Empire in Flames
Empire in Flames Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Terrain
The following tables are meant as guidelines for typical terrain found in a game set in the Empire in Flames setting. Obviously there are no jungles or deserts in the Empire – most of the countryside is either open plains or forests, low ground broken up by low hills, with more hills being present the closer you get to the mountain ranges. Small farms break up the wild landscape, and these are surrounded by fields that are either clear or filled with crops, depending on the time of year.
Open Ground
- No movement penalty.
- Fallow fields (or fields which just haven't produced crops yet).
- Low, open hills.
- Bridges or fords in waterways.
- Steps or ladders leading up or down.
Difficult Ground
- Models move at 1/2 speed.
- Small streams (moving water less than 4" wide).
- Rocky ground.
- Fields filled with crops.
- Abandoned ruins.
- Marshy ground.
- Woods.
Very Difficult Ground
- Models move at 1/4 speed and may not charge.
- Rivers (moving water 4" or more wide).
- Swamp or deeper marsh.
- Hedges or thickets.
Impassable Terrain
Models may not move through this terrain. If forced into this terrain for whatever reason, warriors are counted as out of action.
- Tall rock outcroppings.
- Deep rivers or lakes.
Woods
The woods of the Empire are very dense and very dark, consisting of many huge ancient trees that block out the sun. In games in this setting, warbands rarely stray into the deepest, darkest woods so only small copses and clumps of trees need be represented. The rules below reflect the effects of woods:
- A stand of woods blocks line of sight to the other side, no matter how wide the stand is. This means that two models on either side of even a 1" wide section of woods cannot see each other if neither has actually entered it.
- A model within a stand of woods can see or be seen for 2". This means that there must be no more than 2" between a warrior in woods and an enemy model for the warrior to freely charge or shoot at the enemy, and the same goes for enemy models who wish to shoot at or charge a warrior in woods. Models with more than 2" of woods between them may still test to see if they can charge unseen enemy models as per the normal Mordheim rules, of course.
- Woods are difficult ground, and reduce movement to half speed.
Swamp or Deep Marsh
There are many areas of the Empire where water from the various waterways has built up over time and formed treacherous swamps. Models entering these wild places are taking their lives into their own hands, as swamps are some of the more dangerous places in the wilderness. Poisonous reptiles, bandit bands, crazed hermits, witches, and sucking bogs may all be found within a swamp. Many areas within a swamp are actually clear, but the following rules cover movement over actual swamp terrain section (represented by a small pond).
Whenever a model moves through a swamp section, roll a D6. On a roll of a 1, the model has stumbled into a sucking bog! The model may not move until rescued, and, if not rescued within D3+1 game turns (at the end of the last turn), he is sucked under and lost (remove the poor soul from the warband's roster). We suggest placing a D6 by the model with the number of turns remaining showing face up. To rescue a trapped model before the time runs out, a friendly model must move to within 2" of the trapped model and pass a Strength test on a D6 in that player's next Close Combat phase. If the Strength test is successful, the trapped model is dragged free (may move normally from that point on, and no longer has to worry about being sucked under). If the Strength test is unsuccessful, the model may still roll again in the next Close Combat phase. Additional models may help to pull the trapped model free, by either making additional Strength tests of their own, or adding +1 per helper model to the Strength of the original model making the test. Note that a roll of a 6 on a Strength test always fails. Note also that a model engaged in close combat may not attempt to pull a friendly model free, or help in such an attempt (the model is too busy trying to save himself to worry about his comrade!).
Swamp sections are always very difficult ground.
Rivers
The Empire is dissected by many huge, fast-flowing rivers. These are the lifeblood to the Empire as they bring trade to the bustling cities and act as the major source of transport between them.
To represent how models interact with water these basic rules apply:
- Players should establish which way the river is flowing at the start of the game.
- All rivers count as difficult (or worse) terrain for all models except those considered as aquatic. See Terrain Types previously.
- Models swimming with the current will double their base move.
- Models swimming against the current of a slow moving river may only move a quarter of their base move, but you may not swim against the current of a fast moving river.
- Aquatic models suffer no reduction of their base move when swimming against the current of a slow moving river but may not swim against the current of a fast moving river.
- Models wearing armour may not attempt to move through any water deeper than shallow. Shields and bucklers do not count for this as they are assumed to be strapped onto backs. If a model wearing armour finds itself in deep water – they are, literally! – each turn the model is in the water it must make a Strength test and, if unsuccessful, is taken out of action.
- Aquatic models in water, either swamp, streams or rivers, can elect to be hidden at the discretion of the player.
- Models cannot move upstream in fast moving rivers without floating transportation, such as a boat or canoe.
Fighting in Water
Most players will find it advantageous to fight around, or actually in, a waterway. We have included some simple rules to cover fighting in water.
- If a non-aquatic model is knocked down in a shallow river or stream they are swept down-river D6". Aquatic models that are knocked down will not drift with the current and can still get back into combat the following turn.
- If any model is stunned while in shallow water it must make an Initiative test. If it passes, it can be turned over in the following turn. If it fails, it is considered drowned and will be taken out of action. The player will need to roll for injuries at the end of the game. This doesn't mean that the model is gone for good but is just a bit waterlogged!
- Any Undead model that is knocked down in shallow water will recover as normal according the standard Mordheim rules for Undead.
- Any model fighting in a shallow stream whilst wearing light armour will be considered out of action if stunned. No Initiative test is to be taken. This does not apply to models whose skin or clothing is considered to be natural light armour.
Buildings
The Empire can be a dangerous place, and no place more so than out in the wilderness. Buildings are treated a bit differently in games set in Empire in Flames. These rules do not cover ruins, which are simply considered difficult ground in most cases.
Curses, Locked!: First of all, unless the building is an inn (inn doors are only locked at night), the doors will be locked (or someone will simply be on the other side holding the door!). Secondly, buildings will have windows that are actually shuttered and/or have actual frames and intact glass. To move through a locked door or shuttered window, the warrior has to first open it, which requires a bit of force. The warrior can either attempt to rip the door open using his bare strength, chop the door down with his weapons, or rush the door.
- Ripping: Ripping a door off its hinges with bare hands is done at the end of the warrior's Movement phase, and requires that the warrior pass a Strength check at -2 to his Strength. If the warrior fails he can try again next turn. Only one warrior may attempt this at a time.
- Chopping: Chopping a door down takes D3+1 complete game turns of doing nothing but attacking the door. Up to two friendly warriors may help chop the door down – subtract -1 turn from the total (down to a minimum of one turn).
- Rushing: Rushing a door may be done at the end of any of the warrior's Movement phases, and requires a successful Strength test. If passed, the warrior is inside the room on the other side of the door (his momentum carries him inside). A warrior entering a room this way is placed 1" straight ahead into the room, pushing aside enemy models to make room if necessary. If he ends up in contact with enemy models after being placed, the warrior is considered to be engaged in close combat with them and he is considered to have charged. If the Strength test is failed, the warrior takes an automatic hit at his own Strength and will have to try again next turn if he wants that door open.
Doors that have been chopped down may never be locked again (see below). Doors that have been forced open may only be locked again on a roll of 4-6 (roll as soon as the door is forced open), otherwise they have been too badly damaged by the ill treatment to be locked until they are repaired (some time after the game!). Unlike the doors to the outside, doors inside a building are considered to be unlocked.
Opening or locking a door obviously requires that the model actually comes into contact with the door when he is trying to interact with it! Also, a model that has just forced a door open will prevent enemy models from locking it (he may shove his foot or a weapon in there).
Get Out Me 'Ouse!: A warrior stepping into a building during a game will likely find it occupied. A warrior moving into an intact building will suffer D3-1 automatic hits from those inside, at Strength 3, as the inhabitants show their displeasure at him bringing the battle to them. If the player wishes, the warrior may spend a complete turn attempting to quell the inhabitants – roll a Leadership test for the warrior. If he is successful, he will suffer no more hits while in this building. If he fails, he immediately suffers another D3 automatic Strength 3 hits this turn, as the inhabitants have found his argument for them not attacking him to be unconvincing. If members of two enemy warbands are inside the same building, this rule is ignored, as the inhabitants realise that the battle has now reached their home and it's time to go and find a place to hide!
Clutter: While areas outside are often free of debris, inside a building is a whole different story. Tables, chairs, other furniture, dropped dishes, firewood, etc, all make for tricky footing in a fight. For this reason, inside a building is considered to be difficult terrain.
Combat through doorways: If both sides are unwilling (or unable) to go past a doorway, they may fight through it. If this occurs, the number of models that may fight on each side is one more than the number of models that could walk abreast through the doorway. In most cases this will mean that two models from each side may take part in the combat, though some especially large doors (eg. barn doors) may allow more models than this to get their licks in! As soon as a door is opened, both sides may place up to this number of models in contact with the doorway. Any models that were within 1" of the door when it was opened may be moved this way, and each player gets to control which of his models gets moved into the combat. The side opening the door will count as charging in the first round of the combat.
Stairs and such: Buildings with multiple floors will have a way to get from one to the next. This is usually stairs, though it's possible that it may be ramps, ladders, ropes, etc. A warrior climbing a rope (or the wall!) must follow the rules for climbing, as outlined in the Mordheim rulebook. Ladders and stairs are a bit easier, however. A warrior may move up a ladder or flight of stairs to the next level in a single Movement phase. The model must start his move within 1" or the bottom of the ladder/stair, and it takes all of his movement to get to the top. If there is an upright enemy model (or models) within 1" of the top of the stairs or ladder, the climber may charge it.
New Equipment
While Empire in Flames is a new setting for Mordheim games, most of the equipment (including prices and rarities) remains the same… this is still within the Empire after all! However, there are a few new items of equipment to be had. These are detailed below.
Lock Picks
Rare 8 — Cost: 15 GC
A standard piece of kit for less scrupulous characters. A set of lock picks may be used by those who rely more on skill-at-arms and speed of thought than brute strength to open doors that others have secured. A model equipped with a set of lock picks may make his test to open doors on his Initiative rather than his Strength characteristic if he wishes. This is done at the end of his Movement phase as if the model were ripping the door off its hinges, though he uses his Initiative rather than Strength, there is no -1 modifier, and there is no chance that the door is too damaged to be locked again later.
Torch
Common — Cost: 2 GC
Warriors lacking the funds for a lantern may have to make do with torches. Torches act exactly as lanterns, adding +4" to the range the model may spot hidden enemies, but has a few other special rules as well. A torch will only last one game. A model armed with a torch counts as causing fear in animals (Hunting Dogs, all riding steeds, Bears, Wolves, etc), and may use a torch as a makeshift club. When used in combat, a torch is treated as a normal club, though with a -1 to hit modifier. Any models that have a Regeneration special rule (like Trolls) will not be able to regenerate wounds caused by a torch during the battle. (Torches may also cause buildings to catch fire – see 'Let the Damned Burn', from Town Cryer 8.)
Barding
Rare 11 — Cost: 30 GC
Barding is armour for a horse in the same way that light and heavy armour is for a human. It covers the mount's hide and in some cases the head. A model mounted on barded horse receives an additional +1 Armour save (+2 instead of +1 for being mounted). In addition, a mount wearing barding will only be killed on a D6 roll of a 1 if the model is taken out of action. (Warhorses only.)
Horseman's Hammer
Rare 10 — Cost: 12 GC
This is a great hammer similar to the ones used by the Knights of the White Wolf. Far too bulky to use in one hand, a horseman's hammer is best suited to mounted combat, when the impetus of the horse may be used to add to the power of the weapon.
- Range: Close Combat
- Strength: As user +1
- Special Rules: Two-Handed, Cavalry Charge
Special Rules
Two-handed: A model armed with a horseman's hammer may not use a shield, buckler, or additional weapon in close combat. If the model is equipped with a shield he will still get a +1 bonus to his Armour save against shooting.
Cavalry Charge: A model armed with a horseman's hammer may use the speed of his charge to increase the might of his attacks. A model on a steed with a horseman's hammer gains a further +1 Strength bonus when he charges. This bonus only applies for that turn.
Price Chart
The following chart gives the cost of additional items for sale that are specific to the Empire in Flames wilderness setting.
| Item | Cost | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous | ||
| Torch | 2GC | Common |
| Lock Picks | 15GC | Rare 8 |
| Mule | 30GC | Rare 7 |
| Riding/Draft Horse | 40GC | Rare 8 (Humans only) |
| Warhorse | 80GC | Rare 11 (Humans only) |
| Elven Steed | 90GC | Rare 10 (Elves only) |
| War Boar | 90GC | Rare 11 (Orcs only) |
Note: the printed Price Chart gives the Horseman's Hammer a cost of 30GC, while its entry above prints 12 GC. Both figures are transcribed as printed; the discrepancy is in the source.
Exploration
Several of the encounters below allow a warband to take actions that result in different rewards or punishments. Warband members that were taken out of action in the game may not take part in any of the encounters below. This means that they may not gain Experience, may not attack, etc. Of course, it also means that they will not be taken out of action by an encounter either…
Note also that there may be additional consequences for attacking in any of the following encounters: Empire Huntsmen, Empire Patrol, Halfling Rangers, Holy Man, Large Farm, Lost Children, Merchants, Mordheim Refugees, Peddler, Pilgrims, Priests of Sigmar, Small Farm. If a warband attacks one of those encounters, roll a D6: on a roll of 1-3 the warband has been careless and left witnesses! If the warband rolls that Exploration roll again, treat the encounter as 1 1 Abandoned Farmhouse (word has got out about the warband and they are avoided like the plague!).
Doubles
(1 1) Abandoned Farmhouse
The warband stumbles upon the smouldering ruins of a burned-out farm. Sifting through the ruins, the warband finds D6 GC.
(2 2) Raving Lunatic
The warband sees a wildly unkempt man staggering blindly through the forest. As the warband approaches, they notice that he seems to be whispering something about 'invisible archers killing everyone', though the exact words are garbled and hard to make out…
The warband may choose to either question the man or kill him. Undead warbands who kill him gain a Skeleton or Zombie for no cost. Chaotic or Lizardmen warbands may sacrifice the poor unfortunate to their Dark Gods to gain 1 Experience Point for their leader. Other warbands may question him to find out what he knows; roll a D6:
| D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-4 | He knows nothing. |
| 5-6 | He knows a secret tunnel to untold riches (in the next battle the warband may start up to three warband members anywhere on the battlefield that is within cover and not within 10" of an enemy warrior. All three must start in the same general area (within 4" of one another).) |
(3 3) Lost Children
The sounds of a child crying nearby can be plainly heard. As the warband members track the sound to its source, they find two children huddled together beneath a massive oak.
If the player wishes, the warband can help these lost children find their parents. If this is done, the grateful parents give the warband all they have of value (D6 GC; if a 6 is rolled, they give the warband a single Treasure instead). Undead, Chaotic or Lizardmen warbands may sacrifice the poor unfortunates to their Dark Gods (or simply feed on them!) to gain 1 Experience Point for their leader.
(4 4) Mordheim Refugees
The warband sees a motley collection of sorry-looking folk dressed in rags. Could these be refugees streaming from the cursed city of Mordheim?
If the warband is Human (not Possessed!), Elf (not Dark Elf), Dwarf (not Chaos Dwarf), or Halfling, the refugees beg for their help, and offer to give the warband information about the lands nearby. Roll a D6:
| D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-3 | The information is lies and useless. |
| 4-6 | The information is useful and the warband may roll one dice more than normal for Exploration after the next game. |
If the warband is none of the above types, they may sacrifice the poor unfortunates to their Dark Gods (or simply feed on them!) – the leader of the warband gains +1 Experience.
(5 5) Burial Site
The warband has stumbled upon a small graveyard. Further inspection reveals what looks to be an open grave in the far corner. There is no body in the grave, however, and in fact the only signs that someone has been here recently are the fresh dirt and a gold medallion lying on the ground that is speckled with what appears to be rust…
The medallion may be sold for D6 GC.
(6 6) Wild Stag
As the warband travels along, a rustling is heard in the brush. Suddenly a large stag appears in their path, and he appears as startled to see the warriors as they are to see him.
Any warband members with missile weapons may shoot at the stag. On a successful hit (at the warrior's base Chance) and wound (Toughness 3), the stag falls and the warband may have a feast! The next time the warband sells Treasures, the warband is considered to be one size lower (so a warband with 10-12 members is considered to be comprised of 7-9 members instead), as they have to purchase less food to re-supply.
Triples
(1 1 1) Orc Encampment
The warband smells the smoke of half a dozen campfires. When they sneak up to the next clearing, they come upon an encampment of Orcs!
A Greenskin warband may approach and attempt to trade. If this is done, roll a D6 – on a result of a 1 the Orcs fail their Animosity test and attack (follow the rules for other warbands fighting the Orcs, below). If the Orcs do not attack, the Greenskin warband may buy any equipment with a 25% discount (rolling for Rare items as normal), rounding down. They may also sell items to the Orcs for 10% more teef (gold) than normal, rounding up. If the warband is not comprised of Greenskins, they may report the Orc Encampment to the local authorities for a 2D6 GC reward. Or they may attack the Orcs. Any warband that attacks the Orcs receives D6 Experience that may be divided among the warband's Heroes that did not go out of action, and 2D6 GC in loot. However, roll a D6 for each warband member; on a result of 1 or 2, that warrior was taken out of action and must roll for Serious Injuries as normal.
(2 2 2) Gypsies
The warband members see a small train of brightly-coloured wagons ahead… gypsies!
Gypsies are well known for their generosity, but also have a reputation for thievery in lean times. The warband can either trade with the gypsies or attack them. A warband that attacks the gypsies gains D3 Experience that can be split among its Heroes, 2D6 GCs, and D3 daggers. A warband that trades with the gypsies may buy any item of equipment (Rare items must be rolled for as normal) at a 20% discount (figure the price as normal then subtract 20% from the total, rounding up to the nearest GC). However, at the end of trading, the player must roll a D6 – on a roll of 1-3 the gypsies have robbed the warband. Remove any unspent GCs and Treasures.
(3 3 3) Small Farm
The warband finds itself on a small farm. They note that the fields and the livestock are in good order. As the warband nears, the door opens and a young couple steps out.
If the warband is inclined towards good rather than evil, the young couple provides them a fine meal. When calculating their next earnings from selling valuables, reduce the effective size of the warband by one (ie. 10-12 Warriors is considered 7-9 Warriors), as the amount of money they need to spend on food is reduced. If the warband is evil or Chaotic, they may kill the young couple and loot their farm, receiving 2D6 GC in money and may reduce their warband size by one, as before.
(4 4 4) Pilgrims
The warband sees a group of robed humans coming up the road. They seem to be singing religious songs.
This is a small group of pilgrims. If the warband is inclined towards good rather than evil, the pilgrims show them a shortcut through the nearby marshes. In the next game, the warband may automatically choose sides and take the first turn; if two warbands in the game have this benefit, roll off to see which warband gets to enjoy the effect. In addition, their leader is an Elder of their congregation, and may remove a curse placed on a member of the warband. If the warband is evil or Chaotic, they may kill the pilgrims and take their measly possessions (D6 GC and a Holy Relic).
(5 5 5) Abandoned Orc Village
The warband comes upon a motley collection of huts, most of which are tumbled down and show signs of an old fire. This site looks abandoned…
If the warband searches, they find 2D6 GC and a few hundred teeth buried under one of the huts (the village treasury). If the warband is comprised of Greenskins (Orcs and/or Goblins), the amount of money is tripled, as the teeth are actually worth something to them!
(6 6 6) Empire Patrol
The warband hears a strong voice call out "Halt!", and out of the trees step a dozen men, dressed in the local livery and carrying muskets and halberds.
If the warband is inclined towards good rather than evil, the patrol lets them pass by with only minor questions. The patrol also gives them the name of a fair merchant in the next town (the next time the warband equips, prices are reduced by 10%, rounded down). If the warband is evil or Chaotic, the patrol attempts to arrest them! At the end of a short fight, the warband gains D6 Experience, D6 GC, D3 halberds, D3 swords, and D3 handguns. However, roll a D6 for each warband member – on a roll of 1-2, that warband member was also taken out of action during the fight and the player must roll for Serious Injuries as normal!
Four of a Kind
(1 1 1 1) Treasure Stash
The warriors are wandering through the woods when one of the henchmen notices a pile of leaves that looks a bit odd. Investigation reveals that something was buried here recently. Digging up the area earns the warriors a small chest. Inside the chest the warband finds D6x10 GC.
(2 2 2 2) Herdstone
The warband enters a clearing and finds an enormous standing stone, covered in crude glyphs and with what appears to be a small garbage heap at its base.
The warband has discovered a Beastmen herdstone. If the warband is not Chaotic in nature, they may deface the herdstone and sift through the offerings at the base of the herdstone for valuables. The leader of the warband gains 1 Experience Point and the warband finds D3 Treasures. If the warband is Chaotic, they may leave a small offering of 10 GC and worship at the altar asking either for a curse to be removed (roll a D6 and on a 4-6 the curse is removed), or to gain knowledge. If knowledge is sought roll a D6 – 1-3: one of the warband's Heroes suddenly screams as his mind is filled with insight – he is immediately taken out of action; though if he survives the experience he gains a single Academic skill (regardless of whether he could normally take them); on a 4-6, D3 Experience Points are awarded to the warband, to be distributed randomly among the warband's Heroes and Henchmen groups.
(3 3 3 3) Peddler
The warband sees a man leading a pair of mules packed with items. As he sees the warband members, his eyes light up and he begins moving rapidly toward the warband.
The warband may trade with the peddler. If they do so they may buy items at a 20% discount (round the price up to the nearest GC). He is also likely to have those hard-to-find items – any Rare item may be searched for at a -2 to the Difficulty (though he will only ever have one such item). If the peddler is attacked, his mules will be spooked and run off, though 3D6 GC worth of items will drop from their overladen packs when they leave.
(4 4 4 4) Gingerbread House
The warband sees a strange looking house up ahead. As they near it, they find that it is entirely made of iced gingerbread!
The warband may take some of the gingerbread to re-supply. If they do this they are considered to be two sizes lower when selling back Treasures (ie. a warband of 10-12 members is considered to be 4-6 members), and any hirelings only charge the warband half their normal upkeep. However, there is a chance that the old hag who lives in the house will see this and cast a powerful curse at the warband. Roll a D6 – on a 1-2, the hag has cursed the warband. Until the curse is removed, members of the warband must re-roll all successful hits in close combat or shooting.
(5 5 5 5) Wounded Warband
The warriors hear faint groans nearby and upon investigation find a small band of warriors, like themselves, sprawled throughout a small clearing. The warriors are covered in blood and have numerous obvious wounds.
If the warband helps these men in need, the wounded warband will give them their stash (2D6 GC and D3 Treasures). If the warband decides to dispatch the wounded warriors instead, they gain D6 GC and the warband's leader gains 1 Experience Point.
(6 6 6 6) Empire Huntsmen
Moving down a trail through some deep woods, the warband is surprised by a group of men in browns and greens stepping out from behind trees, arrows nocked and ready.
If the warband is Human (not Possessed!), Elf (not Dark Elf), Dwarf (not Chaos Dwarf), or Halfling, the Huntsmen offer to show them a secret way through the woods to an area reputed to be ripe with treasure (and danger). The warband may automatically pick the next scenario, get to choose the table edge and may automatically take the first turn. If two or more warbands have this bonus, roll to see who the Huntsmen showed the way to first.
Five of a Kind
(1 1 1 1 1) Large Farm
The warband finds a large farm. They note that the fields are in good order, and the livestock is numerous and healthy. As the warband nears, the door opens and a plump elderly man steps out.
If the warband is inclined towards good rather than evil, the farmer and his wife feed them a fine meal. When calculating their next earnings from selling valuables, reduce the effective size of the warband by two (ie. 10-12 Warriors is considered 4-6 Warriors), as the amount of money they need to spend on food is reduced. Also, the farmer gives the warband the name of an honest merchant (next time the warband buys equipment, prices are reduced by 20%, rounding the price up to the nearest GC). If the warband is evil or Chaotic, they may kill the farmers and loot their farm, receiving 2D6 GC in money, D3 Experience to be distributed among the warband's Heroes, and may reduce their warband size by two, as above. Also roll a D6 for every member of the warband if they attack the farmers – on a roll of 1, the warband member was taken out of action in the fight and must roll for Serious Injuries as normal.
(2 2 2 2 2) Halfling Rangers
"Halt!" yells a squeaky voice from the darkness. As the warband halts and looks around, a small figure steps out of the shadows – a Halfling!
If the warband is inclined towards good rather than evil, the Halflings share their travelling rations with the warriors. When calculating their next earnings from selling valuables, reduce the effective size of the warband by two (ie. 10-12 Warriors is considered 4-6 Warriors), as the amount of money they need to spend on food is reduced. If the warband is evil or Chaotic, the brave little rangers attack! The warband receives D6 GC, D6 shortbows, D6 daggers, D3 Experience Points that may be distributed amongst their Heroes, and may reduce their warband size by two by eating the Halflings' rations as above. In addition, roll a D6 for each member of the warband – on a roll of 1-2 that warband member is shot full of holes, taken out of action in the fight and must roll for Serious Injury as normal.
(3 3 3 3 3) The Hanging Tree
The warband comes upon a grisly scene – a large oak tree with dozens of bodies hanging from its branches. There are also a couple of bodies in cages as well. As they near, the warriors can hear a weak plea for help from one of the cages.
If the warband frees him, the Assassin (see Mordheim Annual) offers his services to the warband for free (no hiring cost, though they must pay his upkeep as normal after the first game). In addition, the warband finds the following among the bodies: D6 GC hidden in boots, etc, D3 daggers, and a Lucky Charm (obviously not working properly!).
(4 4 4 4 4) Dark Priest
The warband sees a figure in dark robes approaching. As he gets closer they see a stalked eye appear from under the shadowed hood…
This is a Dark Oriest. (The source prints "Oriest" here; the encounter heading reads "Dark Priest".) He may be killed (the warband leader gains 1 Experience Point and an Unholy Relic), or an Undead or Chaotic warband may seek his blessing. The blessing of the Dark Priest will remove all curses plaguing the warband.
(5 5 5 5 5) Faerie Ring
The weary warriors come upon a small circle of mushrooms. Such places are reputed to be magical in nature, and possessed of powerful healing qualities.
If the warband is not Undead or Chaotic in nature, they may sleep in the faerie ring and gain a restful night's sleep. Any of the warriors in the warband that were taken out of action last game are automatically healed to full health – there is no need to roll for Serious Injury. An Undead or Chaotic warband may destroy the faerie ring and receive D6 Experience Points that may be divided among their Heroes. However, such wanton destruction carries a price – the faeries will place a powerful curse on the warband. From now on until the curse is lifted, whenever any members of the warband are taken out of action, roll twice for Serious Injuries for each warrior and apply the lower result.
(6 6 6 6 6) Ambushed Warband
The warriors see bodies strewn all over this clearing, several arrows protruding from each one. That old hermit did warn you about the folk of the woods preferring their privacy…
If the warriors loot these bodies, they find the following items of value: D3 swords, 1 suit of light armour, D6 daggers, D3 spears, D6 shields, and 2D6 GC. In addition, roll a D6 – on a result of 5 or 6, the warband finds a Treasure on one of the bodies.
Six of a Kind
(1 1 1 1 1 1) Griffon Nest
The warband comes upon a rocky spire, lifted a couple dozen feet above the ground. At the top of the spire is an enormous nest, and inside the nest the warband members can see the tops of eggs!
A Hero may climb to the nest and bring down eggs, one at a time. The Hero must pass a successful Initiative test once to get up, and once to get back down, for each egg that he wishes to steal (the nest contains five eggs). If he fails a roll to get up nothing happens, however, if the Hero fails a roll to climb down, he suffers D6 Strength 6 hits immediately, and any egg he is carrying down is lost. In addition, every time after the first that the warrior attempts the test, roll a D6 – on a 1, the parent Griffon has returned. If the warrior just passed a test to get up to the nest, he gets no more eggs and is immediately knocked off and suffers the falling damage above. If the warrior was on the ground when the Griffon appeared, he suffers no other ill effects. In either case, however, no more eggs may be recovered. Each egg recovered may be sold for 50+2D6 GC.
(2 2 2 2 2 2) Sword in the Stone
The warband finds a sword imbedded in solid stone! There is an engraving on the stone… something to the effect that whoever draws the sword shall be the next king of Bretonnia/lead the next Great Waaagh/kill the wyrm Grackenfeld the mighty… or something to that effect!
A Hero may draw the sword from the stone if he rolls equal to or under half his Strength (rounded down). Each Hero only gets one test, and only the Hero's base Strength is used for this test… no drugs or magical effects apply. If a Hero draws the sword from the stone, he receives a magical sword (in a campaign, ask the referee if he has a suitable nifty sword for you to carry… otherwise it is +1 to hit and +1 to wound).
(3 3 3 3 3 3) Dead Drake
The warband comes upon a strange scene indeed — the foul-smelling remains of an enormous lizard that has been pierced by a long, slender lance, and the broken (and almost as smelly) body of a knight and his trusty steed, equally deceased (and smelly!). There is no indication as to where the dragon's lair is, and while dragon parts are normally priceless, the only parts salvageable are shards of bone. The dead knight's lance and sword are unbroken and will fetch a good price. All of this counts as D3+2 additional Treasures that the warband may add to their hoard.
(4 4 4 4 4 4) Chaos Icon
In a dried stream bed, one of the warband members sees the glint of something golden. It is a strange amulet, mostly buried in the silt and sand.
Choose a Hero to place the amulet around his neck (yes, one of them has to!). That Hero is affected by the rules for frenzy from now on and this frenzy is not removed if the Hero is knocked down or stunned. At the start of each game roll a D6 for the Hero – on a roll of a 1, the Hero has heard the call of the Dark Gods working through the amulet and heads north for the Chaos Wastes (remove him from the warband roster). This amulet carries a powerful curse, which must be lifted for the Hero to remove it from his neck (see earlier for removing curses).
(5 5 5 5 5 5) Holy Man
The warband sees an ancient man leaning heavily on a gnarled staff moving slowly toward them…
If the warband is not Undead or Chaotic in nature, the old man reveals himself as a priest of Sigmar and offers to help the warband on their next adventure. He can either remove any curses afflicting the warband, or bestow upon them a powerful blessing – after the next battle, any injured warband members roll twice for Serious Injuries and the player may choose which result affects the warrior.
(6 6 6 6 6 6) Familiar
As the warriors travel through some particularly dense woods, they hear an eerie croaking. Just as the whole warband begins to shake with dread at the terrible noise, a large toad hops up on a nearby stump. He looks at the warriors with uncanny intelligence…
If the warband includes a spell-caster, they may take the familiar as an item of equipment. The familiar acts as a power focus and whispers secrets into the spell-caster's ears as he sleeps, increasing his power greatly. The spell-caster gains an additional spell and a +1 to the roll when casting his spells (this is cumulative to the Sorcery skill) while he retains the familiar. A warband without a spell-caster does not interest the familiar, and it quickly hops away as soon as it determines this.
Mounted Warriors
As well as being populated by the various humanoid races, the Old World also contains many species of animals – some of which have been tamed and trained to perform a useful function. These can be divided broadly into two groups – animals that can be ridden (eg. horses, giant wolves, Cold Ones, etc) and those that can't (eg. warhounds, giant rats, etc). These rules are intended to flesh-out the rules for mounted warriors from page 163 of the Mordheim rulebook.
Model Representation
If you wish to include riding beasts or tamed animals, you will need to have models to represent them. For mounted warriors you will need both a mounted miniature and a model on foot. It is advised not to glue the rider on but to use Blue-tack or something similar so that he may be removed when on foot and his mount is unridden.
Animal Handling Skills
Many warbands employ unridden, fighting animals. Often one or more members of the warband is nominated to care for the animals, feeding and training them.
Beast Handler (eg. Dog Handler)
This skill is highly beneficial if non-ridden animals are to be included in a warband. This skill must be taken for specific animals and may be taken multiple times for different animals. It represents knowledge of the general care and well being of the animal as well as training techniques.
A warrior with this skill has a beneficial effect on the animals under his care. If a warrior has the Animal Handling skill for a particular animal, any such animals may use his Leadership provided he is within 6". If the warband's leader is also nearby, a player may choose which of the warriors' Leadership to use unless the animal is stupid, in which case only the Handler's Leadership may be used. In addition, stubborn animals with a Handler in base contact, ignore the effects of stubbornness. This counts as an Academic skill.
Riding Animals
Most warriors in Mordheim can only dream of owning a riding animal. Expensive to buy, expensive to keep and requiring skill to ride, they are a mark of status beyond the reach of lowly Henchmen. To those with the necessary wealth and skill, however, they are a priceless possession, enabling their rider to move rapidly across the battlefield, aiding him in combat with an advantage of height and weight, and in some cases, fighting in their own right.
Mounting Animals. It requires half a warrior's move to mount or dismount a riding creature. A mount or its rider may not run or charge in the same turn that the warrior mounts or dismounts unless the rider has a Special Riding skill that allows this.
Not Indoors. Mounts cannot normally be ridden indoors or underground, unless playing a specially devised scenario that allows this.
Dense Terrain. Riding mounts are rare both amongst the ruins of Mordheim and in the claustrophobic jungles of Lustria. The dense terrain makes riding difficult and large numbers of riders are highly ineffective. Thus in those settings, a warband may only have a maximum of two mounts (not including those belonging to Hired Swords). In more open settings, such as the open fields of the countryside around Mordheim or the deserts of Khemri, a warband may have as many mounts as they can afford.
Controlling a Mount. The Special Riding skills may be used by warriors who have a riding animal, but only after the skill Ride has been gained; warriors which come provided with a riding animal are assumed to possess the Ride skill already. Warriors without this skill may still ride animals, but must test against their Leadership if hit by any missile, and at the beginning of any Combat phase when a standing enemy is in base contact. If the test is failed they lose control of their mount and must roll on the Whoa, Boy! table. Note that if an enemy is not standing, the mounted warrior is not considered to be in combat and thus does not need to test for loss of control.
Armour Bonus. All riding animals give their riders a +1 Armour save bonus.
Bolting Mounts. In certain circumstances, a mount may bolt. A bolting mount must make a Leadership test at the beginning of the owning player's turn; if successful, it stops running, otherwise it continues fleeing. The easiest way to determine the direction a mount bolts is to use an Artillery Scatter dice. If you do not have one, then roll 2D6 and use the clock face method. Taking the direction the horse is facing as 12 and directly behind as 6, the horse will bolt in the appropriate direction on the clock face.
Leading Animals. On occasion, a warrior may want to lead a riding animal rather than riding it. A warrior may only lead one riding animal unless he has the Animal Handling skill for that particular animal, in which case he can lead as many as he wishes. Groups of led animals are tethered together and must maintain base contact with each other; at least one must be in base contact with the warrior leading them. Riding animals that are being led do not roll for loss of control. If required to make a Leadership test (eg. when charged by a fear-causing enemy) they use the Ld of the warrior leading them. A warrior leading riding animals may move and fight as normal, but must maintain base contact at all times.
Un-led Animals. Riding animals which are not being either led or ridden will remain stationary but must make a Leadership test at the beginning of their turn. If this is failed, they will bolt, using the rules above.
Cavalry Skills
Skills may only be used one at a time. If two are applicable to a given situation, the controlling player must decide which to use. All bonuses are cumulative with those gained from a mount, unless otherwise stated.
Ride (eg. Ride Horse)
This skill is vital if a rider wishes to ride an animal into combat. The skill is specific to a particular type of animal and must be gained again if the warrior wishes to be able to ride a different kind of animal. For instance, a warrior with Ride Horse would need to gain the skill Ride Warhorse if he wanted to be able to ride such a spirited mount.
Special Riding Skills
- Cavalry Commander. Mounted Heroes are an impressive sight. With a good vantage point, they can see (and be seen) far more readily than if they were on foot. If the warband's leader has this skill and is mounted, he may add an extra 6" to the distance within which other warriors in the warband may use his Leadership. This is in addition to any other bonuses that increase the range of the leader's influence.
- Trick Riding. By athletically hanging off the side of his mount, a rider makes himself harder to hit. While a rider is trick riding all missile attacks against him suffer -1 to hit in addition to other modifiers. The rider must declare that he is trick riding before moving. He must then make an Initiative test and, if successful, may move full distance. If he fails he loses control of his mount and must roll immediately on the Whoa Boy! table. This skill may not be used with heavy armour because of the agility required. In addition, trick riding requires both hands, so the model may not use a shield or missile weapons whilst using the skill. Warriors without Ride may not use this skill.
- Combat Riding. The rider has trained his mount to use its bulk to trample any un-mounted enemy before him. A warrior with this skill may make a single additional S4 attack when charging an unmounted opponent. In subsequent rounds of combat, or if charged by enemy warriors, the mounted warrior fights as normal.
- Evade. The rider has trained his mount to swerve from side to side in combat, wrong-footing his opponent. A rider with this skill always strikes first in close combat against dismounted opponents. When charged by an opponent, or otherwise fighting an enemy also entitled to strike first, attacks are carried out in order of Initiative. If Initiative is equal, the model with greater Experience strikes first. Warriors without Ride may not use this skill.
- Running Dismount. The rider is able to dismount from his mount at speed. The rider may ride up to the mount's normal move distance and then dismount immediately. No further movement or shooting is possible. This skill may be used to move into contact with the enemy, counting as a diving charge from a height of 2" – all the usual rules for diving charges apply. Note that the rider then counts as dismounted, gaining no further assistance from his mount. Warriors without Ride may not use this skill.
Losing Control
If a mounted warrior has lost his last wound, then the player must roll on the Whoa Boy! table. This replaces the normal Injuries chart. If critical hits are suffered, then roll as many times as is required, taking the most serious result.
Whoa Boy! Table
| D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | The rider is temporarily disorientated and his mount rears up. The rider keeps his seat but must spend his next turn stationary regaining control, unable to move or shoot. If attacked, treat the rider as fallen down. |
| 3-4 | The rider falls off his mount and is stunned, taking an additional S2 hit in the process with no Armour save. In addition, roll a D6: on a roll of 1-3, the mount immediately bolts 3D6" in a random direction and continues until it has left the table – the mount may be recovered after the battle; on a roll of 4-6, the mount remains stationary and the warrior may remount once recovered. Note: the mount does not count as unridden or un-led in this instance. |
| 5-6 | The rider and his mount crash to the ground together. The rider and mount are automatically out of action. In addition, roll a D6: on a roll of 1-2 the mount lands on top of its rider, crushing him. If this happens, the warrior must roll twice on the Serious Injuries chart after the battle. In addition, after the battle roll a D6: on a roll of 1-2 the mount was crippled or killed by the fall and is removed from the warband roster. |
Animal Bestiary
What follows is a summary of animals commonly found in various parts of the world, along with a few less common species. Note that animals are not particularly bright and do not gain Experience. Note also that ridden animals can be ridden, but that doesn't mean that all of them want to be!
Attack Animals
The most common attack animal in the Old World is the faithful wardog, especially favoured by Witch Hunters. Other warbands have their favoured attack animals – Giant Rats for Skaven, Dire Wolves for Vampires, Cold One Beasthounds for the Druchii, Scorpions for Khemrian Tomb Guardians. Whatever the differences between the species, a warrior with several sets of claws and jaws behind him is a more dangerous opponent than a warrior on his own.
For details of the various attack animals available to different races, see the Mordheim rulebook or the relevant warband lists.
Ridden Animals
Humans like their horses, Orcs their boars, Goblins their wolves. All agree that two legs are good, but four legs are better.
Giant Wolf
- Cost: 85GC
- Availability: Rare 10 (Goblins only)
The Giant Wolf is common in most of the mountain ranges of the Known World. However, catching one of these nasty, fast-moving beasts is another thing – especially if you are a Goblin.
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 |
Note: Giant Wolves cannot be used in a warband that already contains Giant Spiders.
Giant Spider
- Cost: 100GC
- Availability: Rare 11 (Goblins only)
The Giant Spider is the stuff of nightmares. Typically five to six feet long they are highly prized by Forest Goblins as mounts.
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 3 | 0 | 3(4) | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 |
Special Rules
- Poisoned Attack: Giant Spider attacks are poisoned – attacks are considered as Strength 4, but this will not modify any Armour saves.
- Wall Walk: Giant Spiders (and their riders) may walk up and down walls without making Initiative tests. They may only jump up to 2" across or down, but this does count as a diving charge. When a Spider jumps, its rider must make an Initiative test; if this test is failed, something has gone wrong – roll on the Whoa Boy! table. Note that even if the rider has the Running Dismount skill, the maximum diving charge is only 2".
Note: Giant Spiders cannot be used in a warband that already contains Giant Wolves.
War Boar
- Cost: 90GC
- Availability: Rare 11 (Orcs only)
Large, ferocious and bad-tempered – a perfect mount for an Orc Warlord. Orc warbands occasionally make use of these noisome beasts while exploring the ruins of Mordheim and beyond. It isn't common though, as the bigger and meaner Orcs tend to take the Boars for themselves.
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
Special Rules
- Ferocious Charge: Orc War Boars attack with +2S when charging, due to their bulk. Note that this applies only to the Boar, not the rider.
- Thick Skinned: The thick skin and matted fur of the Boar makes him very hard to wound. Boars confer an additional +1 bonus to the rider's Armour save (making +2 total).
Mule
- Cost: 30GC
- Availability: Rare 7 (any warband)
Their stubbornness is legendary, but even so, these beasts of burden are occasionally ridden by Halflings, Dwarfs and even overweight clerics!
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
Special Rules
- Slow: Mules are not the fastest of mounts and only bolt 2D6".
- Stubborn: If a warrior is riding a Mule, or is in base contact with a Mule, he must make a Leadership test each round or the mule will refuse to move.
- Ornery: With no leader or rider, a Mule will wander in a random direction. Should any close combat occur within 6", it will automatically bolt directly away from the combat.
- Non-combatant: Mules will not fight in combat and may not be used to charge into combat – they will simply refuse to move. If an enemy warrior charges a ridden Mule, immediately roll on the Whoa Boy! table. If an unridden Mule is charged, it will bolt directly away from the charger.
Riding Horse
- Cost: 40GC
- Availability: Rare 8 (Humans only)
Riding Horses are not trained for battle and will not normally attack an enemy. However, they are useful for moving rapidly around the field of battle.
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
Warhorse
- Cost: 80GC
- Availability: Rare 11 (Humans only)
Warhorses are large, well-trained horses, quite at home in battle. They are primarily used by Human warbands.
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
Special Rules
- Battle Schooled: The mount has been specially trained to fight on the battlefield. The rider may re-roll any failed Loss of Control tests. Only one re-roll is allowed per test.
Elven Steed
- Cost: 90GC
- Availability: Rare 10 (Elves only)
Elven Steeds are graceful animals, but have a vicious temperament when called upon to fight. It is rumoured that even Dark Elves breed these fine beasts. Typically, High Elf steeds are grey and white, Wood Elf steeds are tan and white, and Dark Elf steeds are midnight black.
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
Special Rules
- Battle Schooled: The mount has been specially trained to fight on the battlefield. The rider may re-roll any failed Loss of Control tests. Only one re-roll is allowed per test.
Nightmare
- Cost: 95GC
- Availability: Rare 11 (Vampires and Necromancers only)
Vampire Counts occasionally need fell steeds to carry them about their business. Who cares if they're dead? They still have legs, don't they?
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
Special Rules
- May Not Run: As an Undead creature, a Nightmare may not run, but may charge as normal.
- Immune to Poison: Nightmares are not affected by poison.
- Immune to Psychology: As an Undead creature, Nightmares are immune to psychology, never have to take Leadership tests, and will always stand still if left leaderless. However, if the rider suffers a wound, he must roll on the Whoa Boy! table as normal.
Chaos Steed
- Cost: 90GC
- Availability: Rare 11 (Possessed warbands only)
Chaos Steeds are malformed, debased parodies of the magnificent Warhorses of the Empire. They are used by Possessed and other Chaos warbands.
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
Special Rules
- May not be ridden by the Possessed: Even Chaos Steeds are skittish around the abhorrent Possessed and will not allow themselves to be ridden by such a being.
- Battle Schooled: The mount has been specially trained to fight on the battlefield. The rider may re-roll any failed Loss of Control tests. Only one re-roll is allowed per test.
Vehicles of the Empire
There are three principal modes of transport in the Empire: travel by boat, by riding animals, such as horses and mules, and travel by wagon or coach. Riding animals have already been covered in 'Blazing Saddles' which is featured in the Mordheim Annual. Here we will cover the rules for travel via boat and wagon.
Wagons
This covers carts, stagecoaches and all two- and four-wheeled forms of transport commonly found in the Empire.
Movement
A wagon's movement is determined by how laden it is with passengers and cargo. Therefore throughout a game, a wagon's move may alter due to unloading or loading up of more passengers and cargo. Consult the table below to determine movement. Wagons cannot charge, climb, hide, run or flee.
Turns
Wagons, regardless of size, may make a single turn of up to 45 degrees at the end of its movement. It may then apply the lash if desired. Make turns by pivoting the vehicle from its mid-point.
Applying the Lash!
There are many reasons why a wagon driver would want to urge his beasts to go faster – if he is being pursued by bandits or mutants, for example! By applying the lash to his draft beasts, the driver of a wagon can attempt to gain some extra movement. After the wagon has moved normally, the player may roll a D6. On the score of 2+ this indicates how many extra inches the wagon may move ahead in a straight line. On the roll of a 1 something drastic has happened. Roll on the table below:
| D6 | Applying the Lash |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Steeds Tiring – The draft animals are growing tired – if the driver applies the lash next turn you must halve the score rounding fractions up. |
| 3-4 | Driver Shaken – Due to the wagon's speed the driver is thrown all over the place and may not apply the lash next turn as he recovers his composure. |
| 5-6 | Out of control – Make a roll on the Out of Control table. |
Wagon Movement
| No. of passengers or cargo quota | Standard Movement | Applying the lash! |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (driver – compulsory) | 10 | +D6 |
| 2-3 | 8 | +D6 |
| 4-6 | 6 | +D6 |
Terrain
- Difficult Ground: If a wagon enters difficult ground roll a D6. On a score of a 1 immediately make a roll on the Out of Control table, otherwise the wagon is fine.
- Very Difficult Ground: If a wagon enters very difficult ground immediately make a roll on the Out of Control table with a modifier of +1.
- Walls/Obstacles: If a wagon collides with a wall or other solid obstacle it comes to an immediate halt. The wagon suffers D3 hits at a Strength of 7 (see below).
- Impassable Ground: If a wagon moves onto impassable ground it is immediately destroyed and each crew member/draft animal must make an Injury roll. Remove the wagon and place any surviving crew within 3" of the crash site.
Collisions
If a wagon collides with another wagon both suffer D3 Strength 7 hits (roll location and damage as normal below). In the case that either attackers or defenders block the way of a wagon and it cannot move around them then the wagon will move through the models, even if they are from the defending warband. All of the models touched by a wagon that is forced to move through them must roll lower or equal to their Initiative or suffer a S4 hit with all of the consequences. Warriors that are out of action cannot get out of the way of a wagon and are therefore automatically hit.
Whenever a wagon collides with anything roll a D6, on a score of a 1 make an Out of Control test.
Transport
For the sake of simplicity all wagons and coaches may transport up to six human-sized warriors or smaller (let's be having no Ogre wagoneers now!) or the equivalent in cargo (this will be covered in greater detail in the Scenarios section). One crewman must be allocated as the driver and one may 'ride shotgun' with him. The driver may do nothing else but drive whilst the wagon is moving as he is too busy controlling the reins. In the event that the driver is knocked down, stunned or taken out of action a crew member riding shotgun may take over the reins and become the new driver.
Mounting/Dismounting
A friendly warrior may board a stationary wagon by simply moving into contact with it (wagons are only considered stationary if they didn't move in their last turn). Place the model either on the wagon or move it with the wagon in base contact to simulate it being transported. Similarly, a warrior may dismount from a stationary wagon by moving away from contact. Warriors may attempt to mount or dismount from a moving wagon by passing an Initiative test. If they fail, they take falling damage of D3 automatic hits at a Strength equal to half the vehicle's speed. Warriors may attempt to board a moving wagon from either another moving wagon or from a moving mount with a modifier of -1 to their Initiative test – this counts as a charge.
Losing Control of the Draft Animals
Apart from if a wagon becomes a runaway, control may also be lost by attackers attempting to wrestle away the control of the draft animals from the driver. Apart from eliminating the driver and taking control of the reins, the easiest way to control the draft animals is for a warrior to leap onto the back of one and ride it. A warrior can successfully leap onto a draft animal by passing an Initiative test (the warrior may add +1 if they have the Ride skill). If the test is failed then the warrior takes falling damage as usual. The warrior must pass a Leadership test to control the beast and therefore control the direction and speed of the wagon. The driver can only wrestle back control of the wagon by eliminating the warrior (any injury will suffice). If a warrior has successfully mounted a draft animal he may attempt to cut it free from the team on a 4+ although he will lose control of the wagon itself in doing so.
Shooting
Shooting from a wagon: Crew may fire from aboard a wagon and have a 360 degree arc of fire. Shooters suffer a penalty of -1 to hit for firing from a moving surface.
Shooting at a wagon: Warriors may shoot at a vehicle and gain a +1 to hit because it is a large target. If a hit is scored against a wagon then a roll must be made on the Location table opposite to decide what part of the vehicle has been hit.
Wagon Profile
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wagon | - | - | - | - | 8 | 4 | - | - | - |
| Wheel | - | - | - | - | 6 | 1 | - | - | - |
| Horse (8) | 8 |
Loss of a Draft Creature
Any time a steed is hit, regardless of whether or not it is injured, make a roll on the Out of Control table. If a steed is stunned or knocked down it will be dragged along by its associates until it recovers – next turn reduce speed by 1/2 (with a draft of two animals) or 1/4 (with a draft of four animals) and the driver may not apply the lash. If the steed is taken out of action then permanently reduce the speed by the previous amount until the driver can cut the animal free on the roll of a 5+. If the last steed is stunned, knocked down or taken out of action then the wagon comes to a halt and cannot move unless the steed recovers – make an Out of Control roll with +2 to the result.
Out of Control
| D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-3 | Swerve – The driver temporarily loses control and the wagon veers wildly off course. Roll a D6: 1-3 – Swerves 45 degrees to the left. 4-6 – Swerves 45 degrees to the right. The wagon then moves another 6" in the predetermined direction. |
| 4-5 | Runaway – The steeds bolt and the driver loses control of them. Each turn randomly determine the direction that the wagon goes in. Roll a D6: 1-2 – Swerves 45 degrees to the left. 3-4 – Swerves 45 degrees to the right. 5-6 – moves straight ahead. The wagon will always move at full speed and roll for applying the lash discounting the effects of a 1 all the time it is a runaway. Each turn the driver may attempt to take control of the steeds. The driver must pass a Leadership test to regain control of the beasts. The crew may not fire missile weapons all the time the wagon is a runaway as they are trying to hold on for dear life. |
| 6 | Loss of control – The wagon goes wildly out of control. Roll a D6: 1 – The wagon swerves to the right (see above). 2 – The wagon swerves to the left (see above). 3-4 – The wagon comes to an immediate halt. 5 – The wagon's yoke pole snaps and the draft animals gallop off. The vehicle moves 6" straight ahead and then comes to a halt. The vehicle may no longer move. 6 – The wagon either jackknifes or hits a rock or a depression in the road and goes into a roll! The wagon moves D6" in a random direction determined by the Artillery Scatter dice. Any warriors/beasts it collides with take the usual collision damage. All the crew and draft animals take D3 Strength 4 hits. The wagon is now wrecked. |
Wagon Location
| D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Draft creature – Roll to wound and injure as normal – see loss of draft creature above for effects. |
| 3 | Crew – Randomly select a crew member and roll to wound and injure as normal – see Loss of Driver if applicable. Any crew member that is wounded must make an immediate Initiative test – if this is failed he has fallen from the wagon and must test for falling damage. |
| 4-5 | Chassis – Roll to damage the vehicle using the stat line below. |
| 6 | Wheel – Roll to damage the wheel using the stat-line below. |
Wheel Damage
If a wheel is damaged this is potentially disastrous. Randomly determine which wheel has been damaged and roll on the table below, adding +1 to the result if the wheel has been damaged before.
| D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-4 | Wheel damaged – The wagon's speed is permanently reduced by -2". |
| 5-6 | Wheel flies off! – The wagon immediately swerves (see the swerve result on the Out of Control table above) and then comes to a halt. The wagon is now immobile. Roll a D6, on the score of 5-6 the wagon goes into a roll (see the roll result on the Out of Control table above). |
Chassis Damage
When the wagon loses its final point of damage/wound it is destroyed, comes to an immediate halt and each crew member/draft animal must make an Injury roll.
Combat
Warriors may strike a stationary wagon in close combat by charging and striking against the part they are in contact with (draft creatures/crew/wheel/chassis). Chassis/wheels: Attacks hit automatically – just resolve damage.
Crew: Crew on board a stationary wagon are counted as defending an obstacle and a 6 is required to hit them regardless of Weapon Skill. If a crew member is taken out of action an attacker may enter/board the wagon in his next turn.
Draft animals: The draft animals may be attacked in the usual manner although an attacker may choose to cut the draft animals free instead which requires a 2+ on a D6 to be successful. Draft animals that are cut free count as un-led beasts (see Blazing Saddles).
Warriors may attempt to attack a moving wagon by charging it in the normal way. Note: Charging a moving wagon does not bring it to a halt – the combat round is played out and then the wagon is free to move in its next Movement phase – if it is a runaway then it is compelled to move. Warriors are advised to attack to the side and rear because if they attack to the front they are liable to be run down in the wagon's next turn! Because attacking a moving wagon is a haphazard affair the attacker must determine the location struck first by rolling on the Location table above. Both the chassis and wheels are hit automatically just resolve damage. The draft animals are attacked in the normal manner although an attacker may not attempt to cut the reins on moving draft animals. The crew are difficult to strike and therefore a 6 is required to hit them regardless of Weapon Skill.
If the attackers manage to successfully board the wagon either when it was stationary or by leaping aboard it as it was moving they may engage the crew in combat in the usual manner without any penalties or modifiers. Note: Attackers or defenders that are injured fighting aboard a wagon must pass an Initiative test or fall off.
Boats
This covers small rowing boats through to large river barges. Note that these are very basic rules to cover small skirmishes on the rivers of the Empire, a more inclusive set of rules to cover ocean-going ships is currently in development.
Movement
Boats move 6" when moving with the current of a river (the direction of the river flow must be established before the start of the game). Boats may move 4" when travelling against the current. Boats must move at least half of their movement allowance unless they have been anchored or tethered to the shore.
Turns
Boats, regardless of size, may make a single turn of up to 45 degrees at the end of their movement.
Terrain
A boat can encounter natural terrain such as rocks or man made obstacles such as logjams specifically placed to obstruct its movement. Both the aforementioned terrain types are impassable to boats and they will suffer D3 Strength 7 hits should they move into them and also come to an immediate halt.
Collisions
See page 26 as for wagons. [As printed. The wagon collision rules are on p.31.]
Transport
All the above rules for wagons apply. In addition, because boats are considerably bigger than wagons, they can therefore transport a lot more. A rowboat can transport up to six human-sized warriors or smaller, or the equivalent in cargo. A river boat can transport up to eight human-sized warriors or smaller, or the equivalent in cargo. A barge can transport up to twelve human-sized warriors or smaller, or the equivalent in cargo.
Mounting/Dismounting
See above for wagons, except warriors that fail an Initiative test for attempting to board a moving boat do not suffer damage but fall into the water – see the rules for swimming.
Shooting
See page 27 as for wagons. [As printed. The wagon shooting rules are on pp.32–33.]
Boat Profile
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rowboat | - | - | - | - | 5 | 3 | - | - | - |
| Riverboat | - | - | - | - | 8 | 4 | - | - | - |
| Barge | - |
Boat Location
| D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | Propulsion – Roll to damage the boat using the stat-line above – if damaged roll again on the Propulsion table. |
| 2 | Rudder – Roll to damage the rudder using the stat-line above – if damaged the boat may only turn from now on after coming to a complete halt by using a combination of oars/boat-hooks. |
| 3-4 | Crew – Randomly select a crew member and roll to wound and injure as normal – see loss of driver above if applicable. Any crew member that is wounded must make an immediate Initiative test – if this is failed he has fallen from the boat. |
| 5-6 | Hull – Roll to damage the boat using the stat-line above. |
Propulsion Damage
| D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Sail damaged/oars splintered – The boat's speed is permanently reduced by -1". |
| 3 | (No entry is printed for a roll of 3 in the source.) |
| 4-5 | Rigging damaged/oars splintered – The boat's speed is permanently reduced by -2". |
| 6 | Mast falls! – With the loss of the mast (or all of the oars in the case of an oared vessel) the boat may only drift 2" in the direction of the current. All crew must immediately test on their Initiative to avoid the falling mast (this does not apply to oared vessels obviously). If a crewman fails this test he receives an immediate Strength 6 hit. |
Hull Damage
When the boat loses its final point of damage/wound it is destroyed and sinks immediately. Each crew member falls into the water and must make the appropriate tests for swimming.
Combat
See wagons above. Note: Swimming warriors may not attack boats!
Scenarios
In this, the third instalment of Empire in Flames, we have some new scenarios exclusive to the Empire wilderness setting. Some of these scenarios specify the use of both mounted models and new models specific to the Empire in Flames setting.
Use these Scenario tables instead of the one on page 126 of the rulebook. There is a separate table for multi-player scenarios. As usual, the winner of a scenario gets to roll one more Exploration dice than normal. Roll 2D6 to determine which scenario to play. Obviously, terrain should be set up that should reflect the wilderness nature of Empire in Flames (see the new Empire in Flames scenarios for an idea of what sort of terrain to set up).
Two-Player Scenarios
| 2D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 2 | The warband with the lower rating chooses the scenario. |
| 3 | Breakthrough |
| 4 | The Thing in the Woods |
| 5 | Wyrdstone Hunt |
| 6 | Skirmish |
| 7 | Stagecoach Ambush |
| 8 | Bounty Hunting |
| 9 | Lost in the Bogs |
| 10 | Surprise Attack |
| 11 | Chance Encounter |
| 12 | The warband with the lower rating chooses the scenario. |
Multi-Player Scenarios
| 2D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 2 | The warband with the lower rating chooses the scenario. |
| 3 | The Lost Prince (Mordheim 2002 Annual, p30 or on Mordheim website) |
| 4 | Monster Hunt (Mordheim 2002 Annual, p33 or on Mordheim website) |
| 5 | Treasure Hunt (Mordheim 2002 Annual, p29 or on Mordheim website) |
| 6 | Street Brawl (Mordheim 2002 Annual, p29 or on Mordheim website) |
| 7 | Stagecoach Ambush |
| 8 | Bounty Hunting |
| 9 | Lost in the Bogs |
| 10 | The Thing in the Woods |
| 11 | Ambush! (Mordheim 2002 Annual, p32 or on Mordheim website) |
| 12 | The warband with the lower rating chooses the scenario. |
Note: the scenarios listed in these tables that are not printed in this supplement's scenario section (for example Breakthrough, Wyrdstone Hunt, Skirmish, Surprise Attack, Chance Encounter, Monster Hunt, Treasure Hunt, Street Brawl and Ambush!) are not reproduced here. The scenarios this supplement does print are Bounty Hunting, Stagecoach Ambush, Lost in the Bogs, The Thing in the Woods, The Frenzied Mob and Beastmen Scenarios.
Bounty Hunting
Your warband has tracked a notorious band of outlaws to their lair, hoping to turn them in to the authorities and collect the reward on their heads. Unfortunately, it appears that another band of would-be bounty hunters is hot on their trail as well…
Terrain
Each player takes it in turn to place a piece of terrain, either a building, set of hedges or walls, hill, section of forest, section of swamp, river or stream, or similar item or terrain appropriate for Empire in Flames. There should be a large building in the centre of the table to represent the bandits' hideout.
Set-up
All players roll a D6 to see who deploys first, with the player rolling highest choosing a table edge and setting up first. If there are two players, then the next player sets up on the opposite board edge. If there are more than two players, the remaining players choose sides and set up their warbands based on the order of their dice rolls, highest to lowest. A player must set up his warband within 8" of his table edge, but not within 4" of a side edge, and not within 10" of another player's warband. Keep in mind that more than four players should be accommodated with a larger battlefield than normal (see the 'Chaos in the Streets' article on multi-player games in the Mordheim 2002 Annual, page 26).
Starting the Game
Each player rolls a D6 to determine who goes first. Play proceeds clockwise around the table (based on where players placed their warbands) from there.
Special Rule (printed as "Sprcial Rule" in the source)
The bandits are inside their lair, and they aren't real anxious to be caught! At the end of each game turn, D6 crossbow bolts shoot out of the doors and windows of the hideout at the nearest warband members (they're not particular about which warbands they shoot at!). Each bolt will be directed at a different target if possible. Crossbow bolts are fired with a BS of 3, modified by range and cover as normal (and, of course, the guys inside must be able to trace a line of sight from a door or window to the warband member). Warband members may not enter the building until the scenario is over.
Ending the Game
The game ends when all warbands but one have failed their Rout test. Warbands which rout automatically lose. If one or more warbands have allied when the other warbands have all routed, they may choose to share the victory and end the game, or they may continue the game until one warband is victorious.
As soon as there is a clear winner, the bandits give up. They may be turned in to the authorities for 5+1D6 GC per head (roll separately for each bandit), and there are 6+1 bandits per warband involved in the game holed up in the hideout (so if four warbands take part in the game, there are 10 bandits in the hideout). The winning warband also captures the bandits' equipment (6 crossbows, D3 swords, 2D6 daggers, and a bunch of wormy rations that are worth nothing).
Experience
- +1 Survives. If a Hero or Henchman group survives the battle they gain +1 Experience.
- +1 Winning Leader. The leader of the winning warband(s) gains +1 Experience.
- +1 Per Enemy Out of Action. Any Hero earns +1 Experience for each enemy he puts out of action.
- +1 Scratched by the Bandits. Any Hero who gets wounded by a bandit crossbow but not taken out of action gains +1 Experience.
Stagecoach Ambush
The roads of the Empire are very dangerous and teeming with all manner of bandits, Beastmen and mutants. A warband has been paid to protect the local stage on a dangerous road to the next coaching inn. A rival warband is laying in wait to ambush the stage on a particularly secluded part of the route. When the stage and its outriders turn a corner in the road the ambush is sprung and the chase is on!
[Printed page 39 opens with a boxed story (flavour fiction) about the Stagecoach Ambush setting; it is not reproduced here.]
Terrain
Each player takes it in turn to place a piece of terrain, either a stand of trees, a length of hedgerow or a small rocky outcrop. There must be a distinct road marked on the battlefield for the coach to follow. Both players should roll a D6. The highest scoring player may place the piece of terrain anywhere along the leading table edge, creating a continuous stretch of the road.
Set-up
The defenders may use as much of their warband as they have mounts for. Only defending warriors on the stage and warriors riding on mounts may take part in the scenario. The defending warband is deployed facing the opposite short table edge and no closer than 40" of that edge, (this edge represents the escape route). The stagecoach must be placed with the warband, and must also be facing this direction. Up to 50% of the attacking warband may be set-up in hiding anywhere on the battlefield but no closer than 18" to any of the defending warband. The rest of the attacking warband is set up 24" behind the defenders facing in the same direction – this part of the attacking warband must all be mounted.
Special Rules
The stage comes with its own driver (use the Muleskinner from 'Blazing Saddles' in the Mordheim 2002 Annual and replace his skills with Ride and Drive Cart and his whip with a blunderbuss). For this scenario alone, the driver counts as an additional member of the warband.
In addition, the defending warband is loaned some horses (or other applicable steeds) for the warband members by the Imperial Stage (the defending player may spend up to 250GCs on riding beasts that must be returned at the end of the game).
A Roadwarden Hired Sword may be hired as a one off for the defenders in this scenario at half the usual cost.
The attackers are loaned enough horses (or applicable alternative mounts for races that do not use horses – eg. War Boars for Orcs) for their warband (the attacking player may spend up to 400GCs on riding beasts only to be used in this scenario).
Only warbands of a good alignment may protect the stage (ie. Human Mercenaries, Elves, Dwarfs, etc) – you cannot have a Possessed warband protecting the Imperial Stage! You can however, adapt this scenario if only evil warbands are taking part and have an evil warband protecting the Carnival of Chaos Plague Cart from attack (you will have to wait for a later issue as this is a warband exclusive to Empire in Flames!)
A Highwayman Hired Sword may be hired as a one off for the attackers in this scenario at half the usual cost.
The Chase – This is a special rule that only applies to riding mounts and for this scenario only. Mounted warriors may always leave close combat in their Movement phase if they desire and because they are mounted are not automatically hit by their enemies (this allows the scenario to move along at pace and not to get too bogged down in fighting).
Dwarf Ingenuity – If the attacking warband is Dwarf Treasure Hunters then they are allowed to place a barricade across the road no closer than 18" to the stagecoach. This makes up for the fact that the short guys cannot ride mounts. If the defending warband is Dwarf Treasure Hunters then they are allowed to take a wagon in additional to the stagecoach for their warriors to ride upon.
Applying the Spurs! – This is a special rule that only applies to riding mounts and for this scenario only. A rider may apply the spurs to his mount to make it move faster in a similar way that applying the lash works with the stagecoach. A rider may not charge and apply the spurs in the same turn. Roll a D6 and add this amount to the rider's move. If a 1 is rolled roll on the table opposite:
| D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Steed Tiring – The steed is growing tired – if the rider applies the spurs next turn you must halve the score rounding fractions up. |
| 3-4 | Rider Shaken – Due to the mount's speed the rider is thrown all over the place and may not apply the spurs next turn as he recovers his composure. |
| 5-6 | Out of control – Make a roll on the Whoa Boy! table from 'Blazing Saddles' in the Mordheim 2002 Annual. |
Ending the Game
The battle ends when one warband fails a Rout test or the stagecoach leaves the table by the opposite edge it was facing when the game started. Any warband which routs, loses automatically.
Experience
- +1 Survives. If any Hero or Henchman group survives the battle then they gain +1 Experience.
- +1 Winning Leader. The leader of the winning warband gains +1 Experience.
- +1 Per enemy out of action. Any Hero earns +1 Experience for each enemy he puts out of action.
- +1 Destroying the Stagecoach. If a Hero in the attacking warband destroys the stagecoach he earns +1 Experience.
- +2 Capturing the Stagecoach. If a Hero in the attacking warband captures the stagecoach intact he earns +2 Experience.
- +2 Stagecoach escapes. If the stagecoach manages to survive and leaves the battlefield in the hands of the defending warband the leader gains +2 Experience.
Lost in the Bogs
One of the warbands has become lost in the bogs and separated (obviously a change in leadership is required!). As they call to each other to try to link back up, other warriors hear them and decide to take advantage of their plight…
Terrain
Each player takes it in turn to place a piece of terrain, either a building, set of hedges or walls, hill, section of forest, section of swamp, river or stream, or similar item or terrain appropriate for Empire in Flames. At least half of the terrain placed should be sections of swamp or marshy ground.
Special Rules
The warband with the highest rating is the one that got lost. That player places each of his warband members on the board, not within 10" of a table edge, and not within 6" of each other. After that warband is placed, any other warbands set up their warbands as noted under 'Set-up', below.
Set-up
After the lost warband has been placed, any remaining players roll a D6 to see who deploys first, with the player rolling highest choosing a table edge and setting up first. If there are two players who are not lost, then the next player sets up on the opposite board edge. If there are more than two players who are not lost, the remaining players choose sides and set up their warbands based on the order of their dice rolls, highest to lowest. A player must set up his warband within 8" of his table edge, but not within 4" of a side edge. Keep in mind that more than four players setting up on table edges should be accommodated with a larger battlefield than normal (see the 'Chaos in the Streets' article on multi-player games in the Mordheim 2002 Annual, page 26).
Starting the Game
Each player rolls a D6 to determine who goes first. Play proceeds clockwise around the table (based on where players placed their warbands) from there. The lost warband automatically goes last.
Ending the Game
The game ends when all warbands but one have failed their Rout test. Warbands which rout automatically lose. If one or more warbands have allied when the other warbands have all routed, they may choose to share the victory and end the game, or they may continue the game until one warband is victorious.
Experience
- +1 Survives. If a Hero or Henchman group survives the battle they gain +1 Experience.
- +1 Winning Leader. The leader of the winning warband(s) gains +1 Experience.
- +1 Per Enemy Out of Action. Any Hero earns +1 Experience for each enemy he puts out of action.
[Printed page 41 opens with a boxed story (flavour fiction) that is not reproduced here.]
The Thing in the Woods
Your warband is travelling to the next town when suddenly you notice that the woods you have been walking through have taken on a distinctly more ominous feeling. The shadows are much deeper here, and strange sounds may be heard. Some of your warriors report seeing something moving just out of sight as well. You had heard rumours about the woods in this area of the Empire being haunted by malevolent spirits and creatures of the night, but you dismissed them as old wives' tales, until now. Then a piercing howl breaks the silence…
Terrain
Each player takes it in turn to place a piece of terrain, either a building, set of hedges or walls, hill, section of forest, section of swamp, river or stream, or similar item or terrain appropriate for Empire in Flames. At least half of the terrain pieces placed should be sections of woods.
Special Rules
Fear of the Dark – These woods are seriously rattling the warbands. Any warband member in a Wood section must take an All Alone test every turn (even if there are other friendly warband members nearby). Failure means that the warband member flees 2D6" toward the nearest table edge (warband members who flee off the board are out of the game, though they will not have to roll for Serious Injury after the battle).
Thing in the Woods – There is one Thing in the Woods for every warband involved in the game (so a two-player game would have two Things, a four-player game would have four, etc). The Things are placed within randomly selected forest sections and start the game hidden. At the end of every game turn (after all players have taken their turns), there is a special 'Thing turn'.
A Thing will automatically charge any warband member that strays into its charge range. Otherwise, they move 2D6" in a random direction unless there is another forest section within range in which case they will always move into that. Just like any other player, the Things have their own hand-to-hand Combat phase, and a warrior who is engaged in close combat with a Thing will fight during his turn and the Thing's turn, just as if it were engaged with a warrior from another warband.
Set-up
All players roll a D6 to see who deploys first, with the player rolling highest choosing a table edge and setting up first. If there are two players, then the next player sets up on the opposite board edge. If there are more than two players, the remaining players choose sides and set up their warbands based on the order of their dice rolls, highest to lowest. A player must set up his warband within 8" of his table edge, but not within 4" of a side edge, and not within 10" of another player's warband. Keep in mind that more than four players should be accommodated with a larger battlefield than normal (see the 'Chaos in the Streets' article on multi-player games in the Mordheim 2002 Annual, page 26).
Starting the Game
The players each roll a D6 to determine who goes first. Play proceeds clockwise around the table (based on where players placed their warbands) from there.
Ending the Game
The game ends when all warbands but one have failed their Rout test. Warbands which rout automatically lose. If one or more warbands have allied when the other warbands have all routed, they may choose to share the victory and end the game, or they may continue the game until one warband is victorious.
Experience
- +1 Survives. If a Hero or Henchman group survives the battle they gain +1 Experience.
- +1 Winning Leader. The leader of the winning warband(s) gains +1 Experience.
- +1 Per Enemy Out of Action. Any Hero earns +1 Experience for each enemy he puts out of action.
- +1 Takes a Thing in the Woods Out of Action. Any Hero who takes a Thing out of action gets +1 Experience (yes, this is cumulative for the +1 for taking an enemy out of action!).
(Note: The rules for the Thing in the Woods can be found on page 78.)
[Printed page 43 carries a boxed story (flavour fiction) that is not reproduced here.]
The Frenzied Mob
In the year following the comet that flattened the hedonistic city of Mordheim, the Empire became a much darker place. It is in the largely untamed wilderness of the Empire, where hardy rural folk battle the elements and drag a living from the soil, that the most fearsome rumours pervade. The farmsteaders and villagers of the Empire are a curious breed, somewhat backward in comparison to the relatively sophisticated city folk. They are a very superstitious lot, zealously religious they pray to the gods Sigmar, Ulric and Taal for a good harvest, fertility and protection from the horrors of the dark. It is also said that they pray to older gods, forgotten by the folk of the cities over the centuries.
The peasantry are gruff, poorly educated but extremely hard working folk who have little time for outsiders, especially those from the big cities whom they view as soft and effete. They often lead short and unfulfilling lives and through back breaking hard work are bent double by middle age.
Despite all of this, the rural folk of the Empire are exceptionally brave, to the point of reckless insanity, and have an incredible sense of community. They are also very suspicious and wary of any strangers and can treat them sometimes with surprising hostility.
Woe betide any who should attempt to raid or steal from these strange folk!
Terrain
Each player takes it in turn to place a piece of terrain, either a set of hedges, walls, hill, section of river, swamp, forest, or other similar item. There should be D3+1 buildings clustered in the centre of the battlefield to represent the farmstead. The battle is fought in an area roughly 4' x 4'.
Set-up
Players should roll a D6 and whoever rolls highest chooses which warband goes first. This warband is deployed within 8" of any table edge the player chooses. The opponent (or opponents in the case of multi-player games) then set up within 8" on the opposite side.
Special Rules
Buildings: The following rules for buildings from TC 24 should be used here – Clutter, Combat through doorways and stairs and such.
Looting a Building: Any Hero that spends an entire turn within a building doing nothing else but stealing things that do not belong to him counts as having looted said building and may gain Experience (see below). A Hero cannot loot a building if he is engaged in combat or the building is occupied. Each building may only be looted once.
The Frenzied Mob: As soon as a warrior from any warband approaches within 8" of a building, place D3+1 Frenzied villagers outside of the building, no closer than within 5" of the warrior. The Frenzied Mob(s) move in their own turn, which takes place after all warbands have moved. Count each Frenzied Mob as a separate group of Henchmen. At the start of its turn, the Frenzied Mob will automatically charge any warriors that are within charge range. If there are no warriors within charge range, the Mob will move so that it is always within 5" of the building it came from (ie. If a previous charge had taken it further than 5" from its parent building).
Each member of the Frenzied Mob shares the same profile:
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
Weapons/Armour: Members of the Frenzied Mob are armed with an assortment of farming tools, makeshift weapons and flaming torches. Each model counts as being armed with a club and a flaming torch. They do not wear armour.
Fanatical: Because they are defending their homes, the villagers are filled with inhuman fury. They automatically pass any Leadership-based tests they are required to take.
Ending The Game: The game ends when all the warband have routed, bar one.
Experience
- +1 Survives. If a Hero or Henchman group survives they gain +1 Experience.
- +1 Winning leader. The leader of the winning warband gains +1 Experience.
- +1 Looting a Building. If a Hero successfully loots a building he receives +1 Experience.
- +1 Per Enemy Out of Action. Any Hero earns +1 Experience for each enemy he puts out of action.
Beastmen Scenarios
If you or your opponent is using a Beastmen warband, you might like to use one of these special Beastmen scenarios. Roll a D6 to see which scenario to fight:
| D6 | Scenario |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | The Ambush |
| 2-4 | The Raid |
| 5-6 | The Beast Hunt |
(The printed ranges overlap at 2; both 1-2 and 2-4 are transcribed as printed.)
Minor typographical errors in the printed scenario text (for example "Her" for "Hero", "Whene" for "When", "give lose" for "lose") are corrected in this transcription.
Beastmen Scenario One: The Ambush
Ambushes by Beastmen warbands upon unwary travellers in the wilderness across the Old World are common. They strike without warning, leaping from the dense and twisted trees and brutally attacking those unfortunate enough to be treading the dark forgotten paths of the Empire.
Terrain
Each player takes it in turn to place a piece of terrain, either a wood, forest, swamp, rocky outcrop or other piece of similar terrain to create a dense patch of wilderness. There should be a clear area about 4" wide cutting through the middle of the board, from one board edge to the opposite side, to represent a road. The battle is fought in an area roughly 4' by 4'.
Warbands
The non-Beastmen warband should be set up first. The warband is strung out along the road, unaware at first of the impending attack. The members of this warband is placed anywhere along the road. Each warband member must be placed at least 4" away from another warband member. Note that no model in this warband is allowed to use any special deployment rules (like Skaven Infiltration). After the defending warband has been completely set up, the ambushing Beastmen warband is set up. The Beastmen are allowed to be set up anywhere on the board that is out of sight of a defender, and at least 16" away from any enemy model.
Special Rules
The defending warband knows that to run into the forest will almost certainly spell their doom. To represent this, the defending warband does not need to take a Rout Test until 50% of their warband is Out of Action rather than 25%.
Starting the Game
Sometimes a Beastman warband strikes their prey fully unaware. Other times, the prey will become aware of an ambush just before it is launched. Roll a D6 to see who has the first turn, though the Beastmen player gets to add +1 to his dice roll (unless he has a minotaur in his warband!)
Ending the Game
The game ends when one warband fails its Rout test. The routers automatically lose.
Experience
- +1 Survives. If a Hero or Henchman group survives the battle they gain +1 Experience.
- +1 Winning Leader. The leader of the winning warband gains +1 Experience. If the Beastmen win the scenario, their leader gains an additional +1 Experience (so, +2), because of the respect he gains for leading a successful ambush.
- +1 Per Enemy Out of Action. Any Hero earns +1 experience for each enemy he puts out of action.
Beastmen Scenario Two: The Raid
Beastmen often attack isolated villages and farms. If a village or farm suspects they will be raided, they may scrape together their coins to secure the aid of a group of mercenaries to help defend their homes and families.
Terrain
Each player takes it in turn to place a piece of terrain, either a wood, forest, swamp, rocky outcrop, fence, hedge or other piece of similar terrain the village or farm in the middle of the wilderness. There should be D3+1 buildings clustered in the centre of the battlefield to represent the village or farm. The battle is fought in an area roughly 4' by 4'.
Warbands
The defenders are set-up first. They are placed anywhere within 3" of one of the buildings in the centre of the table. Once they are set-up, the attackers are set-up. They may be placed anywhere on the table, but no nearer than 20" from any of the buildings in the centre of the table.
Special Rules
The defending warband is being well paid, and have no wish to give lose this payment! To represent this, the defending warband does not need to take a Rout Test until 50% of their warband is Out of Action rather than 25%.
The Frenzied Mob: When a Beastman moves to within 8" of one of the buildings for the first time, place D3 frenzied villagers outside the building, no closer than 5" from the Beastman. The frenzied mob(s) moves in the defenders turn. Count each frenzied mob as a separate group of Henchmen. At the start of its turn, the frenzied mob will automatically charge any Beastmen that are within charge range. If there are no Beastmen within charge range, the mob will move so that it is always within 5" of the building it came from.
Each member of the Frenzied Mob share the same profile:
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
Weapons / Armour: Members of the frenzied mob are armed with an assortment of farming tools, makeshift weapons and flaming torches. Each model counts as being armed with a club and a flaming torch. They do not wear armour.
Fanatical: Because they are defending their homes, the villagers are filled with inhuman fury. They automatically pass any Leadership-based tests they are required to take.
Torch the Village! Any member of the Beastmen warband that spends an entire turn touching a building without moving, fighting, shooting or casting a spell, may attempt to torch the building. The building is set ablaze on a 4+ on a D6.
Starting the Game
The Attacker gets the first turn.
Ending the Game
The Beastmen automatically win the scenario if all the building are torched (see Torch the Village, above). Otherwise, the game ends when one warband fails its Rout test. The routers automatically lose.
Experience
- +1 Survives. If a Hero or Henchman group survives the battle they gain +1 Experience.
- +1 Winning Leader. The leader of the winning warband gains +1 Experience. If the Beastmen win the scenario, their leader gains an additional +1 Experience (so, +2), because of the respect he gains for leading a successful ambush.
- +1 Per Enemy Out of Action. Any Hero earns +1 experience for each enemy he puts Out of Action.
The Spoils
The winning warband gains 5D6gc.
Beastmen Scenario Three: The Beast Hunt
Driven by revenge, local villagers have employed a warband to hunt down a local marauding Beastmen warband, deep in the wild woods. They have even managed to secure the aid of a famed Beast Hunter, in the hope that the Beastmen menace will be driven from their lands. They have tracked the foul creatures to their encampment, clustered around some herdstones.
Terrain
Each player takes it in turn to place a piece of terrain, either a wood, forest, swamp, rocky outcrop, fence, hedge or other piece of similar terrain to create the dense wilderness. A circle of stones roughly 10" in diameter should be placed in the centre of the table, with a larger standing stone in its centre. The battle is fought in an area roughly 4' by 4'.
Warbands
The Beastmen are set up first. They must all be positioned within the herdstone circle. The attacker then chooses a board edge, and may set up his entire warband (including the Beast Hunter), within 8" of that board edge.
Special Rules
The attacking warband have a Beast Hunter join their warband, without the need to pay for his Hire Fee.
The Beastmen are defending their herdstones, and do not intend on being easily driven away from it! To represent this, the Beastmen warband does not need to take a Rout Test until 50% of their warband is Out of Action rather than 25%.
Starting the Game
The Attacker gets the first turn.
Ending the Game
The game ends when one warband fails its Rout test. The routers automatically lose.
Experience
- +1 Survives. If a Hero or Henchman group survives the battle they gain +1 Experience.
- +1 Winning Leader. The leader of the winning warband gains +1 Experience.
- +1 Per Enemy Out of Action. Any Hero earns +1 experience for each enemy he puts Out of Action.
The Spoils
If the attacking warband wins, then they gain 4D6 gc.
Warbands
This section describes two new warbands - the Carnival of Chaos and Beastmen Raiders for use in the Empire in Flames setting. These warbands follow the rules for all warbands presented in the Mordheim rulebook, which are summarised below.
Use the lists that follow to recruit and equip your warband. You have 500 gold crowns to spend. Each model and their equipment (if you choose to buy any) costs a set amount of money. As you make your choices, subtract the money you have "spent" from your total until you have bought all you can. Any unspent gold crowns are put into the warband's treasury and can be used later or hoarded to buy something more expensive.
To start with you must recruit at least three warriors including a leader. The weapons, armour and mutations you choose for your warriors must be represented on the models themselves. The exceptions are knives and daggers, which you may assume are tucked in boots or concealed in clothing if not represented on the model.
Heroes and Henchmen
For game purposes the warriors in your warband are classified as Heroes and Henchmen.
Heroes
These are exceptional individuals who have the potential to become legends. Heroes can be armed and equipped individually and may carry any special equipment they might pick up during the campaign.
- Leader: Every warband must have a leader. He represents you, the player. He makes the decisions and leads your warriors through the dark sand lonely places of the Empire.
- Other Heroes: Apart from its leader, your warband may include up to five other Heroes, who form the core of your warband. A warband may never include more Heroes of any specific type than the number given in the Warband list.
Henchmen
Henchmen typically fall into two groups. There are Henchmen who gain experience and become better as time goes by (as explained in the campaign rules from the Mordheim rulebook). They are bought in groups of one to five models. The other type of Henchmen are those too dimwitted or primitive to gain experience.
Henchmen may never use any special equipment you acquire during their adventures (unless otherwise noted); only Heroes may do so.
All Henchmen belong to a Henchmen group, which usually consists of between one and five individuals. Henchmen groups gain experience collectively and gain advances together.
Weapons and Armour
Each warrior you recruit can be armed with up to two close combat weapons, up to two different missile weapons and any armour chosen from the appropriate list. Warriors may be restricted in regard to which types of weapons they can use. The warband's equipment lists tell you exactly what equipment is available. Note that you may buy rare weapons and armour when starting a warband, as indicated by the list in the warband's entry, but after playing the first game the only way to get further rare weapons and armour is to roll to see if you can locate them (see the Trading section).
You may buy additional equipment between battles, but your warriors can only use the weapons and armour listed in their warband entry. As they accumulate experience and gain skills, Heroes may learn to use weapons other than those initially available to them.
Every model in each Henchman group must be armed and armoured in the same way. This means that if your Henchman group has four warriors, and you want to buy them swords, you must buy four swords.
Calculate the Warband Rating
Each warband has a warband rating – the higher the rating, the better the warband. The warband rating is simply the number of warriors multiplied by 5, plus their accumulated experience.
Large creatures such as Minotaurs are worth 20 points plus the number of Experience points they have accumulated.
The Carnival of Chaos
[Printed pages 58–60 open this warband with a boxed story and a long description of the Carnival (flavour text); it is not reproduced here.]
Special Rules: Dangerous to Know. Because of its rather diseased nature a Carnival of Chaos warband would find it very hard to keep any Hired Swords alive! Therefore, a Carnival of Chaos may never hire any type of Hired Sword.
Carnival of Chaos Skill Tables
| Skill table | Combat | Shooting | Academic | Strength | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Master | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Brutes | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Tainted Ones | ✓ | ✓ |
Carnival Equipment Lists
The following lists are used by the Carnival of Chaos to pick their weapons:
Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons
| Weapon | Cost |
|---|---|
| Dagger | 1st free/2 GC |
| Mace | 3 GC |
| Hammer | 3 GC |
| Axe | 5 GC |
| Sword | 10 GC |
| Double-handed Weapon | 15 GC |
| Spear | 10 GC |
| Halberd | 10 GC |
| Morning Star | 15 GC |
Missile Weapons
| Weapon | Cost |
|---|---|
| Bow | 15 GC |
| Short Bow | 10 GC |
| Pistol | 15 GC (30 for a brace) |
Armour
| Armour | Cost |
|---|---|
| Light Armour | 20 GC |
| Heavy Armour | 50 GC |
| Shield | 5 GC |
| Helmet | 10 GC |
Brute Equipment List
| Weapon | Cost |
|---|---|
| Double-handed Weapon | 15 GC |
| Flail | 10 GC |
Choice of Warriors
A Carnival of Chaos warband must include a minimum of three models. You have 500 Gold Crowns to recruit your initial warband. The maximum number of warriors in the warband may never exceed 15.
Heroes
- Carnival Master: The Carnival of Chaos must have one Master to lead it – no more, no less.
- Brutes: Your warband may include up to two Brutes.
- Tainted Ones: Your warband may include up to two Tainted Ones.
Henchmen
- Plague Bearers: Your warband may include up to two Plague Bearers.
- Brethren: Your warband may include any number of Brethren.
- Nurglings: Your warband may include any number of Nurglings.
Starting Experience
Carnival Master starts with 20 Experience. Brutes starts with 8 Experience. Tainted Ones starts with 0 experience. Henchmen starts with 0 experience.
Maximum Characteristics
With the exception of the Plague Bearers and Nurglings which do not accrue experience, all other members of the Carnival of Chaos use the maximum characteristics for Humans.
Carnival of Chaos Heroes
1 Carnival Master — 70 Gold Crowns to hire
These lead the diabolical Carnivals of Chaos. They are the chosen of Nurgle and wield sorcerous powers gifted to them by their pestilential god.
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
- Weapons/Armour: The Master may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Carnival of Chaos Equipment list.
- Leader: Any models in the warband within 6" of the Master may use his Leadership instead of their own.
- Wizard: The Master is a wizard and uses Nurgle Rituals. See the Magic section for details.
0-2 Brutes — 60 Gold Crowns to hire
These are a very specific type of mutant that have had their constitution bolstered by the unnatural vitality of the Lord of Decay. Nurgle's foul attention has transformed what were once men into massive, statuesque creatures rippling with diseased muscles and a supernatural vigour. Brutes are immensely strong individuals and their part in the masquerade that is the Carnival of Chaos is as strongmen performing feats of strength to entertain the crowds. They are nearly always hooded in the nature of executioners for although their bodies appear outwardly strong and healthy, their faces are often riddled with disease and are half-decayed. In battle, they wield huge hammers and flails with reckless abandon, whirling them around their heads like children's toys.
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
- Weapons/Armour: Brutes may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Brute Equipment list.
- Unnatural Strength: Brutes start the game with the Strongman skill from the Strength skill list in the Mordheim rulebook.
0-2 Tainted Ones — 25 Gold Crowns to hire (+ Cost of Blessings of Nurgle)
The Tainted Ones are those that are most blessed and favoured of Father Nurgle. They hold a position of great importance within the hierarchy of the Carnival. They are often heavily robed and protected by powerful enchantments, for beneath their robes are unspeakable horrors. The bodies of the Tainted Ones are so wracked with disease and mutation that it is unsafe for even the other mortal members of the warband to touch their bare skin. Ironically, they take the most prestigious role in the Carnival – the fool. The Tainted Ones leap and prance about the audience, dressed as jesters, when the Carnival is performing, laughing and joking with the gathered throng infecting them with their multitude of horrendous maladies. These twisted creatures are exceptionally dangerous opponents in combat too, for it is said that they carry the dreaded and incurable Nurgle's Rot.
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
- Weapons/Armour: Tainted Ones may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Carnival of Chaos Equipment list.
- Nurgle's Blessings: Tainted Ones must start the game with one or more Blessings of Nurgle. See the Blessings of Nurgle that follow.
Carnival of Chaos Henchmen (Bought in groups of 1-5)
0-2 Plague Bearers — 50 Gold Crowns to hire
Plague Bearers are daemons of the Chaos god Nurgle, also known as the Lord of Decay. They can be identified by their cyclopean faces and horrifically decayed bodies. Their entrails hang from tattered holes in their grey-green, pox-ridden flesh and the aura of death and decay surrounds them. They are sometimes known as the Tallymen of Plagues or Maggotkin and are highly revered by the mortal members of the warband. As with all Daemons they can never be killed or destroyed for good so long as the power of their god prevails. However, their presence in the mortal world is tenuous and can only be maintained for long periods by Dark Magic and sacrifice. In the Carnival, the Plague Bearers revel in their showy roles as stage actors and players, dressing in filth encrusted but ostentatious doublet and hose.
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 10 |
- Weapons/Armour: None. Plague Bearers have huge filth encrusted claws, which they use to tear and slash at their foes. They therefore neither need nor use weapons and cannot wear armour.
- Cloud of Flies: Plague Bearers are surrounded by a cloud of flies, which buzz around them and their combat opponent. They do not affect the Plague Bearer but distract foes by buzzing into eyes, nostrils and mouths. A Plague Bearer's close combat opponent suffers a -1 to hit modifier on all attacks.
- Stream of Corruption: Plague Bearers can spew forth a grotesque stream of maggots, entrails and filth. This is counted as a shooting attack with a range of 6" and is resolved at Strength 3 with no saves for armour.
- Demonic: Plague Bearers are Daemons of the lord of disease, Nurgle, and are not made of living flesh but the eternal and unchanging forces of Chaos. Therefore they never gain Experience.
- Immune to Poison: Plague Bearers are the Daemonic embodiment of disease and pestilence. They are totally immune to all poisons and diseases.
- Immune to Psychology: Plague Bearers are Daemons and do not know the concept of fear. They automatically pass any Leadership-based test they are required to take.
- Cause Fear: Plague Bearers are horrifying supernatural creatures and therefore cause fear.
- Daemonic Aura: Due to the magical, intangible nature of Daemons they have a special Armour save of 5+. This is modified by the Strength of the attack as normal and is completely negated by magic weapons and spells. Plague Bearers' attacks are considered as magical also.
- Daemonic Instability: Plague Bearers are bound to the world by Dark Sorcery that is highly volatile and unstable. If taken out of action a Plague Bearer is banished and effectively destroyed on a D6 roll of 1-3 (do not roll for injury). In addition, if the warband routs then every Plague Bearer in the warband must take an immediate Leadership test. If this test is failed, then the Plague Bearer counts as destroyed.
Nurglings — 15 Gold Crowns to hire
Nurglings are tiny Daemons of Nurgle and are viewed by other followers of the pus god as akin to his beloved children. They are like rotten boils with legs and razor sharp teeth, that pick and tear and infect their foes with filth-encrusted claws. Nurglings are generally more of a nuisance in a fight than any real threat but in sufficient numbers can overwhelm even the toughest of warriors. Nurglings are mischievous little bundles of filth and pus and take great delight in their part in the Carnival of Chaos, not only as musicians but also as fools and slapstick comedians. Nurglings often befriend the children of each village they visit, only revealing their foul identity to their terrified victims at the final stage of 'Nurgle's Great Play'.
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 10 |
- Weapons/Armour: None. Nurglings do not use weapons or wear armour.
- Cloud of Flies: Nurglings are surrounded by a cloud of flies, which buzz around them and their combat opponent. They do not affect the Nurglings but distract foes by buzzing into eyes, nostrils and mouths. A Nurgling's close combat opponent suffers a -1 to hit modifier on all attacks.
- Swarm: You may summon as many Nurglings as you wish (ie. you may have more than five Nurglings in a Henchman group).
- Daemonic: Nurglings are Daemons of the diseased Lord Nurgle and are not made of living flesh but the eternal and unchanging forces of Chaos. Therefore they never gain Experience.
- Immune to Poison: Nurglings are the Daemonic embodiment of disease and pestilence. They are totally immune to all poisons and diseases.
- Immune to Psychology: Nurglings are Daemons and do not know the concept of fear. They automatically pass any Leadership-based test they are required to take.
- Daemonic Aura: Due to the magical, intangible nature of Daemons they have a special Armour save of 5+. This is modified by the Strength of the attack as normal and is completely negated by magic weapons and spells. Nurglings' attacks are also considered as magical.
- Daemonic Instability: Nurglings are bound to the world by Dark Sorcery that is highly volatile and unstable. If taken out of action a Nurgling is banished and effectively destroyed on a D6 roll of 1-3 (do not roll for injury). In addition, if the warband routs then every Nurgling in the warband must take an immediate Leadership test. If this test is failed, then Nurgling counts as destroyed.
Brethren — 25 Gold Crowns to hire
Brethren are the crazed and devoted followers of Nurgle the Lord of Decay. They have totally embraced the philosophy of the great Lord of Decay and the path of damnation is the road that they have chosen. Most brethren are infected with foul diseases and some have even started to decay. Their faces are covered in warts and boils and other lesser gifts of their lord. In the Carnival, the Brethren take on all of the minor roles: stagehands, puppeteers, etc.
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
- Weapons/Armour: Brethren may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Carnival of Chaos Equipment list.
0–1 Plague Cart — 120 Gold Crowns to hire
The Plague Cart is the embodiment of Nurgle and the core of the Carnival of Chaos. Bedecked in the colourful, garish finery of the coaches of travelling players and thespians, the Cart easily draws the eyes of the dull and bland peasantry of the villages. However, the canvas is tattered and rotten, the frame splintered and bent, the metalwork pitted and rusted and the steeds rotted and dank. Few mortals have ever seen the interior of one of these most sinister of vehicles for it is only the Carnival Master and his Daemonic minions that are permitted entry. It is rumoured that these ramshackle wagons contain a pentagram daubed with dark runes of incredible potency that actually creates a portal to the realms of Chaos and the dwelling place of great Nurgle himself.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cart | - | - | - | - | 8 | 4 | - | - | - |
| Wheel | - | - | - | - | 6 | 1 | - | - | - |
| Horse | 8 |
- Weapons/Armour: None. The Plague Cart's Guardian does not use or need weapons but suffers no penalties for fighting unarmed. Therefore it cannot use weapons and cannot wear armour.
- Plague Cart: The Daemonic nature of the Plague Cart fills both the Daemons and mortals of the Carnival of Chaos with vigour. The maximum number of warriors allowed in the warband is increased by +2. In addition, the Daemonic Instability of the Daemons within the warband is slightly offset. Plague Bearers and Nurglings may re-roll Leadership tests for Instability and may +1 to their Injury tests if taken out of action.
- Guardian: The Guardian comes as part of the Plague Cart. In fact, more often than not he is physically bonded to the cart in some twisted nightmare of flesh and wood. He may therefore never dismount from the cart or leave under any circumstances. In addition, as he is part of the Cart he cannot be injured unless the Cart is destroyed in which case so is he. The Guardian is considered a Daemonic creature and so never gains any Experience. Attacks from the Guardian cause Nurgle's Rot (see below).
- Immune to Psychology: The Plague Cart and Guardian are considered Daemonic and don't know the concept of fear. The Plague Cart automatically passes any Leadership-based test it is required to take.
Nurgle Rituals
The Carnival Master uses the rituals of Nurgle to pervert and corrupt nature, inflicting hideous diseases for which there are no known cures. Roll a D6.
| D6 | Ritual | Difficulty | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daemonic Vigour | 8 | The Master imbues his Daemonic minions with supernatural power. Any Plague Bearers or Nurglings within 8" of the Master increase their Daemonic Aura save from 5+ to 4+ until the beginning of their next turn. |
| 2 | Buboes | 7 | The Master bestows the gift of pus-filled buboes upon his enemies. This spell has a range of 8" and affects a single enemy warrior. The warrior must pass a Toughness test or lose a Wound. No Armour saves are allowed. |
| 3 | Stench of Nurgle | 8 | The Master spews forth a foul, stinking mist that chokes his foes. This spell has a range of 6" and affects all living creatures – friend or foe. Each enemy warrior in range must pass a Toughness test or lose an Attack until their next turn. |
| 4 | Pestilence | 10 | The Master inflicts horrible diseases upon the unbelievers. All enemy models within 12" of the Master suffer a Strength 3 hit. No Armour saves are allowed. |
| 5 |
Blessings of Nurgle
Those that worship at the fetid altar of the Lord of Decay suffer from terrible diseases and decay, which are known as Blessings of Nurgle.
Blessings of Nurgle may be bought for Tainted Ones only when they are recruited; you may not buy new Blessings for a model after recruitment. Any Tainted may have one or more Blessings. The first Blessing is bought at the price indicated, but second and subsequent Blessings cost double.
Stream of Corruption — Cost: 25 Gold Crowns
The Tainted One can spew forth a grotesque stream of maggots, entrails and filth. This is counted as a shooting attack with a range of 6" and is resolved at Strength 3 with no saves for armour.
Nurgle's Rot — Cost: 50 Gold Crowns
The Tainted One is infected with the deadly pestilence of its lord – Nurgle's Rot. In addition, the Tainted One is immune to all poisons. Nurgle's Rot is a deadly contagion for which there is no known cure. This virulent disease can be passed on in hand-to-hand combat. If the Tainted One makes a successful to hit roll of 6 this will result in the target model contracting the Rot (note: Nurgle's Rot only affects the living, so Undead, Daemons and the Possessed are unaffected). Once a warrior has contracted the Rot, mark this on the warband roster. Rather than killing the victim immediately, the Rot can take some time to set in. From now on, before the start of each battle, the warrior must pass a Toughness test. If successful, his constitution has managed to stave off the Rot's effects. If unsuccessful, the warrior loses one point of Toughness permanently (if he reaches zero, he has succumbed to the Rot and died, remove him from the roster). In addition, if a 6 is rolled for the Toughness test then he has unwittingly passed the Rot on to another member of the warband (randomly allocate a warband member and mark this on the roster).
Cloud of Flies — Cost: 25 Gold Crowns
The Tainted One is surrounded by a cloud of flies, which buzz around him and his combat opponent. They do not affect the Tainted One but distract foes by buzzing into eyes, nostrils and mouths. The Tainted One's close combat opponent suffers a -1 to hit modifier on all attacks.
Bloated Foulness — Cost: 40 Gold Crowns
The Tainted One is a huge, disgusting mass of diseased, flabby folds. It gains +1 Wound and +1 Toughness but has its Movement reduced by -1.
Mark of Nurgle — Cost: 35 Gold Crowns
The Tainted One is burned with the great mark of Nurgle, the three spheres, that weep foul pus constantly. It gains +1 Wound and is immune to all poisons.
Hideous — Cost: 40 Gold Crowns
The Tainted One is so disgusting that its flesh hangs in tatters from its body and its entrails are rotten and exposed. It causes Fear.
[Printed page 67 opens the Beastmen Raiders warband with a boxed story (flavour fiction); it is not reproduced here.]
Beastmen Raiders
[Printed pages 67–70 open this warband with a boxed story and a long description of Beastmen life and society (flavour text); it is not reproduced here.]
Choice of Warriors
A Beastmen warband must include a minimum of 3 models. You have 500 Gold Crowns which you can use to recruit your initial warband. The maximum number of warriors in the warband is 15, though some buildings in the warband's encampment may increase this.
- Beastmen Chief: Each Beastmen warband must have one Chief: no more, no less!
- Shaman: Your warband may include a single Beastmen Shaman.
- Bestigors: Your warband may include up to two Bestigors.
- Centigors: Your warband may include a single Centigor.
- Gor: Your warband may include up to five Gor.
- Ungor: Your warband may include any number of Ungor.
- Minotaur: Your warband may include a single Minotaur.
- Warhounds of Chaos: Your warband may include up to five Warhounds of Chaos.
Starting Experience
Beastman Chief starts with 20 Experience. Beastman Shaman starts with 11 Experience. Bestigors start with 8 Experience. Centigors start with 8 Experience. All Henchmen start with 0 experience.
Maximum Characteristics
Bestogors: As Gor, but M5. Centigors: As Gor, but M9. (Printed as "Bestogors" in the source.)
Animals
Beastmen are fearsome creatures of Chaos that do not interact with other races other than in war. A Beastmen warband may never hire any Hired Swords unless specifically stated with the Hired Sword.
Beastman Skill Tables
The printed skill tables mark each available skill list with a check. The source prints these marks as the table font's "3" glyph; they are shown here as ✓.
| Skill table | Combat | Shooting | Academic | Strength | Speed | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Shaman | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Bestigor | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Centigors | ✓ |
Beastman Equipment Lists
Beastman Equipment List
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons | |
| Dagger | 1st free/2 GC |
| Mace | 3 GC |
| Hammer | 3 GC |
| Battle Axe | 5 GC |
| Sword | 10 GC |
| Double-handed Weapon | 15 GC |
| Halberd | 10 GC |
| Missile Weapons | None |
| Armour | |
| Light Armour | 20 GC |
| Heavy Armour | 50 GC |
Ungor Equipment List
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons | |
| Dagger | 1st free/2 GC |
| Mace | 3 GC |
| Hammer | 3 GC |
| Battle Axe | 5 GC |
| Spear | 10 GC |
| Missile Weapons | None |
| Armour | |
| Shield | 5 GC |
Heroes
1 Beastmen Chieftain — 65 Gold Crowns to hire
Beastmen chieftains have gained their position through sheer brutality. He leads the Beastmen to Mordheim to gather the Chaos Stones to his Herdstone.
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
- Weapons/Armour: The Beastmen Chieftain may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Beastmen Equipment list.
- Leader: Any Warrior within 6" of the Beastman Chieftain may use his Leadership when taking Ld tests.
0-1 Beastmen Shaman — 45 Gold Crowns to hire
Beastmen Shamans are prophets of the Dark Gods, and the most respected of all the Beastmen.
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
- Weapons/Armour: Beastmen Shamans may be equipped with weapons chosen from the Beastmen Equipment list except that they never wear armour.
- Wizard: A Beastmen Shaman is a Wizard and may use Chaos Rituals, as detailed in the Magic section.
0-2 Bestigors — 45 Gold Crowns to hire
Bestigors are the largest type of Beastmen, the great horned warriors of the Beastmen warbands. They are massive creatures with an inhuman resistance of pain.
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
- Weapons/Armour: Bestigors may be equipped with weapons chosen from the Beastmen Equipment list.
0-1 Centigors — 80 Gold Crowns to hire
A Centigor is a disturbing cross between a horse or oxen and Beastman. Being quadruped grants them great strength and speed whilst their humanoid upper torsos allow them to wield weapons. These beast-centaurs are powerful creatures but they are not particularly agile or dexterous.
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1(2) | 7 |
- Weapons/Armour: Centigors may be armed with weapons and armour chosen from Gor Equipment list.
- Drunken: Centigor are inclined to drink vast quantities of noxious beer and looted wine and spirits before battle, working themselves up into a drunken frenzy. Roll 1D6 at the start of each turn. On a roll of 1, they must test for stupidity that turn. On a roll of 2-5 nothing happens and on the roll of a 6 they become subject to frenzy for that turn. Whilst subject to both stupidity and frenzy they are immune to all other forms of psychology.
- Woodland Dwelling: Centigors are creatures of the deep, dark forests. They suffer no movement penalties for moving through wooded areas.
- Trample: As well as their weapons, Centigors use their hooves and sheer size to crush their enemies. This counts as an additional attack, which does not benefit from weapon bonuses or penalties…
Henchmen (Brought in groups of 1-5)
Ungor — 25 Gold Crowns to hire
Ungor are the most numerous of the Beastmen. They are small, spiteful creatures, but dangerous in large masses.
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
- Weapons/Armour: Ungor may be armed with weapons and armour chosen from Ungor Equipment list.
- Lowest of the Low: Ungor are on the lowest rung of Beastmen society and regardless of how much Experience they accrue they will never acquire a position of authority. If an Ungor rolls 'That lad's got talent' it must be re-rolled.
0-5 Gor — 35 Gold Crowns to hire
Gor are nearly as numerous as Ungor but are larger and more brutish…
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
- Weapons/Armour: Gor may be armed with weapons and armour chosen from Beastmen Equipment list.
Warhounds of Chaos — 15 Gold Crowns to hire
Chaos Hounds are titanic, mastiff-like creatures which are insanely dangerous in combat.
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
- Weapons/Armour: None! Apart from their fangs and nasty tempers the Chaos Hounds don't have weapons and can fight without any penalties.
- Animals: Chaos Hounds are animals and never gain Experience.
0-1 Minotaur — 200 Gold Crowns to hire
Minotaurs are gigantic, bull-headed Beastmen. Fearsome and powerful, any Beastmen Chief will try to recruit a Minotaur into his warband if possible.
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 8 |
- Weapons/Armour: Minotaurs may be armed with weapons and armour chosen from the Beastmen Equipment list.
- Fear: Minotaurs are huge, bellowing monsters and cause fear. See Psychology section for details.
- Bloodgreed: If a Minotaur puts all of its enemies out of action in hand-to-hand combat, it becomes frenzied on a D6 roll of 4+.
- Animal: A Minotaur is far more bestial than its Beastmen brethren and, although it may gain Experience, it may never become a Hero.
- Large: A Minotaur is a huge creature and stands out from amongst its smaller brethren. Any model may shoot at a Minotaur, even if it is not the closest target.
Beastmen Special Skills
- Shaggy Hide: The bestial hero is titanic in size and may use a double-handed weapon in one hand.
- Mutant: The Beastman may buy one mutation. See Mutants section on special rules.
- Fearless: Immune to fear and terror and All Alone test.
- Horned One: The Beastman has mighty horns, and can make an additional Attack with its basic Strength on a turn it charges.
- Bellowing Roar: Only the Beastmen Chief may have this skill. He may re-roll any failed Rout tests.
- Manhater: Will be affected by the rules of hatred when fighting any Human warbands.
Hired Swords
This section covers new Hired Swords exclusive to the Empire in Flames wilderness setting. These new characters follow the generic rules for hiring and maintaining Hired Swords from page 147 of the Mordheim rulebook.
[Printed pages 75–76 carry two boxed stories (flavour fiction) about the Devil of the Drakwald and the Myth of the Balewolf; they are not reproduced here.]
Beast Hunter
The Beast Hunter is a dark wanderer, full of mystery and self-loathing. His is a woeful tale. Kith and kin slaughtered by the foul Beastmen of the wild. He is one of many such men who have been driven to the very edge by their experiences, yearning only now for unquenchable revenge against those that destroyed their once normal lives. They bedeck themselves in the skins of their foes and take on a truly frightening aspect. It is a stout captain indeed who hires such 'wild men' of the forest but their hunter's skills are without equal and their raw strength in combat is too awesome to ignore. Dangerous and ferocious, ideal qualities for survival in the dark, unbridled wilds…
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beast Hunter | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 7 |
- Hire Fee: 35 Gold Crowns to hire + 15 Gold Crowns upkeep.
- May be Hired: Any warband other than Skaven, Beastmen, Undead, Orcs & Goblins, Possessed and Carnival of Chaos may hire a Beast Hunter.
- Rating: A Beast Hunter increases the warband's rating by +18 points, plus 1 point for each Experience Point he has.
- Equipment: Two axes, throwing axe (counts as a throwing knife with +1 Strength), light armour.
- Beastmen Vengeance: The Beast Hunter hates all Beastmen (this includes Gors, Ungors, Centigors and Minotaurs) and will fight for no upkeep cost in battles against Beastmen.
- Skull Rack: The Beast Hunter wears a grisly skull rack bedecked with bestial skulls. He causes fear in all Beastmen.
- Predator: The Beast Hunter is a predator of all fell creatures but most especially Beastmen. In any battle that is set in the wilderness (ie. not within Mordheim) that involves Beastmen, the Beast Hunter may be set up after both warbands have deployed. He may be set up anywhere on the board that is hidden and outside of the enemy deployment zone.
- Skills: A Beast Hunter may choose from Combat and Strength skills when he gains a new skill.
The Thing in the Woods
The 'Thing' is a creature encounter for the Empire in Flames setting as detailed in the scenario 'The Thing in the Woods' on page 42.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balewolf | 5 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2(3) | 7 |
- Large Beast: The Balewolf is a huge creature and counts as a large target for the purposes of shooting and may be targeted even if it isn't the closest model.
- Fear: The Balewolf is a terrible and frightening creature that causes fear.
- Forged by Chaos: A creation of Chaos; the Balewolf was born from some nefarious yet unknown origin. The power of Chaos knits its form together when it is wounded and as such the Balewolf has the ability to supernaturally heal itself. At the start of each of its turns roll a D6 if the Balewolf is wounded. On a roll of 5+ one Wound is restored as its skin miraculous knits back together.
- Flesh of Iron: The Balewolf's skin is thicker than toughened leather, wholly capable of turning aside blades and arrows alike. The Balewolf has an Armour save of 4+ which is reduced by the Strength of the attack as normal.
- Vicious Jaws: The Balewolf's massive jaws are capable of crushing a man's body in two. The Balewolf has an extra Attack from its jaws (as denoted in its profile) which is always its first attack. If this attack hits, it causes a critical hit on a roll of 5 or 6.
- Lycanthrope: The blood of the Balewolf contains a terrible and powerful curse. Any model taken out of action from an attack from the Balewolf risks the taint of its dark blood (note that this only affects man-sized creatures and non-mutants). After the battle, if the model survives the attack, roll a D6. On a roll of a 6 any injuries the model is currently suffering are cured but they are now cursed! In each subsequent battle whenever the cursed model is wounded they must take a Leadership test. If they fail they transform horrifically before the eyes of their comrades into the Balewolf! The model now has the same stat-line as the Balewolf. Any armour or equipment it was wearing is destroyed and any weapons the model was carrying are lost but may be recovered after the battle. The Balewolf will always charge the nearest model, friend or foe, if it can, otherwise it will move at maximum speed towards them. It may try and restrain itself from attacking a comrade by taking a test against his own Leadership (he may not use the leader's). If passed, the Balewolf will ignore friendly models.
Roll a D6 after the battle. On a roll of 2-6 the model returns to normal (albeit without attire…) but still carries the curse. On a roll of 1, the Balewolf takes hold completely and in his feral state disappears into the wilderness lost forever in myth and legend (remove from roster).
Highwayman
Roaming the woods and secluded byways of the Empire, highwaymen prey on the many coaches and wagons foolish or desperate enough to travel there. These are dark and dangerous men, often employed for their knowledge of cargo charters and skill at ambush. Oft they appear to the naked eye, bereft of their blackened garb, as foppish, charming characters, but that ruse is a genteel masquerade as their cruelty and viciousness will testify. Deadly pistoliers and expert riders, they are an asset to any warband but watch your back, for they are untrustworthy, self-serving men.
- Hire Fee: 35 Gold Crowns to hire + 20 Gold Crowns upkeep.
- May be Hired: Any warband, except Sisters of Sigmar, Witch Hunters and any good-aligned Elves may hire a Highwayman. A Highwayman will never join a warband that also contains a Roadwarden.
- Rating: A Highwayman increases the warband's rating by +20 points, plus 1 point for each Experience Point he has.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highwayman | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| Horse | 8 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
- Weapons/Armour: Brace of pistols, rapier (p.84 Mordheim Annual), cloak (acts as a buckler in close combat) and dagger. If you are using the optional rules for mounted models then the Highwayman also rides a horse. When the Highwayman is mounted, he has a save of 6+, on foot he has no Armour save.
- Skills: A Highwayman may choose from Combat, Shooting and Speed skills when he gains a new skill.
- Expert Pistolier: A Highwayman's skill with a brace of pistols is unrivalled and as such he combines the effects of the skills Pistolier and Trick Shooter.
- Unscrupulous: A Highwayman, despite all his skill and bravado, is not to be trusted. At the end of each battle roll a D6, on a roll of a 1 the warband receives 1 less piece of Treasure than they would normally as the Highwayman has stolen it for himself (this Treasure is not spent on the Highwayman, it is lost!). Obviously, if this keeps happening it will be up to warband leader to keep the Highwayman in his employ or not…
- Expert Rider: A Highwayman is a superb rider and as such while he is mounted he counts as being stationary for the purposes of shooting (ie. no -1 modifier to hit) and he also benefits from the skill as he can reload quickly whilst on horseback.
Roadwarden
Patrolling the fraught and dangerous highways of the Empire, Roadwardens are dour men of the sternest courage. Solitary figures, they range far and wide, often with little food and in all weathers. They are hardened and brutal fighters, uncompromising and without any martial code, they give no quarter as they expect none to be given in return. Their skill lies with the crossbow, with which they are excellent hunters and deadly marksmen. Highwaymen, deviants and bandits are their common quarry, safety of the roadways their charge and they execute both with deliberate and unswerving severity.
- Hire Fee: 40 Gold Crowns to hire + 20 Gold Crowns upkeep.
- May be Hired: Any good-aligned warband may hire a Roadwarden such as Witch Hunters, Sisters of Sigmar, Dwarfs and Human Mercenaries. A Roadwarden will never join a warband that also contains a Highwayman.
- Rating: A Roadwarden increases the warband's rating by +22 points, plus 1 point for each experience point he has.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roadwarden | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
| Horse | 8 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
- Weapons/Armour: Crossbow, horseman's hammer (p.14 Town Cryer 24), dagger, heavy armour and three torches (p.14 Town Cryer 24). If you are using the optional rules for mounted models then the Roadwarden also rides a horse. The Roadwarden's save is 4+ whilst mounted and 5+ whilst on foot.
- Skills: A Roadwarden may choose from Combat, Strength and Shooting skills when he gains a new skill.
- Lethal Marksman: A master with the crossbow, a Roadwarden combines the skills of Trick Shooter and Eagle Eyes.
- Stern: Working alone and in the dark for the majority of his profession the Roadwarden is made of strong stuff indeed. He may re-roll any failed Leadership test for panic, fear, and is immune to the rules for being All Alone.
- Expert Rider: A highly skilled horseman, a Roadwarden counts as having the Nimble skill whilst on horseback and suffers no modifiers for moving and shooting.
Stagecoaches
Both Highwaymen and Roadwardens are particularly suited to battles involving stagecoaches, wagons, etc. To represent this, in any scenario in which one or both sides have a stagecoach or a wagon, any Highwayman or Roadwarden in either warband may re-roll a single dice roll once per turn. This special bonus lasts until the re-rolled dice comes up as a 1 as it is designed to represent their ability to predict and perform at their peak in familiar and well-practiced territory.