Harpy Hunting

I was interested to find no results for Harpy Hunting on this forum! The old 'Harpy Hunting Grounds' scenario from Fanatic looks is written in such a way that it is the most characterful scenario which I don't remember ever playing personally.

A variation on the wyrdstone hunt theme with plenty of differences to make it a memorable game.

Does anyone have any experience of playing it?

Having read the scenario (full version with Harpy characteristics can be found on Mordheimer web site) a few times there are some things I am dubious/curious about.

1. The movement plan for the harpies isn't anywhere near being clear. Deployment in their nest is straight forward. Presumably they need to take a turn before the two players warbands in order to scare off infiltrators. Perhaps scare off is the wrong choice of words, they don't cause fear. Given the nature of the scenario it would fit the theme if they at least counted as being hardened.

2. Drop attacks sound messy. By both attacks being successful, I'd assume the intention here is that scoring two hits results in a drop attack. The penalty applied on impact against large models makes their drop attack pointless against ogres and trolls etc.

3. Some warbands suffer from poor initiative. Unless your warband is Skaven, Elf or featuring Heroes who Scale Sheer Surfaces then this is game of snakes & ladders. Any ladders being deployed in surrounding buildings become crucial in reaching the nest to complete the scenario objective.

According to the scenario special rules these dumb harpies charge any models within 8" (or is that 12" flying) of the nest. It seems likely they will get double-teamed in subsequent turns. Hit & run style attacks from the air would make more sense than landing on the ground.

Models climbing the building or ladders need to be charged as a priority.

If there were a way that 'fly bys' could be initiated while enemies are approaching, leaving one harpy to guard the 'eggs' (of which there should be 3 as standard) then the flea-bitten bitches can harry models potentially threatening their nest, rather then engaging them prematurely in close combat.

Regards,

Werekin

The scenario could certainly use an editor to clear it up.  I'm not sure why the Harpies go first, having them start hidden might be more useful.  Suicidal NPCs are a common sight in Mordheim scenarios as it eliminates the need for a GM when playing the scenario.

Perhaps if you do a re-write?

I set up my board to play the scenario on Friday night. Chris 'frogprince' Kneller and Bobtographer faced off with two warbands not particularly renowned for their dexterity. The Undead and the Fimir.

Michelle 'geekgirl' Steele was onhand to control the harpies. We actually used fell bats to demonstrate the NPC models. The preferred flavour for the game though was that a wizard's tower was being defended by stoney guardians... Gargoyles!

As I wasn't involved in the battle (which counted towards the results of our Marienburg campaign) it was agreed by both players that I could facilitate the scenario. This involved decrypting what rules were contained in the original scenario, making running repairs to the missing parts and embellishing the adventure with additional material to improve the overall experience.

Chris started the battle by rolling a 1 for a random happening to occur (Waterfront Incidents in Marienburg). One of his Dregs was pick-pocketed by a gang of street urchins, losing one of his personal belongings! Things escalated from there on in.

The drop attack used by the harpies is surprisingly effective. As the monstrous amphibians had advanced more quickly on the objective they were the main targets for the NPC attacks. A couple of fimir got dumped back into the canals. One unlucky Hero scaled the sheer surface of the building, reaching the belfry only to be dropped 10"+ to the dockside below! The fimir was dropped 1" clear the first time and hung on to the belfry by the skin of his teeth after passing an Initiative test, only to be plucked and flung another 4" clear the following turn by the 2nd harpy who had survived being butchered by his multiple Strength 5 attacks.

Sorry this won't be a full write-up but I've added some pictures below. My favourite moment of the battle was this sequence: 1. Ogre hired by Undead barged down a door to the Wizard's tower. 2. Fimir warrior who had entered from the other side charged the ogre taking him out of action. 3. Vampire rode his Nightmare steed through the breached doorway and into the fimir taking the warrior out of action.

The end result was that the Fimir eventually forced the Undead horde to rout. At this point there were still two bats/harpies/gargoyles guarding the stash. This results in no prizes for the winning warband. We had agreed that a voluntary rout who allow the winner to cash in on the stash.

Great.  Plus you've reminded me that years ago I bought Reaper gargoyle models to represent harpies.  Wonder what I did with them...

Another aside, do you count Fimir by the original base size or the new Forge World size?

Reaper? Boo-hiss. 

Gargoyles fit in nicely with protecting the towers of the colleges of Magic. Could be wyrdstone and all sorts of other desirable items locked up in there. The reason gargoyles seem great is that they can't be effectively shot at, being made of stone. Of course, if the scenario were specifically set at night time then (disregarding goblins, dwarfs and skaven) the harpies cannot be shot at either.

I have another quandary now which point to keep the harpies as harpies for the sake of fun. A Fimir Hero armed with a man-catcher (bought from a Strigany Tinker  brokering the deal with a Skaven Tradesrat!) managed to take a harpy out of action. In would seem right that if a Fimir Hero takes the Beastmaster skill then he could deploy his captured harpy as his concubine. 

VK wrote:

Another aside, do you count Fimir by the original base size or the new Forge World size?

Ooh depends on which character it is. My um *coughs* Fimir warband list includes a Draich sorcerer plus Fimir warriors. Both have been established as being large models. Rest of the warband are Young Nobles and Shearls which are not large. Then you have possessed characters which aren't large models in the Cult Of The Possessed warband either.

Fun report, will there be a longer version on the blog at some point?

werekin wrote:

The reason gargoyles seem great is that they can't be effectively shot at, being made of stone. Of course, if the scenario were specifically set at night time then (disregarding goblins, dwarfs and skaven) the harpies cannot be shot at either.

Not sure where the immunity from missiles would come from rules wise.  Other stone creatures of the Warhammer world (5th edition Warhammer) had rock hard skin which was an unmodified armor save.  The 6th edition 'animated statues' of Khemri just got a 5+ armor save.

We allow the warband with the lowest rating to pick day or night for most scenarios, although some are always set at night--dark rituals, grave robbing and press ganging drunks.

The trouble is that if every time a model moved within 8-12" of the tower were charged by a harpy, then the creatures would be dead very quickly! Becoming bogged down in combat as a consequence of 1 or 2 failed hits (or charging a model that strikes first) they lose all their advantages. This doesn't make the scenario very interesting.

The harpies need to be more elusive to encourage players to act on the scenario objective. The looming threat of the drop attacks encouraging players to crack on with things.

The harpies could flee from combat after each charge but this still poses the problem that the defending model makes their full attacks. Before making a potential bonus attack when harpy flees.

Best solution here would seem to be that the harpies make a 'surprise' drop attack against their victim. Nearest model to within 12" of the bases of the tower. One harpy guards the nest at all times, leaving two harpies to launch their surprise attacks. If the drop attack fails then the defending model cannot attack back, but they may score a single attack when the harpy retreats, in accordance with the rules for fleeing from combat.

While the harpies are in the tower they would count as being hidden at all times.

This is an ancient rule from Warhammer 5th--flying high.  The flyer is not placed on the table, but is circling the battlefield overhead.  In this case the harpy could drop down and attack, then soar back out of reach...  Perhaps give it a diving charge benefit...

Going to test the rules for flying attacks using the escape from combat rules.

Another thing that struck me as a possible interesting use for this adventure/hook is to treat the harpies & wyrdstone stash conditions from the scenario, as a random happening. Let's face it, that part of the scenario could be carried across to spice up any existing scenario, so long as there is a tower.

Happy Birthday!

The Harpies would indeed make a suitable encounter...

Terradons in Lustria...

Carrion or Fell Bats in Khemri...

Mental birthday (battle). I intend to blog about it after I've licked my bloodied wounds!

Here is a clean up for harpies to be included as a random happening in Marienburg, or wherever:


25 Harpy Hunting Grounds
A migrating brood of scavengers have nested in a warehouse attic or temple belfry near the docks.

The tallest building on the table contains D3 harpies and D3 egg-shaped wyrdstone shards plus a stash of other valuables. Harpies are moved at the end of each round after the players have taken their turns. If the harpies are taken out of action then the warband winning the battle can claim the contents of their nest.

Roll a D6 for each entry:

Rope Auto find
2D6 gold crowns 2+
Lucky Charm 3+
D3 Gems (10 gold crowns each) 3+
D3 Shields 4+
Heavy Armour 4+
Straggler (same as hostage) 5+
D3 Helmets 5+
D3 Swords 6+
Ithilmar Sword 6+
Wolf Cloak 6+

Profile M WS BS S T W I A Ld
Harpy 4 4 0 4 4 2 2 2 6

Flying Charge: A Harpy may fly up to 12". The nearest model within 12" of the nest is considered to be a threat. Any model a harpy comes into contact with while flying is considered charged. Models that are stunned or knocked down cannot be charged as it is too difficult for the harpy to fly that close to the ground.

Aerial Escape: Harpies circle their prey before swooping in and remain in the air while harrying a foe. This makes them harder to hit. Only a warrior with sharp enough reflexes or a long pointy weapon stands a chance of pinning a harpy down! If the charged model strikes first then resolve combat as normal. Otherwise after the harpy attacks it retreats immediately to a lofty position within 2D6" before the charged model reacts. Similarly to escaping from combat, the harpy receives an automatic hit from its opponent (see page 161 of the Mordheim rulebook) unless it passes a Leadership test.

Talons: Creatures with talons are accustomed to fighting unarmed.

Drop Attack: If a Harpy is successful with both attacks in the first round of combat than the harpy has successfully grabbed on to her enemy and swoops back up in the air to drop the model allowing gravity to do the work instead! The attacks themselves do not wound but instead roll a D6 and a scatter dice. That is the distance and direction from the place where the attack took place that the model was dropped. Roll another D6 to determine a height from which the model falls. Falling models take D3 hits at a Strength equal to the height. If a model falls into a building than count the fall to where they land and then determine if the model falls again if it is within 1" of the platform edge. Any model that is struck by the dropped model suffers a Strength 3 hit. Large targets may only be dropped D3" due to weight. After dropping a model the harpy retreats 2D6" to the nest or nearby rooftop.

Grounded: After the combat phase if a harpy has been unable to flee for any reason the model is assumed to have landed and may be charged. While on the ground, a harpy uses its movement characteristic and may only fly again when able to.

Will Not Rout: The Harpies mistake the wyrdstone for eggs and will fight to the death to protect them! If there is more than one harpy then one of the
flea-bitten beasts remains behind to defend the nest.

Animal Instinct: Harpies act with the instincts of animals. In the rare event one is captured they can only be added to the warband by followers of Chaos or Dark Elves when one of the Heroes has the Beastmaster skill or the appropriate Animal Handling skill. Harpies never gain experience.

Very nice.   The rules sound playable and the event should be a welcome challenge.