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Hired Swords

recruiting hired swords

This section introduces Hired Swords – professional mercenaries – to Mordheim campaign games. Taverns in the settlements and shanty towns around Mordheim are good recruitment centres for warriors who do not belong to any particular warband or retinue, but instead hire out their services to the highest bidder.

A player can recruit Hired Swords when he creates his warband, or during the campaign phase after a game.

Hired Swords do not count towards the maximum number of warriors or Heroes a warband may have on its roster and don’t affect your income from selling wyrdstone. However, Hired Swords do count as part of the warband for purposes of Rout tests, etc whilst in battle. A player cannot buy extra weapons or equipment for a Hired Sword, and he cannot sell the Hired Sword’s weapons or equipment. To reflect their rarity, you can only have one of each type of Hired Sword in your warband. You may not use the Leadership of any of the Hired Swords for Rout tests.

hire fee

When a warband recruits a Hired Sword, you must must pay his hire fee. Subsequently, after each battle he fights, including the first, you must pay his upkeep fee if you want him to remain with the warband. If the Hired Sword is killed, or you no longer require his services, you don’t have to pay any upkeep! These costs are indicated in the entries for each Hired Sword.

The money paid to Hired Swords comes from the warband’s treasury in the same way as buying new weapons or recruiting new warriors. If you don’t have enough gold to pay for the Hired Sword, or want to spend it on other things, he leaves the warband. Any experience he has gained will be lost, even if you hire a new Henchman of the same type.

injuries

If a Hired Sword goes out of action during the game, roll for his injuries as you would roll for a Henchman after a battle (i.e, 1-2 = Lost; 3-6 = Survives).

hired swords and experience

Hired Swords gain experience in exactly the same way as Henchmen. Refer to the scenarios to find out how much experience Hired Swords gain after each game.

Write the name and profile of a Hired Sword on your roster sheet in one of the Henchman group slots.

Once the Hired Sword gains enough experience for an advance, roll on the Heroes Advancement table (as opposed to Henchmen) to determine which advance he gains. Skills available to the Hired Swords are listed under their entries.

List of Hired Swords

Grade 1a

Official GW/Fanatic Rules

Hired SwordCostUpkeepSource
Arabian Merchant20 gc10 gcTown Cryer 22
Beast Hunter35 gc15 gcTown Cryer 28
Dwarf Treasure Hunter55 gc30 gcFanatic Magazine Magazine 8
Dwarf Troll Slayer25 gc10 gcMordheim Rulebook
Elf Mage45 gcn/aFanatic Magazine Magazine 5
Elf Ranger40 gc20 gcMordheim Rulebook
Freelancer50 gc20 gcMordheim Rulebook
Halfling Scout15 gc5 gcMordheim Rulebook
Highwayman35 gc20 gcTown Cryer 26
Imperial Assassin40 gc20 gcTown Cryer 6
Kislev Ranger30 gc15 gcFanatic Magazine Magazine 6
Ogre Bodyguard80 gc30 gcMordheim Rulebook
Pit Fighter30 gc15 gcMordheim Rulebook
Roadwarden40 gc20 gcTown Cryer 26
Tilean Marksman30 gc15 gcTown Cryer 6
Warlock30 gc15 gcMordheim Rulebook

Grade 1b

Unofficial, but released through GW/Fanatic. Professional quality.

Hired SwordSource
BardTown Cryer 13
Big Game HunterTown Cryer 13
Black Orc OverseerNemesis Crown Supplement
Bounty HunterTown Cryer 13
Chameleon SkinkTown Cryer 12
Clan Skryre Rat OgreTown Cryer 25
Dark Elf AssassinTown Cryer 12
DuellistTown Cryer 13
Dwarf PathfinderNemesis Crown Supplement
Dwarf Treasure HunterFanatic Magazine 8
Elf MageFanatic Magazine 5
Halfling ThiefFanatic Magazine 7
Human ScoutNemesis Crown Supplement
Kislev RangerFanatic Magazine 6
Mule SkinnerTown Cryer 14
Nomad ScoutTown Cryer 19
Norse ShamanBorder Town Burning Supplement
Norse Shaman (old)Town Cryer 12
Old ProspectorNemesis Crown Supplement
PathfinderTown Cryer 12
Priest Of MorrTown Cryer 12
Runesmith JourneymanNemesis Crown Supplement
Shadow WarriorTown Cryer 13
Snake CharmerTown Cryer 19
ThiefTown Cryer 19
Tomb RobberTown Cryer 19
Warrior Priest Of SigmarTown Cryer 28
WitchTown Cryer 13
Witch HunterNemesis Crown Supplement
Wolf Priest of UlricTown Cryer 8

Grade 1c

Experimental, not released through GW/Fanatic. Approved by people who previously submitted grade 1a/1b material and vouch for it's quality.

Hired SwordSource
Bone GoliathBorder Town Burning Supplement
Cathayan MerchantBorder Town Burning Supplement
Chaos CentaurBorder Town Burning Supplement
CoachmanBorder Town Burning Supplement
GaolerMordheim Facebook Group
Grave RobberBorder Town Burning Supplement
Hobgoblin ScoutBorder Town Burning Supplement
NinjaBorder Town Burning Supplement
PyromaniacBorder Town Burning Supplement
SwordsmithBorder Town Burning Supplement