Scenario 8: Fowl Play
During times of war, the use of carrier pigeons to relay information to agents in the field is a vital strategy of the Empire. These pigeons carry important intelligence, and for this to fall into the wrong hands could spell disaster. For this reason, important messages are often divided amongst several birds to minimize the risk of key information being intercepted.
Unfortunately, there’s been a mix-up at the despatch office. A series of vital messages have been inadvertently sent out strapped to a flock of pigeons already fitted with the legendary Herstel-Wenkler Pigeon Bomb.
Now the warbands must attempt to recover or intercept these unfortunate fowl before they fall into enemy hands.
DEPLOYMENT
Both players roll D6, the player with the higher result deploying first within 8" of a table edge of his choice. His opponent sets up on the opposite edge.
At the centre of the board should be placed 2D6 tokens to represent the pigeons.
STARTING THE GAME
Both players roll D6, the player with the higher result taking the first turn. The remaining player goes next.
SPECIAL RULES
Pigeon Movement
Once a model is within 8" of the pigeons, they will begin to move randomly. At the start of each player’s turn, roll a scatter dice and a Warhammer artillery dice to determine the distance of the pigeons' movement. Roll separately for each pigeon. The pigeon will always land upon the highest terrain feature beneath it, e.g. if the dice indicate that the pigeon is to fly above a building, it is assumed to be on the roof or the highest storey.
Should the artillery dice indicate a misfire, then the poor pigeon has exploded in a flurry of feathers and charred message. Any model within 3” of the bird (i.e., a small Warhammer template) will receive an automatic S3 hit.
Catch The Pigeon
A model may catch the pigeon by finishing his Movement Phase in contact with the pigeon token. The model will carry the bird with message, bomb, and all – there is no time to remove these in the heat of battle. While carried, there is no risk that the pigeon will explode.
Any model carrying a pigeon who becomes Knocked Down, Stunned, or Out Of Action will drop it. The bird will fly away as described above at the start of the following player’s turn.
Fly my Beauties
The carrier may opt to use his pigeon offensively, lighting the fuse and sending it out with the aim of blowing up the enemy. The player should nominate a visible target and roll on the following table:
| D6 | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Oops! The confused pigeon returns to its handler! Place the template over the initial carrier and resolve the explosion. |
| 2-4 | Boom! A poorly cut fuse means the bomb explodes harmlessly in mid-air (harmlessly for everyone except the pigeon). |
| 5-6 | Huzzah! The pigeon lands exactly on the head of the right target. Place the template over the target model and resolve the explosion. |
WINNING THE GAME
The game ends when a player fails a rout test. Due to the importance of the mission, voluntary routs are not permitted.
A player failing a rout test must roll D6 for each pigeon being carried. On a result of 1-3, the pigeon manages to fly off as the warrior scrambles for safety.
Players gain +1 Victory Point (VP) for every pigeon still carried at the end of the game. The winner is the warband with the most VPs.
In the event of a tie, the winner is the warband that didn't fail a rout test.
EXPERIENCE
- +1 Survives: If a Hero or Henchman group survives, they gain +1 Experience.
- +1 Winning Leader: The leader of the winning warband gains +1 Experience. In the event of a draw, neither leader receives this bonus.
- +1 Pigeon Fancier: Any Hero still carrying a pigeon at the end of the game gains +1 Experience.