Alternative Rules

Below are some common house rules both for the table top game as well as variations on some of the campaign rules. Many of these come from our gaming group or the greater Mordheim community. When such mechanics would affect the Mordheim Mayhem campaign rules suggestions on how to adjust the campaign rules are offered.

Using the rules for a Slow Rout causes warriors to individually turn tail and run from the battlefield instead of the entire warband fleeing once failing a rout test. This gives players a last possibility to achieve their goals before the game ends.

Once you’ve lost 25% of your warband you begin making rout tests normally, or can voluntarily rout ending your game. If you fail a rout test, your game does not immediately end! You must make a moral check for your warband on this and every following recovery phase.

Slow Rout (turning tail)

  • Roll a number of D6s equal to the number of your warriors still on the table. For each 1 you roll, remove any warrior of your choice (including your warriors in combat or knocked down/stunned). They have turned tail and run from the battlefield.

  • Once 50% or less of your warband’s starting number remains, each 1 or 2 you roll causes a warrior of your choice to turn tail.

  • If you only have 1 warrior left, rolling 1–3 will cause them to turn tail, ending your game.

Moral Check 

Models which turn tail while in combat do not suffer free hits against them. Remember that warbands can still voluntarily rout at any time immediately ending their game.

When a warrior turns tail any Carried Item they control is automatically secured with them. Remove both the warrior and the carried item marker from the table. 

Heavy carried items are an exception. Controlling models with a standing enemy in line of sight and charge range must have a combined strength of 6+ or the heavy item becomes uncontrolled. Remove the warrior but leave the carried item marker.

No attempts to Secure Uncontrolled Carried Items are made until the game ends. With the Slow Rout rules this often means that one warband has voluntarily routed, or that their are only a single warband’s warriors left on the table.

Carried Items

When making moral checks having a standing hero with a banner on the table gives you a -1 bonus on all dice rolls. Rolling a natural ones still causes warriors to turn tail.

Banner (optional rule)