Skip to main content

99. Rawhide

Author: Paul Smith
Source: Archive Pestilen
Broheim notes: Get a wagon train across the board using wagon rules from Wyrdstone Archive while your opponent tries to stop you.

After the humiliating defeat of the Merchant's play for power by supporting that damn woman, Lady Magritta, for Emperor, the Merchant's guild has decided that money is really the only way to gain power. So, they have made a play for a controlling factor in Mordheim. Merchants being merchants, they can't help but have huge teams of wagons transporting things back and forth. Mainly food and supplies, but on occasion, they send wagons back to their safe houses around the Empire containing their latest haul of Wyrdstone to sell. What better targets for a raid than a convoy of these wagons?

After a while, the merchants grew wise to what was causing their wagons to go missing and sent out three or four teams at once. Only one contained any Wyrdstone, the rest containing a similar amount of rock to make them look as similar as possible. That way, the raiders had to choose between the wagons because it was unlikely that all of them would be stopped, or even noticed. After all... the countryside is a vast place.

Game Details​

The aim of the Merchant's is to get the wagon containing the Wyrdstone off the table edge, preferably all the others too to cut down on employee and stock losses. After all, loss means less profit as you find replacements.

The aim of their opponent is to stop these wagons, hopefully picking the right one.

Special Rules​

This scenario uses the rules for wagons and horses from the Mounted Warrior rules. Due to the marshy nature of the ground, any wagon moving on the grass instead of the road gains a -3M.

Setting Up the Game​

As this scenario is based outside of Mordheim, there aren't any ruins, I'm afraid. All there is is a road going across the table with sparse forest on either side and any hills you desire. Bear in mind that people will have likely removed any obstacles from near the road to prevent ambushes by raiders. The raiders may set up anywhere within their half of the board. The wagons and their outriders must enter from the opposite side along the road.

Before the game starts, the Marienburger (merchant) player has a choice. He can either put his Wyrdstone and remaining gold into one wagon of his choice and gain vast profits at the end of the mission if it gets through (losing it all if it doesn't), or have all the wagons empty and gain nothing extra at the end. It's up to the Marienburger. Do not tell your opponent until after the game, though. This could be a good way to draw your opponent out during a campaign and use it to deal some damage to him.

Forces​

  • The Merchants (Marienburgers):
    The Marienburgers have four wagons, each drawn by two horses, and three warhorses for outriders for this mission only. This means that the Marienburgers are allowed to take 7 gang members. Those mounted on the warhorses have been equipped with spears for this mission.

  • The Ambushing Party:
    The ambushing party is allowed to take all of their gang members should they wish. The ambushers may spend any money they have left on horses before this mission. They do not get a discount on, or free, horses.

Winning the Game​

If the ambushers stop the Wyrdstone from leaving the table, they gain whatever amount the Marienburger player placed into the wagon (be honest with this... decide before the game and stick to it!!).

If the Marienburgers get the Wyrdstone off the table, they gain 30% of whatever was in the wagon as they made a real killing in the sale of it. For example, if there was 100gc worth of Wyrdstone in the wagon, you would now have 130 gold. Got it? Good.

Experience​

  • +1 Survives: If a Hero or a Henchman group survives the battle they gain +1 Experience.
  • +1 Winning Leader: The leader of the winning warband gains +1 Experience.
  • +1 Per Enemy Out Of Action. A Hero earns +1 Experience for each enemy he puts Out Of Action.
  • +1 Saving the Wyrdstone: The Marienburger leader earns +1 Experience is he escapes off the boards with the Wyrdstone.
  • +1 Successful Ambush: The leader of the ambusher party earns +1 Experience if they stop the Wyrdstone from leaving the board.
  • +1 Getting Away: Each driver that gets off the board with their wagon earns +1 Experience.
  • +1 Stopping a Wagon: Each warrior that stops a wagon earns +1 Experience.
Original Experience

In the original source, the following experience was used:

  • +20 xp to the Marienburger leader if he gets the Wyrdstone off the board.
  • +5 xp for each driver that gets off the board with their wagon intact.
  • +D6 xp for each surviving member.
  • +5 xp to the person that stops a wagon.
  • +20 xp for the ambusher leader if they stop the Wyrdstone from leaving the board.
  • +5 xp for each wounding hit on a living opponent (not wagons).

It is assumed a different XP tracker was used from the one found on the warband sheet