Averlander Mercenaries

Grade: 1a
Source: Town Cryer #10 (PDF), revised in Mordheim Annual 2002
Setting: Mordheim

Averland lies in the south of the Empire, between the rivers Aver and Upper Reik and borders upon the Black Mountains and the huge range that is the Worlds Edge Mountains. It’s a prosperous province, though it’s neither one of the largest or most influential in the Empire. The Black Mountains and the World Edge Mountains harbour plenty of mines, many are in Dwarf possession. The metal ore is sold at a good profit in Averheim, the provincial capital, to merchants from Nuln, who transport it on barges down the river Aver. The mountains contain several ancient Dwarf strongholds but Night Goblins or Skaven has overrun several of them, while others have been lost in violent volcanic eruptions.

The Black Fire Pass guards an important trade route between the Borderlands and the Empire, it divides the World Edge Mountains from the Black Mountains. The route is an old Dwarf road and extends past Averheim and further north into the Empire. Goods from the Black Fire pass are usually shipped along the Aver River to Nuln. The pass is the only place to cross the mountains, as the mountainsides are extremely steep and almost impossible to pass. Not to mention that the weather is notoriously unpredictable and few dare risk being caught in a snow blizzard or avalanche. As if things weren’t bad enough the mountains are home to fierce tribes of Night Goblins, Trolls, Skaven and legendary monsters. Some daring adventurers have made a living off stealing eggs from the tallest peaks and selling them to the Imperial Zoo. These beasts will be brought up to become mounts for famous generals.

Averland is a rich province and as a result exorbitant sums of money are spent on the uniforms of the state soldiers. Seasoned veterans prefer flamboyant uniforms to make them stand out compared to the peasant, but also to reflect their seniority. This tradition has seeped down through the ranks to a point where even the militia and mercenary bands strive to have as flamboyant clothing as they can afford. The Averlander army is said to employ enough tailors to supply a small city! Outsiders joke that the Averlanders are such great archers because they do not want to get up close and personal as they risk tearing or bloodying their clothes. Such remarks are hushed down in the presence of a veteran of the Black Fire Pass though, or else the jester will soon find himself in the gutter with a few missing teeth. The practice of wearing outrageous clothing has certainly appealed to the diminutive race of Halflings and tailors are constantly being asked to shorten sleeves and add a little extra width to the waist. Many Young recruits are disheartened to learn that they are disallowed from wearing the stunning uniform until they have served at least a year in the army. These ‘Youngbloods’ are by no means regarded as professional soldiers yet and have to make do with more simple clothing.

The Bergjaeger are a special detachment of the Black Fire Pass guard that is made up of trappers and rangers from the surrounding mountains. They are experts at moving silently through rocky terrain and are often used as scouts. The background of a ranger is as varied as there are rangers, and most of them have a story to tell. Some were gamekeepers who have lost their job or found it too uninspiring. Some where poachers press-ganged into the army to avoid serving prison time. Some might have been rustlers who decided to flee to the militia when the angry farmers came too close to catching him. Whatever their background they are expert marksmen and well suited to a life in the bleak mountain wilderness.

Choice of warriors

An Averlander warband must include a minimum of three models. You have 500 gold crowns available to spend. The maximum number of warriors in the warband may never exceed 15.

Captain: Your warband must have one Captain: no more, no less!

Sergeant: Your warband may include a single Sergeant.

Bergjaegers: Your warband may include up to two Bergjaegers.

Youngblood: Your warband may include a single Youngblood.

Mountainguards: Your warband may include any number of Mountainguards.

Marksman: Your warband may include any number of Marksmen.

Halfling Scouts: Your warband may include no more than three Halfling Scouts.

Starting experience

The Captain starts with 20 experience.

Sergeant start with 8 experience.

Bergjaegers start with 4 experience.

The Youngblood start with 0 experience.

Averlander Skill Table

	Combat	Shooting	Academic	Strength	Speed
Captain	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Sergeant	✓			✓	✓
Bergjaegers		✓			✓
Youngblood	✓	✓			✓

Averlander equipment lists

The following lists are used by Mercenary warbands to pick their weapons:

Scout Equipment List

Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons

Item	Cost
Dagger	1st free/2 gc
Mace	3 gc
Hammer	3 gc
Axe	5 gc
Sword	10 gc

Missile Weapons

Item	Cost
Bow	10 gc
Long bow	15 gc (Bergjaeger only)

Armour

Item	Cost
Light armour	20 gc
Buckler	5 gc
Helmet	10 gc

Miscellaneous

Item	Cost
Hunting arrows	35 gc (Bergjaeger only)

Marksman equipment list

Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons

Item	Cost
Dagger	1st free/2 gc
Mace	3 gc
Hammer	3 gc
Axe	5 gc
Sword	10 gc

Missile Weapons

Item	Cost
Crossbow	25 gc
Pistol	15 gc (30 for a brace)
Bow	10 gc
Long bow	15 gc
Blunderbuss	30 gc
Handgun	35 gc
Hunting Rifle	200 gc

Armour

Item	Cost
Light armour	20 gc
Buckler	5 gc
Helmet	10 gc

Mountainguard Equipment List

Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons

Item	Cost
Dagger	1st free/2 gc
Mace	3 gc
Hammer	3 gc
Axe	5 gc
Sword	10 gc
Spear	10 gc
Halberd	10 gc
Morning star	15 gc
Double-handed weapon	15 gc

Missile Weapons

Item	Cost
Pistol	15 gc (30 for a brace)
Duelling Pistol	25 gc (50 for a brace)
Crossbow	25 gc
Bow	10 gc

Armour

Item	Cost
Light armour	20 gc
Heavy armour	50 gc
Shield	5 gc
Buckler	5 gc
Helmet	10 gc

heroes

1 Captain

60 gold crowns to hire

The Captain of a mercenary warband is typically a middleaged veteran soldier of the Imperial army, most likely he was a sergeant or other petty officer. The survival of a mercenary warband relies more on the wit and experience of its captain, than on how good a fighter he is. It’s all too common that an inexperienced captain will lead his men into an ambush, or lead them on a long journey with no food or supplies. Being a successful captain means that your men will follow you to hell and back, and plenty of gold crowns and feasting. A captain that fails in his duty to keep his men alive and well fed will at best find himself deserted and worst end up with a knife in his back.

Profile	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
	4	4	4	3	3	1	4	1	8

Weapons/Armour: A Captain may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Mountainguard Equipment list.

SPECIAL RULES

Leader: Any warrior within 6" of the Captain may use his Leadership characteristic when taking Leadership tests.

0 – 1 Sergeant

35 gold crowns to hire

Some captains are merchants or nobles that are looking for a chance at making some extra money. The brighter captains hire the service of a veteran as his sergeant, and leave all the practical decision to him. A veteran can be recognised by his many battle-scars and the cynicism that marks a soldier of the army.

Profile	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
	4	4	3	3	3	1	3	1	7

Weapons/Armour: A Sergeant may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Mountainguard Equipment list.

0 – 2 Bergjaeger

35 gold crowns to hire

The Bergjaeger are trappers and rangers from the mountains that surround the Black Fire pass. They are experts at moving silently through terrain and are used as scouts. In addition they make good use of animal traps to delay or divide a group of enemies. Bergjager are not professional soldiers and rely more on stealth and cunning than a strong sword-arm to survive.

Profile	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
	4	2	4	3	3	1	3	1	7

Weapons/Armour: Bergjaeger may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Scout Equipment list.

SPECIAL RULES

Set Traps: Bergjaeger are expert trappers and hunters and these skills can be put to great use in the ruins of Mordheim. A Bergjaeger may set a trap if he spends a turn doing nothing else (he may not set traps if he’s just recovered from being Knocked Down). Place a marker in base contact with the Bergjager. When a model, friend or foe, moves within 2" of the marker he risks setting off the trap – roll a D6. On a score of 3+ he has triggered the trap and suffers a S4 hit (note that the Bergjager won’t trigger his own traps). If the trap did not wound the model or it didn’t trigger, the ‘victim’ may finish his move otherwise he is placed knocked Down or Stunned 2" from the marker. Regardless whether the trap was triggered or not, the marker is removed.

0 – 1 Youngblood

15 gold crowns to hire

Although Empire armies are comprised of mature men there are plenty of jobs for youths as there is always a demand for extra help in the kitchens or as fetchers. Some of these youths actually join a band of mercenaries or regiment in pursuit of a romantic dream of fame and adventure. Some are herdsmen who hoped to find an easier way of filling their belly than the hard and uncertain business of looking after animals, not to mention that its quite dull!

Profile	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
	4	2	2	3	3	1	3	1	6

Weapons/Armour: A Youngblood may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Mountainguard Equipment list.

henchmen

(Bought in groups of 1-5)

Mountainguard

30 gold crowns to hire

The Mountainguard is the famous garrison of the Black Fire Pass that has repelled countless greenskin invasion attempts. Their traditional uniform is yellow and black and it’s a merit in the Averland armey to have served a few years at the mountain-pass. The Mountain guard train both with the traditional Imperial weapons, the halberd and the sword, and with the crossbow and bow. Veterans are often employed by mercenary warbands who know that their presence will certainly boost their chances in the battles to come. Some of these veterans advance to become sergeants or even captains themselves. There are a few warbands that consists solely of Mountainguard veterans, often from the same regiment or the survivors of a great battle.

Profile	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
	4	4	3	3	3	1	3	1	7

Weapons/Armour: Mountainguard may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Mountainguard Equipment list.

Marksmen

25 gold crowns to hire

Being a Marksmen is not as simple as picking up a bow and try to hit your enemies. A Marksman has to train for years to master his chosen weapon, Imperial enlisters often visit archery competitions to try and enlist a couple of expert archers. Some Marksmen are trained with black powder weapons instead of the traditional bow or crossbow. Marksmen often own their own weapons, as the cost of a handgun is as high as hiring the Marksman himself! Thus the Marksmen are not forced to do as much hard labour as the militia.

Profile	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
	4	3	3	3	3	1	3	1	7

Weapons/Armour: Marksmen may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Marksman Equipment list.

0 – 3 Halflings Scouts

20 gold crowns to hire

Averland is neighbour to the Moot, the Halfling province. In 1707 the Orc Warlord Gorbad Ironclaw invaded through the Black Fire pass and the Moot was devastated. Ever since then the Moot urge their gamekeepers to serve at least a few years in the garrison that guard the pass. If another warlord tries to invade the Moot, they will meet the fierce resistance of the Halflings in the mountain Pass.

Profile	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
	4	2	4	2	2	1	4	1	8

Weapons/Armour: Halfling Scouts may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Scout Equipment list.

Special Rules

Promotion: A Halfling that is promoted to hero through the “The lad’s got talent” advance may not choose Strength skills as one of his two skill lists. Halflings are not known for their great strength!