Game Day Rules

 Game Day Rules

Introduction

The following house rules have been carefully selected and considered for use in Mordheim Campaigns at the Dundee Wargames Club.  The core concept of which was to improve the balance and enjoyment of the game while creating a bit more variety in warbands.

These rules are only enforced during Official Club Events - You do not need to use them in your weekly gaming sessions if you do not want to.  Please check with your opponent first.

Mordheim is an old game (1999) and has had a lot of additions and amendments made over the years making it a bit of a jumble with duplicated rules and conflicts.  We will do our best to fix these should they crop up.

Building Your Warband

Books in use during Games Day

The books we are using are shown in the list below.  Please be aware that in some instances these books may not contain the full errata.  

Main Rulebook
Empire in Flames
Annual 2002
Errata

Please do not use any warbands contained within these books.  Please instead use the ones listed on our Warbands Page as some changes may have been made.

Ranged Restrictions

The campaign will being with a 50% restriction on ranged warband members. This means that 1 in 3 of your warband may carry a ranged weapon during a fight.  This restriction is rounded down meaning you must have 2 full members before one can be armed with a ranged weapon.  

In the event that you lose members of your warband and the ratio increases beyond the limit you may not buy any more ranged weapons until this is rectified.  Hired Swords do not count towards this as they are hired independently. 

Skills Restrictions

In an effort to generate more creativity within warbands, we have restricted the number of times each warband can take a specific skill to 3.  So for example, only 3 members of your warband may have the Strongman skill at any one time.  This restriction does not affect warriors who already come with a skill,  Example: Swordsmen with the Expert Swordsman skill, and does not count towards to the total.  

Mounted Optional Rules

Optional rules for mounted warband members in the Empire in Flames supplement are in play.

WYSIWYG - Lite Version

Unlike in our main campaign rules, we have dropped the what you see is what you get rule and instead ask players to build and paint their models in a way as to reduce confusion.  For example, a Hero might be a more decorated or better armoured miniature than a henchman.  Heroes or Henchmen with a focus towards Missile Weaponry should be shown with Ranged Weapons.  If any doubt, please ask.  

In Game Rules

The Rule of Sixes

A roll of a 6 always hits, regardless of any to hit modifiers.  This includes close combat and ranged attacks.  

When rolling to wound, if a 6 is required to wound, then it is not a critical wound, but a standard one.

   

Rolling Dice

When rolling dice, do not pick them up straight away.  Allow your opponent an opportunity to work out if they can make parry saves or armour saves against that attack.

  

Critical Wound Optional Rules

The Optional Critical Wound rules found in the main rulebook will be used instead of the standard one.  This creates a bit more variance in the game.  

Two Weapon Fighting

Any attack made with the extra weapon is done so at Weapon Skill 1 provided the weapon is not a dagger, ranged or has the Pair rule such as Fighting Claws.  This does not affect Hired Swords.

 

Parry Saves

Replace Third Paragraph "Roll a D6. If the score..." with "Roll a D6 and add your Weapon Skill to the total.  If the total is more than the attackers highest Roll plus their Weapon Skill, then you have parried one of their attacks.

So for example: Warrior A has WS4 and attacks with 2 attacks against Warrior B who is WS3.  He Rolls a 3 and a 4 so both attacks hit.  Warrior B rolls a Parry save against the highest attack of 4 and rolls a 6.  The Parry save is successful because the total of the attack is WS4 + 4 which is 8 vs a Parry roll of WS3 + 6 which is 9.  The second hit still rolls to wound as normal.

It also means, that unlike the officials rules, a roll of a 6 can be parried.

We felt that the official rules as written, made it too easy for unskilled warriors to parry successful attacks from higher weapon skilled warriors.  Therefore, taking the WS into account, made it more likely for a higher WS model to hit and parry an attack.  If this proves too time consuming, we will amend.

 

Maximum Armour Save

Armour saves can never be more than 2+ as they always fail on a roll of a 1.

 

Additional Armour Rules

If a warrior has been taken out of action while wearing armour, before rolling for injuries during the post battle sequence, roll a D6 and refer to the table below. 

If they roll equal to or higher than the number shown in the corresponding column, they treat any injuries as a full recovery.  This works for both Heroes and Henchmen as well as Hired Swords.

Armour Type	Roll
Light Armour	6+
Heavy Armour	5+
Ithilmar Armour	5+
Gromril Armour	4+

Shield do not count towards post-game armour saves.  But other skills and abilities that offer a permanent armour save will.

  

Shield and Buckler Amendment

Shields provide a +2 save modifier in close combat and a +1 save modifier against ranged attacks.

Bucklers provide a +1 save modifier in close combat as well as the Parry special rule.

 

New Combat Skill: Two Weapon Fighter

Additional skill added to the combat list.  Removes the to hit modifier for using a second weapon.  In the event that the warrior is armed with two swords, they may re-roll parry saves.

 

New Strength Skill: Armour Training

Additional skill added to the strength list.  A warrior with this skill is adept at wearing different sets of armour.  He may use any armour he comes across, not just those in his equipment options.

 

Amended Shooting Skill: Quick Shot

Remove reference to crossbow here.

Lad’s Got Talent When Heroes are Full

In the event that a player rolls a “Lad’s got talent” when they’re allocation of heroes is full, the player may fire any hero they choose.  In doing so however, the Hero leaves the warband with any gear they were armed with in the previous game.    

 

Nurgles Rot

All references of this foul gift are removed!  

 

Climbing

Replace with:  "Any model (except animals!) can climb up or down fences, walls, etc. Climbing forms part of your standard movement so you do not have to start in base to base contact with the object you intend to climb. He may climb up to his total Movement in a single movement phase (but cannot run while he is climbing). Any remaining movement can be used as normal. If the height is more than the model’s normal move, he cannot climb the wall.

To climb, a model must take an Initiative test. If he fails it whilst climbing up, he cannot move that turn. If he fails it while climbing down, he falls from where he started his descent (see the Falling section)."

Large Warriors

Henchmen such as Rat Ogres or Minotaurs will roll on the Heroic Injury Chart as opposed to the Henchmen one.  This is to represent their value and toughness.  Speak to the organiser for clarity.

Changes to Items and Weapons

Superior Black powder

Replace "There is enough superior black powder to last for one game." with "After the game has ended, roll 1D6.  On a roll of a 1-2, you have run out of Black Powder or it has gotten wet."

In addition, weapons using Superior Black Powder must use the Black Powder Misfire rules.