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82. Stop Thief!

Source: Fanatic Magazine #7
Setting: The Empire
Author: Mark Havener
Broheim notes: Defenders must protect Halfling Thief HS (featured In this issue) from attacking warband. Thief has stolen defenders’ single most expensive item and may use it. Defenders start randomly scattered around centre of table, Attackers as normal. Last to rout wins although a house-rule about killing the Thief would seem sensible given the scenario. Features possibly the only use of the word “bugger” in any Mordheim publication.

One (or more) of the warbands has been robbed while traveling in the Moot. They have tracked the thief back to the other warband, and are preparing to retrieve their lost possession.

terrain​

Each player takes it in turn to place a piece of terrain, either a building, set of hedges or walls, hill, section of forest, section of swamp, river or stream, or similar item or terrain appropriate for Empire in Flames. There should be a relatively clear area in the centre of the board to represent the defending warband’s campsite.

special rules​

The warband with the highest warband rating is the defending warband. All other warbands got robbed and are the attackers. Each attacking player must remove the most expensive weapon or piece of equipment from his roster (this will automatically be a magic item if the warband has one). If the most expensive item is an animal or is larger than man-sized (like a carriage), ignore it (too cumbersome for the thief to steal), and go to the next most valuable item that isn’t large or an animal. The defending player MAY use the stolen items in this game (though they have to be used by the Halfling Thief). The defending warband automatically gains the services of a Halfling Thief hired sword for this game. They may retain his services as normal after this game (if they don’t decide to string him up first). This is the Thief that has filched the valuables from the attacking warbands. The goal of the attacking warbands is to capture or kill this little bugger and get their valuables back. Since the defenders don’t know what is going on other than the fact that they are getting attacked, their goal is to fight off the attacking warbands.

set-up​

The defending player deploys his warband first, and deploys randomly from the centre of the table. Place each model in the center of the table (one model at a time) and roll a Scatter Die and a D6. The Scatter Die determines the direction to move the model, and the D6 determines the number of inches to move him. If the Scatter Die comes up with a ‘Hit’ result, use the small arrow at the top of the target symbol to determine direction. If the players do not have a Scatter Die, use a (non-digital) watch and 2D6 to determine direction, or some other appropriate method. After the defending warband has been placed, any remaining players roll a D6 to see who deploys first, with the player rolling highest choosing a table edge and setting up first. If there are two attackers, then the second sets up on the opposite board edge. If there are more than 2 attacking players, they each choose sides and set up their warbands based on the order of their dice rolls, highest to lowest. A player must set up his warband within 8" of his table edge, but not within 4" of a side edge. Keep in mind that more than 4 players setting up on table edges should be accommodated with a larger battlefield than normal (see the “Chaos in the Streets” article on multiplayer games in the Best of Town Cryer, page 30).

starting the game​

Players each roll a D6 to determine who goes first. Play proceeds clockwise around the table (based on where players placed their warbands) from there. The defending warband automatically goes last.

ending the game​

The game ends when all warbands but one have failed their Rout test. Warbands which Rout automatically lose. If one of more warbands have allied when the other warbands have all routed, they may choose to share the victory and end the game, or they may continue the game until one warband is victorious.

In addition to normal Exploration money, the following rewards await the warbands taking part in this scenario:

If the defending warband wins the scenario, the Thief hocks the items he has stolen (half value, as usual for selling equipment), and gives it all to his warband as compensation for the trouble he’s caused (he probably actually sold it for far more and is keeping a handy profit, but that’s all he’s claiming to have sold it for anyway...).

If the attackers win the scenario, they get all their items back of course, and in addition they find 2D6 GC worth of valuables that the Thief nicked off other victims.

If the defending warband has allied with one or more of the attacking warbands, the defending player can of course return that warband’s items to him at the end of the game (and of course the Thief will look as surprised as anyone to find the items in his rucksack).

experience​

  • +1 Survives. If a Hero or 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. Any Hero earns +1 Experience for each enemy he puts out of action.
  • +1 Retrieved Item: The leader of an Attacking warband that retrieves their stolen item receives an additional +1 Experience.