Mordheim XX. Venturing back into the cursed city

Had the absolute pleasure of playing the first two games in the Mordheim campaign I and several other lunatics are playing through this year.

With this being the 20th anniversary of the original release of the game it only seemed appropriate.



Mike 2.0 had done a great job of pre-planning missions and giving each leader a separate, secret objective to complete during the day.

My first game would be against Mike 2.0 and his possessed!

Oh joy :0(

The board is set and three Wyrdstone markers are placed on the board.

On the other board Billy (witch hunters) and Nigel (Vampires) faced off.

 My Verminkin skitter forward.

While my heros race up the middle.

Mike 2.0 is amazed at the speed of the Skaven!

'Jet' nabs the Wyrdstone and bolts for cover.

Look at the Anime running style

The rest of my 'Hero's' are charged by the possessed.

I thought I did a good job of protecting my leader 'Spiteclaw' but Mike 2.0 does a great job of timing his charges to tie up any interception runs before crashing in with his Possessed

A solo cultist / mutant is left to collect Wyrdstone.

The melee in the center continues and bodies start to fall (mostly Skaven)

My Verminkin circle the isolated cultist but fail to drop him with their slings.

My Black Skaven finally sees an opportunity to strike and cuts down the Cultist's leader with his weeping blades!

My Verminkin also see the opportunity to strike and charge the cultist desperately trying to rejoin his colleges.

My leader is pulled down by the second possessed and my remaining warband follow their true instincts and scutter off  back into the shadows.

'Jet' manages to keep hold of his shard of Wyrdstone . . . . .

 . . . ..  and the Cultist breathes a sigh of relief as. .  . . . . .

 . . . . . . My Verminkin respond to the musk of fear and run!!

Thankfully all three casualties survive.

Game two, which will go down in folk lore as 'The bloodbath at the fountain' was the little known (to me) scenario of 'the pool'.

This would see 6 wyrdstone shards hidden within the fountain. The trouble was the Hero searching for the shard could do nothing else that turn!

My Skaven race forward to take up sniping positions.

Nigel unleashes his hounds on the Possessed threatening his flank.

Some of the Witch hunters begin to sneak around the rear of the Skaven. The 'Skitterkin' back track to keep an eye on things.

The rest of my 'Hero's' skulk in the ruins awaiting their chance to strike.

Billy's archers head to the high ground to cover 'the pool'.

Thankfully the Skitterkin finally get their eye with their slings and drop the dogs threatening to charge next turn.

With the dogs nullified they elect to charge next turn.

The rest of my forces continue to prowl forward.

Undead and Witch hunters continue their mass melee in the center.

Both Mike 2.0 and Nigel begin to worry as the protracted combat in the center takes it's toll.

Will they pass the required moral checks and will they have sufficient forces left to search the pool  unmolested?

Nigel then opens up a second front on the Witch Hunters encroaching on his flank.

And the Jackals continue to circle . . . . .

The lone Witch Hunter continues to fight on despite the number of Skaven growing with each round of combat!

A possessed finally finds a shard of Wyrd stone in the pool.

As he proudly holds it aloft he is struck down from behind by a black Skaven assassin!

Another Witch Hunter rushes to the Swordsman's aid!

The rest of my Skaven watch events unfold from the shadows.

A desperate struggle ensues over the discarded Wyrdstone.

Both Skaven and Possessed rush to the fray!

'Hamish' is thrust into the path of the Possessed by Spiteclaw!

And is brushed aside with disdain

My Skitterkin finally have their weight of numbers tell in their combat with the Swordsman.

The weight of numbers also helps the Skaven overcome the cultist at the pool!

Spiteclaw makes a 'tactical retreat' from the rampaging Possessed.

Billy's Flagellant charges the Skaven!

But is dropped as he pulls back his great sword!

In the center my Skaven are ambushed by the Possessed returning to the center.

The remnants of the Possessed and Witch hunters clash at the pool!

Spiteclaw turns on his tail and Charges the Cultist leader who has sent his body guard to the center. He is joined by 'Lurkio' who I had forgotten about for most of the game!

Could this be the turning point of the game for the Possessed.

Unfortunately for me my assassination run just bounces off the Magister and with the pulling down of my leader my Skaven once again bolt for the shadows leaving the Possessed in possession of the field!!

Blimey what a game!!!!!!

Billy suffers three fatalities!

When Nigel and I discover that both a Witch hunter and a Mutant have been sold to the pits in the post game rolls our eyes light up and we demand that they face off 'in the pit'!

There may have been some chanting by us at his point ;0)

The fighters face off . . . . Mike 2.0 had also actually built a pit!

Zombie Bill watches from the stands with his one good eye.

This turned out to be one of the highlights of the day as both fighters went 'hammers and tongs' at each other.

At one point the cultist was dropped . . . . .

 . . . . . only for the Swordsman to injure himself on the Mutants 'spikes' as he tried to kick him in the 'cobblers' when he was down!

This left the Swordsman at the Mutants mercy. . . .

But the Swordsman pulled himself to his feet and finally dispatched the Mutant.

And so ended a top, top day of gaming with all involved suffering the full swing of emotions from elation to absolute dejection within a single turn.

There was some discussion of rules needed and flicking through rulebooks, but decisions were reached swiftly and fairly in pretty much all instances.

For all it's faults (especially the ambiguous rules) I have yet to find a game which offers so many cinematic moments and naturally occurring narratives and within that regards I still consider Mordheim to be THE greatest game GW have ever produced.

The fact we are still visiting the cursed city 20 years after it's inception speaks volumes about how great this game is!!

Can't wait for the next game!!