Begining Campaign - Some beginner rule clarifications

I'm new to Mordheim, and while I've always been interested in it, I've never seen a group that actively played it. Well, recently I decided that it was about time that I started my own campaign and have been trying to get people into it, and to a degree I've succedded (it sounds like I've converted about 6 people or more over to the cause at the local gaming store). I did want to get a couple of clarifications on rules though, because there are a few that like to exploit the rules as much as possible.

Calculating Warband Rating - I'm assuming that when calculating your warband rating that you add in the expereince that some heroes start off with, not just what exp they earn during the progress of a campaign. Am I correct?

Charging and Spears - At first I thoguht I had this rule down, but after reading the errata I'm now confused. Since Charing and Spears both give the "strike first" rule, when a model charges another armed with a spear, does the spear go first? Or do they strike at initiative since they both have the "strike first" ability? If they go at initiative value, then I don't ever see any benefit to taking a spear (especially since I'm playing a merc warband)

Campaign - This is more of a general inquiry. Have you ever played in, or run, a campaign that had a campaign ending goal? If so, what was it?

What I had planned to do was to write a weekly newsletter that would dictate the scenario that would be played, as well as laying out any special rules or events that would occur that week (random events, multi-player scenarios, maybe even create an item available that week, etc.) While that seems like it would be fun, I think it has something missing...a definate end to the campiagn. I know that people's interest tend to wane over time, but I feel that if they know there is an attainable goal (and that they could be the winner) it will keep them coming back for more. After a quick brainstorm, this is what I've come up with:

• Gold goal - whoever attains so much gold first wins...let's say 2-3k (or should it be lower?) That's why warbands are attracted to Mordheim in the first place, right?
  
• Winning record goal - whoever wins 10 games first is the winner
  
• Story-driven goal - after a few weeks of normal games, create a narrative driven campaign, at the end of which the winner plays in a GM type dungeon (akin to the vampire scenario in the Annual 2002)
  
• Straight win/loss record - This is the goal that I want to do the least.
  

If you guys could let me know what you think, that would be great!

Calculating Warband Rating - Yes you count the XP they start with as well as what they earn

Charging and Spears - My understanding is that if two units have always strikes first they sort of negate each other and it goes to initiative at that point

Yes, starting XP should be included. One common newbie error is that you get to pick skills and advances for your starting XP, you don't.

We've house ruled spears to give "always always strike first".

We're playing a Bordertown Burning campaign now, seems to have a good set up for victory conditions. I don't think you should try to set up special victory conditions before you've even played a game, you don't know how it plays yet. For example winning ten games is easy, saving 2k gold very hard.

Hmmm...I like that house rule of "always always strike first". I'll have to go over it with the group and see what they think.

Thanks for the suggestion about the Bordertown Burning supplement; however, I'd like to keep it within Mordheim. I really like the objectives and earning campaign points...any supplements that are fought in Mordheim that are like that? I suppose I could always modify the rules to fit the standard scenarios.

BlacKnight wrote:

Charging and Spears - At first I thoguht I had this rule down, but after reading the errata I'm now confused. Since Charing and Spears both give the "strike first" rule, when a model charges another armed with a spear, does the spear go first? Or do they strike at initiative since they both have the "strike first" ability? If they go at initiative value, then I don't ever see any benefit to taking a spear (especially since I'm playing a merc warband)

The spear is only beneficial when you get charged. You both "strike first" so you would go in initiative order. The benefit is then for the guy being charged, since he has a chance of going first. Spears are definately better in warbands with high I though, like Elves or Skaven.

Don't spears always have the strike first rule, not just on charging? This means they gain benefit by possibly canceling out the effects of being charged and if combat makes it to round 2 they go first from that point on . Seems like it could actually be beneficial for warbands with low initiative too.

Drayven wrote:

Don't spears always have the strike first rule, not just on charging? This means they gain benefit by possibly canceling out the effects of being charged and if combat makes it to round 2 they go first from that point on . Seems like it could actually be beneficial for warbands with low initiative too.

They have the "strike first" rule on the first turn of hand-to-hand combat.

In addition, I'm assuming that if a model equipped with a spear is already in hand-to-hand combat and is charged in a later turn that they do not get the "strike first" rule.

The change to spears is one of the few rules changes that I don't like. For one thing, it makes them useless for low-initiative warriors (my poor dwarves) and almost useless for average-initiative warriors.

In the next campaign, I am going to suggest that they gain strike first, and when fighting another model with strike first (like a charger) for comparative purposes the spear grants +1 initiative.

I've suggested before that Spears allow you to win ties of initiative when striking first, instead of +1 init. Gives spears an extra advantage for their 10 gold, but leaves ithilmir its role.

In my circle we just dropped the cost down to 5 gold. Even so I think we will try adding the +1 to I for all rounds on top of the Strikes First on the first round.

We used the "always always strike first"-houserule. Everytime a warrior with a spear is charged and he is not already in h-t-h-combat he strike before his opponent, regardless any "strike first"-rule. Only the crossbowpistol can attack before, because that happend before the h-t-h startet.