Route test when leader taken OOA

Hi,

This is the gist of a rule that my gaming group plays.
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When a warband leader is taken OOA the warband must take a one-off rout test at the start of their next recovery phase. This rout test is irrespective of the number of warband models still in play.
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It was only recently that we discovered that it seems to be a house rule as no one can find it in the rule book. The funny thing is that no one remembers it being introduced as a house rule. I was just wondering whether anyone else has heard of a rule like this being used as I'm curious as to its origin.

We don't mind the rule as it kind of makes sense that the warband might considering fleeing if their mighty leader was taken OOA but we will probably stop using it now that we know that it is a house rule. The only time that it caused a (minor) issue was when in one game someone was forced to rout during the recovery phase of their first turn since their leader was shot and taken OOA and didn't get to play a single turn.

This is a house rules most definately. And I have never heard of it before. It does make sense in a way. I wouldn't use it, however, as this causes only more Rout tests so it will make battles end quicker and that's not something I'm interested in. The idea behind it is already represented in the game rules anyways. Well, sort of. Since the leader is always the model with the highest Leadership value, once you lost him/her/it, you are making Rout tests on the Ld of another model with a lower Ld. This represents the warband's morale shrinking after the Leader has been taken out. I think combining having to test on a lower Ld when making Rout tests with an additional Rout test is just more than is needed.

I like the idea behind it, though. If you were using a different system altogether (so no Rout tests like we know them) then I can see this as a great alternative.

From my limited experience with Mighty Military Leaders, the Route Test MIGHT very well be a universal desire to go off & celebrate.

DeafNala wrote:

From my limited experience with Mighty Military Leaders, the Route Test MIGHT very well be a universal desire to go off & celebrate.

Agreed.

Imagine any of the less honourable warbands experiencing this:

"JimBob-Leader's bitten the dust!"

"...Last one at the Pub's a dirty rotten snotling!"

This is implying that the warband members aren't participating in the battle willingly (like some/many/most real life soldiers e.g.). In Mordheim the warbands consist of a bunch of reckless adventurers who went there to become rich and famous in the bloody streets of Mordheim. Imputing general cowardice to those daring adventurers does not match the actual background and their motivations. If anything then the loss of the leader means a higher share of the booty. Sure, he is what keeps the warband together, but in Mordheim, more than in any other game (because of the very background), the individual warriors have enough reasons to fight on alone.

It WAS meant to be a joke, cianty. I take it you have been fortunate enough NOT to have developed a relationship with a Drill Instructor.

DeafNala wrote:

It WAS meant to be a joke, cianty.

Um... yeah... I know! I was talking to.. Unwanted...

RationalLemming wrote:

Hi,
The funny thing is that no one remembers it being introduced as a house rule. I was just wondering whether anyone else has heard of a rule like this being used as I'm curious as to its origin.

My guess is that you have a Warhammer Fantasy player in your midst. When your General dies, each unit must take a Panic test. If you're playing something with Low Ld (ex. Goblins), the effect can be devastating.

StyrofoamKing wrote:

If you're playing something with Low Ld (ex. Goblins), the effect can be devastating.

Indeed. In this case (Mordheim) Skaven are probably most disadvantaged by this rule.

Yes, it is a house rule and I believe there is something in Warhammer Fantasy for this event.

A Warhammer Fantasy player in my midst. I must muster the inquisition and burn that witch!!! Ummm...

Thanks everyone. It makes sense that the rule probably came across from Warhammer Fantasy. We have started phasing the rule out since it is a house rule (old habits die hard though).

@cianty... I think the player who routed before his first turn WAS a skaven player (so no great loss to the game that we played really (bloody ratmen) ).

Bugger! I just realised that even though I spelt "rout" correctly in my initial post I somehow managed to spell it "route" in topic title!

RationalLemming wrote:

@cianty... I think the player who routed before his first turn WAS a skaven player (so no great loss to the game that we played really (bloody ratmen) ).

Ha, yeah, screw them dirty rats!

RationalLemming wrote:

Bugger! I just realised that even though I spelt "rout" correctly in my initial post I somehow managed to spell it "route" in topic title!

Feel free to correct it.

RationalLemming wrote:

A Warhammer Fantasy player in my midst. I must muster the inquisition and burn that witch!!! Ummm...

Do your witch hunters gain hatred against any player who misinterprets the rules?

cianty wrote:

This is implying that the warband members aren't participating in the battle willingly (like some/many/most real life soldiers e.g.). In Mordheim the warbands consist of a bunch of reckless adventurers who went there to become rich and famous in the bloody streets of Mordheim. Imputing general cowardice to those daring adventurers does not match the actual background and their motivations. If anything then the loss of the leader means a higher share of the booty. Sure, he is what keeps the warband together, but in Mordheim, more than in any other game (because of the very background), the individual warriors have enough reasons to fight on alone.

I'llf ollow this line of reasoning with a backing up of it.

If You're a goblin and all the Orcs were knocked out of action, you'd flee to the pub. Infact, you'd flee good and proper cause you're bullied into going else they feed ya to the Troll!

Not such a stupid joke after all hey?

Ram.

I just found this in the border town burning rules,

Quote :

Chaos Dwarf special skills

Tyrant
This skill is for the Chaos Dwarf leader only. This
Priest of Hashut is renowned for his tyranny. His word
is absolute so his own warband fears his cruelty more
then the enemy. When making a Rout test, and if led
by a leader with this skill, the leader may inspire his
warband to stick around. This skill allows the leader to
re-roll any failed Rout test, as long as the leader is not
knocked down or stunned. If re-rolled, the new result
will apply even if the new result is worse. If the leader
is taken out of action the warband must make an
immediate Rout test.

Not directly relevent I guess but there it is.

@da_hunter... interesting.

This is funny - back in Ye Olde Times, just after starting with Mordheim, our group played with this exact rule, too, and some time later, we also came to the point you describe, when we all wondered, a) where in the rulebook the appropriate section was located and b) how we had gotten the idea that this practice was actually a rule.

Since we were no Warhammer Fantasy players back then (all of us had gone to Mordheim straight from 40K), this notion could also stem from some screwed sort of Common Sense (or we could Engineer it to something a bit more pretentious like "Von Kriegsspiel's Meta-Mentally Underlying and Subconscious Wargamers' Collective Memory Patterns").

Or it is / was just R'lyeh rising again.

Mephysto, don't fall asleep...

Wow! I’m glad that’s not a real Rule. That would turn Mordheim into Captain Hunt. Think about it, why try and take out 25% of the Enemy Warband, when I can get the same result for 1 Captain. I’d get some long ranged shooters up high and wait for that poor unfortunate fool to show his face, and FIRE!

OOOOoooo... while it'd make a lousy rule, sounds like a really fun scenario....

BOUNTY HUNT
Special Rules: Immediately at rout level if your leader is taken OOA. Also, the hero who takes him out gains +1 Exp.

Also:
1st warband to take a leader out- +50 gc
2nd Warband - 35gc
3rd + warband - 15gc