Experimental Warband: Elven Wanderers

The way I put together warbands, I tend to find a bunch of models I like, and then try to find a generally-accepted warband list that will allow me to use the models. I recently found not one, but two, different groups of elves that would make nice warbands, but found only one warband list that would allow me to use them - the Shade warband, an entirely untested varient of the fan-made Durchii warband.

Problem is, the Shade list is kind of boring. And untested. So if I'm going to use an untested warband list, why not make one of my own?

I present the results to you all for merciless criticism :p

Elven Wanderers Warband

Fluff: essentially, this is a warband made up of elves who don't quite fit in to elvish society. Dark elves that just can't get the hang of being a truly evil bastard. High elves that think humans are kind of interesting. Wood elves that don't like living in trees. These elves leave their homelands and wander the world, looking for a purpose in life (or a house that isn't a tree). Some of these wanderers have made their way to Mordheim, hoping that the money they can make from collecting wyrdstone might help in that quest.


Specia Rules: (wording may be poor. Mostly rules stolen from other warbands)

Excellent Sight: yadda yadda, the usual x2 Initiative for spotting. Although personally I'd house rule it to be just +2 initiative.

Look Rich: all Hired swords charge the wanderers double upkeep.

Long-Lived: Elven wanderer henchmen must re-roll their advance roll the first time they get "The Lad's Got Talent!". Only after that can they become heroes.

Generally Disliked: any model that hates any kind of elf (hih elves, dark elves, whatever) hates elven wanderers.

Keep mobile: elven wanderers will never wear armour that reduces their movement rate (so no heavy armour combined with a shield, unless that armour is ithilmar)

May Hire: Wanderers can hire any non-elf hired sword that could be hired by a human mercenary warband (albeit with double upkeep, as above). Elf hired swords and Dramatis Personae won't join the warband, as they find these misfit elves distasteful to be around.

a note on blackpowder: Wanderers are an a-typical lot, as elves go, and they get to see just how effective blackpowder weapons are on a regular basis. While they don't start with access to blackpowder weapons, there is nothing stopping an inquisitive hero with the Weapons Expert skill from getting and using such things.

Warband makeup: minimum 3 members, maximum 12.
Must have one Pathmaker, no more, no less
Up to two Pathseekers
Up to one Magician
Any number of Warriors
Up to five Scouts
Up to three Rejects

Experience:
Pathmakers start with 20 experience
Pathseekers start with 12 experience
Magicians start with 12 experience
Henchmen start with 0 experience

Skills:
The Pathmaker can choose from Combat, Shooting, Academic, Speed or Special Skills
Pathseekers can choose from Combat, Shooting, Speed or Special Skills
The Magician can choose from Academic, Speed or Special Skills

Special Skills:

Fey Quickness: An Elf with Fey Quickness can avoid melee or missile attacks on a roll of 6. If the Elf also has Step Aside or Dodge this will increase to a 4+ in the relevant area.

Infiltration: exactly like the Skaven skill

Powerful Build: the elf can now take strength skills. Now more than two elves in the warband can have this skill at any one time (note, there is nothing stopping the magician from getting this skill).

Graceful Strength: The Elf may use Double-Handed weapons without the usual penalty of striking last. Work out order of battle as you would other weapons.

Paths
Pathmakers and Pathseekers may start with one path purchased form the list below. They can never have more than one Path, and they cannot gain a path during play.

Path of the Reject (+10 gc): the hero has the Fey Quickness skill and the Overconfident rule (see the Reject, below), but may never use a ranged weapon or a shield. The warband may not be lead by a hero with this Path.
Path of the Ranger (+10 gc): the hero may buy an elf bow for 20gc, and must always be equipped with a longbow or elf bow, and starts with the Seeker special rule (can add or subtract one to any one dice roll in the exploration phase).
Path of the Hidden (+10 gc): the hero gains the benefit of the Natural Stealth rule (see the Scout, below).
Path of the Sea (+5 gc): the hero may learn Pirate skills.

Wanderer equipment list

Hand-to-hand weapons
Dagger - 2gc (1st free)
Staff - 3gc
Axe - 5gc
Sword - 10gc
Double-handed weapon - 15gc
Halberd - 10gc
Spear - 10gc

Missile weapons
Bow - 10gc
Longbow -15gc
Crossbow - 25gc
Repeater Crossbow - 35gc*
Crossbow pistol - 30gc*

Armour
Helmet - 10 gc
Light armour - 20 gc
Shield - 5gc
Buckler - 5gc

*only at warband creation. After that, normal rarity and cost applies.

Heroes

1 Pathmaker: 65gc
The Pathmaker has been wandering the world for decades, eventually picking up a small group of similarly misfit elves to follow him.

M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
5	5	4	3	3	1	5	1	9

Weapons/Armour: chosen from the wanderer equipment list.

Special rules: Paths, Leader

0-2 Pathseekers: 45 gc
veteran wanderers, the Pathseekers are the right-hand elves of the Pathmaker

M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
5	4	4	3	3	1	5	1	8

Weapons/Armour: chosen from the wanderer equipment list.

Special rules: Paths

0-1 Magician: 40
Blessed with the power to do magic, but cursed to be exceedingly bad at it, it's no wonder the Magician left his colleagues and started wandering

M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
5	3	3	3	3	1	4	1	8

Weapons/Armour: chosen from the wanderer equipment list. May not cast spells if wearing armour or using a shield.

Special rules:

Wizard: knows one spell from the Lesser Magic spell list.

Muddled Mage: when casting a spell, the Magician must always re-roll the single highest dice roll. The second result stands, whether it's better or worse.

Henchmen

Warriors: 25 gc

M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
5	3	3	3	3	1	4	1	7

Weapons/Armour: chosen from the wanderer equipment list

0-5 Scouts: 35 gc
Every elven faction has their own force of stealthy scouts. Some don't want to go home at the end of the mission

M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
5	3	4	3	3	1	5	1	8

Weapons/Armour: chosen from the wanderer equipment list.

Special rules:

Natural Stealth: enemies suffer -1 Initiative when trying to detect a hidden scout.

0-3 Rejects: 45
Witches, Wardancers, Swordmasters... the elves have many famous martial traditions. Rejects are those who tried, and failed, to follow those traditions, and are now on a quest to prove their worth.

M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
5	4	3	3	3	1	5	1	7

Weapons/Armour: chosen from the wanderer equipment list. Rejects may not use missile weapons or shields.

Special Rules:

Fey Quickness: Rejects have the Fey Quickness kill (see special skills).

Overconfident: A Reject passed all Leadership tests he is required to make, and may never voluntarily leave combat, until he suffers a wound.

I really like some of the stuff in here, especially the paths. However, I do feel that the ability to start with fey quickness is maybe a bit too good. Within a single advance, that hero could have a unmodifiable 4+ save. We're talking possibly after the first game. But hey, that's what playtesting is for. Finding out if that's too good or not.

A good point... if it turns out to be too powerful, I'll increase the cost of the Path.

Looking at it again, i need to change the wording of Overconfident to make clear that the both the "never leave combat" and "pass all Leadership test" aspects of it go away once the model suffers a wound.