New players got some questions

Hey, I'm just starting Mordheim campaign with a couple buddies (New to the game, not GW) and after reading through the resources I think I've decided on a marienburger list.

The games rules look awesome and interesting but I've got some questions, specifically about the swordmasters.

A) If I equip a swordmaster with a sword and a pistol do I get the Expert swordsman skill for both weapons, just the sword, or neither weapon?

B) Second, If a character takes two swords do you get to make 2 parry checks?

C) Do pistols ignore the same firing penalties as they do in Warhammer Fantasy? It doesnt look like it but I just want to make sure.

D) Lastly, are Youngbloods necessary or worth taking?

I'm looking for more questions to ask but theres a start.

Thanks,
Ninja

A) Just for the Sword I believe.

B) Yes, against a single enemy attack.

C) Not sure exactly what you mean but, they have the same firing penalties as other missile weapons like cover, long range etc. Duelling pistols on the other hand...

D) Yes, they are heroes after all which will grant you wyrdstone and income. Also in many scenarios, Heroes of all kinds are essential for getting xp and succeeding with different tasks such as carrying, rescuing, slaying monsters etc. Absolutely no reason not to include them imo.

A) If I equip a swordmaster with a sword and a pistol do I get the Expert swordsman skill for both weapons, just the sword, or neither weapon?

No, swordmaster skills is exactly that.

B) Second, If a character takes two swords do you get to make 2 parry checks?

You should but if the opponent rolls a 6 on to HIT it doesn't matter. I will have to reread the sword master skill as I have not in a long time.



C) Do pistols ignore the same firing penalties as they do in Warhammer Fantasy? It doesnt look like it but I just want to make sure.

No.

D) Lastly, are Youngbloods necessary or worth taking?

Yes, as Youngbloods are part of your Hero group and Heroes are needed to gain gold (exploration) at the end of the game.

Mordheim Rulebook P36:

Having 2 swords does not grant you a second parry. It also does not provide a reroll on the first parry. (I would make the suggestion of adding a house rule to allow a reroll in the same way a sword and buckler would however.)

Only way to get 2 parries, that I'm aware of, is to play Dwarves and take Master of Blades skill.

Thanks for everyone the answers, great quick responses

One more question for the stack: If I take superior blackpowder, will it close combat attacks I make with a pistol?

Thanks,

Welcome to the forums!
Got caught writing an answer while the new post was made...
I'm going to answer all the questions even if I'm just repeating what others have said just to add weight to the right answers.

A) If I equip a swordmaster with a sword and a pistol do I get the Expert swordsman skill for both weapons, just the sword, or neither weapon?

Are you looking at the online version of the rules or the old printed rulebook? Either way the answer is only the sword.

B) Second, If a character takes two swords do you get to make 2 parry checks?

No. By the rules as written you are only allowed one. Many groups house rule this, but that's up to you.

C) Do pistols ignore the same firing penalties as they do in Warhammer Fantasy? It doesnt look like it but I just want to make sure.

No they do not. This can be kind of confusing if you are used to Warhammer.

D) Lastly, are Youngbloods necessary or worth taking?

Yes they are. They may will become your best heroes by campaign's end and for income purposes are actually worth protecting.

Superior Black powder. The pistol's close combat attack will be made at the enhanced strength yes.

Thanks, Also I'm using the online rule set

Another one, If my captain has base 2 attacks and carries a pair of pistols, will he make three pistol attacks in the first round of combat, or two pistol attacks and one at base strength with no modifiers, or just two pistol attacks and nothing else.

All your help is greatly appreciated, Thanks

No problem.
If he has base 2 attacks or more the brace of pistols option becomes less useful.

He can either make 2 pistol attacks on the first round of combat or 2 attacks with a hand weapon (sword, club, axe etc) and one pistol attack (once). After the pistols have been fired he can switch to other weapons if the enemy survives.

He's only got 2 hands! Note also that even if he has one unfired pistol he has no opportunity to use it as a brace of pistols may only be used in the first round. So you can't fire one pistol and draw the other in the next round.

I would add to the other reasons for taking youngbloods is that, despite their poor stats early on, they advance very quickly since they gain an advancement with every other xp point they earn for the first 8 xp (that's the benefit of starting the game with 0 xp). This means that they can become much more proficient in a very short period of time.

Thanks,

I'm just deciding on a list right now,if I need some help is there a specific forum to post my list (and look at other's examples) for advice or can I just post it here?

I got two more questions more about tactics:

A) I'm equipping my Youngbloods with swords and bucklers because they'll always be hit on a 3+ all the time so I figure the parry is extra useful in allowing them to survive, + the sword make for a decent fighter and its cheap to start off with, how do you usually equip your youngbloods?

B) Are ranged weapons a huge threat in the game? I'm building a mostly close ranged firefight, combat force ( lots o' pistols) and I'm worried i'll get shot down too quick. I'm looking at either a champion and warriors with crossbows for a little ranged support platoon, or cheap human shields to put near the front, whats the best way to deal with long ranged weapons?

Back-Up Ninja wrote:

I'm just deciding on a list right now,if I need some help is there a specific forum to post my list (and look at other's examples) for advice or can I just post it here?

There is the sticky "Starting Warbands" thread in the Rules section. You can post your list there.

Back-Up Ninja wrote:

A) I'm equipping my Youngbloods with swords and bucklers because they'll always be hit on a 3+ all the time so I figure the parry is extra useful in allowing them to survive, + the sword make for a decent fighter and its cheap to start off with, how do you usually equip your youngbloods?

Hmm... I usually just go with the free dagger + club as it saves money to buy important things for the important models. Like a sword for the leader or important wizard or something like that. If a Youngblood dies - so what? He is meant to be replaced by a promoted Henchman anyways. Until that happens I have no high hopes of a Youngblood becoming strong enough to justify keeping over any random Henchman.

Ranged Combat makes no sense for Youngbloods as the BS is just too low. Low WS is not that bad so it's worth treating him like any warrior. Sometimes I like to give them double-handed weapon so that once they hit, they sure wound as well. This also allows me to hold them back and only send them against knocked down or stunned warriors (or mere back up for other models).

I guess everyone has to make their own experience and see what works for their warband and playing style.

Back-Up Ninja wrote:

B) Are ranged weapons a huge threat in the game? I'm building a mostly close ranged firefight, combat force ( lots o' pistols) and I'm worried i'll get shot down too quick. I'm looking at either a champion and warriors with crossbows for a little ranged support platoon, or cheap human shields to put near the front, whats the best way to deal with long ranged weapons?

Opinions here vary, but I am personally strongly of the opinion that ranged combat is rather weak. This does however depend on the amount of scenery you use (Mordheim is meant to be played with LOTS of terrain!) and if players are making use of the "hide" rules.

For missiles, I'll get bows/slings whenever possible. My experience is that missile fire is extremely random - you can't rely on it, but it you don't have it, your enemy can. The Middenheimers (close combat humans) won against Orcs (Toughness 4 for all) once in our current campaign due to Middenheimer bow (3 orcs taken Out of Action in one turn!) - on the flip side, my Reiklanders have still ended in plenty of melee. The more models with bows, the more chances to fire, so concentrate on that if you go with missiles. The only ones you may want to skip for bows are Youngbloods - yes, due to their low BS.

With official rules, dagger (for the extra attack) is superior to bucklers, and saves you money.

If I get swords, I do give them to Youngbloods first - but the only time I get swords is if I have some extra money after I've bought all the clubs and bows for the 9 models I typically start with (why 9? Good placement on the rout calculation, and good placement on the selling wyrdstone chart).

One More,

When firing a blunderbuss do I have to aim it at the closest enemy model and draw the line in his direction (unless theirs a large target, hidden etc.)?

Thanks again everyone for helping me out.

Back-Up Ninja wrote:

When firing a blunderbuss do I have to aim it at the closest enemy model and draw the line in his direction (unless theirs a large target, hidden etc.)?

Since you are not technically shooting at a certain enemy model but more like blindly pulling the trigger in hopes of hitting something, I don't think you have to, or should, be aiming at the closest enemy. It would make the blunderbuss weaker than it is and I don't see enough of them already.

cianty--I need to hop a plane and see these mythical ineffective shooters and rare blunderbusses. My pirate orcs have 2 blunderbusses. My regular pirates had at least 3 at all times, sometimes 4. In some of our big multi-player pirate battles there might be 10-15 blunderbusses on the table among 5 warbands.

My group allows elves and dwarfs in addition to Reiklanders, halflings, and other warbands that can just carry crossbows or bows. No one looks at 8 inches of open ground without cringing and looking for another path...

We fire blunderbusses at the closest model, but since they are move and fire there are rarely any shots that can't hit at least 3 models and often we get more.

Feel free to join the next Boring Meeting!

We do interpret that the Blunderbuss Shot rule states an exception from the normal targeting rule for shooting: ...draw a line 16" and 1" wide in any direction from the firer...

@Von Kurst: 10-15 blunberbusses! With all that gunpowder smoke, you should put in sight range limits! But it's pirates - very fitting!

Imbued84 wrote:

D) Yes, they are heroes after all which will grant you wyrdstone and income. Also in many scenarios, Heroes of all kinds are essential for getting xp and succeeding with different tasks such as carrying, rescuing, slaying monsters etc. Absolutely no reason not to include them imo.

Agreed! Heck, I even started the campaign with an All-Hero warband...my Norse guys.

Norse BONDSMEN (0-2 models) are Heroes for 15 pts each and are slightly weak from the start but quickly get better. My Bondsmen have so far survived and are now quite nasty men. One have WS 4, S 4, Strongman(both of them), Strike to Injure and a 2H weapon.

Yes, they are essential for mission critical tasks! Yes, they are Heroes and get more XPs. Youngbloods are 15 pts each Heroes - get'em!!!