Saluting trade exploration

The annual wargaming event Salute was staged at London's ExCel exhibition centre on Saturday 16th April.


After hauling my bony butt from the comfort of my quilted coffin, I met up with Frogprince and Geekgirl before beginning our expedition to attend this prestigious trade show widely considered to be a calendar highlight for everybody in the wargaming industry.

Aside from Black Library Live last month it is the first event I've attended in a long time. It is the first trade fair event of its kind I have ever been to. I have not made it to a Games Day since the 1990's. UK Gen-Con is an event which I have participated in maybe as recently as 7 or 8 years ago, but assuredly none of these experiences has been quite like Salute. Funnily enough Black Library was present. As were a myriad of British merchants and manufacturers from around Europe.

Our product exploration was a spur of the moment decision. I have known of the event for quite some time and always fancied going. An old friend of mine and his fiancee said they fancied it too so off we went!

One of the big attractions at an event like Salute is new releases. There are a number of exclusive items available for the first time on the day. Some manufacturers go so far as selling items that have been produced exclusively for the show. I should have liked to mention something of it in advance as a few folk have since indicated they'd have liked a few exclusive show items if we had been able to pick them up. One to consider for next time.

The organisation of online sales for retailers is questionable! Some have what I consider poor web pages or site that are unfriendly to navigate. I spoke to a couple of companies who either admitted to having no web presence or they had poor web sites. There were too many flyers being handed out. One flyer was for Citadel components and the company name was Bits Box who (in their own words) don't have much stock right now. Time wasters! They don't have a webstore being as this was a different firm to Bitz Box who do have a great web site and periodically update their stock.

What was brilliant about Salute was viewing all the magnificent stuff close-up for real and wrestling with decisions over what to buy and whether to buy it or not. For instance I went to one trade-stand with the intention of making a purchase, then ended up being blown away by another tradestand ran by some very talented Polish guys. Micro Art Studio make bases that are so characterful that they stand a bloody good chance of upstaging the miniatures that you would be sticking on to them! I picked up some samples to work with for my upcoming gang projects from their Battle Bases range. Browsing through their online store I am now being tempted to order some graveyard themed bases in addition to these wood-planked ones. While at the stand I even joked to MAS staff that we could try fighting opponents using just these attractive bases with no warriors on them!


For sure there is a varying amount of (crap!) detail on a number of these Micro Art Studio bases. They are open to a lot of interpretation when being painted. For instance there is a futile amount of effort that has gone in to painting the bases which were on display at the show. It does not help buyers that there are no miniatures planted on them because that leaves zero impression of their end value. That is stupid guys, really stupid!


We didn't attend the show for any of the games being ran. A few hard-sellers were cajoling me to invest time on games demos and part with my gold crowns on their products but nothing new has peeked my interest in that sense. There are trillions of games in the market to investigate and a lot of interesting ideas. Convention marketplaces and online shopping trends have loosened the hold of the ivory tower presence Games Workshop commands from the high street. The gaming giant has to perform like never before to maintain its market share with serious contenders chomping at the bit.

There were a couple of marvelously sculpted ranges of pirate miniatures featuring tasty tricorn-hatted femme fatales and swashbuckling freebooters from Black Scorpion and Freebooter miniatures respectively. Unfortunately a lot of these high fantasy products come across as being too cheesy for my gritty tastes, and by that I mean fantasy formats where comedic license fails to balance itself. A lot of the work I saw was cute. It lacked in edge.

I did bear witness to camaraderie between artists when one miniature designer stood present 'swapping' his latest releases with the staff on another traders stand! That was a cool moment from the event.

The contrast between real and unreal factions at Salute really stretches the brain. Alongside established historical publications are a mind-boggling array of fantastical realms to keep up with. Weird looking creatures packaged in boxes or blister-packs fill the many racks of vendors. Menageries of strange imaginary beasts being referred to by differing titles, some worryingly familiar, some not at all. We failed to find any Fimir and there was a zero count on Werelions.

While there were a number of really impressive historical gaming set ups, I was not awestruck by any of them. Certainly not after reading reports from European events such as my co-conspirator Cianty's experience at Hamburger Tactica 2011. You can see read his report here.

There was a severe lack of decent terrain on sale of any kind. While disappointing this saved me a lot of money. I have already amassed a quantity of custom built scenery on top of cobbling together some of my own items for my Marienburg adventure. Maritime accessories were few and far between. Between the crest of the waves I did spot some handy looking crates and grain sacks to decorate a wharf on Luydenhoek Isle.


Ultimately, my existing back log is wicked enough that I resisted the urge to go crazy around Salute snapping up all the shiny releases I liked the look of from a few of what I considered the best quality producers. Acting on impulse I did walk away with the new Marienburg Land Ship though. Frogprince eventually bagged himself the Chaos Dwarf Hellsmith after braving the horrible queues in the mad scrum which signifies the arrival of Forgeworld.

Fire dwarfs

As introductions go, this isn't going to be very good, for which I apologise but I would just like to set the scene. I am currently sat in Stu 'Werekin' Cresswell's flat typing on his laptop while he is in another room with my fiancee (Michelle 'geekgirl' Steele) and a mutual friend of ours from Canada. Imaginatively* he is called Canada by all his British friends. The reason I am saying this is because they are all settling down with toy soldiers and dice to play the bar room brawl scenario Last Orders! from the previous supplement Border Town Burning, and patiently waiting for me to finish typing up this post and geek out with them. This, along with the glass of rum sat here with me, might explain a lot about this post.....

*The trend was set by Eddy 'Skarloc' Morgan.

As an avid fan of Forgeworld miniatures, word has reached me of a certain show only model for this years events trail. A certain Chaos /Black/Fire Dwarf Hellsmith .


Fire Dwarfs have a certain amount of nostalgia for me as not only were they the first real, new warband I had the fortune to be playtesting (The Black Dwarfs for the BTB campaign previous) but also my first attempt at contributing some serious writing to the Mordheim tapestry (I don't think the aborted Snotling Freedom Fighters warband really counts!) in the form of the Hobgoblin Wolfrider Hired Sword.

Roll back time a little bit to September and a certain event at Birmingham's NEC. Once again at the Forgeworld tradestand (or to be more specific, Warhammer Forge) and a number of models catch my eye. The second of which, surprisingly, are the Dwarfs of Chaos. First, though, is the Marienburg Landship. It's a big model so was pretty hard to miss! Having been suitably impressed with this nautical themed resin artefact I noticed a number of smaller models around it. These were much smaller, being dwarfen in stature, and bearded but not the common kind. These were braided and they had distinctive silly hats on!

Now I have been in the hobby for some time. About 15 or so years (on and off) behind the paintbrush, so I remember the Chaos Dwarfs of old. Unfortunately due to lack of forethought stupidity on my part I no longer have any of my miniatures from way back then which did include some plastic, once piece Chaos Dwarfs and a Sorcerer, who may even have been a Lord, so the opportunity to get my paws on a small armies worth without the excessive cost some Ebay sellers charge for the privilege is most welcome! It also means I get the chance to use them again in my games of Mordheim, as I no longer have my original warband used for playtesting.

Now I am known for my love of ratkind in Mordheim, however, I will say that the Black/Fire Dwarfs warband is probably one of the most fun I have played with. Especially using the Bull Centaur, he is a close combat monster! There is something about the warband when you are playing a game that really draws you in to the feel of the game and that, for me, is the sign of a great warband.

Now I really must go, a Cathayan Dragon Monk has just spilled a Strigany River Pirate's drink, there are strange squeaking sounds coming from the latrines and the Elven Minstrels have stopped playing their music while our glasses are refilled...........

Popular items

Beta-testing for an exciting selection of new warbands is happening now. There have been some fantastic suggestions made and recommendations submitted. Thanks for sending those through to us. There needed to be a lengthy gestation period for determining various new factions due to ongoing research, plot development, and the planning of accessible new rules which tie everything neatly together for the ultimate campaign experience. However, the wait to find what warriors are hot property is finally over. Subject to last minute corrections I can reveal what the new warbands are, which is easier than informing the community one by one when replying to PM's and emails. It is officially time to spill the beans on the maritime crew which proved to be the most popular. These are the gangs of Marienburg.


River Pirates: Some attractive looking gypsies, these exiles of Strigoi appeared on Tom's Boring Mordheim Forum this month courtesy of Eliazar and more Strigany gypsies are being showcased courtesy of Shel 'geekgirl' Steele. Strigany river pirates already look set to become a popular choice in Mordheim and Marienburg campaigns for many years to come.

Fimir: Denizens of the fens surrounding the port-city Marienburg. Marsh dwelling daemon-cyclops recently returned to fore in the latest edition of the Warhammer rulebook! Fimir are the only creatures to have their own Warhammer Armies category on ebay under selling options which aren't represented in the contemporary range of releases (see screen image above detailing 'popular items' on ebay). Start collecting now before they retreat to the murky depths of their natural habitats for another twenty years! Oh, and check out this warband WIP thread on Tom's.

Fishmen: Aquatic mutants are not uncommon in the Old World. It's just that the numerous official reports (of octopoid-women and men-with-gills) made by river patrols along the Reik have since been treated as 'classified'. If you fancy converting a Hero with a large pair of tentacles then this is the warband for you. Another warband WIP thread is up for your viewing pleasure.

Albioners: Men from Albion keep to themselves. Heck, there was only one Albion warrior-wizard sociable enough to make an appearance in the Dark Shadows campaign. With continued interest in the distant shores of this mystical island it was only a matter of time before these alcoholic barbarians became ambitious enough to set foot on Imperial soil. Bringing the finest malt whiskey in the world with them from Loch Lorm.

Gnomes: There is a ton of lore on them! Expect to see toadstool guardians popping out of the ruins and all kinds of dangerous gnomic experimental weaponry being sold on the black market.

Zoats: An old favourite amongst collectors is a rare scaled centauroid. Zoats never really went away. They've been hidden in plain view all along what with their possessing an uncanny knack of blending in with any terrain found packed away in shoeboxes at the bottom of wardrobes.

Stoats: Waterfront-weasel warbands featuring aquatic cousins to the Skaven. These otter-like alternative beasts of Chaos are being referred to by one pie-eyed Imperial scholar as 'Skroats'.

Unseen library

Every year the Black Library goes to the trouble of arranging a special event for their illuminated readers. This gathering takes place in Nottingham at Warhammer World located on the premises of the Games Workshop headquarters here in the United Kingdom.

2 of the 350 tickets sold in advance of Black Library Live 2011 found their way into the hands of Eddy Morgan and I. Seeking inspiration in the hobby, we mere minstrels rocked up on the Saturday morning. The Black Library editorial team alongside a cast of published loremasters were ably supported by crew from Games Workshop and the Black Library. We had a tremendous day out! Here we'd like to recount something about it.

Ed trained down from Newcastle while I piloted my gull-winged vessel up from Poole in time for the start. We collected a free copy of Caledor each upon entrance making the ticket price a real bargain! Seminars and author signings had been brilliantly scheduled in such a way that we could duck into each of the mutually agreeable encounters and spare enough minutes for Ed to drain Bugman's barrel and nip out for a tab.


Before the first timed session began I was able to catch up with an old friend. Rich Packer was helping to man the author signings and pre-release sales area. Rich is a friendly face from his time working in the south around the couple of local stores around our home town. Ed snapped up the latest Night Lords novel from Aaron Dembski-Bowden plus more Gav Thorpe stuff, Path of the Warrior and a special limited edition novella The Bloody Handed. Meanwhile I neglected to notice the novella, going straight for the jugular with the 2nd Ulrika novel from Nathan Long and Broken Honour by Robert Earl.

Our first experience of Black Library Live was an intimate seminar with the editors; Lindsey Priestley, Christian Dunn and a new member from their team. The enthusiasm from both quarters was evident as quick-fire questions from the crowd were managed by the editorial staff. Christian was the lead vocal on the panel. Sat amongst us, two talented quills being published in upcoming Hammer & Bolter online releases were announced. We noticed a significant presence of creative writers expressing an interest in testing their mettle. Advice was cordially distributed that might help them avoid the many pitfalls surrounding submission guidelines.

The sun not yet over the yard arm, Edward sampled Bugman XXXXXX for the first time. Dwarf ale is a little weak for the tastes of the one they call 'Rock Lord'. As a result we tipped up 5 minutes late for the Time of Legends talk in Seminar Room 1. Being tardy meant we weren't allowed to join the seminar. Two jedi Vs a tough looking security lady. One mind-trick later and we were sat in the sparsely populated crowd. ToL has been a massive success for Black Library but Mr Abnett is top of the pops and his signing session diverted quite a number of die-hard delegates. Ed has avidly followed Gav Thorpe's Sundering series and also read the Nagash books whilst I have yet to turn the first leaf of these books (crowding my shelf). The release schedule grinds on with too many super new stories to distract us from our real world duties!

We learned a lot about the series in this historical seminar. There were bulletins revealing the next season of stories. Chris Wraight and Nick Kyme joined Gav Thorpe and Graham McNeill. Chris & Nick are collaborating on the War of the Beard series whilst Gav is tackling a retelling of the Vampire Wars. To my delight CL Werner will complete the line-up next season by narraing the Black Plague. Herr Wraight surprisingly delivered me the mic to pop my 2nd fan-boy question of the day and I also took the opportunity to congratulate Graham for the Gemmell award. My friends have read and recommended the Sigmar trilogy and his achieve is a great boon for Warhammer fiction.

After the session I bumped into Chris Wraight in the book sales area. Recognising him from the last seminar gave me the chance to praise his epic contribution to the Warhammer canon. Chris wrote two infectious stories for Heroes of the Empire, Sword of Justice and Sword of Vengeance. Detailing a sequence of events surrounding the coronation of a new elector count in Averland, Chris exposed famous characters Ludwig Schwartzhelm and Kurt Helborg respectively in both books. He is a really big fan of the Empire. I've read both books. They were not at all what I expected and I was massively entertained. Sword of Vengeance was the last novel I read before coming this event. It's fired my interest in Empire politics and increased my empathy with the nation. I will be getting the Luthor Huss story from the Heroes range the second it hits the shelves.


Graham McNeill regaling his lament at forgetting to bring his award trophy Snaga the Slayer, before Gav Thorpe and Stu Cresswell, both dressed as jawas in brown hoodies.

The Horus Heresy seminar was very entertaining. An all-star panel of authors including Dan Abnett was not something Eddy wanted to miss. I don't follow the series myself. However, the experience was more than insightful to an uneducated outlander. Ed has this smug grin on his face throughout the packed session.

Edward and I had the privilege of discussing Mordheim and Warhammer RPG with Andy Hoare during their signing session. We just turned up for a chat really and to say hello rather than collect wild signatures. Mordheim was also mentioned in passing by Nick Kyme in one of the seminars proving that city might be damned but it's not entirely forgotten! The Warhammer campaign Nemesis Crown was written by Andy Hoare. Andy thought the quality and the presentation of the Mordheim supplement for Nemesis Crown was very good. He's even picked it up to game with!

Andy previously expressed his support of the Border Town Burning supplement. I thanked him for his complimentary feedback on behalf of the originator Chris Templin and the wider community. We spoke briefly about the campaign objectives pioneered in BTB and how they should be further developed in an urban setting. When I confirmed this was indeed the intention for our next campaign adventure in Marienburg, Andy requested that he be kept apprised as it develops.


Andy Hoare (right) with Stu (left) enter into a staring contest.

Sandy Mitchell was surprised and amused when a copy of the old Marienburg roleplay book 'Dying of the Light' was thrust under his nose for signature. Sandy contributed the 3rd scenario, concerning a Fimir ambush in the Wasteland. Where as he claimed to believe his copy was the only one still in his exist, Rich confirmed he still has his copy of this classic resource. After distracting Sandy from his 'real work' we remembered that blogs look better with pictures and found a volunteer to capture this line-up for our rogues gallery.


From left to right: Sandy Mitchell (holding his profane tome), Andy Hoare, Stu, Eddy, Rich Packer

The last order of the day was another seminar, with Christian and Nick joined by Darius Hinks. The trio arrived to spill the beans on previously unconfirmed publishing plans. We couldn't miss this peek into the crystal ball! My well-mannered enthusiasm inspired me to cheer 'rowdily' at the announcement of 2 or 3 releases. The open forum permitted me to fire a couple of left-field questions concerning minority characters.

Unfortunately it doesn't sound like there will be a Sam Warble casebook sanctioned any time soon (boo!) but there is an understanding that intrigue is being promoted to compliment all the warmongering. Amidst the tide of military themed publications comes news that Zavant Konniger's 'incomplete' casebook is being reissued along with some previously excluded material.

The slick organisation of the days events coupled with the availability of quality literature in advance of the products planned release will encourage us to return to Warhammer World. I would recommend the live event to more friends who enjoy the stories and urge them to participate in the future.


Before departing we holed up for a bit in Bugman's. I managed to hook up with an old friend from my days spent playing on the tournament circuit of Magic the Gathering. Co-incidentally his wife is a published author and is acquainted to Graham McNeil through a writing group she's attended. Oh and there was also a bar brawl in Bugman's instigated by one very soused Norseman who sprouted claws and sharp fangs when a sozzled Sea Elf spilled his pint of Troll's Brew!


As it turns out, the Norse couldn't hold their liquor quite as well as the Elven revellers. Werekin's warband retired (routed) while Skarloc (aka Ed) and his troupe of Elves celebrated to the soundtrack of their minstrel's Litany of Deeds played as a victory song during Last Orders!


For another perspective on the event check out this blogger's event experience: myfavouritebooks.blogspot.com

Making of a Mutiny

One cold dark night in January, Werekin & Frogprince got together to play with noxious chemicals. Why? Check the WiP (Works in Progress) thread over on Tom's Boring Mordheim Forum to view our modular campaign dream set-up, and to follow progress of the realisation of Ludyenhoek Isle in Marienburg's South Dock district.

'Geekgirl' Michelle Steele was on-hand to collect evidence. What follows is candid camera footage uploaded from Werekin's video capture device as two amateur hobby enthusiasts act out their fantasy of becoming mad scientists while building a maritime wargames table for playing Mordheim. Please note that if you want to skip straight to the good stuff then you should just load up Part 3.

Step One: The Opening
In part one of 'Making of a Mutiny' the intrepid enthusiasts release noxious vapours from a 5L tin of polyester resin and the catalyst agent used as its hardener.


Step Two: The Mixing
In part two of 'Making of a Mutiny' the daring hobbyists plow on through potent fumes released by toxic chemicals in their ambitious quest to achieve Warhammer world hobby utopia.


Step Three: The Pouring
In part three of 'Making of a Mutiny' the foolhardy wargamers continue to dabble with highly toxic chemicals in the hope of creating a gaming table worthy of the seafaring scum and river pirates to be found in Marienburg.


Out-take: The Elven Gauntlet
"The gloves are off!" Well actually, they are not even on yet in this video from the 'Making of a Mutiny' as Chris tries to squeeze his big hands into some fetching protective elven gauntlets.

Battle royale

"Last Orders!" hollered the flea-bitten old harpy behind the bar. The Dancing Pirate in the Craftsmarket, so called for the crude sign hung above the door with an image of a sailor with an eye patch twisting at the end of a hangman's rope.

I've always said that I'll write a battle report and so far I never have. This weekend just gone I invited my group of gaming buddies to come around for a good old fashioned tavern brawl! A couple of the guys have never played Mordheim or Warhammer before. The premise was to play 'Last Orders!' This is one of the core scenarios in Border Town Burning. Each player was allocated a thirsty gang consisting of 4x Heroes from their respective warband.

This report reveals the identity of the first two new warbands I have been developing and playtesting for the Mutiny in Marienburg campaign. In addition, we used a couple of our favourites from Border Town Burning, one from the Mordheim rulebook and one from the Mordheim Annual. The sides were not particularly even as you will see but the contestants decided to play for fun, notably without the inclusion of magic users. Only two of the gangs would have been eligible to bring a spell caster. Apparently witches and sorcerers are not big drinkers anyway.

PLAYER ONE: Stu Webb
WARBAND: Battle Monks of Cathay (225 gold crowns)
HEROES: 1x Emissary (60 gold crowns) 3x Dragon Monks (55 gold crowns)
CHANCES OF WINNING: Poor - Stu has never played a Games Workshop game before in his life! Stu plays Magic the Gathering and occasionally other card games & board games. After we explained the combat rules to Stu for the umpteenth time he is ready to be baptised in fire with the Monks.

PLAYER TWO: Chris 'Frogprince' Kneller
WARBAND: Skaven Clan Eshin (160 gold crowns)
HEROES: 1x Assassin Adept (60 gold crowns) 2x Black Skaven (40 gold crowns) 1x Night Runner (20 gold crowns)
CHANCES OF WINNING: Excellent - Chris is odds on favourite to win. He avidly plays every Games Workshop game except LotR including all Specialist Games. The Frogprince won the Nemesis Crown campaign I ran at GW Poole using Dwarf Rangers. Skaven is his primarily played warband, although he is handicapped in this scenario by not having the superior numbers he is accustomed to.

PLAYER THREE: Antony Bowker
WARBAND: Dwarf Treasure Hunters (235 gold crowns)
HEROES: 1x Dwarf Noble (85 gold crowns) 1 Dwarf Engineer (50 gold crowns) 2x Dwarf Troll Slayers (50 gold crowns)
CHANCES OF WINNING: Slim - Ant has also never played Mordheim or Warhammer. He is relying on his competitive edge as a Magic the Gathering player, his experience in playing a bit of Blood Bowl, and his like-minded attitude to quaff ale with Dwarfs.

PLAYER FOUR: Michelle Steele
WARBAND: Strigany River Gypsies (160 gold crowns)
HEROES: 1x Domnu (65 gold crowns) 1x Tinker (45 gold crowns) 2x Truants (25 gold crowns)
CHANCES OF WINNING: Fair - This is Shel's first outing with her new river pirates. Their water-caravan anchored out on the wharf, she is looking to take advantage of the wrestling skills of her musclebound caravan master. The Domnu is a prize-fighter, like Cathayan Monks he is not penalised for fighting unarmed. Her remaining Heroes are weak. Truants are youngbloods and the benefits of a Tinker are no use in a bar fight!

PLAYER FIVE: Phil Card
WARBAND: Maneaters (280 gold crowns)
HEROES: 1x Captain (145 gold crowns) 3x Youngbloods (45 gold crowns)
CHANCES OF WINNING: Good - He played his first Mordheim campaign using the Battle Monks and won it! Phil was once UK number 1 ranked player for Magic the Gathering. Diplomatically pointing out that Dwarfs and Skaven are much better than their hire costs suggest, Phil has been allowed to take a full compliment of Ogre Youngbloods.

PLAYER SIX: Stu 'Werekin' Cresswell
WARBAND: Sea Elf Rangers (220 gold crowns)
HEROES: 1x Wayfinder (70 gold crowns) 1x Feast-Master (90 gold crowns) 2x Sentinels (30 gold crowns)
CHANCES OF WINNING: Very Good - Stu is playtesting a new elf troupe that he hopes will be accepted as being both balanced and a fitting tribute to the original elf warband. It remains to be seen whether the Werekin will be competitive without the aid of his beloved Norse warband! His hopes are resting on the Feast-Master, best described as a Wardancer who can't dance very well yet.


Clockwise from left: Stu Webb, Frogprince, Antony, Michelle, Phil, Werekin (out of shot)

The Cathayans must have been on washing up duty as they charged out from the kitchen confines behind the bar, where (surprise, surprise) the Dwarfs Treasure Hunters were all quaffing ale! The Dragon Monks must have spilled a Dwarfs pint because a bloody bout of fisticuffs ensued. The River Gypsies divided their attack between the scrapping Dwarfs and Monks, with the Domnu fancying his chances against the Ogre Captain. With 2 Attacks base being increased to 3 by fighting unarmed, the barrel-chested Strigany leader managed to inflict a wound on the hulking Ogre leader. The return blow knocked the Domnu off his feet, through the wall and out of action.

The yellow-bellied agents of Clan Eshin spent the best part of the battle skulking in the restroom, as befits their craven nature. The cowardly vermin eventually vacated the lavatory to join the skirmish (under threat of being discovered by elf radar). By now four of the other gangs had been depleted in numbers. As the rats got stuck in it became evident that the Ogre warband was the only gang with 4 surviving members. No mean feat considering that the Captain has 3 Wounds and even Youngbloods carry 2 Wounds. The Ogres had been tactically deployed on the lower stairs with their Captain shielding his younger squishier brethren.


Meanwhile there were Elves leaping heroically from table to table. Describing these movement plays as being 'real elf tactics' Stu eventually saw both Sentinels nose-dive to the pub floor, face-planting themselves conveniently before the Ogres. It was at this point that the Werekin needed to reveal the new elven youngbloods are only Toughness 2, while resolving the D3 Strength 1 hits! By the time Stu realised his agile Elves could of scaled the banisters and charged the Ogre calves from the rear it was too late as they were already bloodied and bruised. The Wayfinder was out of action and the rest were knocked down.

There were a number of random happenings during the course of the game. Many rounds of combat had been fought by the time the first event occurred. This sparked a flurry of further 1's to be rolled. Here were all the special events;

1. Emissary from Cathay found Ornamental Weapon and passed Strength test!
2. Strigany Truant paid the Renegade to knife Dwarf Noble. Dwarf hit but not wounded!
3. Feast-Master was approached by a Buxom Barmaid. Being as Immune to Psychology meant he was immune to her charms!
4. Dwarf Noble paid the Renegade to knife the Ogre Captain. Ogre was hit and wounded!
5. Dragon Monk found Ornamental Weapon and passed Strength test!
6. Strigany Truant drank Liquid Courage becoming drowsy! (-1 Initiative)

Surprisingly the Ogres were the first patrons to leave the tavern in a battered state when the Feast-Master dealt the final blow to their twice-wounded Captain (pictured below). The feral Elf followed up the assault by polishing off the last remaining Ogre Youngblood. The Elves accomplishment was short-lived. A Dragon Monk felled the last Sentinel. In turn, the Battle Monks were the next warband to be eliminated from the contest as a measly Truant from the Strigany camp decked the last of the Monks proving that Cathayans can't hold their liquor!


The last three warriors standing were a Black Skaven, a Truant, and the Noble. The dying sequence of events in the brawl were as follows. The Dwarf charged and stunned the Skaven, already locked in combat with the Truant. This left the Truant in the dilemma of whether to stamp on the injured rat or charge the Noble. In the heat of battle the Strigany felt obliged to kick the Skaven while it was down. As a consequence the Dwarf charged in and boxed the youths ears taking him out of action.

Victory to the Dwarfs and to Antony in his first game of Mordheim!

Joy of the marketplace

The original encampments article (Town Cryer issues #27-28) described itself as purely experimental and was introduced as being designed to add more spice* and background to campaigns and allow a warband to establish themselves a base camp around the ruins of Mordheim in Cutthroat's Den, Sigmarhaven or Brigandsburg.

*Not the valuable trade commodity from Araby and Ind!

The base camps of warbands can be determined easily enough by districts and wards marked on any campaign map. This might be of Mordheim, Marienburg or other cities where adventure beckons. Each gang is assumed to be housed. What is less obvious is where warbands can discreetly conduct their private affairs. Keeping hideouts a secret is impossible using the original rules for encampments. A major flaw for any campaign promoting intrigue!

The question of housing clouds the juiciest campaign material idea in the encampments article. That of encouraging Heroes to pursue alternative activities during the Trading phase of the post-battle sequence.

Heroes are not restricted to visiting one special location. The warband as a group may visit D3 locations (in the settlement where they are housed). This experimental process imposes limitations. Visiting locations is presented as an alternative to your Heroes using the Trading chart, implying they cannot do both! There is a contradiction in terms here because some location entries convey bonuses to the Heroes visiting a trading post.

There is also a superfluous random event to resolve between each location visits. (ie, Two locations visited requires one roll on the Events chart to find out what happens in between as the warband carouses around town.) A warband carousing around town is lacking subtlety! Another crucial flaw when there are organised crime networks, Chaos cults, and law enforcement patrols to worry about.

My interpretation of all this would be as follows…

During the Trading phase of the post-battle sequence D3 Heroes may visit one of the special locations instead of searching for a rare item in the marketplace.

The idea of encouraging a Hero to forgo his standard trip to the marketplace in the post-battle sequence is appealing in campaigns. As a game mechanic I have been experimenting with this in a couple of the new gangs for MiM. My hope is that every warband has an opportunity for Heroes to be forfeiting their traditional trading action to pursue an alternative. This could be a tactical decision or a story-based choice which supports the narrative of the campaign plot.

All that remains of interest to me is deciphering which of the existing location entries from the original encampments will have value in my campaign.

"The joy of the market place is that you pay for what you get. The curse of life is that you get what you pay for."
— Strigany saying