Missile Weapons
Belaying Pins
Pirates only, Town Cryer #9
A typical ship contains hundreds of these short lengths of carved wood. They are set up in racks in convenient places in the ship, around which the running rigging can be secured or belayed. These also make good weapons, and pirates quickly become proficient with hurling them as short range weapons.
Maximum Range: 6";
Strength: As User -1;
Special Rules: Awkward Thrown Weapon, Weak.
Special Rules
Awkward Thrown Weapon: Models using Belaying Pins do not suffer any penalties for range, but still suffer a -1 to hit penalty if they use them after moving that turn.
Weak: They also do not hit very hard, so strike at User Strength -1 and give the target +1 to its armour save (or a 6+ if they have none), exactly as if the enemy had been hit by a bare fist.
Blowpipe
The blowpipe is a short hollow tube which can be used to shoot poisoned darts. While the darts by themselves are too small to cause significant damage, the poison used by the Skaven can cause searing agony and eventual death. The other advantage of a blowpipe is that it is silent, and a well-hidden shooter can fire the darts undetected.
Range: 8";
Strength: 1;
Save modifier: +1;
Special Rules: Poison, Stealthy
SPECIAL RULES
Poison: The needles fired by a blowpipe are coated in a venom very similar in its effects to the Black Lotus (if you roll a 6 on the To Hit roll, the victim is automatically wounded). A blowpipe cannot cause critical hits. This weapon has a positive armour save modifier, so a model that normally has a save of 5+ will get a save of 4+ against a blowpipe dart. Even models that normally do not have an armour save will get a 6+ save to take into account protection offered by clothes, fur or the like.
Stealthy: A Skaven armed with a blowpipe can fire while hidden without revealing his position to the enemy. The target model can take an Initiative test in order to try to spot the firing Skaven. If the test is successful, the Skaven no longer counts as hidden.
Bolas
Lizardmen, Amazons (Lustria) only, Town Cryer #11
Bolas are a set of three bronze balls on strings tied together. They are thrown similar to a sling and are rotated around the head for speed. The bolas is a hunting weapon and doesn't harm the anima. It immobilises it and allows the hunter to either subdue it or put it out with his spear.
The bolas has a range of 16" and can only be used once per battle. They are automatically recovered after each battle.
Maximum Range: 16";
Strength: Special;
Special Rules: Dangerous, Entangle.
Special Rules
Dangerous: If the to hit roll is a natural 1, the bolas brain the wielder with a Strength 3 hit.
Entangle: A model hit by bolas isn’t hurt, but his legs are entangled and he is unable to move. The model also suffers a –2 Weapon Skill penalty in hand-to-hand combat, but may still shoot normally. The model may try to free himself in the Recovery phase. If the model rolls a 4+ on a D6 he is freed and may move and fight normally.
Bow
The bow is carried by most races and used extensively in warfare. It is a compact yet powerful weapon, that is cheap to make and easy to maintain.
Maximum Range: 24";
Strength: 3;
Special Rules: None
Crossbow
A crossbow consists of a short, strong bowstave mounted on a wooden or steel stock. The crossbows of the Empire are made of steel and often include a winding mechanism to draw back the string. It takes a long time to prepare a crossbow, but a bolt fired from one has a tremendous range and can penetrate armour easily.
Crossbows take much longer than other bows to make, so they are expensive and relatively rare weapons. Still, they are the preferred weapon of many in Mordheim because of their power and long range.
Maximum Range: 30";
Strength: 4;
Special Rule: Move or fire
Special Rule
Move or fire: You may not move and fire a crossbow on the same turn, other than to pivot on the spot to face your target or to stand up.
Crossbow pistol
Crossbow pistols are masterpieces made by expert weaponsmiths. They are miniature crossbows with all the power and accuracy of the real thing. As these weapons may be easily concealed, they are the favoured weapon of assassins.
Maximum Range: 10";
Strength: 4;
Special Rule: Shoot in hand-to-hand combat
Special Rule
Shoot in hand-to-hand combat: A model armed with a crossbow pistol may shoot it in the first round of a hand-to-hand combat and this shot is always resolved first, before any blows are struck. This shot has an extra -2 to hit penalty. Use model’s Ballistic Skill to see whether it hits or not. This bonus attack is in addition to any close combat weapon attacks.
Elf bow
Elven bows are the finest missile weapons of their kind. Constructed from ithilmar or wood from the Elf forests, with strings woven from the hair of Elf maidens, Elven bows are far superior to any missile weapons made by other races. In the hands of an Elven archer, the Elf bow is a truly potent weapon, its long range and penetrating power making it far superior to any bow made by humans.
Maximum Range: 36";
Strength: 3;
Special Rules: -1 Save modifier
Special Rule
Save modifier: An Elf bow has a -1 save modifier on armour saves against it.
Harpoon crossbow
Maneaters only, Border Town Burning supplement
Little more than a crude crossbow hybrid, scaled up for the sake of a titanic marksman.
Maximum Range: 30";
Strength: 5;
Special Rules: Move or fire, Prepare shot
Javelins
Amazons (Mordheim), Norse Explorers only, Town Cryer #23
Javelins are short throwing spears specially weighted to travel quite a distance. Although they have a much reduced range when compared to an arrow they can cause quite considerable damage when thrown by a person of great strength.
Maximum Range: 8";
Strength: As user;
Special Rules: Thrown weapon
Special Rules
Thrown weapon: Javelins are thrown weapons and the warrior suffers no penalty for range or moving.
Long bow
A long bow is made of alternating layers of either yew or elm. A skilled archer can hit a chosen leaf on a tree from three hundred paces with this weapon.
The long bow is favoured by experienced archers due to its great reach and accuracy.
Maximum Range: 30";
Strength: 3;
Special Rules: None
Repeater crossbow
Repeater crossbows are extremely complex devices, expensive to acquire and difficult to make. While this makes them rare, they certainly have their uses: they can rain a deadly hail of bolts on enemies, and a warrior using one may move quite fast and still fire his weapon.
Maximum Range: 24";
Strength: 3;
Special Rule: Fire twice
Special Rule
Fire twice: A model armed with a repeater crossbow may choose to fire twice per turn with an extra -1 to hit penalty on both shots.
Short bow
Short bows are small, short-ranged bows that are cheap and require little strength to use. Some cavalry carry a shortened bow which is easier to shoot from horseback than a larger bow. Halflings also use short bows, as they lack the strength and height required to use a long bow.
Maximum Range: 16";
Strength: 3;
Special Rules: None
Sling
Slings are rarely used, mainly because they are no more powerful than bows and have a shorter range. A sling is little more than a looped strip of cloth or leather into which a stone is placed. The sling is whirled about the slinger’s head and the sling stone is then released towards the target.
While this weapon is looked down upon by most archers, a skilled slinger can slay a man from a considerable distance, and the ammunition is easy to find: rocks are everywhere and free!
Maximum Range: 18";
Strength: 3;
Special Rule: Fire twice at half range
Special Rule
Fire twice at half range: A slinger may fire twice in the shooting phase if he does not move in the movement phase. He cannot shoot over half range (9") though, if he fires twice. If the model fires twice then each shot is at -1 to hit.
Sun Gauntlet
Amazons (Mordheim) only, Town Cryer #23
This, as with all strange arcane Amazon items, is made from an unknown multicoloured metal that is impervious to damage or corrosion. It is covered in strange runes and a bright gemstone is set into the hilt. In many ways this weapon resembles a blackpowder pistol. It can be held in one hand and when pointed at an enemy unleashes a blinding beam of energy like the Sunstaff.
Maximum Range: 12";
Strength: 4;
Special Rule: Accurate, No save, Hand-to-hand
Special Rules
Accurate: The Sun Gauntlet does not suffer the usual -1 modifier to hit for long range.
No save: The beam from a Sun Gauntlet can literally cut through anything. A warrior wounded by a Sun Gauntlet receives no armour save whatsoever.
Hand-to-hand: The Sun Gauntlet can be used with another close combat weapon in hand-to-hand combat with Strength 4 and no armour save. Because it does not require prepared shot, this bonus attack may be used in each turn of combat.
Sunstaff
Amazons (Mordheim) only, Town Cryer #23
The Sunstaff is a long tubular stick that is made from a strange multicoloured metal with one end hollow like a tube. Strange runes are carved along its length and a large gemstone is set into the pommel. Despite being extremely ancient (Elf Loremasters of the White Tower of Hoeth claim to have found a similar device that they surmise is more than 20,000 years old – older than the Elven race itself!), the wielder of the Sunstaff can discharge a beam of energy akin to the rays of the sun.
Maximum Range: 24";
Strength: 4;
Special Rule: Accurate, No save
Special Rules
Accurate: The Sunstaff does not suffer the usual -1 modifier to hit for long range.
No save: The beam from a Sunstaff can literally cut through anything. A warrior wounded by a Sunstaff receives no armour save whatsoever.
Sunstaff (Lustria)
Amazons (Lustria) only, Town Cryer #15
The Sunstaff is a long staff made from a strange multicoloured metal with one end hollow like a tube. Strange runes are carves along its length and a large gemstone is set into the pommel.
Maximum Range: 12" / Close Combat;
Strength: As user;
Special Rule: Sunbolt
Special Rules
Sunbolt: The wielder of the sunstaff can discharge a beam of energy in the shooting phase that is akin to rays of the sun. The Sunbolt has a range of 12" and hits at Strength 4. Aside from ward and dodge saves a Sunbolt ignores armour saves and penalties for long range.
Throwing star/knife
Throwing stars are used mainly by the assassins of the sinister House of Shadows, or by street thugs who specialise in ambushing the unwary. A perfectly balanced knife thrown from behind has ended the life of many a noble and merchant in Mordheim. Throwing knives are not suitable for close combat, as their balance makes them unwieldy in close quarters.
Range: 6";
Strength: As user;
Special Rule: Thrown weapon
Special Rule
Thrown weapon: Models using throwing stars or knives do not suffer penalties for range or moving as these weapons are perfectly balanced for throwing. They cannot be used in close combat.