General starting tactics?

Hello boring yet interesting friends!

I come to you in a time of need, need of asking if I am gripping the game right. Here's my thoughts on basic Mordheim tactics so far:

*Start with max amount of heroes to gain a lot of income faster.
*A few henchmen, all in separate henchman groups. Hope for "That Lad's got Talent" for GC.
*Don't spread the Warband out TOO much, but take control over important areas on the board.

Am I right so far? What else should I consider and think about? Any help appreciated!

Theo

If you want to play to maximise your income in the beginning, try to get your henchmen killed instead of your heroes, and perhaps rout early (depending on how the game goes). Thus, it can be useful to equip your heroes with missile weapons, so they can try to kill enemies and get XP without getting in danger themselves.

I never play like that, but I usually lose and don't earn a lot of money, either

In regard to keeping you group more or less close together, I found it doesn't make for as cool a game, as usually,everything ends up in a big bashing without too many tactics. THerefore, I prefer using a lot of smaller objectives in a scenario so all the groups need to split up more (try taking on a whole warband of ogres in one bunch, for example...)

I agree with what you say, that does sound boring! Not even my Orcs will I ever try to get killed, is it just to keep maintenance costs down? :O I also don't wanna do the bunch-up wich I have seen some people here do, but it's a handy last-stand tactic I guess.

Thanks!

Theo

*Looks around suspiciously*

Here, read this: http://users.skynet.be/jormungander/Mordheim/guide/MhTactics.html
It transformed my win-ratio!

But don't tell ANYONE!

Don't trust it! I leads you to a Nigerian prince who wants to enlarge your free luxury cruise!

(Just kiddin'.... a great article, but you plug it in a pretty shady way. )

Eliazar wrote:

I never play like that, but I usually lose and don't earn a lot of money, either

This ^^

It sounds just like me

Tactics? Just go in and enjoy it ... that's why I like playing with crazed Pestilens or night goblins with loads of random things like ball-and-chain and squigs! Occasionally I even get the better of my opponents

One tactic I forgot (works wonders, believe me...) hide a warrior (as in physically hide him, not rules-hide him) somewhere your enemy is likely to forget he's there... more than once, I had an opponent charging me, only to be counter-charged in the back by someone standing under a balcony.

However, remember that you put him there - equally often, the fighter is totally forgotten by everybody and you just find him when changing the set up of the buildings

Eliazar, whenever I try that tactic I end up leaving the model behind when I go home!

StyrofoamKing -I have to be shady, II don't want anyone from Flame On reading it, or I'll be back where I started... (i.e. losing all the time! At least now I only lose most of the time...)

I think losing all the time is a pirate thing. Happens to me, too

From what I can tell, Kurgan, most of the Lunchheim games are multiplayer. Like you, I love 3+ games much more than 2 player. Part of the reason I lose so much... with a third player, your chances of winning drops gto 33%, 25% with four, so on.

So, ironically, more fun = more people= losing. Proving that losing = fun. Weird, huh?

This happens more in card games than in table-tops, but my favorite games are the ones that can go either way at a moment's notice. A close match implies that both players are left in suspense. A steam-rolling (either giving or especially receiving) is far less interesting.

Bunching together is the best tactic. That's because the single biggest rule of thumb in this and any wargame is "get as many of your models on as few of his models as possible." That way you have a better chance to auto kill knocked down and stunned models.

But as you say, too much bunching is beardy. More to the point, it leads to vulnerability from blunderbusses and area of affect spells.

I like to keep one main block of guys (about six or seven) and then send out a strike team consisting of 3-4 models, usually with 2 heroes and 2 henchmen. If these are fast movers, you can turn them into archer killers. If they're slow, try to set them up in an alleyway so they can counter-charge after your main block of guys gets hit.

And as always, get your archers into position. I find that it's a much more tactical game with covering fire.

StyrofoamKing wrote:

From what I can tell, Kurgan, most of the Lunchheim games are multiplayer.

I can see why it looks like that from the photos but for the most part there are two 2-player games going on over the same board at once (one game "north-south" and the other "east-west" so to speak!).

Chaotic but fun... and not as slow as a multi-player game - important when we try to play in an hour! We do play bigger games in the evenings sometimes but they tend to be campaign finales.


I will agree though winning =/= fun. I can get as much fun from a heroic (or humiliating!) defeat as from any steam-roller victory!


@Eliazar - yes Pirates not winning is all part of the tragic romance of the sea!

Wow guys, my mind is already starting to form up some tactics! What I am thinking right now with my Orc band:

The Big'Uns and Boss go close-ish to eachother to take control of nice snug alleyways and other important choke points, while my Ogre Hired Sword goes around alone to support them or even wipe weak opponents on his own (I'll be facing Skaven for certain, maybe only them.) My 2 Boyz with Bows and shaman go on the rooftops, trying to get the Shaman protected. Everyone in the amry has 2 axes except one of the Big'Uns, who has a double-handed weapon. (I intend to change that, probably.)

My Boyz try to shoot vulnerable heroes and such if they have nothing to do, or can support my fighters on the ground. And I'll get some gobbos with Short Bows to support as well. I think.

Does that sound decent?

Theo

It does to me!

Remember that no plan survives contact with the enemy... so think on your feet and keep the objective in mind (it's easy to get carried away once the Fumpin' starts!).

Theorox wrote:

Wow guys, my mind is already starting to form up some tactics!

I like the plan, Theo. One question though: is this the entirety of your starting warband? From the way you describe it, it sounds like you've got 2 henchman archers, all 4 of your heroes, and an Ogre. I think you've got a bit more gold than that, so I'll assume there are a couple of gobbo spearmen thrown into the mix as well.

Here's something to consider: your strike team consists of all three of your close combat heroes, which are especially valuable to orcs. You only get 4 heroes as opposed to other warbands' five or six, so you need those guys to survive to generate income. This brings me to my first point: If you're working with a large model (like your ogre), put them out
front. Because of the large target rule, they can always be shot at
anyway. So unless your entire band is hiding, why not let the big guy
act as a big arrow shield?

Secondly, Orc heroes are great for mitigating the effects of animosity. If you've got a couple of extra ladz or gobbos running around, you might consider throwing one of your Big 'Uns back with them. It will at least reduce the chances of your underlings fighting each other, and it will make a second viable team of close combat guys.

I would suggest this arrangement: Ogre out front, followed closely by 1 spear goblin intercepting for a Big 'Un. Taking the Ogre's other flank, you've got another spear goblin intercepting for your Boss and second Big 'Un. This way you absorb missile fire with your ogre while setting up for the all-important counter-charge on either side.

The archers are good where you have 'em. And depending on whether or not the shaman has a close-range spell that's better than a bow, so is your magic user.

Eh no, sadly that's indeed all of my starting band! O.o Good tactics help though! I'll be looking to include some Gobbos soon, possibly with shortbows. (If I have many they shoulkd do something...xD)

Theo

Cool stuff, Theo. Make sure to report back with the results of your first games. We'll all be rooting for you.