Starting warbands - Post them here! (Read first post, plz)

PorkSocks wrote:

1. Skaven Sorcerors seem like junk. The only skaven spell I like is the d3 free rats. After that I'd rather just build melee or missle skills on a hero. Would I be better served with a "Lad's got talent" hero than a sorceror if all I want is another missle or melee hero? I'd choose Shooting/Speed for missle or Strength/Speed for melee for a LGT hero. The sorceror has exp for 4 advances he really doesn't use compared to the LGT hero, and his skill selection is "meh" to say the least. So, would you keep the sorceror or go for the LGT guy? Why?

Junk? Junk?!?! You make the Horned Rat weep! Of all the original spell lists, the skaven have, in my opinion, the best! Gnawdoom consistently causes a wound on models up to T4. Eye of the Warp is very sitautional, and I'm not a huge fan. It really helps if you're up against a troll or several henchmen though. I've (oddly) never rolled Sorceror's Curse, but it's similar to a witch spell which has proven incredibly powerful (completely neutered a young dragon for 4 rounds of combat). Black Fury makes strength and combat skills unnecessary. I always start my sorceror with a flail partly because if he rolls this spell, he starts the first game with 6 str, 3 attacks, and a charge range of 22 inches! And lastly Warpfire... This spell single handedly alters how my opponents play. Even without the splash damage, it's a very potent spell, but when that's included, you see your opponents doing all sorts of weird things with their formations just to try to minimize the damage.

PorkSocks wrote:

2. Skaven heroes seem to have really crappy options for 1h weapons to dual wield. You basically have sword and.... sword. Unless of course you want to give up missle weapons entirely and go for claws (which I don't). I don't mind starting my heroes out with junk weapon combos like dagger/dagger or sword/dagger, but where do you go for long term growth? I really wish they could use clubs ebcause it they are actually really good weapons it seems. How about moving to Flails once the models gains a few attacks? Maybe put a sword on his tail for a parry if you get Tail Fighting. So, how do YOU arm your skaven heroes in the long run if you don't want to give up missle options?

Yikes. Again, I think the skaven heroes have by far the best weapons to dual weild in the game! Fighting claws with Art of Silent Death are just ridiculous. I find that with the charge range of 12", the lack of missile weapons are never an issue (everyone else has slings to barrage with). However, if you really want missile weapons, get weeping blades! They auto-wound on 6's to-hit and they work with swordmaster. That means that you can re-roll hits, and score auto-wounds with them.

My problem with magic is it's inconsistancy. The casting rolls make most spells fire less than half the time. Add that to their often short range and you have a situation where you put your rat in harms way for an effect that never went off.

That said, I'll give the sorc another shot. Maybe Ill try to develope his HtH profile so I can make use of more of his spells and keep him safer while he tries to use them. Once he gets an extra attack and Lightning Reflexes he would be fairly deadly with a Flail.

The way I play skaven, there's enough fodder that the sorcerer is rarely in danger. He can walk around 4 to 6 inches from the enemy lines and have sling-throwing interceptors ready in case something nasty tries to charge him. Also, if you utilize terrain to your advantage, you'll be within 8" but not within charge range. That being said, warpfire is the only spell that puts him in danger. If you have Gnawdoom, you can charge the enemy! Before combat begins, you can cast it on him and hopefully cause an injury roll before combat. If not, you're still striking first with good odds (assumin you bought him a good weapon). Sorcerer's Curse can be utilized a safe distance away, but if all I had was that spell, I'd probably do the same as with Gnawdoom; charge in and debilitate the enemy with the curse, just in case you don't wound.

And another great thing about skaven magic is that it's the most consistent! The most difficult spell is D8, and you'd be silly not to take the sorcery skill. That makes all the spells D7 or easier: 58% chance to cast. That's only slightly worse than most heroes' to hit rolls, but the rewards can be much greater. In the case of warpfire, it's D4 S4 hits, and usually several S3 hits. And by using your rabbit's foot, you can get you odds way above 58% when you really need the spell to work since rerolling one die is usually even better than rerolling both (you did get a rabbit's foot, right? )

Finally, when you have extra cash, you can buy a familiar. With sorcery and a familiar, even D8 spells have an 83% chance to cast. That's better than some guy with WS 8 trying to hit a WS2 model (67%). In my last campaign, I had all that and got lucky and rerolled warpfire down to D7. It was 92% chance to cast!

Anyways, some magic users in Mordheim are rather shoddy, but the skaven spell list combined with the stats/abilities of the caster himself makes for an amazing wizard. Try him out, I'd be surprised if you continue to be disappointed with him. I haven't had the chance to try it (only rolled black fury in one campaign), but I've been dying to field a Black Fury, Fighting Claws, AoSD, Infiltrating sorcerer. He'd be the ultimate assassin (able to strike 10" into the opponent's deployment zone on turn 1, without sprint or leap). But if you get something like Children of the Horned Rat instead, ~2 free henchmen each battle isn't a bad thing either.

Where can I find the rules on Familiars? I don't recall reading about those. If they make magic that reliable, I'd definitely reconsider using casters.

PorkSocks wrote:

Where can I find the rules on Familiars? I don't recall reading about those. If they make magic that reliable, I'd definitely reconsider using casters.

They're in the 2002 Mordheim Annual. I believe they're in the section for the Shadow Warriors warband, but it's explicitly stated that they may be searched for and used by any warband (I believe it's the only item presented in such a fashion). I believe they are as official as any other items from the 2002 Mordheim Annual (rabbit's feet, tarot cards, toughened leathers, etc.).

The double-barrelled guns from the... Ostlanders(?), Averlanders... can't remember which one. They too are meant for all weapons if I remember correctly.

I take it the 2002 Annual isn't available for download, because I never saw anything about an elf roster either on the GW specialist games site. Anyone have another way to get ahold of these rules?

For what it's worth, the Elven list appears to be specifically rejected as inappropriate for use in Mordheim... which by extension may apply to familiars if they are part of that list.

I think it's available on ADrive, which I will fix this afternoon.

hey guys/girls im new and this is a reiklanders list i threw together as a trial list that i was hopin u pplz culd help me wit:

Capt: double handed weapon-75gc
Champ: 2 swords-55gc
Champ: bow & sword-55gc
Youngblood: brace of pistols-45gc

3 swordsmen: sword- 135gc (total)
marksmen: crossbow- 50gc
3 marksmen: longbows- 120gc (total)

any help is appreciated thnx

Drop the two-handers. Buy an extra youngblood. Give the pistols to the captain. Get clubs/maces/hammers instead of swords for heroes. Swap the swordsmen for marksmen (they're Rieklaner's strong-point). I like to have nine members for a starting warband, it gives you a rout threshold of three, while giving a healthy sum for selling wyrdstone.

Yeah, I largely agree with what Chad said. Where we differ is on the swords (one's nice to have for the parry ability on your heroes) and on taking marksmen over swordsmen. Two reasons. One - I think it's important for your opponent to have an enjoyable game as well and too much shooting can be an issue for some warbands and players. Two - if an out-an-out close combat warband does get into hand-to-hand, it's useful to have some melee fighters around so that your gluteus maximus is not handed to you on a plate. Swordsmen with bucklers can help in such situations. Use sword and dagger on the offensive and sword and buckler on the defensive.

Kk thnx pplz that's helps alot I will write up a new list asap

i need some general advice for playing against an undead warband. my friend and i are starting a campaign and he's using a pretty basic undead template found off mordheimer.com... from what i've read it sounds overwhelming.

i'm pretty sure i'm going in as orcs and gobs, can they hold their own against the undead? if so i can post my prospective roster, and strat for critique

if not i also have models to make a dwarf treasure hunter band and a mercenary band (Marienburgers, Reiklanders ect.) any hints? i havnt played in easily 6 years and i dont wanna get pummeled

The killer with the undead is that everyone except the dregs and the necromancer causes fear. This makes them the bane of warbands with low leadership and limited shooting capability. Orcs & Goblins leadership is OK and the toughness four on your Orcs will help. Give it a go, I'm pretty sure you can put up a decent showing against undead if you keep low leadership members of your warband close to your warband's leader.

--Hero Group 1 - 165gp
Orc Boss - Sword Axe Bow - (80 + 25) - 105
Orc Shaman - Spear bow - (40 + 20) - 60

---Hero Group 2 - 130gp

Orc Big 'Un - Sword axe Bow - (40+25)
Orc Big 'Un - Sword axe Bow - (40+25)

---Group 1 - 60gp

goblin-15 (prodder -15)

goblin-15 (prodder -15)

---Group 2 - 40gp

goblin-15 (short bow - 5)

goblin-15 (short bow - 5)

---Group 3 - 75gp

squig -15 (x5)

---Group 4 -30gp

orc Boy - axe - (25+5)

--------------------------------

total 500gp


this is a tweaked version of ashton's orc and gobwarband. i was wondering how plausable it is to give 3 weapons to the orc heros? would i benifet from more from taking out that third weapon (say the sword) and adding more orcs boys with melee or more goblins with shortbows? keeping in mind i'm playing up against undead, should i go more shooty?

You can only have 1 squig per goblin I'm afraid. So either drop a squig and buy some more equipment, or drop equipment to get a goblin.

I think I'd swap out the spear on the shaman too. His low Initiative means the spear will be pretty pointless. A sword would give him a little defence in combat, although a staff would be far cheaper.

i've seen the 1 goblin for 1 squig rule applied online, but i couldnt find it in the rule book (annual 2002) i know they changed some rules from the TC version or i could just be retarded :/

i usually pick spears for casters just so they can get first strike on the charge, but i suppose an on going parry option would be better.

should i get another rule book? the ones i have are the mordheim core rule book (1999) and the mordhiem annual (2002) am i grossly out of date?

Yeah, you can download one from here: http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/article.jsp?community=&catId=cat1290025&categoryId=1100014&aId=5300009.

I was using the 2002 annual version of the list. It's on p9 of the annual in the list of warriors under the Cave Squigs heading.

As for the spears, everybody gets first strike on the charge (unless using a 2-handed weapon without Strongman). The spear is more for defence when you get charged, so it goes to initiative instead of the charger going first. Sadly, orcs have Initiative pants so will rarely get to strike first when receiving a charge.

thank you for the squig rule, i've been looking for it and was getting frustrated....lol i cant beleave i kept skimming over it and never saw it!

the new orc raiders look great for the mordhiem carnage! i've just been converting orks from the black reach box set. the warboss makes for a knarly leader after converted to fantasy standards, and they are really cheap off ebay right now.

The campaign was already started and lots of people already made 2 battles at least so they gave me 200 gc more.So what i have done is;
Revised
Captain ; bow,shield,light armor,sword,helmet
Champion;bow,axe,spear,light armor
Champion; bow,morningstar,shield,light armor
Young blood(2);Halberd
Warrior(2);spear,shield
Swordsman;sword,buckler
Marksman(5); longbow
btw, they are reikland warband...
I know they are not storng enough, not enough missle attacks and not even each turn but vampire count seems to be strong and wolves,horsemen they got scares me a bit.

Being a person who likes the look of far too many warbands much to the disgust of my wife and wallet.

I have been looking at Cult Of The Possessed and it seems that I can't work out a decent warband!

So far I have:

Magister
2 x Mace

Possessed
No Mutations

Mutant
Extra Arm
2 x Mace

Mutant
Extra Arm
2 x Mace

DarkSoul
2 x Mace

DarkSould
2 x Mace

DarkSoul
Flail

Brethren
2 x Mace

Brethren
Mace

499 Total

I'm finding that the Heroes are working out at hidious prices due to the mutations. So in order to get a decent amount of Heroes you need to sacrifice either on the Possessed mutations (which is only a may take one or more) or on Henchmen, which in my opinion are vital as meat shields.

Beastmen are a good option, amazing stats for the price, however they seem a bit too good for the price, this might be me being slightly ungrateful....

I love darksouls (not sure why) and there are quite a few non GW models which can look awsome! But they seem quite pricey once you start buying them weapons. The ignore Ld tests is quite nifty though! especially since one of my friends plays undead

The Magister, he is good on paper... decent stats, can cast spells etc. But how often are you going to send him into combat, just in case you leader goes down? And looking at the spells, they all seems to be fairly hard to cast and with not much range in there.

What lists would you recommend for these guys?

Any opinions on the units themselves?

cianty wrote:

The double-barrelled guns from the... Ostlanders(?), Averlanders... can't remember which one. They too are meant for all weapons if I remember correctly.

Do you have a quote for where they stated this as official, I'm pretty sure they didn't officially recognise it though my memory is hazy on the recollection.

To Familars being inappropriate due to the Shadow Elves being recognised as over powered et al, the Familiar entry is actually still legal to play for any caster in the game.

@ Trick3003 To your cult of teh possessed, the only mutation truely worth taking to start and as a standard is Spines. So many people say it sucks beyond belief but it auto strips lucky charms before combat begins, when in b-2-b with a stunned and a standing model the spines kill the stunned guy despite you only beinga llowed to attack the standing guy and the spines can still wound toughness 4. I ran a spined out warband a while ago and they just chomped through so much. It's a cheap mutation in the grand scheme of things but because you are looking at a permanent upgarde for the long term it is solid as it auto hits every round. Just wait till you get 3 or 4 heroes with spines all in b-2-b with multiple enemies, nasty as ina protracted fight. Otherwise nice start up list.

Ram Rock Ed First wrote:

cianty wrote:

The double-barrelled guns from the... Ostlanders(?), Averlanders... can't remember which one. They too are meant for all weapons if I remember correctly.

Do you have a quote for where they stated this as official, I'm pretty sure they didn't officially recognise it though my memory is hazy on the recollection.

Sure. Let me have a look...

hm, alright. If you have a look at the way the Double-barelled weapons are described in the Ostlander warband (Annual page 41), then it suggests (to people who are picky about rules like me):
- The header does not read "Ostlander Special Equipment" as it usually does. It says "New Equipment". An oversight?
- The two weapons do not say "Ostlanders only". An oversight?
- The background says: "Since then, the weaponsmith has been flooded with orders from some of the most powerful warbands in Mordheim." Here the restriction to Ostlander warbands is explicitly not there.

That's all very strange to me, breaking with the tradition of how equipment is usually introduced in Mordheim, but in the end these are too many incidents to suggest that this was a mere oversight on the side of the author. If only one of those three things occured I would say "okay, it is meant as an Ostlander exclusive weapons and they are just being sloppy". But the way this is done leaves me no choice but to consider this the introduction of two new weapons available to all Heroes with the weapons expert shooting skill. Maybe that's rules lawyering I don't know.

Ram Rock Ed First wrote:

I ran a spined out warband a while ago and they just chomped through so much.

after reading your post, i think i am inspired lol

i've been working on a side project possed warband, but i just wasnt happy with it, but now i think i found just what i was missing