Mountedrules

Mountedrules, Mordheim

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Blazing Saddles
Rules for Mounted Beasts in Mordheim
by Robert J. Walker and Roger Latham
As well as being populated by the various humanoid races, the Warhammer
world also contains many species of animals, some of which have been
tamed and trained to perform a useful function. These can be divided
broadly into two groups – animals that can be ridden (e.g. horses, giant
wolves, cold ones) and those that can’t (e.g. warhounds, giant rats). These
rules are intended to flesh-out the rules for mounted warriors from page
163 of the Mordheim rulebook.
Model Representation
If you wish to include riding beasts or tamed animals you will need to
have models to represent them. For mounted warriors you will need
both a mounted minitaure and a model on foot. It is advised not to
glue the rider on but to use ‘blue-tack’ or something simillar so that
he may be removed when on foot and his mount is unridden.
Animal Handling Skills
Many Warbands employ unridden, fighting animals. Often one or
more members of the warband is nominated to care for the
animals, feeding and training them.
Beast Handler
(e.g. Dog Handler)
This skill is highly beneficial if non-ridden animals are to be
included in a warband. This skill must be taken for specific
animals and may be taken multiple times for different
animals. It represents knowledge of the general care and
well being of the animal as well as training techniques.
A warrior with this skill has a beneficial effect on the
animals under his care. If a warrior has the
Animal
Handling
skill for a particular animal, any such
animals may use his Leadership provided he is
within 6". If the Warband’s leader is also nearby, a
player may choose which of the warriors’
Leadership to use unless the animal is stupid, in
which case only the handler’s Leadership may be
used. In addition, stubborn animals with a
handler in base contact ignore the effects of
stubbornness. This counts as an academic skill.
Riding Animals
Most warriors in Mordheim can only dream of
owning a riding animal. Expensive to buy,
expensive to keep and requiring skill to ride,
they are a mark of status beyond the reach of
lowly henchmen. To those with the necessary
wealth and skill, however, they are a priceless
possession, enabling their rider to move rapidly
across the battlefield, aiding him in combat with
an advantage of height and weight, and in some
cases, fighting in their own right.
Blazing Saddles
Mounting Animals
. It requires a full move to
mount or dismount a riding creature and the
rider may not shoot or cast magic whilst doing
so. A mount or its rider may not run or charge
in the same turn that the warrior mounts or
dismounts unless the rider has a Special Riding
Skill that allows this.
Not Indoors.
Mounts cannot normally be
ridden indoors or underground, unless playing
a specially devised scenario that allows this.
Dense Terrain.
Riding mounts are rare both
amongst the ruins of Mordheim and in the
claustrophobic jungles of Lustria. The dense
terrain makes riding difficult and large
numbers of riders are highly ineffective. Thus
in those settings a warband may only have a
maximum of two mounts (not including those
belonging to Hired Swords). In more open
settings, such as the open fields in the
countryside around Mordheim or the deserts
of Khemri, a warband may have as many
mounts as they can afford.
Controlling a Mount.
The Special Riding Skills
may be used by warriors who have a riding
animal, but only after the skill
Ride
has been
gained; warriors which come provided with a
riding animal are assumed to
possess the
Ride
skill already. Warriors without this skill may still
ride animals, but must test against their
Leadership if hit by any missile and at the
beginning of any combat phase when a
standing enemy is in base contact. If the test is
failed they lose control of their mount and
must roll on the Whoa, Boy! Table (see below).
Note if an enemy is not standing, the mounted
warrior is not considered to be in combat and
thus does not need to test for loss of control.
Armour Bonus.
All riding animals give their
riders a +1 armour save bonus.
Bolting Mounts.
In certain circumstances, a
mount may bolt. A bolting mount must make a
Leadership test at the beginning of the owning
player’s turn; if successful it stops running,
otherwise it continues fleeing. The easiest way
to determine the direction a mount bolts is to
use an artillery scatter dice. If you do not have
one, then roll 2D6 and use the clock-face
method. Taking the direction the horse is
facing as 12 and directly behind as 6, the horse
will bolt in the appropriate direction on the
clock-face.
Leading Animals.
On occasion, a warrior
may want to lead a riding animal rather
than riding it. A warrior may only lead
one riding animal unless he has the
Animal Handling skill, for that
particular animal, in which case he
can lead as many as he wishes.
Groups of led animals are tethered
together and must maintain base
contact with each other; at least
one must be in base contact with
the warrior leading them. Riding
animals that are being led do
not roll for loss of control. If
required to make a Leadership
test (e.g when attacked by a fear
causing enemy) they use the Ld
of the warrior leading them. A
warrior leading riding animals
may move and fight as normal,
but must maintain base contact
at all times.
Unled Animals.
Riding animals
which are not being either led or
ridden will remain stationary but
must make a Leadership test at the
beginning of their turn. If this is failed,
they will bolt, using the rules above.
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Blazing Saddles
Cavalry Skills
Skills may only be used one at a time. If two are
applicable to a given situation, the controlling
player must decide which to use. All bonuses
are cumulative with those gained from a
mount, unless otherwise stated.
Ride
(e.g. Ride Horse)
This skill is vital if a rider wishes to ride an
animal into combat. The skill is specific to a
particular type of animal and must be gained
again if the warrior wishes to be able to ride a
different kind of animal. For instance, a warrior
with
Ride Horse
would need to gain the skill
Ride Warhorse if he wanted to be able to ride
such a spirited mount.
Special Riding Skills
Cavalry Commander.
Mounted heroes are an
impressive sight. With a good vantage point,
they can see (and be seen) far more readily
than if they were on foot. If the warband's
leader has this skill and is mounted, he may
add an extra 6" to the distance within which
other warriors in the warband may use his
Leadership. This is in addition to any other
bonuses that increase the range of the leader’s
influence.
Trick Riding.
By athletically hanging off the
side of his mount, a rider makes himself harder
to hit. While a rider is trick riding all missile
attacks against him suffer -1 to hit in addition to
other modifiers. The rider must declare that he
is trick riding before moving. He must then
make an initiative test and if successful may
move full distance. If he fails he loses control of
his mount and must roll immediately on the
Whoa Boy! Table. This skill may not be used
with heavy armour because of the agility
required. In addition, trick riding requires both
hands, so the model may not use a shield or
missile weapons whilst using the skill. Warriors
without Ride may not use this skill.
Combat Riding.
The rider has trained his
mount to use its bulk to trample any un-
mounted enemy before him. A warrior with
this skill may make a single additional S4 attack
when charging an unmounted opponent. In
subsequent rounds of combat, or if charged by
enemy warriors, the mounted warrior fights as
normal.
Evade.
The rider has trained his mount to
swerve from side to side in combat, wrong-
footing his opponent. A rider with this skill
always strikes first in close combat against
dismounted opponents. When charged by an
opponent, or otherwise fighting an enemy also
entitled to strike first, attacks are carried out in
order of Initiative. If Initiative is equal, the
model with greater experience strikes first.
Warriors without Ride may not use this skill.
Running Dismount.
The rider is able to
dismount from his mount at speed. The rider
may ride up to the mount’s normal move
distance and then dismount immediately. No
further movement or shooting is possible. This
skill may be used to move into contact with the
enemy, counting as a Diving Charge from a
height of 2" – all usual rules for diving charges
apply. Note that the rider then counts as
dismounted, gaining no further assistance from
his mount. Warriors without
Ride
may not use
this skill.
Athletic Mount.
Without breaking stride, the
warrior is able to leap onto the back of his
mount and immediately spur it into a full
gallop. Once the warrior is aboard, the mount
may make a run or charge move as normal. The
warrior must be within 2" of his steed to use
this skill.
Horse Archer.
The rider has learned the skills
of the steppe nomads and can shoot from a
running mount. The rider may shoot in a 360
degree arc whilst mounted, and may shoot
while his mount is running; however the shot
suffers a -1 to hit penalty in addition to all other
normal modifiers. Warriors without Ride may
not use this skill.
Mounted Combat Master.
The rider is
especially skilled at combat against a mounted
opponent. If the model is fighting mounted
against a mounted opponent and successfully
wounds the enemy, the wounded model must
add +1 to his roll on the Whoa Boy! Table.
Warriors without Ride may not use this skill.
5
Blazing Saddles
Losing Control
If a mounted warrior is wounded, then the
player must roll on the Whoa Boy! Table. This
replaces the normal injuries chart. If critical
hits are suffered then roll as many times as are
required, taking the most serious result.
Whoa Boy! Table
Attack Animals
The most common attack animal in the Old
World is the faithful wardog, especially
favoured by Witch Hunters. Other warbands
have their favoured attack animals – Giant Rats
for Skaven, Dire Wolves for Vampires, Cold One
Beasthounds for the Druchii, Black Hounds for
Lahmian (watch this space!). Whatever the
differences between the species, that a warrior
with several sets of claws and jaws behind him
is a more dangerous opponent than a warrior
on his own.
For details of the various attack animals
available to different races, see the Mordheim
rulebook or the relevant warband lists.
Ridden Animals
Humans like their horses, Orcs their boars,
Goblins their wolves. All agree that two legs are
good, but four legs are better.
1-2
The rider is temporarily disorientated
and his mount rears up. The rider
keeps his seat but must spend his next
turn stationary regaining control,
unable to move or shoot. If attacked,
treat the rider as fallen down.
3-4
The rider falls off his mount and is
stunned, taking an additional S2 hit in
the process with no armour save. In
addition, roll 1D6: on a roll of 1-3, the
mount immediately bolts 3D6" in a
random direction and continues until
it has left the table – the mount may be
recovered after the battle; on a roll of
4-6, the mount remains stationary and
the warrior may remount once
recovered. Note: the mount does not
count as unridden or unled in this
instance.
Cost:
90gc
Availability:
Rare 11 (Orcs only)
Large, ferocious and bad-tempered – a perfect
mount for an Orc Warlord. Orc warbands
occasionally make use of these noisome beasts
while exploring the ruins of Mordheim and
beyond. It isn’t common though, as the bigger
and meaner Orcs tend to take the boars for
themselves.
Profile M WS BS S T W I A Ld
7 3 034131 3
SPECIAL RULES
Ferocious Charge:
Orc war boars attack with
+2S when charging, due to their bulk. Note
that this applies only to the boar, not the rider.
Thick Skinned:
The thick skin and matted fur
of the boar makes him very hard to wound.
Boars confer an additional +1 bonus to the
rider’s armour save (making +2 total).
5-6
The rider and his mount crash to the
ground together. The rider and mount
are automatically out of action. In
addition, roll a D6: on a roll of 1-2 the
mount lands on top of its rider,
crushing him. If this happens the
warrior must roll twice on the serious
injuries chart after the battle. In
addition, after the battle roll a D6: on
a roll of 1-2 the mount was crippled or
killed by the fall and removed from the
warband roster.
Giant Wolf
Animal Bestiary
What follows is a summary of animals
commonly found in various parts of the world,
along with a few less common species. Note
that animals are not particularly bright and do
not gain experience. Note also that ridden
animals can be ridden, but that doesn't mean
that all of them want to be!
Cost:
85gc
Availability:
Rare 10 (Goblins only)
The giant wolf is common in most of the
mountain ranges of the known world.
However, catching one of these nasty, fast-
moving beasts is another thing – especially if
you are a Goblin.
Profile M WS BS S T W I A Ld
93 0 331414
Note:
Giant Wolves cannot be used in a
warband that already contains Giant Spiders.
6
War Boar
Blazing Saddles
Giant Spider
Riding Horse
Cost:
100gc
Availability:
Rare 11 (Goblins only)
The Giant Spider is the stuff of nightmares.
Typically 10 to 12 feet long they are highly
prized by Forest Goblins as mounts.
Profile M WS BS S T W I A Ld
7 3 0 )3141 4
SPECIAL RULES
Poisoned Attack:
Giant Spider attacks are
poisoned – attacks are considered as strength
4, but this will not modify any armour saves.
Wall Walk:
Giant Spiders (and their riders)
may walk up and down walls without making
Initiative tests. They may only jump up to 2"
across or down, but this does count as a diving
charge. When a spider jumps, its rider must
make an Initiative test; if this test is failed,
something has gone wrong – roll on the Whoa
Boy! Table. Note even if the rider has the
Running Dismount skill, the maximum diving
charge is only 2".
Note:
Giant Spiders cannot be used in a
warband that already contains Giant Wolves.
Cost:
40gc
Availability:
Rare 8 (Humans only)
Riding horses are not trained for battle and will
not normally attack an enemy. However, they
are useful for moving rapidly around the site of
a battle.
Profile M WS BS S T W I A Ld
8 1 033130 5
Warhorse
Cost:
80gc
Availability:
Rare 11 (Humans only)
Warhorses are large, well-trained horses, quite
at home in battle. They are primarily used by
human warbands.
Profile M WS BS S T W I A Ld
8 3 033131 5
SPECIAL RULES
Battle Schooled:
The mount has been
specially trained to fight on a battlefield. The
rider may re-roll any failed loss of control tests.
Only one re-roll is allowed per test.
Mule
Elven Steed
Cost:
30gc
Availability:
Rare 7 (any warband)
Their stubbornness is legendary, but even so,
these beasts of burden are occasionally ridden
by Halflings, Dwarfs and even overweight
clerics!
Profile M WS BS S T W I A Ld
6 2 033120 4
SPECIAL RULES
Slow:
Mules are not the fastest of mounts and
only bolt 2D6".
Stubborn:
If a warrior is riding a mule, or is in
base contact with a mule, he must make a
Leadership test each round or the mule will
refuse to move.
Ornery:
With no leader or rider, a mule
will wander in a random direction. Should
any close combat occur within 6", it will
automatically bolt directly away from the
combat.
Non-combatant:
Mules will not fight in
combat and may not be used to charge into
combat – they will simply refuse to move. If
an enemy warrior charges a ridden mule,
immediately roll on the Whoa Boy! Table. If
an unridden mule is charged, it will bolt
directly away from the charger.
Cost:
90gc
Availability:
Rare 10 (Elves only)
Elven steeds are graceful animals, but have a
vicious temperament when called upon to
fight. It is rumoured that even Dark Elves breed
these fine beasts. Typically, High Elf steeds are
grey and white, Wood Elf steeds are tan and
white, and Dark Elf steeds are midnight black.
Profile M WS BS S T W I A Ld
9 3 033141 5
SPECIAL RULES
Battle Schooled:
The mount has been
specially trained to fight on a
battlefield. The rider
may re-roll any
failed loss of
control
tests. Only
one re-
roll is
allowed
per
test.
7
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