During your warband’s shooting phase each of your warriors may shoot once with one of his weapons. This means that he can fire a bow, shoot with a crossbow, or hurl a throwing knife, for example. Work through the models one at a time. Pick which fighter is going to shoot, nominate his target, work out whether he hits the enemy and, if he does, any wounds or injuries that are caused. Then continue with the next shooter. You can take shots in any order you wish. Be sure to remember or note down which models have already shot.
who can shoot
Each model can shoot once in the shooting phase, so long as he can see a target and assuming he has a suitable weapon.
He may not fire in the following circumstances:
- if he is engaged in hand-to-hand combat
- has run or failed a charge in the movement phase
- has rallied this turn
- is stunned
- is knocked down.
To shoot at a target, a model must be able to see it, and the only way to check this is to stoop over the tabletop for a model’s eye view. Models can see all around themselves (ie, 360°), and they may be turned freely to face in any direction before firing.
Turning on the spot does not count as moving.
closest target
You must shoot at the closest enemy, as he represents the most immediate threat and therefore the most obvious target. However, you may shoot at a more distant target if it is easier to hit or if closer models are stunned or knocked down (see diagram on next page). For example, a closer target may be hard to hit because it is in cover, whilst a more distant target might be in the open and therefore an easier shot.
You may always choose to shoot at a Large Target if you can see it, whether it is in cover or not and even if it is not the closest target.
You can shoot at models that are fleeing, knocked down or stunned, but you can choose to ignore them, because they do not represent an immediate threat. It is better to shoot the closest standing enemy model instead.
Note that you may not shoot at models that are engaged in hand-to-hand combat if that combat involves a warrior from your warband.
cover
The many walls, ruined buildings and other masonry in Mordheim offer plenty of cover. If any portion of the target is hidden by a piece of scenery or another model, the shooting model will suffer a penalty as explained below.
Sometimes it will be obvious whether a target can be seen; at other times it will be more difficult, as buildings and other scenery are in the way. If the shooter can see only part of the target’s body, the target is in cover and the shooter suffers a -1 penalty on his To Hit roll.
If a shot misses its target by 1, and that target claimed the -1 modifier for cover, then the shot strikes the cover instead. Normally this doesn’t matter, but in the case where a model is concealed behind another warrior, or when the cover is a powder keg, it might be extremely important!
Here, the closest target (A) is behind cover and so is harder to hit than the more distant targets B, C and D. In this situation the firer may shoot at target B even though he is further away than A
shooting from an elevated position
A model situated in an elevated position (ie, anything that is more than 2” above the table surface, such as an upper floor of a building), may freely pick any target he can see and shoot at it. The exception to this rule is that if there are enemies in the same building and in line of sight of the shooter, he must shoot at these, as they present a more immediate threat.
range
Once you have decided to shoot and have chosen a target you must measure to see whether the shot is within range. Each type of missile weapon has a maximum range.
Assuming that your target is within range your warrior can proceed with the shot. If the target is out of range then he has automatically missed this turn.
You will suffer a -1 to hit if you are shooting at a target that is more than half of your weapon’s maximum range away.
hitting the target
To determine whether a shot hits its target, roll a D6. The dice score needed will depend upon how good a shot the firer is (as indicated by his Ballistic Skill). The chart below shows the minimum D6 roll needed to score a hit.
It is equivalent to 7 - BS Skill of the shooter.
| BS of shooter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D6 roll needed | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | -1 | -2 | -3 |
Blackpowder Misfire
Blackpowder weapons misfire on a natural hit roll of a 1.
| Roll | Result | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BOOM! | The shooter suffers a S4 hit (this does not cause critical hits) and the weapon is destroyed. |
| 2 | Jammed | The weapon is jammed and useless for the remainder of the battle. Usable as normal next battle. |
| 3 | Phut | The weapon fails to fire; remove the shot. The shooter must wait one extra turn to fire again. |
| 4-5 | Click | The weapon fails to fire, but there is no additional effect. |
| 6 | KA-BOOM! | The shot hits the intended target and counts as having +1 Strength. |
hit modifiers
It is easier to hit a target that is in the open compared to a target behind cover. Usually it is also easier to hit a target if it is close compared to one further away. These situations are represented by the following modifiers:
| Modifier | Reason | Description |
|---|---|---|
| -1 | Cover | If any part of the model is obscured by scenery or other models then it counts as being in cover. |
| -1 | Long range | If you are shooting at a target that is more than half of your weapon’s maximum range away. |
| -1 | Moving & shooting | If your model has moved at all (other than standing up, or turning to face your target) during this turn. |
| +1 | Large target | If either the target model has the Large Target special rule (such as an Ogre), or whose main ‘body’ is over 2” tall or wide (such as most buildings). |
casting spells
Spells are cast in the shooting phase, and can be used even if the caster is in hand-to-hand combat. To use a spell, the wizard must roll equal to or greater than the spell’s Difficulty score on 2D6. If he fails, he may not cast a spell that turn. If the test is passed the spell may be used as described. A wizard may cast one spell per turn and may not use missile weapons if he wants to cast a spell. He can however run!
A wizard may not use magic if he is wearing armour or has a shield or buckler. The only exception is the Prayers of Sigmar. Sisters of Sigmar and Warrior Priests may wear armour and use their prayers.
Some spells cause direct damage, and are resolved the same way as damage from shooting or blows in hand-to-hand combat. Spells do not cause critical hits. Models always receive armour saves against wounds caused by spells unless noted otherwise.
On a natural double 1 roll for casting a spell the spell has miscast. Roll on the miscast table for the effect.
Miscasts
| 2D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 2 | The fibre of reality itself is torn apart as a pass to the Realm of Chaos opens. A gigantic taloned hand emerges from the gate, seizes the screaming wizard and drags him through the rift, disappearing with a chuckle in a flare of multi-coloured light. The Wizard is gone and immediately removes as a casualty, and taken off the roster! Modesl in base contact, friend or foe, suffer one strength 10 hit. |
| 3-6 | The Wizard’s body is wracked by a discharge of pure magical energy, warping and burning everything in his close proximity. The Wizard and all models within 2” of him suffer a strength 6 hit, with no armour saves allowed. |
| 7 | The Wizard struggles to keep the magical energies in check. The caster suffers one Strength 2 hit (no armour saves allowed). |
| 8-9 | The caster’s mind is ravaged by the attention of a hideous Daemon. The caster suffers one Strength 8 hit (no armour saves allowed) and will flee a random 2d6”. He will continue to flee at the start of each recovery phae unless he passes a Ld test. |
| 10-11 | The caster mispronounces one of the secret words of power binding the power of the spell, triggering an anomaly. The spell he attempted to cast is not successful and the caster forgets how to cast the spell and will not be able to cast it again this battle. |
| 12 | A massive vortex of power drains away the sorcerous energy. The caster suffers one Strength 4 hit (no armour saves allowed). In additrion all spells currently in play on the battlefield are automatically dispelled and no magic can be cast for the rest of the game. Any demons in play must pass a Ld test at the start of their recovery phase or are removed as a casualty. |