MORDHEIM 101: CORE RULEBOOK STARTING WARBAND EXAMPLES AND HOW TO RUN THEM, A BRIEF OVERVIEW.
My Apologies to anyone who actually got a bit out of Vinsanity’s articles, but I was frustrated with the lack of content and thus I have typed on my shonky typo inducing keyboard a mass of vinsanity style warband articles – but actually explaining a bit more indepth why things were chosen and how to run the warbands at least initially. There are many ways to run warbands, these are all example builds. At the end of the article is a brief summary of thoughts and exploration of the balance of numbers verse equipment verse smart gameplay. This article, and follow up ones on the warbands in the 2002 Annual and Empire In Flames is meant as just the briefest introduction to what a warband of each type could look like and how to run a more typical list (and in some cases, a less typical one). In all cases, Hired Swords have not been included as they will be dealt with at an as yet unspecified date. So lets start with the true jacks of all trades, The Mercenaries:
Reiklanders.
Shooty, best shooters in the Rulebook. 0-7 marksmen (not 0-5 on choice of warriors section). Decent leadership control. You want to capitalize on both these things. Starting warband of win:
Captain 60
Duelling Pistol 25, Dagger, Dagger 2, Spear 10 – 97
Champion 35
Duelling Pistol 25, Dagger, Dagger 2 – 61
Champion 35
Duelling Pistol 25, Dagger, Dagger 2 – 61
Youngblood 15
Dagger, Hammer 3 – 18
Youngblood 15
Dagger, Hammer 3 – 18
2 Marksmen 50
Long bow 30, Dagger – 80
2 Marksmen 50
Crossbow 50, Dagger – 100
Marsman 25
Blunderbuss 30, Bow 10, Dagger – 65
500gc’s
Members: 10
Warband Rating: 86
10 Guys, Mobile firepower, Ranged supporting firepower, some disruption and dueling pistol love both for better ranged firepower with the combat closers as well as in combat (Captain hitting on a 2+ against most starting warriors with that Duelling pistol attack), as well as a spear because at Initiative 4 he has a good chance of striking first when charged. Combat element with solid shooting supported by ranged firepower both mobile but able to stand still and stronger stand still and support firepower. That made sense when I typed it before reading over it. Good starting warband as a whole.
Middenheimers.
Captain 60,
Crossbow 25, Halberd 10, Spear 10, Dagger – 105
Champion 35
Halberd 10, Dagger, Hammer 3, Bow 10 – 58
Champion 35
Halberd 10, Dagger, Hammer 3, Bow 10 - 58
Youngblood 15
Hammer 3, Dagger – 18
Youngblood 15
Hammer 3, Dagger - 18
Swordsman 35
Sword 10, Sword 10, Bow 10, Dagger – 65
Swordsman 35
Sword 10, Sword 10, Bow 10, Dagger – 65
Swordsman 35
Sword 10, Sword 10, Dagger – 55
Swordsman 35
Sword 10, Sword 10, Dagger – 55
497gc’s
Members: 9
Warband Rating: 81
Captain and Champions have strength 4 base, take a Halberd gives them strength 5, tool them up with a swordsman or youngblood for weight of attacks. The Halberd extra strength is generally not better then the extra attack mathematically however when you have guys on the ground being knocked down or stunned from previous turns wounding on a 3+ or 2+ to auto-OOA them is bloody nice and handy. As many guys as possible with BS 3 or more with a ranged weapon as you need to mesh ranged and combat with all mercenaries to do well with them. Max heroes, 4 separate henchmen groups to max the chances of a first or second advance swordsman hero. 2 swords on the swordsmen so they charge and get re-rolls on their to hit rolls with all their attacks. Decent, solid warband, again 9 strong to maximize the routing resistance.
Marienburgers.
Captain 60
Mace 3, Dagger – 63
Champion 35
Mace 3, Dagger – 38
Champion 35
Mace 3, Dagger - 38
Youngblood 15
Mace 3, Dagger – 18
Youngblood 15
Dagger, Dagger 2 - 17
Warrior 25
Dagger, Dagger 2 - 27
Marksman 25
Blunderbuss 30, Dagger, Dagger 2 - 57
Marksman 25
Blunderbuss 30, Dagger, Dagger 2 - 57
Marksman 25
Blunderbuss 30, Dagger, Dagger 2 - 57
Marksman 25
Blunderbuss 30, Dagger, Dagger 2 - 57
Marksman 25
Blunderbuss 30, Dagger, Dagger 2 - 57
Marksman 25
Blunderbuss 30, Dagger, Dagger 2 - 57
Marksman 25
Blunderbuss 30, Dagger, Dagger 2 - 57
600gc’s
Members: 13
Warband Rating: 101
Biggest of the 3 Mercenary Warbands, 13 members means you need to lose 4 guys before taking that first rout test. The MARKSMEN are actually MORE VALUABLE THEN THE HEROES in this warband. Use the heroes and the warrior as mobile cover so as it is harder to hit the Marksmen. 7 Blunderbusses is maxing board control and disruption. You’ve abused your extra income to max out your ability to force your opponent to react to you. Narrow approach routes to the warband means you can unleash a good wall of lead which will mess up multiple members of warbands fast. Combat warbands coming to you, man are they gonna be taking some hurting. Double or triple up blunderbuss shots on multiple hit enemies. Otherwise, everyone has 2 base attacks in combat which is solid for Mordheim. This is like the Skaven Club/Slinger spam warband except with a few less guys but the ability to kill a lot more enemy models at once. Solid starting warband few people run due to the finesse it requires ingame despite the obvious bluntness of the list.
Cult of the Possessed.
Magister 70
Dagger, Hammer 3 – 73
Mutant 25
Dagger, Hammer 3, Spines 35 – 63
Mutant 25
Dagger, Hammer 3, Spines 35 - 63
Possessed 90
Spines 35 – 125
Possessed 90
Spines 35 - 125
Darksoul 35
Dagger, Flail 15 – 50
499gc’s
1gc in storage
Members: 6
Warband Rating: 66
Small Warband. Spines is superior to Blackblood. INCREDIBLY POWERFUL MUTATION. Pure combat warband, move from cover to cover, close and charge all at once, multiple opponents alpha strike and have a blast up close. The Darksoul is taken for personnal longterm preference for tricks when you have solid income and he becomes a Hero (will add more later to increase the chances of this), buta Beastman with 2 Hammer swill work just as well instead and brings his own abilities to the list. Simple, direct to the point, small warband rating, against some warbands you’ll get underdog experience for the first game. Fantastic! This is the Possessed Warband I ran when I played them starting. A dozen games in I couldn’t be beaten and spines had killed more things then my warband normally. Stripping lucky charms instantly before your attacks is brilliant too.
Witch Hunters
Captain 60
Hammer 3, Dagger – 63
Warrior Priest 40
Hammer 3, Dagger – 43
Witch Hunter 25
Hammer 3, Dagger - 28
Witch Hunter 25
Hammer 3, Dagger - 28
Witch Hunter 25
Hammer 3, Dagger - 28
Flagellant 40
Flail 15, Dagger – 55
Flagellant 40
Flail 15, Dagger - 55
Flagellant 40
Flail 15, Dagger - 55
Flagellant 40
Flail 15, Dagger - 55
Flagellant 40
Flail 15, Dagger - 55
2 Warhounds – 30
495gc’s
5gc’s in storage
Members: 12
Warband Rating: 116
All 5 Flagellants are in separate henchmen Groups. Keep your fingers crossed that they lad up to Heroes. If they do and you’ve already got max heroes, ditch Witch Hunters till you fill out on Flagellants only. Flagellants are golden. They are maxed on strength, toughness and leadership already so have 5 advances as henchmen only open so they have an increased chance of getting good ones like attacks and ws. As heroes rolling on the advancement table you basically have attacks, wounds and initiative and no optional split for the roll when you get those. Maxed stats is brilliant and sometimes overlooked. Str 6 on the first turn of a combat is great. The Witch Hunter Heroes are largely crap. Ooooh Burn the Witch! FAIL. Warband is a combat one, no missile support at the moment, fork out for crossbows for the Witch Hunters and Captain. Bam, solid warband then and max guys at 12, hire a halfling cook to get that extra guy for another dog and bam, easy done on ramping the extra man for rout purposes. Witch Hunters are a finesse warband in alternative builds and require a better analysis then this paragrapgh to examine such a band.
Sisters of Sigmar.
Whips and Hammers is basically hat these bondage girls are all about. Hammers that rape undead/possessed and give an extra strength in combat? Hells yes!
Sigmarite Matriarch 70
Holy Tome 120, Sigmarite Warhammer 15, Sigmarite Warhammer 15, Sling 2, Helmet 10 Dagger – 232
Augur 25
Dagger, Sigmarite Warhammer 15, Sigmarite Warhammer 15, Sling 2, Helmet 10 – 67
Sister Superior 35
Sigmaritte Warhammer 15, Sigmarite Warhammer 15, Dagger, Sling 2 - 67
Sister Superior 35
Sigmaritte Warhammer 15, Sigmarite Warhammer 15, Dagger, Sling 2 - 67
Sister Superior 35
Sigmaritte Warhammer 15, Sigmarite Warhammer 15, Dagger, Sling 2 - 67
500gc’s
Members: 5
Warband Rating: 69
The smallest of the warbands so far, Holy Tome’s are a good advantage to start with, making your prayers go off is fantastic and with such a small and elite warband that’s essential. The Augur needs to be kept alive, her post game exploration abilities are fantastic to start off with. With 5 heroines, wrydstone will sell for a lot. Consider voluntarily routing for the first game or 3 to get a solid income in to flesh out numbers for the 6th heroine in terms of Sigmarite Sisters. The warband is small but brains most things dead on a 3, and against Possessed and Vampires this is still a 3+ instead of a 4+ for most people at str 4 normally, against zombies, you wound them on a sweet 2+. Great! :D Slings because shoting is always useful, but primarily a beat people senseless up close warband. Not your typical Sisters warband, not as many bodies as normal but solid.
The Undead.
Vampire 110
Halberd 10, Spear 10, Dagger – 130
Necromancer 35
Mace 3, Dagger – 38
Dreg 20
Hammer 3, Dagger – 23
Dreg 20
Mace 3, Dagger – 23
Dreg 20
Hammer 3, Dagger – 23
2 Dire Wolves – 100
Ghoul - 40
Ghoul - 40
Ghoul - 40
Ghoul - 40
497gc’s
3gc’s in Storage
Members: 11
Warband Rating: 83
4 Ghouls, separate henchy groups to max chances of Ladding to a hero and they are decent heroes for what their max stats can be. No zombies. Zombies are slow and inefficient. They cause fear sure, but we want max heroes first and foremost, can fill out on bodies later, in which case 3 more Dire Wolves then that single Zombie (2 with a Halfling Cookbook believe it or not!). Dire Wolves run with the Vampire. Vampire is Initiative 5 so against anyone including skaven he has a chance of striking first when charged and when he charges in he has 2 strength 5 attacks which is solid. A 3rd attack with 2 hand weapons is an option for weight of attacks, but his load out here is flexible and covers all bases nicely. Dregs, meh, crap, but are heroes, great for income! Necromancer, nothing special, but that’s fine. Warband can do a surprising amount of damage but isn’t as fear causing as it will get. So watch that.
Skaven.
Assassin Adept 60
Dagger, Dagger 2, Sling 2 – 64
Eshin Sorcerer 45
Dagger, Dagger 2, Sling 2 – 49
Black Skaven 40
Dagger, Dagger 2, Sling 2 - 42
Black Skaven 40
Dagger, Dagger 2, Sling 2 - 42
Night Runner 20
Dagger, Club 3, Sling 2 - 25
Night Runner 20
Dagger, Club 3, Sling 2 - 25
2 Verminkin 40
Dagger, Club 6, Sling 4 – 50
2 Verminkin 40
Dagger, Club 6, Sling 4 - 50
2 Verminkin 40
Dagger, Club 6, Sling 4 - 50
2 Verminkin 40
Dagger, Club 6, Sling 4 - 50
2 Verminkin 40
Dagger, Club 6, Sling 4 - 50
497gc’s
3gc’s in Storage
Members 16
Warband Rating: 124
Stock Standard Skaven Spam Warband. 16 guys maximizing weight of attacks with firepower. It is one of the most efficient and cost effective builds the Skaven can run. At 16 models, it is damned close to needing 5 guys gone (17 warband members needed, so straight after first game get the extra verminkin) before rout tests are needed but 16 slings…that’s damned nasty firepower especially within the 9” range. This is as close to point and click as a Mordheim warband gets, however for all that, with so many bodies on the field, mistakes can be made easily and against the Marienburg warband I detailed above, this warband has to be VERY careful else it will get rolled very quickly. It’s not undefeatable by any stretch and good game play will trump this band time and time again as increased numbers means less income even with maximum heroes to start. The warband suffers from developmental issues and is unlikely to get any underdog bonuses in its’ lifetime so the numbers need to be used effectively else it will in the long term be outplayed and start to lose consistently.
So, that concludes the Mordheim Core Rulebook and it’s Warbands in terms of examples of good starting warbands alongside a brief yet insightful way to run the warband and why things were chosen for each warband with the play style that one could use effectively with the builds. Hopefully this article demonstrates that even power builds (like the Skaven) can be countered by equally strong lists, and that numbers aren’t necessarily the better option against superior weapons or rarer equipment. On face value, the Sisters of Sigmar and The Cult of the Possessed Warbands look to be the weakest, but those spines played well will annihilate the larger numbers of some warbands whereas the Sisters against the Undead and Possessed will have a field day taking out expensive, key targets in combat, especially if they gang up on individual models. Positioning and declaration and therefore order of movement of charges undertaken is key, screwing this up will screw up the potential to maximize warband damage on the opponents.
All the best,
Auretious Taak.
