New Halfling Warband Rules [UPDATED BETA]

beta version - based on the list by Joshua Cartwright & Bram Tazoul on the Mordheimer Information Center. play tests and critique welcome. let's make this your our go to Halfling list!
special thanks to the great members of Tom's Boring Mordheim Forum who took the time to contribute.
edit: changed the wording for the Light-footed special skill and Generous Portions special rule. Renamed Resistant to Magic to Resistant to Chaos.
edit: fixing typos
edit: add halfling thief hired sword rules

HALFLING MILITIA

Sitting on perhaps the most fertile farmland in the central Empire, the Mootland comprises portions of Averland and Stirland that were torn from their rule in a fit of pique by Emperor Ludwig the Fat and made into an electoral province--ruled by Halflings. To this day, visitors can see the ruined foundations of old castles, their stones mostly carted off for new construction, that the local Halflings claim were once Human settlements. While it is true that some minor families of Averland claim lordship over areas of the Aver March, few take them seriously. They occasionally petition the Emperor to have their rights restored, but so far their requests have been all filed and forgotten.

The Moot is a land of gently rolling hills and grassland that slopes upward gradually until the land rides into the Greenlead Hills of the southeast, where farmers raise many famous varities of tobacco, such as "Fogmaker Red", "Aver Prime Blend", and the nototiously strong "Fumigator." Most of the country is open, with scattered copses of oak, beech, elm, and willow along the riverbank. The only two forests of note are the Sleepy Wood and the mysterious Alter Forest. While the province is watered in its sourthern half by the Aver Reach, Blue Reach, and Aver rivers, sufficient rainfall waters the land to guarantee regular and good crops throughout the Moot.

Halflings in the Moot and elsewhere have never been none as a martial people, and the idea of Halfling warriors is the butt of several jokes amongst Humans. The truth, however, is somehat different. When Night Goblin hordes descend from the mountains or a Necromancer conjures up an army of undead with the intention of invading the Empire, the most common route of entry is usually through the Moot. In these situations the poor Halflings have no choice but to orangize makeshift warbands. Although some Halflings are used to patrolling the border, as is the case with the Fieldwardens, while others have served the Emperor as a milltia in the odd battle, virtually the entirety of the warband will be formed by farmers who defend their precious households with any tool at hand.


SPECIAL RULES
Forest Strider: Halflings are experts of the forests and have an extraordinary ability to move quickly and without making any noise through them. Halflings move through forest and woods terrain without penalty.
Unquenchable Appetite: An ordinary Halfling eats six meals a day, and once they are finished they immediately look forward to the next. The Halfling militia has no less of an appetiate than the civilian folk, and in order to fight effectively Halfling regiments need, at least, a quick snack before they get into a fight. As a result when selling Treasure or Wyrdstone the warband is considered to be one size larger.
Generous Portions: A Halfling cannot survie on the meagre rations which carry most of the empires soldiers, and when they go to battle they always prepare one or more carriages overflowing with all kinds of food and other supplies. These offer a great morale boast to the warband for every warrior knows he will feast well after battle. All Hired Swords deduct 5 gold crowns from their upkeep cost (to a minimum of 5 gold crowns).
Half a Man, but still a Man: While not "people" at all in the Human sense, Halflings have always seemed to be wherever Man has gone. They may therefore hire any Hired Swords available to Human Mercenaries.
Too Big!: Halflings may never use Long bows, Elf Bows, Handguns, Long Rifles or Blunderbusses even if they gain an advance roll that would allow them to do so. Such big weapons are not built for such tiny hands!
Tools of the Trade: Halflings do not gain any bonuses from having Halfling items (such as the Halfling Cookbook) because they already know all the knowledge that can be obtained from such things.


CHOICE OF WARRIORS
A Halfling warband must include of a minimum of three models. You have 500 gold crowns available to spend. The maximum number of warriors in the warband may never exceed 20.

Elder: Your warband must have one Elder; no more, no less!

Sheriff: Your warband may include a single Sheriff.

Fieldwardens: Your warband may include up to two Fieldwardens.

Master Chef: Your warband may unclude a single Master Chef.

Halfling Militia: Your warband may include any number of Halfling Militia.

Halfling Rangers: Your warband may include no more than seven Halfling Rangers.

Vigilante Guard: Your warband may include no more than five Vigiliante Guard.


STARTING EXPERIENCE
The Elder starts with 20 experience.

The Sheriff starts with 8 experience.

Fieldwardens start with 4 experience.

The Master Chef starts with 12 experience.

Henchmen start with 0 experience.


CHARACTERISTIC INCREASE

HALFLING
M:4 WS:5 BS:7 S:3 T:3 W:3 I:9 A:4 Ld:10

a Halfling with the Lord of Harvest skill may use the maximum profile for a Halfling Adventurer

HALFLING ADVENTURER
M:4 WS:6 BS:7 S:3 T:4 W:3 I:9 A:4 Ld:10


HALFLING EQUIPMENT LISTS
Militia Equipment List........................................Ranger Equipment List............................Ogre Equipment List
-----------------------.....................................................-----------------------........................................-----------------------
H2H Weapons...............................................................H2H Weapons.........................................H2H Weapons
-----------------------.....................................................-----------------------...........................................-----------------------
Dagger 1st free/2gc...................................................Dagger 1st free/2gc.........................................Club/Hammer -3gc
Club/Hammer -3gc......................................................Club/Hammer -3gc...........................................Axe -5gc
Axe -5gc.......................................................................Axe -5gc.........................................................Sword -10gc
Sword -10gc...............................................................Sword -10gc.....................................................Double Handed Weapon -15gc
Double Handed Weapon -15gc..................................-----------------------............................................-----------------------
Spear -10gc..............................................................Missile Weapons..............................................Missile Weapons
-----------------------.....................................................-----------------------............................................-----------------------
Missile Weapons....................................................Short bow -5gc............................................................none
-----------------------......................................................Bow -10gc.....................................................-----------------------
Sling -2gc...................................................................-----------------------................................................Armour
Short bow -5gc.............................................................Armour......................................................-----------------------
Pistol -15gc*................................................................-----------------------.........................................Light armour -20gc
Pistol, brace -30gc*....................................................Light armour -20gc
..................................................................................Buckler -5gc
*Heroes only..............................................................Helmet -10gc
-----------------------....................................................-----------------------
Armour.....................................................................Miscellaneous
-----------------------.....................................................-----------------------
Light armour -20gc......................................................Hunting Arrows -35gc
Buckler -5gc
Helmet -10gc


HALFLING SKILL TABLES
Elder may choose from Combat, Shooting, Academic, Speed, and Special skill tables
Sheriff may choose from Combat, Shooting, Speed, and Special skill tables
Fieldwarden may choose from Shooting, Speed, and Special skill tables
Master Chef may choose from Academic, Strength, Speed, and Special skill tables


HEROES
1 Elder
65 gold crowns to hire
The Elders are the local "rulers" of the Moot. It is a highly sought after title, as Elders and their Sheriffs are highly honoured at feasts. However, the Elders must also lead the rare Halfling warriors into battle; making it a mixed honour amongst the Mootfolk. A Halfling Elder is the bravest, toughest and obviously fattest Halfling in the warband. Although lacking the fighting skills of the commanders of other races the Elder has a wide knowledge of the terrain of the Moot, often use inspiring speeches to rouse the Halfling people, and have deep coffers to hire foreigners to assist in defending their homeland.

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

Weapons/Armour: The Elder may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Militia equipment list.

SPECIAL RULES:
Leader: Any warrior within 6" of the Captain may use his leadership characteristic when taking a Leadership test.


0-1 Sheriff
35 gold crowns to hire
The Sheriffs are local leaders within the Moot, often former toll guardsmen or forest rangers. Their responsibilities range from mayoral dutires to policing disputes and crimes. Other Sheriffs spend most of their time in the Empire training with the men. When they return to the Moot they function as warband commanders beneath the Elder, and they will elect from their close knit group his replacement when one is needed. In times of crisis the local Sheriff is responsible for organizing the local defense and insuring the evacuation of the women and children. Most of their time however is likely spent sleeping or drinking ale at the local inn.

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

Weapons/Armour: A Sheriff may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Militia equipment list.


0-2 Fieldwardens
25 gold crowns to hire
To outsiders, the Moot looks like a safe and happy land. The extent to which that is true is due to the Fieldwardens. These Halflings defend the borders of the Moot, keeping away threats and unwanted outsiders. They are skilled skirmishers who use their intimte knowldge of the land to maximum advantage. Even during times of peace these Halflings patrol their lands, slings forever ready as they stroll through field and copse.

M:4 WS:2 BS:4 S:2 T:2 W:1 I:4 A:1 Ld:8

Weapons/Armour: Fieldwardens may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Militia equipment list.

SPECIAL RULES:
Infiltrate: Fieldwardens prefer to attack from ambush, using their superior skill with missile weapons to neutralize the size advantage of their foes. They are always placed on the battlefield after the opposing warband and can be placed anywhere on the table as long as it is out of sight of the opposing warband and more than 12" away from any enemy model.

If both players have models which infiltrate, roll a D6 for each, and the lowest roll sets up first.


0-1 Master Chef
40 gold crowns to hire
The Master Chefs are the cooks who rise to the greatest of occasions and more, elevated to the highest ranks of Halfling society. Halfling Chefs dream of only one thing: gourmet food. While hile they may not be as handy with a sling or bow as many other halflings, their skill with a blade is unsurpassed!. Any wise Elder will persuade a Master Chef into joining the warband. The more food the Chef cooks, the better the Halflings will fight!

M:4 WS:4 BS:2 S:3 T:3 W:1 I:4 A:1 Ld:8

Weapons/Armour: A Master Chef may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Halfling Militia equipment list.

Special Rules:
Secret Spices: Master Chefs always bring a pot of stew with them into battle, as well as the most exclusive spices there are. The result of the aroma they can conjure up, let alone one spoonful, inspires his fellow Halflings to stronger, if not great, deeds. The Master Chef and a single hero in the warband may partake of such a stew before the battle. Roll separately on the table for each hero.

Roll a D6 to discover the secret spice's effect:
1 Chilipepper: The stew is simply too hot for the hero and weakens them. They are at -1 Toughness for
the whole of the next battle until they can roll a 6 on a D6 in the recovery phase to shrug off the ill effects.
2-3 Coriander. The hero is infused with strength as he quaffs the brew. He is at +1 Strength until he rolls a 1 on a D6 in the recovery phase.
4-5 Cumin. An inner resilience passes through the hero. He is at +1 to Toughness until he rolls a 1 on a D6 in the recovery phase.
6 Rosemary. The hero's constitution is increased and he feels ready to take anyone on. He gains an extra wound for the whole battle. However, once lost the wound cannot be restored.


HENCHMEN (bought in groups of 1-5)
Halfling Militia
15 Gold Crowns to hire
The backbone of all Halfling warbands in the Moot are the common Halflings themselves. These reluctant warriors come forth from their homesteads only in the direst of circumstances to defend their land with whatever minor weapons or farm implements are available. While Halflings are too little and bulky to make them first-class warriors, their aim with the bow is excellent, though Halflings are still perfectly capable of fighting with a spear or sword if necessary.

M:4 WS:2 BS:3 S:2 T:2 W:1 I:4 A:1 Ld:8

Weapons/Armour: Halfling Militia may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Militia equipment list.


0-7 Halfling Rangers
20 Gold Crowns to hire
Not so brave Halflings may seek to avoid the brutalities of close combat by becoming bowmen. Such is their dedication to saving their own skins that many such individuals become highly skilled, and dare it be said, dangerous soldiers. Some of the people of the Moot become even more gifted with the bow than their fellows, and so become Rangers. In times of war these bands harass the enemy from a distance with their signature hunting bows.

M:4 WS:2 BS:4 S:2 T:2 W:1 I:4 A:1 Ld:8

Weapons/Armour: Halfling Rangers may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Ranger equipment list.


0-5 Vigilante Guard
25 Gold Crowns to hire
Within the Halfling communities, as in any human community, there must be individuals who ensure the safety of the citizens. These Halflings hold the rank of Vigilante Guard, and are highly regarded by the rest of their peers. These are the only Halflings formally trained in warfare, answering directly to the Sheriff. Although not "real" soldiers, the law enforcers of the Moot often join the ranks marching to battle when the need arises. The Vigilante Guard are considered respected and wise career-men, as they receive a recent pay for the job of casually patrolling villages and reminding people not to get (too) drunk.

M:4 WS:3 BS:3 S:3 T:2 W:1 I:4 A:1 Ld:8

Weapons/Armour: Vigilante Guard may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Militia equipment list.

HALFLING SPECIAL SKILLS
Halfling Heroes may use the following Skill table instead of any of the standard Skill tables available to them.

Quiet as a Mouse: The Halfling is adept at sneaking up on his quarry, going so far as to not even break a twig in his passing. An enemy warrior attempting to detect this Halfling when he is Hidden must halve his Initiative before measuring the distance.
Skilled Huntsman: The Halfling has been hunting things ever since he was young (the more food he has, the better!) and has become well adapted to firing as silently and discreetly as possible. If Hidden, a Halfling with this skill may shoot a ranged weapon and still remain Hidden. If his target is not immediately taken out of action by the Huntsman they get to test against their Initiative in an attempt to spot him. A successful test means that the Huntsman has been spotted and is no longer hidden. Note this skill may not be combined with black powder weapons, they are just too noisy!
Wizened Halfling: This skill may only be chosen by a leader. This old Halfling is greatly respected by the other members of the warband and they never question his word. All warband members within the Leader rule's radius (6" normally and 12" with Battle Tongue) may re-roll any failed Leadership tests.
Lord of the Harvest: Having heard such tales as "Tinkle Witherson and the Golden Boots" and "Little Gumblewort's Big Adventure", this young Halfling aspires to become like these famed Halfling heroes, doing anything, ANYTHING, to become a glorious hero; even if that means missing a meal or two! The Halfling uses the maximum profile of a Halfling Adventurer and the Militia equipment list (if they do not already). This skill may not be taken by the Elder. Only two members of the warband may ever have this skill at any one time.
Light-footed: The Halfling is light on his feet, scurrying away at the first sign of danger to a safe place. The Halfling may run while within 8" of an enemy warrior as long as he ends his move behind a low wall, in a forest or in a similar position where he could reasonably conceal himself. If there is no feature within the Halflings run move, he may only move with his normal Movement value as there is nowhere to run and he must prepare to fight!
Resistant to Chaos: The Halfling like others of its kind is naturally resistant to magic, dissipating hostile spells more than other races. Any spell which would affect him is nullified on a D6 roll of 4+. If the spell is nullified it will not affect any other models either. Note this skill does not effect prayers.

BONUS: HIRED SWORD
Halfling Thief
25 gold crowns to hire +special upkeep
Halflings are well known for their nimble feet and even nimbler fingers. They never take anything too valuable (except by accident). Nonetheless, it is surprising the number of things that go missing when a Halfling is about. The poor fellows don’t know they’re doing it half the time! They just seem to acquire rings, tinderboxes and small pets as they go about their business.Thieves excel at making themselves inconspicuous. With their small stature, unassuming manner and predilection for walking barefooted, a Halfling Thief is the master of sneakiness, sticky-fingers, and feigned innocence. Having one around is always a dicey situation at best as you’re always certain that the other warriors are going to come up a few crowns light by the end of an adventure.

May be Hired: Mercenaries, Ogres, and any Elf or Dwarf warbands may hire a Halfling Thief.
Rating: A Halfling Thief increases the warband’s rating by +14 points, plus 1 point for each Experience point he has.

Halfling Thief
M:4 WS:2 BS:4 S:2 T:2 W:1 I:4 A:1 Ld:8
The Halfling Thief is equipped with rope & grapple, a sword, dagger, and throwing daggers.
Skills: A Halfling Thief may choose from the Speed and Shooting skills when he gains a new skill. In addition, there are skills unique to Halfling Thieves as detailed below, which he can choose instead of normal skills.
SPECIAL RULES
Uneasy Ally: At the end of each (whether or not the Halfling Thief actually took part), roll a D6 and consult the following chart.
D6 Result
1 Stop Thief!: Unimpressed with his employment, the Thief has absconded with all the warband’s valuables! Remove the Thief from your roster, along with all Treasures and valuables in your stash from previous games. Do not add additional Treasures for having the Thief in your warband this game.
2-5 Tax Time: The Halfling Thief seems satisfied thus far, and just charges his normal fee of 15 gold crowns upkeep.
6 Ignorance is Bliss: Satisfied with the take so far, the Thief forgoes any upkeep charges on your warband. And whatever he’s filched you never knew you had...
Infiltration: A Halfling Thief can infiltrate. See the Skaven special skill of the same name.
Pick Locks: A Thief knows how to open doors that others find impossible. When testing to open a locked door, the Thief just needs to make an Initiative test in order to be successful.
Cutpurse: A Thief makes his profession by finding items others have lost. At the end of the game when the warband rolls to find Treasures, they receive one additional Treasure as long as the Thief was in the battle, and wasn’t taken out of action.
HALFLING THIEF SKILLS
Looter: The Thief is an expert in finding valuables on a victim before moving on. If the Thief takes any warriors of the enemy warband out of action (and he was not taken out of action himself), the Thief’s warband receives one additional Treasure, in addition to the normal +1 Treasure he already adds through his Cutpurse special rule. This does not affect the opposing warband’s number of Treasures.
Stealthy: The Halfling Thief can hide even after running, and can run while within 8" of enemy models if he starts and ends his move hidden.

Hey all- posting my WIP Halfling Warband with my notes- feel free to pitch in and shape it into something you would/could/should use! This is a sister thread but should hopefully take precedence. With a special shout out to Styrofoam King's own design, and Joshua Cartwright & Bram Tazoul for the original list.

References used: Town Cryer (Mordheimer Information Center), Dogs of War unofficial Warhammer List (White Dwarf?)[link: http://www.tilea.org/download/[Tilea.net][ENG]Official_Note_165.pdf ], and perhaps most notably the experimental Halfling Warhammer Army List. Feel free to add yourself to this list with your comments and support!

*Note: Warband Fluff to come with finalization*

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Warband Special Rules:
A. Short and Stout: Due to their small stature and high agility, Halflings can easily avoid incoming blows by dodging to the side or beneath the legs of their attacker. Halflings are at -1 to hit in close combat.

B. Forest Strider: Halflings move through wooded and forest terrain at no penalty.

C. Unquenchable Appetite: An ordinary Halfling eats six meals a day, and once they are finished they immediately look forward to the next. The Halfling militia has no less of an appetiate than the civilian folk, and in order to fight effectively Halfling regiments need, at least, a quick snack before they get into a fight. As long as the Master Chef was not taken out of action in the previous battle the cook has managed to make a little food go a long way and when selling Treasure or Wyrdstone the warband is considered to be one size lower. If the Master Chef was taken out of action in the prior battle the warband will be considered one size larger when selling Treasure or Wyrdstone to represent the famished members scrounging all their earnings for another meal.

D. Half a Man, but still a Man: Halflings are pretty much human and therefore may hire any hired sword available to Human Mercenary Warbands.

E. Too Big!: Halflings may never use Long bows, Elf Bows, Handguns, Long Rifles or Blunderbusses even if they gain an advance roll that would allow them to do so. Such big weapons are not built for such tiny hands!

F. Tools of the Trade: Halflings do not gain any bonuses from having Halfling items (such as the Halfling Cookbook) because they already know all the knowledge that can be obtained from such things.
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Warband Special Rules Notes:
A. This is straight out of the Warhammer Halfling Army Book, pg.37 (experimental - see link above). Now I know what you're thinking, OVERPOWERED! But consider the Dwarf skills giving them across the board Immunity to Concussion items, and Taken Out of Action only on a 6. Now as Edyy said in the linked sister post this is evened out by high point costs. But along with those high point costs come better stats (both starting and max) where as the Halflings are at a disadvantage in both regard. I have increased the point cost of some of the Halfling henchmen to make up for any nit picking as you will see in the henchmen notes. IMHO opinion I think is would be a great boon to the halflings, as they're already the squishiest thing in close combat and with their low WS, it shouldn't offset balance in any considerable fashion.
B.Also from the Warhammer Halfling Army Book, but we also see this rule with the Wood Elves experimental mordheim band. I really like the feel of this for the halflings and I consider it a must have, though I did consider allocating this special rule to the Halfling Rangers (former scouts) only. Its something I would still consider but I think it does fit the warband as a whole as adventerous country folk, breeding some of the best scouts. I would like some fluff for this skill- so any suggestions would be great, though I would prefer if they were from the Warhammer Halfling Armybook (linked) or from a GW source.
C. A combination of Warhammer Halfling Army Book ideas and a reworking of the old Halfling Cook rules. Once again I hear the cries of "NERF IT! NERF IT!", but consider the math. Once again I sample the Dwarf Treasure Hunters, this time the Incomparable Miners skill. Which gives +1 to the number of pieces found for a Dwarf warband. Now the time for the MathHammer nrrds:
Min/Max GC amount for extra shard: 10/25gc
Min/Max GC amount for size reduction: 5/15gc
I think the math is right on that, pretty dang sure, consulting the income chart in the core rulebook. This is more offset by idea that they could be one higher. HERE is where I need your input. All, I mean all, of the offical and unofficial warband special rules are static. Meaning they always work as described under any and all conditions. Having this skill be dependant on one of the heroes, in this case the Chef- is distracting to me; simple is better in all cases when it comes to these rules. IMHO anyway. It wouldn't be any more advantagous considering everything to just have a static -1 warband size. Thoughts?
D. Renamed "Pretty much Human", standard special rule from the Mordheimer Halfling warband.
E. see above *suggestions for alternate fluff name? hopefully applying Warhammer intellectual property
F. see above *suggestions for alternate fluff name? WH IP used*
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Halfling Skill Tables:

A. Halfling Elder may choose from the Combat, Shooting, Academic, Speed or Special Skills.
B. Master Chef may choose from the Academic, Strength, Speed or Special Skills.
C. Halfling Thief may choose from the Combat, Shooting, Speed or Special Skills.
D. Halfling Sheriff may choose from the Combat, Shooting, Speed or Special Skills.
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Halfling Skill Table Notes:
A. Unchanged
B. Added Academic. Please share thoughts on this. I like the Academic skills, and i think its appropriate for the Chef. The descriptions of Halfling food remind me as a kid reading the Redwall books by Brian Jaques (the long, LONG descriptive scenes of the "vittles"), both still make my stomach growl just thinking about them. Fluff wise it fits, it takes a brain to make a feast like that, and the Wyrdstone(Treasure) Hunter skill is perfect for him as for Halflings food is often the greatest treasure. From a balance perspective giving the "caster" character 4 skills may not fit. Lemme know!
C. Unchanged
D. New Hero (more on that later), basically a Merc Champion. is 4 skills too much? All are appropriate, and not having one wouldn't seem right. The way I see it the Special Skill Tree is not bound to typical rules of max Skill Tree selection points. I dunno, keep those ideas coming!

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*This section will cover my thoughts on the EXISTING Halfling Special Skills*
Halflings' Special Skills (as it stands now, unchanged and edited):

A. Quiet as a Mouse: The Halfling as adept at staying as quiet as a mouse whilst hiding. Enemy warriors must use half their initiative value in inches (rounded down) when trying to detect this hidden Halfling.
B. Crude Belch: Having eaten a meal or six, this Halfling may release a withering belch to distract his enemies. During the first round of hand to hand combat the Halfling can release his noxious fumes upon all enemies within base contact. All enemies effected must take a leadership test. If the leadership test is failed then the putrid odor has severely affected the warrior's fighting ability and he must miss his first attack (regardless of whether he has only one attack or not).
C. Wizened Halfling (leaders only): This old Halfling is greatly respected by the other members of the warband and they never question his word. All Halflings may also re-roll any failed leadership test when within 6" of the leader as well as using his leadership for both tests.
D. Stealthy (Halfling Thieves Only): The Halfling Thief can hide even after running, and can run while within 8" of enemy models if he starts and ends his move hidden.
E. Skilled Huntsman: The Halfling has been hunting things ever since he was young (the more food he has, the better!) and has become well adapted to firing as silently and discreetly as possible. To represent this a Halfling may try and fire a ranged weapon and remain hidden. When shooting from hiding roll D6. On a 3+ the Halfling has managed to keep his actions inconspicuous to the eye of the enemy and may remain hidden that turn. Note this skill may not be combined with black powder weapons, they are just too noisy!
F. Layers of Fat: The Halfling has gained mountains of flab during his vast experience of eating fine foods and his thick bulk could swallow a sword whole! The Halfling always has a basic saving throw of 6 regardless of the enemy warrior's strength and on top of any armor he already wears.
G. Shifty: The Halfling has long-been skirting in the shadows, avoiding unwanted attention. So nimble is he that he may surprise even those who believe they've got them dead-to-rights. The Halfling gains a bonus attack when charged that strikes first.
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Halflings' Special Skills (as it stands now, unchanged and edited)" Notes:
A. Great skill, perfect fit- just not in love with the name. Growing on me though; thoughts?
B. Also a perfect fit. There was discussion on Styrofoam King's Wee Warband page on this skill, it being possibly overpowered. I think not at all. Now with the addition of the BTB supplement with Slaanesh champions auto hitting with no attacks back (on failed leadership test) to an enemy (Vampire's Transfixing Gaze anyone?) to the Sisters of Sigmar's special skill Sign of Sigmar (all enemies lose 1st attack in the first round of combat against skill holder) it seems a lot more realistic. A keeper for sure.
C. Perfect, cool name too. The standard leader only skill. Handy too with the Elder's high Ld. Great pairing with Battle Tongue.
D. I like this skill, I didn't at first, but I do now. I'll tell why I didn't like it- Thief only. While yes we've GOT to play up big the steretypical thief tropes- must be sneaky, etc., I think this is a skill more suited for any Halfling hero.. I don't like to see the skill tree broken up into "only" takers, other than the leader himself. No other warband I can think of does this, and it makes it look a little redundant.
E. Also good, though it clashes a wee bit with my attempts to make the Halfling warband less ranged * dependent* and more ranged accessible (to put it lightly from the experiences fellow forum members have shared!). I don't think it will be a problem though. This will made or broken with my revised equipment lists, but that's not until later. (It will be made though, it will work! )
F. Bread and butter (literally from the sounds of it!) Orcs 'n' Goblins special skill Well 'ard. An additional, unmodified 6+ armour save. B-e-a-uiful.
G. This is the one I'm not feeling- above all others. I take notice at this point this list already has FAR too many special skills, 5 is usually the norm- if not standard. I might drop this one completely- but note I am making this warband for myself but also *hopefully* for you all to try and maybe even make a standard. Yes, high hopes. If this is that one skill that can't go, share your experiences! The skill is great for a ranged hero finding himself being charged (kudos for that), but I find there are too many skills here in addition to the Master Skill List, will we even be feasibly considering some of these?


That wraps it up for tonight. I will be posting more tomorrow, and over the next few days- in this order:
1. Revised Halfling Special Skills
2. Halfling Equipment List
3. Halfling Heroes
4. Halfling Henchmen

and that should do it! With all of your potential critique and own ideas and hopes being pooled in I should try to have to be what I already consider a HUGE improvement full of more potential tactical angles and fluff-made-rules.

fanfav wrote:

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Warband Special Rules:
A. Short and Stout: Due to their small stature and high agility, Halflings can easily avoid incoming blows by dodging to the side or beneath the legs of their attacker. Halflings are at -1 to hit in close combat.

B. Forest Strider: Halflings move through wooded and forest terrain at no penalty.

C. Unquenchable Appetite: An ordinary Halfling eats six meals a day, and once they are finished they immediately look forward to the next. The Halfling militia has no less of an appetiate than the civilian folk, and in order to fight effectively Halfling regiments need, at least, a quick snack before they get into a fight. As long as the Master Chef was not taken out of action in the previous battle the cook has managed to make a little food go a long way and when selling Treasure or Wyrdstone the warband is considered to be one size lower. If the Master Chef was taken out of action in the prior battle the warband will be considered one size larger when selling Treasure or Wyrdstone to represent the famished members scrounging all their earnings for another meal.

D. Half a Man, but still a Man: Halflings are pretty much human and therefore may hire any hired sword available to Human Mercenary Warbands.

E. Too Big!: Halflings may never use Long bows, Elf Bows, Handguns, Long Rifles or Blunderbusses even if they gain an advance roll that would allow them to do so. Such big weapons are not built for such tiny hands!

F. Tools of the Trade: Halflings do not gain any bonuses from having Halfling items (such as the Halfling Cookbook) because they already know all the knowledge that can be obtained from such things.
---------------------------------------------------------------

A- you could semi-nerf this as a 'reduce WS by 1 when rolling to attack halflings'. Sometimes it is an effective -1 to hit, sometimes it is not. Your comparison with Dwarves isn't equal because Dwarves immunities lie in not getting OOA, not in avoiding even getting hit. Avoiding hits avoids wounds, injuries and everything added on with them.

B- who cares

C- It's funny and gives me a reason to smite your cook with a Tilean Marksman or hired assassins.

D- I'd punish the halflings a bit, just cause as a hired sword it would either be beneath me to serve halflings or less heroic in some sense. Maybe something about the cook reducing the cost by 5, but increasing the cost by 5 if he was OOA again.

E- Can they use crossbows? If so, who cares about that other stuff? Campaigns are about abusing the lax rules on crossbows to rape people at a distance.

F- Meh, unless they have a max of 20 or 18, I'd let the cookbook and the scout in. If their max is 18 or 20, this rule is good.

brokenv wrote:

A- you could semi-nerf this as a 'reduce WS by 1 when rolling to attack halflings'. Sometimes it is an effective -1 to hit, sometimes it is not. Your comparison with Dwarves isn't equal because Dwarves immunities lie in not getting OOA, not in avoiding even getting hit. Avoiding hits avoids wounds, injuries and everything added on with them.

B- who cares

C- It's funny and gives me a reason to smite your cook with a Tilean Marksman or hired assassins.

D- I'd punish the halflings a bit, just cause as a hired sword it would either be beneath me to serve halflings or less heroic in some sense. Maybe something about the cook reducing the cost by 5, but increasing the cost by 5 if he was OOA again.

E- Can they use crossbows? If so, who cares about that other stuff? Campaigns are about abusing the lax rules on crossbows to rape people at a distance.

F- Meh, unless they have a max of 20 or 18, I'd let the cookbook and the scout in. If their max is 18 or 20, this rule is good.

A. I didn't think of that!

B. True- but I don't play in Mordheim- mostly Empire in Flames or hopefully BTB someday. With added Random Happenings and what not in Town Cryer and the supplements, difficult terrain can become more difficult than it normally is. If its a meaningless situational rule that doesn't matter much either way for the typical game, it won't hurt to keep it right where it is

C. Smite is a strong word for such a little, cheery guy. I take you just pick on dragons then?

D. You sir must be psychic! The rule as listed is from the Mordheimer Info Center list for Halflings- but I had a thought myself on having a reduced upkeep cost for all hired swords because of the vittles. Something to think about certainly- thanks for the reminder!

E. Yeah, but I'm playing with extensive house rules and practice the See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil mentality when it comes to the typical Min/Max warband lists you see all the time wielded by the feckless scruffy bearded, ball-cap wearing Warhammer rage nrrds who have nothing better to do than grief on forums about the ONE and ONLY workable army list for "league play, brah." Whew, I feel better now! Point being I'm going to include it, you may not take a long rifle- but someone might want to, and between the two of us they'll feel extra bad.

F. Max is 20.

fanfav wrote:

--------------------------------------------------------------A. Quiet as a Mouse: The Halfling as adept at staying as quiet as a mouse whilst hiding. Enemy warriors must use half their initiative value in inches (rounded down) when trying to detect this hidden Halfling.
B. Crude Belch: Having eaten a meal or six, this Halfling may release a withering belch to distract his enemies. During the first round of hand to hand combat the Halfling can release his noxious fumes upon all enemies within base contact. All enemies effected must take a leadership test. If the leadership test is failed then the putrid odor has severely affected the warrior's fighting ability and he must miss his first attack (regardless of whether he has only one attack or not).
C. Wizened Halfling (leaders only): This old Halfling is greatly respected by the other members of the warband and they never question his word. All Halflings may also re-roll any failed leadership test when within 6" of the leader as well as using his leadership for both tests.
D. Stealthy (Halfling Thieves Only): The Halfling Thief can hide even after running, and can run while within 8" of enemy models if he starts and ends his move hidden.
E. Skilled Huntsman: The Halfling has been hunting things ever since he was young (the more food he has, the better!) and has become well adapted to firing as silently and discreetly as possible. To represent this a Halfling may try and fire a ranged weapon and remain hidden. When shooting from hiding roll D6. On a 3+ the Halfling has managed to keep his actions inconspicuous to the eye of the enemy and may remain hidden that turn. Note this skill may not be combined with black powder weapons, they are just too noisy!
F. Layers of Fat: The Halfling has gained mountains of flab during his vast experience of eating fine foods and his thick bulk could swallow a sword whole! The Halfling always has a basic saving throw of 6 regardless of the enemy warrior's strength and on top of any armor he already wears.
G. Shifty: The Halfling has long-been skirting in the shadows, avoiding unwanted attention. So nimble is he that he may surprise even those who believe they've got them dead-to-rights. The Halfling gains a bonus attack when charged that strikes first.
--------------------------------------------------------------

A- yep, although Dwarves are a bit rediculous at 1" hidden distance, but who cares about Dwarves anyway
B- Vamps are only one model, while this could be 6 models. This is pretty OP, and at the very minimum shouldn't affect folks who don't care about such things (undead, chaos, etc), and one would think the halfling themself would be affected. I don't know of anything else in the game that makes anyone lose their attack, and as such, it is probably better worded as reduces attacks by 1 down to a minimum of 1
C- yep.
D- limit to thief, yep, although it is a bit weird in the start and end hidden part, I'd just let him run regardless, or see below
E- Nope. Shooting and staying hidden is rediculously overpowered. I'd switch this to letting all halflings run even if they are in 8". This can help solve the -1 to hit thing that I don't like either, as avoiding battle is probably more realistic than avoiding hits.
F- I hate everywarband that adds a + to armour saving throws cause any changes you make to armour/etc usually make them overpowered. Besides, who would ever believe that a fat halfling could protect themself from a warriors hit? One, they probably couldn't benefit from the Quiet as a Mouse trait as they are as fat as a pig. You could add +1 to their toughness to fix some other halfling issues
G- ugh. strikes first or before combat? either way, ugh. I'd add something fun like if an opponent misses all to-hit rolls, you get a chance to steal their hand weapon by rolling under strength or something fun like that.

brokenv wrote:

A- yep, although Dwarves are a bit rediculous at 1" hidden distance, but who cares about Dwarves anyway
B- Vamps are only one model, while this could be 6 models. This is pretty OP, and at the very minimum shouldn't affect folks who don't care about such things (undead, chaos, etc), and one would think the halfling themself would be affected. I don't know of anything else in the game that makes anyone lose their attack, and as such, it is probably better worded as reduces attacks by 1 down to a minimum of 1
C- yep.
D- limit to thief, yep, although it is a bit weird in the start and end hidden part, I'd just let him run regardless, or see below
E- Nope. Shooting and staying hidden is rediculously overpowered. I'd switch this to letting all halflings run even if they are in 8". This can help solve the -1 to hit thing that I don't like either, as avoiding battle is probably more realistic than avoiding hits.
F- I hate everywarband that adds a + to armour saving throws cause any changes you make to armour/etc usually make them overpowered. Besides, who would ever believe that a fat halfling could protect themself from a warriors hit? One, they probably couldn't benefit from the Quiet as a Mouse trait as they are as fat as a pig. You could add +1 to their toughness to fix some other halfling issues
G- ugh. strikes first or before combat? either way, ugh. I'd add something fun like if an opponent misses all to-hit rolls, you get a chance to steal their hand weapon by rolling under strength or something fun like that.

Let just say again these are not my skills, but the standards to work with. I plan to drop some, change more, and even add the odd few. This section is merely my opinions on them.

A. The Squats can stay in space as far as I'm concerned.
B. Truth bomb. I think I will eventually revise it (my next update post) to mirror this Sisters of Sigmar skill,
Sign of Sigmar: The Sister is favored by the great god Sigmar. Possessed or Undead opponents lose their first attack against the Priestess in the first round of hand-to-hand combat (down to a minimum of 1).
So in essence swap it, effecting everyone but Undead and Possessed and only in the first round of combat and down to a min of 1 attack. I like it better already.
D. I guess the start and end hidden is revolving around the idea that he is not being seen while running to and from a hiding place, thus overriding the normal no run within 8". I mean would he would really be able to hide all that well sprinting that close to the warriors (after the fact), if he wasn't already unseen to begin with. Any thoughts though on thief only? I think it would be great as a general skill. As you've suggested dropping the Skilled Huntsmen (shoot and hide) with being able to run while within 8", why not do a buff/nerf at the same time making Stealthy available to all Halflings while dropping Skilled Huntsman. Buff because of the hide, nerf because of the hide.
E. See above.
F. I think I have to keep it, as its the only other word for word skill from an official warband. In a way its perhaps the only realistic rule, considering the core ruleset- and of course not house rules improving armor.
G. Yeah I hated it too- I think I might just drop it and try an' find another suitable official rule to take its place.

Layers of Fat:
Make it the concussion Rule of the dwarves. Its no armor, but it lessens a bit the effect of blunt weapons... A sharp sword or axe will slash the fat halfling normaly.

Revised Halfling Skills
-------------------------------------------

Quiet as a Mouse: The Halfling is adept at sneaking up on his quarry, going so far as to not even break a twig in his passing. An enemy warrior attempting to detect this Halfling when he is Hidden must halve his Initiative before measuring the distance.

Crude Belch : Having eaten a meal or six, this Halfling may release a withering belch to distract his enemies. All opponents in base contact (except for Possessed or Undead) lose their first attack against the Halfling in the first round of hand-to-hand combat (down to a minimum of 1).

Wizened Halfling (leader only): This old Halfling is greatly respected by the other members of the warband and they never question his word. All Halflings may re-roll any failed leadership test when within 6" of the leader, using his leadership for both tests.

Skilled Huntsman: The Halfling has been hunting things ever since he was young (the more food he has, the better!) and has become well adapted to firing as silently and discreetly as possible. If Hidden, a Halfling with this skill may shoot a ranged weapon and still remain Hidden. If his target is not immediately taken out of action by the Huntsman they get to test against their Initiative in an attempt to spot him. A successful test means that the Huntsman has been spotted and is no longer hidden. Note this skill may not be combined with black powder weapons, they are just too noisy!

Stouthearted: The Halfling is a would be paragon of his race. Inspired by the tall tales of his people he is possessed of a burning wanderlust and a need for adventure. He uses the maximum profile for Stout Heart Halflings and the Adventurer equipment list (if he does not already).

Belly Drum: The Halfling has gained a massive girth from vast experience of consuming fine food and drink, this thick bulk absorbing all but the worst of blows. He has a special 3+ save on a D6 to avoid being stunned. If the save is made, treat a stunned result as knocked down instead. If the Halfling also wears a helmet, this save is 2+ instead of 3+ (this takes the place of the normal helmet special rule).

HALFLING MAX PROFILE
M:4 WS:5 BS:7 S:3 T:3 W:3 I:9 A:4 Ld:10

STOUT HEART HALFLING MAX PROFILE
M:4 WS:6 BS:7 S:4 T:4 W:3 I:9 A:4 Ld:10


My Notes:
Quiet as a Mouse: almost the same as the Mordheimer skill of the same name, but with new fluff and reworded to match the Hide in Shadows skill of the Shadow Warrior warband.

Crude Belch: as above but reworked to match the Sisters of Sigmar skill, Sign of Sigmar, only swapping the targets (Undead/Possesed for no Undead/Possessed.) Note* as it is commonly accepted Undead and Possessed, more notably Possessed covers more than one warband i.e. Carnival of Chaos.

Wizened Halfling: as Mordheimer list, good as is.

Skilled Huntsman: Respecting fully what brokenv has suggested, I still decided to keep this one with a few tweaks. It is now exactly the same as the Shadow Warrior skill, Sniper. Bringing up an unrefined "experimental" skill to even "unofficial" status is a victory in my book. If its in the 2002 Annual, its good enough for us.

Stouthearted: A reworking of the Marauders of Chaos warband skill from the BTB supplement- just a higher max profile. This would cut the possible cheese of a direct +1 to Toughness as you still need the advance ALONG side the skill.

Belly Drum: A revision of the Layers of Fat skill from Mordheimer, as per Saranor's suggestion. A word for word Hard Head Dwarf skill or a Thick Skull Orcs 'n' Goblins skill. Changing the name because Layers of Fat is well, rather gross and certainly unheroic. As a heavier man my self I like to focus on the finer things in life... eating and beating the drum- NOT the very straight forward, nothing left to the imagination, "LAYERS of Fat."

Still feeling a little anal about this. I really aspire to have members on the forums try out this list as an alternative to the standard experimental list, and so in turn am trying to make it as close to an unofficial list as I can in terms of balance. Something about the skills are bothering me- maybe just the selection in terms of the diversity of the perks being made available. Let me what you think- and not just from a frame of experience or knowledge- but even more so from a frame of "would you try it/prefer it."

I will always see halflings as a warband to play to rout. cheap henchmen + shooty heroes = shoot until you can voluntarily rout. Just like Witch Hunters or Skaven to some extent. There is just no room to dominate in CC, so true to halfling spirit, it's guerilla style mordheim play.

brokenv wrote:

I will always see halflings as a warband to play to rout. cheap henchmen + shooty heroes = shoot until you can voluntarily rout. Just like Witch Hunters or Skaven to some extent. There is just no room to dominate in CC, so true to halfling spirit, it's guerilla style mordheim play.

I would like them to play to win, but with more short to middle range weapons like (short)bows or slings.

They should be some kind of "Whack-a-Mole". They appear, shoot once and disappear.

It should be a problem to catch them, but if you get them, they should be helpless.

I imagine them fighting realy like guerilla-fighter. They fight for there homeland to the last, but not as strong close combat fighter. The harass the enemy, try to evade them while luring them in a trap.

New Skill Idea:
Hideouts everywhere(Brainstorming):
You may put up to 3 markers everwhere on the field and notive which one is the real one. At any moment you may reveal there up to 3 halflings, which weren't deployed at the start of the game.

Equipment Lists
-------------------------------------------
MILITIA EQUIPMENT LIST
-----------------------
H2H Weapons
-----------------------
Dagger 1st free/2gc
Club/Hammer -3gc
Axe -5gc
Sword -10gc
Double Handed Weapon -15gc
Spear -10gc
-----------------------
Missile Weapons
-----------------------
Sling -2gc
Pistol -15gc*
Pistol, brace -30gc*

*Heroes only
-----------------------
Armour
-----------------------
Light Armour -20gc
Buckler -5gc
Helmet -10gc


RANGER EQUIPMENT LIST
-----------------------
H2H Weapons
-----------------------
Dagger 1st free/2gc
Club/Hammer -3gc
Axe -5gc
Sword -10gc
-----------------------
Missile Weapons
-----------------------
Short Bow -5gc
Bow -10gc
-----------------------
Armour
-----------------------
Light Armour -20gc
Buckler -5gc
Helmet -10gc
-----------------------
Miscellaneous
-----------------------
Hunting Arrows -35gc


OGRE EQUIPMENT LIST
-----------------------
H2H Weapons
-----------------------
Club -3gc
Axe -5gc
Sword -10gc
Double-handed Weapon -15gc
-----------------------
Missile Weapons
-----------------------
None
-----------------------
Armour
-----------------------
Light Armour -20gc

1 Halfling Elder -65gc
M:4 WS:3 BS:5 S:3 T:3 W:1 I:5 A:1 Ld:9
Weapons/Armour: The Halfling Elder may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Halfling Militia equipment list.

Special Rules:
Leader: Any Warrior within 6" of the Halfing Elder may use his Leadership when taking Ld tests.

0-2 Halfling Sheriffs -35gc
M:4 WS:3 BS:4 S:3 T:3 W:1 I:4 A:1 Ld:8
Weapons/Armour: The Halfling Elder may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Halfling Militia equipment list.

0-1 Master Chef -40gc
M:4 WS:4 BS:2 S:3 T:3 W:1 I:4 A:1 Ld:8
Weapons/Armour: A Master Chef may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Halfling Militia equipment list.

Special Rules:
Secret Spices: Master Chefs always bring a pot of stew with them into battle, as well as the most exclusive spices there are. The result of one spoonful can conjure up, let alone the aroma, inspires his fellow
Halflings to stronger, if not great, deeds. The Master Chef and a single hero in the warband may partake of such a stew before the battle. Roll separately on the table for each hero.

Roll a D6 to discover the secret spice's effect:
1 Chilipepper: The stew is simply too hot for the hero and weakens them. They are at -1 Toughness for
the whole of the next battle until they can roll a 6 on a D6 in the recovery phase to shrug off the ill effects.
2-3 Coriander. The hero is infused with strength as he quaffs the brew. He is at +1 Strength until he rolls a 1 on a D6 in the recovery phase.
4-5 Cumin. An inner resilience passes through the hero. He is at +1 to Toughness until he rolls a 1 on a D6 in the recovery phase.
6 Rosemary. The hero's constitution is increased and he feels ready to take anyone on. He gains an extra wound for the whole battle. However, once lost the wound cannot be restored.

0-1 Halfling Thief -15gc
M:4 WS:2 BS:4 S:2 T:2 W:1 I:5 A:1 Ld:7
A Halfling Thief may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Ranger equipment list.

Special Rules:
Property And Treasure Removal Expert: When rolling on the Exploration chart, the Halfling Thief allows you to modify one dice roll by -1/+1


Starting Experience:
Halfling Elder starts with 20 experience.
Halfling Cook starts with 12 experience.
Halfling Sheriffs starts with 8 experience.
Halfling Thief starts with 0 experience.
All henchmen start with 0 experience.


edit: thoughts? not sure how to price the sheriffs. they have better statlines than their human counterparts (champions) but a lower max profile. bump up to 40gc or keep it where its at? also still tweaking the thief- want to make it the youngblood of the group, i.e. lots of advances quickly. not sure on pricing or if I want to add another skill (Luck: rereoll one dice per game) and a rule disallowing the Thief from ever becoming the warband leader. thoughts on points too? how great it\s the chef rule? very proud of that mash up!

Looking good so far . just a couple of suggestions I would make.

Firstly the "decreasing the size of the warband unless the chef is alive" rule, I would just change this to a flat counts as one size bigger rule and then add a special rule for the chef that he gets rid of this rule and reduces the size by 1. in the notes you mention that this is comparable to the dwarf treasure hunter rule but that rule is to compensate for the 4 starting heroes of the dwarfs so that they aren't under funded whereas your warband has 6 heroes so you will be swimming in gc.

A potential fix to this could be making the sheriffs and thief 0-2 (so you could have a sheriff and thief or two sheriffs) or demoting the sheriffs or thieves to an elite henchman maybe 0-2/3 and having the other as a 0-2 hero (with the elder, sheriff and chef being S3 T3 they feel a little too tough and proficient in cc so maybe demote the sheriffs). Another option for the sheriffs could be make them S2 T3 so they can take the hits but can't deal much damage.

With the thief I would vote for swapping the "Property And Treasure Removal Expert" for luck and making the other one a special skill . Oh and whatever you decide to do probably up the cost to at least 20gc (15 for stats and 5/10 for special rule).

One last thing you should probably limit the stouthearted skill to 1/2 per warband otherwise you will end up with too many competent cc heroes.

keep up the good work and it will be great to see how this progresses.

Edyy wrote:

Firstly the "decreasing the size of the warband unless the chef is alive" rule, I would just change this to a flat counts as one size bigger rule and then add a special rule for the chef that he gets rid of this rule and reduces the size by 1. in the notes you mention that this is comparable to the dwarf treasure hunter rule but that rule is to compensate for the 4 starting heroes of the dwarfs so that they aren't under funded whereas your warband has 6 heroes so you will be swimming in gc.

Yeah as I've said earlier I was shaky on that Special Rule. All Special Rules in Mordheim (for the warband itself) are static, they act as is all the time. Having so many factors in this rule was not even close to hopes of being an unofficial list (in balance only of course ). I will have something new up today.

Edyy wrote:

With the thief I would vote for swapping the "Property And Treasure Removal Expert" for luck and making the other one a special skill . Oh and whatever you decide to do probably up the cost to at least 20gc (15 for stats and 5/10 for special rule).

Yeah the Thief was the roughest of the bunch, and I got tired of just staring at his profile feeling helpless and just decided to post and have someone else deal with it for the time being . I agree, I think Luck is a better rule, and the price will go up.

How about this idea though- remove Academic skills from the Chef (so only the Elder can take them) but make that Treasure Removal skill (maybe with a new name) stay the same or basically mimic the Wyrdstone Hunter skill but make it available to all halflings? It wouldn't stack with Wyrdstone Hunter though. Tell me what you think as I am still tweaking their Special Skill list.

Edyy wrote:

One last thing you should probably limit the stouthearted skill to 1/2 per warband otherwise you will end up with too many competent cc heroes.

Yes, yes, and yes! I totally forgot to include that in my post. While I'm still not sold on the skill myself it was suppose to be a combo of a BTB profile increase skill but ALSO the Elves' Powerful Build- which is in turn limited to two warband members ONLY. This was my original intention, so good call!

HALFLING HENCHMEN (bought in groups of 1-5)
-----------------------

Vigilante Guard
25 Gold Crowns to hire
Within the Halfling communities, as in any human community, there must be individuals who ensure the safety of the citizens. These Halflings hold the rank of Vigilante Guard, and are highly regarded by the rest of their peers. These are the only Halflings formally trained in warfare, answering directly to the Sheriff. Although not "real" soldiers, the law enforcers of the Moot often join the ranks marching to battle when the need arises. The Vigilante Guard are considered respected and wise career-men, as they receive a recent pay for the job of casually patrolling villages and reminding people not to get (too) drunk.

M:4 WS:2 BS:3 S:3 T:3 W:1 I:4 A:1 Ld:8

Weapons/Armour: Vigilante Guard may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Militia equipment list.


0-7 Halfling Rangers
20 Gold Crowns to hire
Not so brave Halflings may seek to avoid the brutalities of close combat by becoming bowmen. Such is their dedication to saving their own skins that many such individuals become highly skilled, and dare it be said, dangerous soldiers. Some of the people of the Moot become even more gifted with the bow than their fellows, and so become Rangers. In times of war these bands harass the enemy from a distance with their signature hunting bows.

M:4 WS:2 BS:4 S:2 T:2 W:1 I:4 A:1 Ld:8

Weapons/Armour: Halfling Rangers may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Ranger equipment list.


0-5 Fieldwardens
30 Gold Crowns to hire
To outsiders, the Moot looks like a safe and happy land. The extent to which that is true is due to the Fieldwardens. These Halflings patrol the borders of the Moot, keeping away threats and unwanted outsiders. They are skilled skirmishers who use their intimte knowldge of the Moot to maximum advantage. Even during times of peace these Halflings patrol their lands, slings forever ready as they stroll through field and copse.

M:4 WS:2 BS:4 S:2 T:2 W:1 I:4 A:1 Ld:8

Weapons/Armour: Fieldwardens may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Militia equipment list.

SPECIAL RULES:
Infiltrate: Fieldwardens prefer to attack from ambush, using their superior skill with missile weapons to neutralize the size advantage of their foes. They are always placed on the battlefield after the opposing warband and can be placed anywhere on the table as long as it is out of sight of the opposing warband and more than 12" away from any enemy model.

If both players have models which infiltrate, roll a D6 for each, and the lowest roll sets up first.


0-1 Moot Ogre
160 Gold Crowns to hire
Nobody knows why, but Ogres and Halflings seem to gravitate towards each other. Perhaps it's their shared love of good food or perhaps it's something else, but whatever the reason, the two races just get on. Most Village Elders have one or two Ogre bodyguards, and if they ever need protection then the Ogres are the ones to call upon to provide that extra bit of brute force and muscle!

M:6 WS:3 BS:2 S:4 T:4 W:3 I:3 A:2 Ld:7

Weapons/Armour: A Moot Ogre may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Ogre equipment list.

SPECIAL RULES:
Fear: Ogres are large, threatening creatures that cause Fear. See the Pyschology section for details.
Large: Orgres are huge, lumbering creatures and therefore make tempting targets for archers. Any model may shoot at an Ogre, even if it is not the closest target.
Skills: An Ogre who becomes a Hero as a result of The Lad's Got Talent may choose from the Combat and Strength skills.
Slow Witted: Although Ogres are capable of earning experience and bettering themselves they are not the smartest of creatures. Ogres only gain advances at half the rate of everyone else(ie, they must accrue twice as much experience as normal to get and advance).


------------------------------
notes: Despite the grief ill get from it I've made the close combat (i guess for a halfling anyway) 0+ with the addition of an elite ranged attacker taking the 0-5 slot. I must have one henchmen 0+ and its either the rangers or the guard. take note any halfling warband will be made up of the "elite" of its kind, not common farmers, and I would imagine the lawmen of the realm, the Guard, are more common than Rangers or the Wardens. share thoughts please.

I hope no one terribly minds the removal of the pigs, but whether you're treasure hunting in the empire, or Sigmar forbid, in Mordheim- I can't see livestock being taken with, that would be so callously (for a halfling) be thrown into the meat grinder (that is not a *literal* meat grinder).

Also upped the cost of the Ogre to match the Ostlander list but removed his "Protective" special rule, disallowing another Ogre Bodyguard from joining- as the fluff guides, there should be plenty to go around.

Share your thoughts, and let me know how swapping the 0-7 from the rangers to the vigilante guard might sound?

edit: consider on the 0+ close combat though, they are still not desired as the ranged warriors because that is where the halfling advantage lies. So basically I don't see it getting these guys spammed too much. some minor stat changes could be in order but note: T and BS shouldn't go below 3 and S and WS both can not be 2 (5s to hit, 6s to wound a a WS and T 4 opponent, ouch!) or they can go that low. just keep your critique coming!

I though about shooting and remain hidden.

The broken thing was, that elves used it with elvenbows and eagle eye up to 42".
If you have MUCH less range like a short bow, i think its not that broken. You can run 8" plus spotting range is mostly 6" with lantern. If you use the telescope with a model with Ini 4 you can spot him easily.
With a normal bow and eagle eye it may be still broken at 30", but you can give it a try.

I don't like your choice of henchmen.
I would suggest:
0-5 vigilante guard
0-5 rangers (with the infiltrate rule)
0-1 Ogre
0+ militia
M:4 WS:2 BS:3 S:2 T:2 W:1 I:4 A:1 Ld:8

You have only "elite troops" even your guards seemed to have trained much (T+1 and S+1). You should use some trained troops like ranger and guard, the rest just are just recruited farmers, peasants, craftsmen who defend their village.

Saranor wrote:

You have only "elite troops" even your guards seemed to have trained much (T+1 and S+1). You should use some trained troops like ranger and guard, the rest just are just recruited farmers, peasants, craftsmen who defend their village.

You know I originally had the Militia (same name and stats, everything!) in the list, but I was afraid no one would use them being such cannon fodder. I will have an alternative Henchmen list up in about ten minutes. Stick around if you can.

edit: Also in regards to your shooting while Hidden comments- yes I agree. The sad thing is Shadow Warriors will still always be favored as unofficial over the Halflings experimental. Not sad I guess, but I do understand the sentiment. I was 13 when I played my in first campaign of Mordheim. Most of the players were young kids recruited at the local club- so with my Possessed, having always had a knack for these games I mopped up... UNTIL: Some guy, late 30s, and his Shadow Warrior band. OUCH. Most one sided game of anything I've ever played. Anyway...

Consider this though- even with a bow and eagle eyes sounding OP- only the rangers can take a bow. All the heroes, save for the thief (this is still subject to change) will either have to take the Weapons Expert skill, or have a ranger get the That Lads Got Talent advance. A lot more of an investment, and not blanketed across the entire warband like the Elves.

REVISED HENCHMEN LIST

HALFLING HENCHMEN (bought in groups of 1-5)
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Halfling Militia
15 Gold Crowns to hire
The backbone of all Halfling warbands in the Moot are the common Halflings themselves. These reluctant warriors come forth from their homesteads only in the direst of circumstances to defend their land with whatever minor weapons or farm implements are available. While Halflings are too little and bulky to make them first-class warriors, their aim with the bow is excellent, though Halflings are still perfectly capable of fighting with a spear or sword if necessary.

M:4 WS:2 BS:3 S:2 T:2 W:1 I:4 A:1 Ld:8

Weapons/Armour: Halfling Militia may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Militia equipment list.


0-7 Halfling Rangers
20 Gold Crowns to hire
Not so brave Halflings may seek to avoid the brutalities of close combat by becoming bowmen. Such is their dedication to saving their own skins that many such individuals become highly skilled, and dare it be said, dangerous soldiers. Some of the people of the Moot become even more gifted with the bow than their fellows, and so become Rangers. In times of war these bands harass the enemy from a distance with their signature hunting bows.

M:4 WS:2 BS:4 S:2 T:2 W:1 I:4 A:1 Ld:8

Weapons/Armour: Halfling Rangers may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Ranger equipment list.


0-5 Vigilante Guard
25 Gold Crowns to hire
Within the Halfling communities, as in any human community, there must be individuals who ensure the safety of the citizens. These Halflings hold the rank of Vigilante Guard, and are highly regarded by the rest of their peers. These are the only Halflings formally trained in warfare, answering directly to the Sheriff. Although not "real" soldiers, the law enforcers of the Moot often join the ranks marching to battle when the need arises. The Vigilante Guard are considered respected and wise career-men, as they receive a recent pay for the job of casually patrolling villages and reminding people not to get (too) drunk.

M:4 WS:2 BS:3 S:3 T:3 W:1 I:4 A:1 Ld:8

Weapons/Armour: Vigilante Guard may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Militia equipment list.


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note: I am still in love with my Fieldwardens, and will try to have them show up in the Hero selection. Though complications are running rife there as well.

-Elder is a must, as he is the leader.
-Chef is a must, for obvious reasons- but also acts are the warband's "spellcaster" so to speak.
(now the debatable ones)
-I would like to have a 0-1 Sheriff, being the second in command to the Elder and the authority of the Guard.
-I would also like to have a 0-2 Fieldwarden choice, with their Infiltrate, because I think its the coolest thing ever for the fluff, gameplay or anything otherwise. Why I didn't give the rule to the Rangers is because I don't see them as elite per se- but just as the marksmen of the group (their 0-7 limitation being based on their BS in part but also their equipment selection for bows which I want to limit.). I still may change this, having the rangers have the ambush rule as it does make sense but am reluctant to have them 0-5, as the Halflings are dependent on their ranged weaponry, and that is where it lies.
-Last, but as I imagine, certainly not least- is the Halfling Thief. He would be the youngblood of the Heroes stat wise, but I can't fit all 5 hero selections in, 4 is my max. And I feel unwilling to give any of them up, especially in the way of the Thief. He won't much at all to be honest, early game, but I can see an uproar (even in my self) for having a Halfling warband without their iconic poster child, the Thief. UGH!

See I'd actually prefer to have the Thief cut and use it as a HS. I just don't see why a Thief is hanging around with the Sheriff.

What is your vision for this warband - is it just all the cool bits from the Moot go walkabout, or is there a cohesive vision for what this warband would be fluff-wise?

Is it an adventuring band looking for gold? Is it a Master Chef and his associates (trainee chefs, potwashes and hirelings) looking for rare herbs? Is it the staunch militia of a village, taking the fight to the enemy that have come to pillage the Moot?

This isn't just an issue with your list, I had the same concerns with the list on Mordheimer. I just don't get a feel for a direction for the warband as it stands.

Anyway, just my two pence, I'm watching this with interest as I'm quite fond of the little buggers too!


ps. I'm glad you dropped the pigs from the other list., I really disliked them.

5pointer wrote:

See I'd actually prefer to have the Thief cut and use it as a HS.

HS? Ah! Hired Sword, yes.

5pointer wrote:

I just don't see why a Thief is hanging around with the Sheriff.

I want to see him dropped as well, but I can understand hesitant on the stereotypical Halfling fans. As for being with the Sheriff- the Thief just embraces what he has been taught as a Halfling since he was a child: That they're all one big family in the Moot, thus the expression, "My cousin by marriage" basically meaning an unknown relation in the family. This family attitude leans towards a more liberal sense of property; you don't need to ask to take something because of course they'll let you "borrow" it! Not this is mostly in regard to less valuable objects, but that doesn't stop the Thief from acquiring real treasures "accidently" from those that are not kin, and so consequently not Halflings.

But you're right he'd make a better HS, more flexibility and special rules than we could ever have on a starting warband roster.

5pointer wrote:

What is your vision for this warband - is it just all the cool bits from the Moot go walkabout, or is there a cohesive vision for what this warband would be fluff-wise?

Is it an adventuring band looking for gold? Is it a Master Chef and his associates (trainee chefs, potwashes and hirelings) looking for rare herbs? Is it the staunch militia of a village, taking the fight to the enemy that have come to pillage the Moot?

My vision has been clear from the start, as I am working on a big Campaign for Mordheim based off the BTB supplement, and so in turn would like to get more into the Empire in Flames setting; outdoors adventuring. It most certainly the Moot Militia "taking the fight to the enemy that have come to pillage the Moot" . I've always had some hesitance in seeing a lot of the unofficial or experimental warbands in the city of Mordheim itself (lizardmen anyone?) and like to see a very rich theme involved. Lustria adventures sound great! But that is where Lizardmen should stay. So while it is not unrealistic at all for this Halfling warband to find itself in Morhdeim (Morhdeim is closer to the Moot than you think, much closer than say Reikland or let alone Marienburg!) it is playing up the fluff of being centralized in their home region, but like I said this doesn't mean they haven't gone on to bigger and better things.

5pointer wrote:

This isn't just an issue with your list, I had the same concerns with the list on Mordheimer. I just don't get a feel for a direction for the warband as it stands.

You will see clear direction when the list is finalized, mostly in part aided by the fluff, and its understanding/appreciation of it.




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Finalized list should be up today!

That beta list is shaping up nicely, I really get the vision for this particular band of the little guys and I'm tempted to get some battleforge Halflings together to make up a band of my own.

There are no glaringly obvious issues, but I'm sure some of the esteemed rules-minded forumites will be able to chip in more on this list. For me, the fluff box is well and truly ticked! I actually think this list could also function perfectly well as a motley adventuring crew for use in other settings than EiF.

It seems my main problem was with the Thief then

Well I just signed up for the Mordheim Yahoo Group to try and find the Fanatic Mag Halfling Thief Hired Sword rules- unfortunately they're all in doc files that I don't have programs for. I'll figure it out soon enough- but I will post in an edit the Halfling Thief in the list just so no one gripes about it . I think he is 25gc Hire/ with a 0gc upkeep cost- probably something special there. But from what I'd imagine there should be no reason why he can't be taken with the starting warband.

Yeah I hope more people will get on here and post- helping me iron out the rough edges, points and stat wise. So far it's just been a dedicated group of the 4 of you posting- let's see if we can't spread the word to other contributors.

Yes Battleforge Halflings! I am working on Moot/Empire heartland board right now and it will probably be all finished by the end of the Summer. I can't tell you how excited I am to try a one-shot game with this warband, maybe against Orcs 'n' Goblins.

I want to thank everyone again for the help, and just FYI I am gonna let this list sit 'til I build up more comments/suggestions in the hopes this will evolve.