. You will find a complete description of the various weapons together with their Strength values and special rules in the Weapons & Armour section.
Follow the same procedure for wounding and causing critical hits as in the Shooting section.
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Combatants that are wounded have the chance to avoid damage if they are wearing armour or carrying shields. This is exactly the same as described for shooting, and the same rules apply.
For each wound suffered the player rolls a D6. If he rolls greater than or equal to the armour save of his fighter then that wound has been absorbed or deflected by the armour.
Some models are so powerful that armour provides less protection against them.
The higher a creature's Strength the more easily it can pierce armour. The following chart shows the reduction in the enemy's armour saving throw caused by the attacker's Strength.
| Strength | Save modifier |
|---|---|
| 1-3 | None |
| 4 | -1 |
| 5 | -2 |
| 6 | -3 |
| 7 | -4 |
| 8 | -5 |
| 9+ | -6 |
Some weapons also confer a bonus to the user's Strength, making it more likely that any hits will pierce the opponent's armour. These bonuses are given in the Weapons & Armour section.
Bucklers are smaller than regular shields, designed to parry enemy blows rather than absorb their force. Swords are also used to parry enemy attacks.
When an opponent scores a hit, warriors equipped with bucklers or swords may try to parry the blow.
Roll a D6. If the score is higher than the number your opponent rolled to hit, the buckler or sword has parried the strike. Note that it is therefore impossible to parry a blow which scored a 6 on the roll to hit.
A buckler or sword may only parry one blow per hand-to-hand combat phase. A parried blow is ignored and has no effect. If your opponent scored several hits, you will have to try to beat the highest score (if the highest score is a 6, you automatically lose the chance of parrying that opponent's attacks). If a model is fighting against several opponents, it may only parry the strike from the enemy who makes the first hit(s) (i.e., the attacking model with the highest Initiative). In the case of equal Initiative characteristics roll a dice to decide who strikes first.
If your model is armed with a buckler and a sword, or two swords, you may re-roll any failed parries once. A model may not parry attacks made with twice (or more) their own basic Strength – they are simply too powerful to be stopped.
Warriors that are Knocked Down may still defend themselves by attempting to parry etcetera, but any Injury Roll against them will automatically score an Out of Action.
A stunned warrior is at the mercy of their enemies. Attacks against stunned warriors automatically hit, but otherwise follow the same rules for Knocked Down.
A model with multiple attacks may not stun/knock down and then automatically take a warrior out of action during the same hand-to-hand combat phase. The only way you can achieve this is to have more than one of your models attacking the same enemy. If the enemy is stunned/knocked down by the first warrior, they can be hit and put out of action by the next warrior to attack.
If your model is engaged in close combat with an enemy who is still standing, they cannot attack any other models that are stunned or knocked down, since in reality they will not pose an immediate threat to them and their companions will try to protect them.
Once models are engaged in hand-to-hand combat they cannot move away during their movement phase. They must fight until they are either taken out of action, until they take out their enemies, or until one or the other breaks and runs as described below. The exception to this rule is that if all a model's close combat opponents are incapacitated, you may move away from the combat if you wish, and even charge other enemies within range.
Additionally, models that are incapacitated may crawl up to 2" out of combat as long as they have a standing ally engaging their enemy. The ally keeps the enemy busy to buy time for their injured partner to retreat!
A warrior who panics whilst fighting in hand-to-hand combat will break off and make a run for it as described in the Leadership & Psychology section.
When a fighter breaks from combat they simply turn and run off. Their opponents automatically hit the warrior as their resolve breaks, each inflicting 1 automatic hit which is worked out immediately and in initiative order.
Note: Warriors cannot choose to leave a fight voluntarily. The only way Warriors will typically break from combat is through a spell effect, or from failing an All Alone test. Being smashed out of combat due to a type of critical hit does not constitute a 'break' and therefore does not trigger their opponent's automatic hits.
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Fighting against the more monstrous creatures of Mordheim is often more dangerous than merely avoiding the intentionally swung blows. The backswings of a Rat Ogre are like hammerblows, and being trampled accidentally under the feet of a Troll is a real possibility.
Large and Huge models may, after each Close Combat phase and after all other attacks have been made (even after Double-handed Weapons), make a Stomp attack. Stomp may only target Small enemies, and is a single automatic hit at the model's base strength (without weapon modifiers), and follows all the usual rules for picking targets. (So you may not Stomp incapacitated foes if there are standing ones in the same combat). As Stomps occur after the Close Combat phase rather than during it, any injury rolls against stunned or knocked down foes are automatically a 6.
Gigantic and Titanic monsters may inflict D6+1 Stomps (also known as a Thunderstomp) in the same way.
Some models don't even bother to swing their weapons as they charge into combat, instead relying on their sheer weight and bulk to slam into the foe. Examples of this include Beastmen with enormous horns goring their foe, or most famously the better-made Chariots will have so much momentum that they will inflict a number of Impact Hits.
The number of Impact Hits caused varies from creature to creature, but it is shown in brackets under their special rules - such as Impact Hits (D6+1) or Impact Hits (1).
Impact hits are only made on the turn the model charges into combat. If the model with Impact Hits is itself charged, or is fighting in a second or subsequent round of combat, then no Impact Hits are dealt. Note that if the model does not complete the charge (for example, because it failed a psychology test) then no Impact Hits are inflicted.
Impact Hits are resolved at the very beginning of a combat, before attacks of any other kind are made. You may allocate these hits freely among enemies you have charged into combat with, though as always you may not target Incapacitated foes if there are standing foes in the same combat.
Impact Hits hit automatically, and roll to wound using the Strength of the model making the Impact Hits, after modifiers for Augments or Hexes but before applying strength bonuses from weapons.
While many of the poisons described later in this book will have specific names and effects (for example: Dark Venom grants +1 Strength for a turn), some weapons or Augments will grant the general term "Poisoned Attacks".
Models with Poisoned Attacks will automatically wound on any 'To Hit' roll of 6. Models that are Immune to Poison will need to be rolled to wound against as normal.
If the Poisoned Attacks rule is not specific to a held weapon (for example, the Serpent Whip's Poisoned Attacks will only effect attacks made with that weapon) then it will apply to all melee and shooting attacks made by that warrior.
Attacks that would only hit on a roll of a 6 anyway (such as shooting at extreme penalties, or with terrible Ballistic skill) may not inflict automatic wounds with Poisoned Attacks, nor do attacks that automatically hit.
Killing Blow is an extremely rare ability possessed only by the most deadly warriors. Most warriors are happy to leave their foes to bleed out or retreat after placing them Out of Action, turning their attention elsewhere - but not these ones. Warriors with Killing Blow are hellbent on inflicting permanent damage to hostile warbands, and strive to ensure the injuries they inflict are as life-threatening as possible.
If a warrior with Killing Blow puts an enemy hero Out of Action with a Critical Hit then they must roll on the first half of the table when doing their Serious Injuries in the post-battle phase as explained in the Campaigns section. Henchmen put Out of Action in this way are automatically removed from the roster.
Killing Blow will only effect Small foes.
Heroic Killing Blow is almost unheard of in Mordheim, and only exceptionally rare spells or magic items may bestow this effect. It represents only the most cataclysmically devestating attacks, such as those made by The Abomination in The Canals. Heroic Killing Blow behaves exactly the same way as Killing Blow, but works on all foes (even Titanic ones!).
Typically the purview of dragons, there are still some creatures at this scale capable of performing these attacks. Examples include the Pestilent Breath castable by the Clan Pestilens wizards.
Breath Attacks function like shooting attacks made with the Sniper special rule, but are performed using the teardrop-shaped template. The narrow end is placed against the attacker's base and pointed in a direction of their choosing - all models under it are hit at the strength of the Breath Attack, which will be detailed in its description.
Breath Attacks are an exception to the usual rules preventing warriors from shooting while in Close Combat - these warriors are often more than eager to unleash these powerful effects on their foes! However, the indiscriminate nature of the attack still prevents them from breathing into combats in which they have allied warriors.
Flammable models are, as the name suggests, flammable. Whenever a Flammable model is hit by a weapon with the Flaming Attacks special rule they take an additional automatic Strength 4 hit. \page
While Flaming Attacks do not give bonuses against most troops (we assume the weapon blow to be far deadlier than the flames that wreath it), they can often ward away the wild beasts of the world.
Warriors equipped with a weapon with the Flaming Attacks special rule cause Fear in all animals.
Ethereal models have all but passed completely from the material plane, existing as spirits or ghosts. Normally these creatures are terrifying prospects to fight, for mundane swords and arrows pass harmlessly through their incorporeal form - an especially worrying situation when these Ethereal foes are often capable of striking back.
In Mordheim however, the sheer quantities of Wyrdstone dust in the air clings to every surface, and even the most mundane of weapons consequentially have just the faintest sliver of magic coating them. This normally makes no difference whatsoever, but (likely unknown to the wielder) this is just enough to allow them to harm these spirits - as well as preventing them from freely moving through walls as they are often accustomed to do. It is the closest to mortality that these creatures will likely ever come.
Non-magical attacks against Ethereal foes suffer a -1 'To Hit' and -1 'To Wound' penalty.
While uncommon, Magic Resistance is often applied through talismans or trinkets that inure the wearer against harmful magic, and the strength of this effect is shown in brackets next to the special rule, for example: Magic Resistance (2).
Magic Resistance improves the Ward Save of models with this special rule by an amount shown in brackets. A model with Magic Resistance (2) and a 4+ Ward Save would therefore have a 2+ Ward Save.
The benefits of Magic Resistance only apply against Direct Damage spells and Magic Missiles. It has no effect on attacks made by magical weapons, or on Hexes.
Ward Saves are the general term used for effects that grant the wearer a special degree of protection. This may be a Step Aside skill allowing them to avoid an attack alltogether, or a magical talisman shielding them from the blow.
Ward Saves are taken in addition to Armour Saves, best resolved after any Armour Saves have been attempted. Unlike Armour Saves however their effects do not stack unless otherwise stated (such as by Magic Resistance, or by specific skills). You must use the best Ward Save available. They are also not effected by the Strength of the attacker, and are therefore highly valuable!
Some creatures, most famously the Trolls employed by Greenskin warbands, are capable of healing themselves at obscene rates. Tales tell of warriors impaling their foe only to have the beasts' wounds mend around their swords, trapping it within their monstrous mass. Regeneration saves behave in the same way as Ward Saves, though may not be used against any attack with the Flaming Attacks special rule.
Many warriors choose to ride to battle on some form of mount. This may be a steed, a giant spider, or even a mighty Chariot! These mounts often offer significant benefits such as improving the armour save of the rider and improving their mobility. It also grants the rider access to the illustrious Cavalry Special Skills
A warrior that rides a normal horse or wolf-sized mount increases their size to Medium, and though the mount may attack and their movement value is used for moving the model they otherwise function as a piece of equipment. Mounts do not gain experience and do not need to roll for injury rolls - the only way to lose one is through effects that make you lose your equipment, such as being robbed.
While the benefits of a mount are many, they are ill suited to the sprawling and derelict terrain of Mordheim, and only a true daredevil would consider riding their horse through a collapsed building. Such action is possible, but fraught with peril - a horse will gladly gallop under a low beam with little thought to its rider, or their subsequent humiliating death.
If a mounted warrior moves through or ends a move any terrain other than Open Ground they must take a Dangerous Terrain test. Roll a D6. On a result of a 1 the warrior suffers an immediate wound with no armour saves allowed.
Chariots are especially susceptible to damage in this way, and accidents atop them are often spectacular. Chariots that fail their Dangerous Terrain tests suffer D6 wounds rather than 1. \page
A player must take a Rout test at the start of their turn if a quarter (25%) or more of their warband is out of action. For example, in a warband that has twelve warriors a test is needed if three or more are out of action. Even warbands who are normally immune to psychology (such as Undead) must take Rout tests.
If the Rout test is failed, the warband automatically loses the fight. The game ends immediately and surviving warriors retreat from the area. A failed Rout test is the most common way in which a fight ends.
To take a Rout test roll 2D6. If the score is equal to or less than the warband leader's Leadership, the player has passed the test and may continue to fight.
If the warband's leader is out of action or stunned, then the player may not use their Leadership to take the test. Instead, use the highest Leadership characteristic amongst any remaining fighters who are not incapacitated.
A player may choose to voluntarily Rout thereby exiting the fight at the start of any of their own turns if they wish, but only if they were already required to take a Rout test or if a quarter (25%) or more of their warband are out of action. There will be times where voluntarily routing is a genuinely good idea, for when battles are looking hopeless it is usually best to think about preserving your heroes.
A warrior within 6" of their leader may use the leader's Leadership value when taking Leadership tests. This represents the leader's ability to encourage their warriors and push them beyond normal limits.
A leader cannot confer this bonus if they are incapacitated. The sight of your leader running for cover is obviously far from encouraging!
If a warrior flees from combat, each enemy warrior in base contact makes one automatic hit against the fleeing warrior as they turn to run. If the model survives, they flee 2D6" towards the nearest table edge, avoiding any enemy models.
At the start of each of their turns, a fleeing warrior must take a leadership test. If they pass, they no longer count as fleeing, but can do nothing during the rest of this turn.
If they fail, they will flee 2D6" towards the nearest table edge in the compulsory move phase. If they reach the table edge before they have managed to recover their nerves, they are removed from the board and considered Out of Action both for the purposes of rout tests and for taking injury rolls after the game.
If a warrior is charged while they are fleeing, the charger is moved into base contact as normal, but the fleeing warrior will then move an additional 2D6" towards the table edge immediately.
Being outnumbered and alone is a nerve-racking situation for any warrior. If your warrior is fighting alone against two or more opponents of the same or larger size (refer to the model size chart), and there are no friendly models (incapacitated models do not count) within 6", they must make a leadership test at the end of their combat phase.
If the warrior passes the test, their nerve holds. If the warrior fails, the warrior breaks from combat and flees.
Fear is a natural reaction to huge or unnerving creatures. A model, unless they cause Fear themselves, must take a leadership test, in the following situations:
-
If the model is charged by a warrior or a creature which causes fear. If a warrior is charged by an enemy that they fear then they must take a leadership test to overcome that fear. If the test is passed the model may fight as normal. If it is failed, the model must roll 6s to score hits in that round of combat. This supercedes the usual rule of close combat attacks never hitting on worse than a 5+.
-
If the model wishes to charge an enemy with the Fear special rule. If a warrior wishes to charge an enemy that it fears then it must take a leadership test to overcome this. If it fails then the charge fails, as explained in the Movement section.
Terror-causing models are even more frightening than Fear causing ones and represent the mind-shattering and traumatising sort of creatures of which legends are told. Monsters that cause Terror will inflict the Fear status even on units that cause fear themselves or are immune to fear (such as with Hardened). Immunity to Psychology will negate Terror as normal.
Some warriors can work themselves into a berserk state of fury, a whirlwind of destruction in which all concern for their own personal safety is ignored in favour of mindless violence.
These warriors are described as being frenzied. Frenzied models must always charge if there are any enemy models within charge range. The player has no choice in this matter - the warrior will automatically declare a charge.
Frenzy grants the warrior +1A to their profile and are Immune to Psychology. If a frenzied model is incapacitated, they no longer count as frenzied for the rest of this battle as they get some sense knocked into them.
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Hatred is a very powerful emotion, and during this era of strife and war bitter rivalry is commonplace. Warriors who fight enemies they hate in hand-to-hand combat may re-roll any misses when they attack a hated foe in the first turn of each hand-to-hand combat. This bonus applies only in the first turn of each combat and represents the warrior venting their pent-up hatred on their foe. After the initial round of hand-to-hand combat they lose some impetus and subsequently fight as normal for the rest of the combat.
Many large and powerful creatures, as well as some of the more unhinged individuals in Mordheim, are unfortunately rather stupid.
Models with the Stupidity rule are incapable of taking any voluntary action unless a model without Stupidity (who is not Incapacitated) is within 6" of them at the start of their turn. They are also Immune to Psychology.
Models that are Immune to Psychology never need to test for Fear, Terror, or All Alone Tests.
Self-preservation is a deepset and primal thing, and when warbands begin to waver it is the job of stout leaders to maintain discipline. When these leaders turn tail and flee that is when warbands rout, but some warband members simply refuse to accept loss so easily. When a warband routs any Stubborn warband members may choose to take their own personal Leadership tests. If passed they will continue to fight on as normal and will no longer be able to rout for the rest of the battle.
Only the totally mindless or the profoundly mad ever achieve this status. Unbreakable warriors truly have no sense of self-preservation whatsoever; the zombies, the slayers, the spawns. Unbreakable warriors will never rout, not even voluntarily. (Undead warbands are the exception to this, as their minions are withdrawn to protect their fleeing masters).
Alignment is the system that roughly indicates your warband's attitudes towards the world. A fully Lawful warband is one fanatically devoted to the upholding of civilisation - sometimes to a fault. Similarly a Neutral/Chaotic warband may not be out to set the world ablaze, but rather pursue their own agendas with a joyful disregard for the detriment that has on others. The Player must choose an alignment when they are building a warband from the options presented in your warband list. Some warbands however can only have one alignment choice (i.e. all Witch Hunter warbands are always Lawful).
In some Campaigns and Scenarios warbands may ally themselves with other warbands. While this is easy to do as friends around a table it is much more difficult for the superstitious and often terrified warriors in Mordheim. We therefore use the following system to replicate the difficulties in co-operating on the battlefield.
There are two types of alliance in Mordheim: Formal and informal.
A formal alliance is a pre-arranged agreement between warbands with little to no quarrel with each other, a meeting of minds to come together in the face of an otherwise insurmountable foe. Formal alliances are clunky, expensive, and unwieldy, but it is the price some warbands pay for security.
In a formal alliance warbands are fully allied to each other and considered the same; they will not count as the closest enemies for the purposes of shooting, will not count as enemies for the purposes of frenzied models, will not prevent each other from running, and for the purposes of rout tests both warbands are combined. Formal alliances must be negotiated after deployment but before the roll for first turn has been made.
Once the battle has begun Formal Alliances may not be broken. Warbands require such extensive briefing to believe that these dangerous strangers are their friends that coordinating elaborate betrayals during battle is impossible. If a scenario is won on the grounds of there being one last remaining warband then allied warbands will share the victory. Warbands that share victories in this way may each roll no more than three exploration dice (before modifiers for skills such as Money Maker, or winning leader bonuses), as there is far more competition for resources when scouring the city post-battle. Loot however may be divided up, though this would have to have been agreed before the battle.
Formal allegiances may only be negotiated between warbands with one degree of seperation in alignment (So Neutral warbands may only ally with Neutral, Lawful/Neutral, or Chaotic/Neutral for example) and may not take take place if either your warband has the 'Distrust' rule (for example, Dwarfs distrusting Elves) or your warband leader has a Hatred of the other warband's leader.
Informal alliances are moments where warbands warily take a step back from one another, perhaps each sizing the other up as being a little too strong to be worth fighting - or taking a momentary reprieve to recover and prepare for their next attack.
These alliances are the second-to-second judgements made by Warband leaders, and often communicated with little more than body language. These allegiances are momentary at best, and often nothing more than an attempt by one warband to get the other to expose its back.
There are no restrictions on these informal alliances but also are nothing more than agreements between Leaders to temporarily focus their attentions elsewhere. For all intents and purposes the two warbands are still hostile to one another - they are still the closest enemies for shooting, will still count as hostile for the purposes of frenzy, and will still prevent one another from running. They also may not share a victory in a scenario where the victor is determined by routing.
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