Convince me to play Mordheim, and what models can/should I buy?

[Raven Morpheus]

Hey all

I must be suffering some madness, because I'm thinking of putting together a couple of warbands for Mordheim, and starting playing the game...

Thing is my gaming buddy and I have until recently played a number of games of Necromunda, 2003 edition, and from my cursory glance at the rules available online Mordheim seems like Necromunda with a Warhammer Old World skin on it.

We won't have a lot of terrain, just the core starter set buildings, and maybe a few other pieces, but not enough to properly fill a 4' x 4' table, we struggled with this in Necromunda and I think we'd struggle to fill even a 3' x 3' or 2' x 2' table for Mordheim - because 99% of our terrain is 40k focused and we lack appropriate scatter terrain...

Our Necromunda games ended up quite lop sided, as my gang is a Van Saar gang, and my gaming buddies gang is/was a Cawdor gang.

Would Mordheim give us the same experience?


If we do go ahead and play it I'm kind of stuck on what models to "collect" for a warband or two.

I prefer GW models.

What I currently have for a Reikland warband, which I would play, is this -

Captain - duelling pistol, and hammer.
2x Champion - duelling pistol and hammer.
2x Youngblood - hammer
4x Marksmen - handguns.

I can make the Marksmen from GW's Cities of Sigmar Crossbow/Handgunners box set (plus they'll do for a WFB Empire Army I want to collect). I already have a Captain, with pistol and hammer.

I'm stuck on what models I could kitbash or use oob for the Champions and Youngbloods though?


Also, are there any warbands that are easy to put together using GW's currently available range?

Thanks in advance for any info/insight/tips on this.

 

[Mr. M]

I have likewise gotten an inexpiable, probably irrational urge to play Mordheim recently. Decades ago, my school-age friends and I ended up playing because our grand plans of building huge WFB armies ended in failure due to teenager levels of income... so we ended up making warbands out of our undermanned armies and playing Mordeim! I used to play Orcs & Goblins, but always wanted an Empire Mercenaries warband! Have you checked out the Frostgrave Soldiers or the Oathmark Human Infantry from Northstar Miniatures? I think they scale pretty well with GW stuff (at least older GW stuff). I have also heard that Perry Miniatures has some good options, but the scale is a bit smaller than GW so may not fit well with what you already have.

For other warbands, GW still sells a good kit for Skaven. Pretty much everything you need for a warband in one box there!

I know you said you prefer GW, but Oathmark also has some decent Dwarf kits that would make for nice warbands (and relatively cheap too).

 

[Ben_S]

The Skaven night runners are the original Mordheim models (although without the Mordheim accessory sprue).

Undead should be easy enough to cobble together from various vampire, ghoul, zombie, and dire wolf kits. Might end up a little expensive that way though.

Possessed shouldn't be too bad. You mainly need some chaos cultist type figures (though marauders might suffice, depending on the look that you want). Many people like Frostgrave cultists, but you can probably find something in the GW range that suits your tastes. Then just convert some mutants/possessed (chaos spawn might work).

It does sound like you're rather short of terrain. This may have a big effect on battles, depending on the factions involved. It might not really matter for Undead v Possessed, but could be huge for Reiklanders or Skaven sling spam.

 

[Raven Morpheus]

Thanks guys.

I think I'll actually knock this idea on the head.

Terrain will be a big issue, as I suspect it has been in everything my regular gaming buddy and I play other than 40k.

My budget doesn't currently stretch to collecting a small Steel Legion army, a small Empire army, and stuff to play Mordheim, i.e. 2 warbands and appropriate (even cheap scratch built) terrain. And my regular gaming buddy seems disinterested in spending money on terrain, or anything gaming-wise at the moment.

 

[Ben_S]

It makes no difference to me whether or not you play Mordheim, so suit yourself. Still, two points:

1. Though I haven't actually tried this, I suspect it's possible to play Mordheim as a dungeon crawler. You'd just need some floor tiles, in the style of Warhammer Quest.

2. Even if that's not the case, terrain doesn't have to be expensive. You need to make trade-offs somewhere, so cheap terrain might not look as good, or require more time and effort to build, or whatever but it's perfectly possible to fill a board with quick and cheap ruins if you want to.

 

[Raven Morpheus]

I know, I know, terrain doesn't have to be expensive.

I'm at that point in my life though that I can't stand using stuff made from a cereal packet and painted grey. Been there done that, would like to move up a level on the quality ladder.


I think I just found myself a relatively low cost half decent looking solution though (probably not new to anyone else reading this) - http://www.fatdragongames.com/fdgfiles/?page_id=41

I think, having seen a couple of reviews on youtube, just the Ravenfell core set, printed just the once, and combined with the original Mordheim cardstock buildings (scans of which I can also print out myself) would fill up a 3' x 3' table nicely, given enough time and enthusiasm I can make enough for a 4' x 4' table.

Ink for my printer is dirt cheap so printing isn't a problem. Cardstock is also cheap-ish, and I have some A4 labels that I can print the artwork on and I'm getting to be a dab hand at printing stuff onto labels and applying them to board of some sort, as seen with the few Judge Dredd buildings I assembled...

Would just need to work out how to make it all flat pack nicely (not just folded up), but easy to assemble each time and be sturdy enough to use - probably using magnets. Something I should have done with my giant 11" square 12"+ high Judge Dredd building!!!


So, I might just reconsider this idea. I keep flip flopping between "do it" and "noooo don't do it" because of having to get (and transport on buses) lots of terrain that doesn't look like it belongs in 40k, the warbands can be proxied I suppose. And I guess even if Mordheim doesn't get played I'd have some terrain for something else like Frostgrave.

Hmmmm...

 

[Mr. M]

If you're doing an Empire army, then you might be able to put together at least one Mordheim warband (or maybe even multiple Mercenary warbands) from those models.

As for scenery, the old standby of ruined building corners made out of dollar store foamboard can easily do double duty as both Mordheim and 40K terrain. Hot glue, spray paint and you've got a bunch of workable ruins.

I also think @Ben_S has a great idea for playing "Mordheim mortalis" using dungeon tiles, or ZM walls if you or someone in your group happens to have some.

Don't let these logistics problems dissuade you from playing a great game!!!

 

[Raven Morpheus]

So I suppose my next quandary is, do buildings have to be ruins?

What makes a good Mordheim (or Frotsgrave or similar games) board - streets with "pristine" buildings that models can't go into, or streets with ruined buildings that models can access and go up levels, or a bit of both?

Thinking ahead to when/if I buy that Fat Dragon terrain, I'd have to "ruin" some buildings after printing them (which would mean painting interiors), if the latter makes a better board?

 

[Mr. M]

The buildings definitely don't have to be ruins, but it really depends on the type of board or gaming experience you want. Without ruined buildings, you can easily have buildings that are just for creating a medieval atmosphere and blocking LOS. Or you can take on more of a modeling challenge and have intact buildings with playable interiors - removable roofs, removable floors, balconies, etc. - so you can create the 3D game environment without ruins. For me, ruins are the way to go because they're a good balance of effort-to-build, access for models, and variety. Having pristine buildings with flat roofs or balconies and external staircases would also be a good option.

For Mordheim terrain ideas & inspiration, check out this video from a Youtuber called Commander Cheapskate - one of the members of his gaming group makes some excellent, cheap DIY Mordheim buildings!

 

[Raven Morpheus]

Thanks. Interesting video. Definitely going to give this a go now that I've worked out what I'm doing for relatively inexpensive terrain, or at least make some terrain to start with from scans of the original starter set buildings, and form a starting warband.

Turns out , that where I bought the original Warhammer Quest '95 Witch Hunter model, plus Salome Kohn (Witch Hunter) and Mother Morrigan (Warrior Priest) from Hasslefree Miniatures, that I have the start of a Witch Hunters warband. Add 3 Flagellants and 2 Witch Hunters from the current GW range and I have a starter warband.

 

[Scavvierising]

I've been looking at building some Mordheim warbands this past week myself. Was considering the zone mortalis route for terrain to begin with. Lots of scatter as well. Very cheap and simple storage.
TT combat do some laser cut MDF terrain of ruined fantasy buildings.
If you have enough Central LoS blockers etc to prevent crossbow snipers from being able to dominate without ever having to move. You can probably get by with the rest of the table being relatively sparse.

Cawdor gangers are great for possessed, as well as flagellants or zealots. Flagellants also make good possessed.
Check out warlord games ancient Britons mastiff pack for some warhounds for the Witch Hunters. Otherwise wild wargs from LotR are an option if keeping it all GW.

Where in the world are you anyway? Never know maybe you have some nearby yaks itching to get their Mordheim stuff back on a table.

 

[Raven Morpheus]

I'm in the UK, mid-north Essex. I don't drive though so getting anywhere for a game is a pita at best.

 

[Ben_S]

I have family in Colchester, though even if I were to visit I don't drive either.