80. Wolf Hunt!
Source: Fanatic Magazine #6
Setting: The Empire
Author: Nick Kyme
Broheim notes: Both warbands have been offered a reward to kill a pack of troublesome wolves. Neither is keen to share the bounty and so will attack each other while also attempting to dispatch the wolves and, possibly, a random bear. Unless of course they decide to co-operate. Both warbands are accompanied by the big-hearted Kislev Warrior Hired Sword, also featured in the magazine.
A warband led by a ranger bas ventured into one of the dark forests of the land at the bidding of a baron wishing to rid it of a growing pack of wolves. Should the creatures be allowed to go on unchecked, they will grow bolder, attacking people instead of livestock and the baron’s lands and titles would be in jeopardy. However, not convinced that a single band could accomplish this feat, the baron has hired a second group of warriors, in the secret hope that they will slay all the wolves and each other in the process...
terrain
The battle is fought in dense woodland and the majority of the terrain should be woods, although there might also be thick bracken, a shallow stream, clustered rocks, foliage or even a small cave, which could be the wolves’ lair. The vast amount of the board will be covered by trees, but there should be areas of open ground so that warriors don’t get bogged down in difficult ground. Within these restrictions, each player should take it in turns to place a piece of terrain within an area roughly 4' x 4’.
special rules
Wolves: The wolves are bold in their lair and prowl around with arrogance. There are D6+2 wolves on the board at the start of the game. At the start of the game, but before the warbands are deployed, each player takes it in turn to place a wolf (rolling a D6 to see who places first) but may place them no closer than 12" to any table edge and within 6" of another wolf (they are pack animals after all). Use wolves from the Warhammer miniatures range to represent them.
Wolves have the following profile:
wolf
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld | Sv |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | - |
The wolves are already in their lair, so do not take Rout tests.
Wolves are adept at moving through terrain at speed, they treat all difficult ground as open ground and very difficult ground as difficult ground (but may not move through impassable terrain).
Wolves are not large or particularly powerful creatures. Do not roll on the Injury table for them. Any wolf reduced to 0 wounds is automatically out of action.
Lure of the wild: As the battle rages, other wild creatures will be drawn into the fight. At the end of each ‘wolf’ turn (see below), roll a D6. On a roll of 1, D6 more wolves enter the fray, from a randomly determined table edge (roll a D6 and ignore rolls of 5 or 6). If the number of wolves is a 1, then a bear has turned up instead.
Bear: Bears are covered in the Kislevite warband rules (see p.81 Mordheim Annual). As they are not goaded into battle by a Bear Tamer they are subject to the rules for stupidity. If they pass their Stupidity test then they will move and attack as per the rules for wolves given later.
bear
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld | Sv |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | - |
Weapons and Armour: None, other than their claws and teeth!
special rules
Fearsome: A charging bear is a very scary sight indeed! A Trained Bear causes fear.
Bear Hug: If the Bear hits the same enemy warrior with both of his attacks in the same round of combat, the player may choose to make a single ‘Bear Hug’ attack instead of resolving the attacks normally. If this option is chosen, each player must roll a D6 and add his model’s Strength to the roll. If the Bear’s total is higher or the totals are equal, the opposing warrior takes a single automatic wound with no Armour Save allowed. If the enemy warrior’s total is higher, the warrior has broken the Bear’s hold and suffers no damage from the attack.
Animal: Trained Bears are animals and do not gain Experience.
Ranger: Each warband has enlisted the aid of a ranger to locate the wolves’ lair in the forest. This is either an Elf or Kislev Ranger, at the player’s choosing. They will fight for free for this battle, but if the warbands want to retain their services they must pay the full hire fee and upkeep thereafter as normal.
warbands
Both players roll a D6 to see who deploys first. Whoever rolls highest, sets up first and moves his models on in his Movement phase from the table edge of his choice. His turn continues and then the other player moves his warband on from the opposite table edge in his Movement phase.
Note that this roll will also determine who goes first. Once both players have taken a turn the wolves may then take a turn. A wolf will charge the nearest model is able, randomly determining its prey if two targets are equidistant. Any wolf that cannot charge must roll a D6 to determine its actions.
| D6 | |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | The wolf moves towards the nearest enemy model in the warband that went first. |
| 3-4 | The wolf moves towards the nearest enemy model in the warband that went second. |
| 5-6 | The wolf remains still and growls menacingly. |
ending the game
The game ends when one warband fails its Rout test. The routers automatically lose.
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 Bear Slayer: Any Hero earns +1 Experience point for each bear he puts out of action.
reward
The baron, much to his chagrin, will reward any warband a bounty of 10 gold crowns for each slain wolf (the warband leader presents him with an ear, fang, pelt or some other trophy as proof). There is no reward whatsoever for slaying a bear (after all that wasn’t part of the deal!).