PSYCHOLOGYBy Tommy "Punk" FranssonWhen I wrote my Undead warband and the Magic System I wasn't sure if all Psychology rules applied and especially how Break tests were handled. I decided to write a clarified Psychology section to deal with this. A whole Henchmen group will test with a single roll and they all pass or fail. Use the models own Leadership characteristic but if the Leader is within 6" you may test against his Leadership characteristic. You may always use the highest Leadership characteristic in the whole group EG if a Hero have joined the group. A Leadership test is made with 2D6 and you must roll equal to or under your Leadership characteristic score to pass. Some tests may have additional modifiers or use different dice but that will be stated in the text. Note that in some cases a single model in a Henchmen group may be forced to take a test by himself and if he fails only he will be affected, EG spells.
All Henchmen belong to a Henchmen group. The typical size for a Henchmen group is 1-5 and all members of a group must stay within 6" of each other. If the members of the group become seperated (EG. due to missile fire) you will have to rectify this in the next Movement phase. A Hero may join the Henchmen group and the whole group may use his Leadership characteristic. When charging the Coherency rule is suspended until all hand-to-hand combats are resolved. This means that Henchmen may charge separate targets. The Coherency rule is also suspended if the model breaking the Coherency is forced to do so because of Psychology EG frenzy. Group coherency is ignored for fleeing models and if the models are likely to split up because of EG terrain then they will indeed split up. If the group rallies they must move to rejoin group Coherency. If a single model is fleeing and later rallies then only he is forced to rejoin Coherency as the his comrades have already counted him out. With that exception, and the exception of hand-to-hand combat, the intent of the rule is for the Henchmen to maintain Coherency and to strive to maintain it at all times. During the Recovery Phase you may turn over models that have been stunned and are lying face down, and you may stand up models which have been knocked down. After that you may attempt to rally all fleeing Henchmen groups or Heroes. Each model or group must pass a Leadership test to rally and are then free to move and fight normally. If they fail they continue to flee toward the nearest table edge, moving 2D6" per turn. The last thing to check in the recovery phase is if any Henchmen groups, even if they consist of lone models, are within 4" of a fleeing friendly model. If they are they must check for Panic, see Panic later on. A model that have panicked or failed a Leadership test for EG Fear will flee away from the source and toward the nearest table edge. Moving 2D6" each turn until he rally or reach the table edge, in which case he is removed from the battle. Note that the models will flee toward safety so if you have special terrain or a special setup take this into account when working out in which direction the models flee. This also applies if the models cannot reach a table edge because it is cut off by EG water or impassable terrain. Apply some common sense and make sure you do not let the models flee in a different direction purely because it is beneficial to you as the player. And finally a simple rule to provide for a friendly game: if in doubt let your opponent move the fleeing models.
At the very end of the Recovery Phase check to see if there are any fleeing friendly models within 4" of any Henchmen group. If there are that group must pass a Leadership test or flee together with their friends. Note that Heroes never check for Panic but lone Henchmen do. In addition each Henchmen group must test if the Leader is taken "Out of Action". Though if they are outside of line of sight or assumed not to be able to see him go down they do not need to test. Remember though that it only takes one model in a group to be able to see him go down for them to test.
A Hero or Henchmen group must take a Leadership test if they are charged by a Fear causing model and will flee if they fail, if they pass they will need a natural 6 to hit in hand-to-hand combat for the first turn. You do not need to test for subsequent turns unless you are charged once again by a Fear causing model. A Hero or Henchmen group must take a Leadership test if they wishes to charge a Fear causing model, if they fail they may not charge but are moved forward a normal move, but no closer than 1" to an enemy model. You may shoot with missile weapons but you must shoot at the model or group you intended to charge. Note that only models in a Henchmen group that actually tries to charge a Fear causing model will have to test. If a group of 4 Henchmen where 2 charges a Rat Ogre and 2 charges a Clanrat each then only the 2 that charges the Rat Ogre need to test and if they fail only they are prohibited from charging.
A model subject to Frenzy will Frenzy as soon as it is within charge reach of an enemy model but may choose to take (and pass) a Leadership test to avoid being frenzied. This test must be made at the start of the Movement phase before declaring charges. Once the model have Frenzied the model remain Frenzied until you chooses to take a Leadership test to hold it back or it is "Knocked Down" or "Stunned". In which case the model have his Frenzy knocked out of it for the rest of the battle and is not able to enter Frenzy again. Note that it is volountarily for a model or group to take a test to restrain themselves, but all models in a Henchmen group must take the test in that case. If a Henchmen group includes a model that is subject to Frenzy and the group is not then that model is not forced to take test to restrain himself. Also note that Frenzy is very likely to break up Coherency and the Coherency rule do not apply for a model as long as it can charge an enemy model. This can lead to a that a single model in a group frenzies and charges an enemy model and in subsequent turns charge another model within charge reach and ends up 18", or so, away from his group. As long as he is frenzied he may be ignored for Coherency as he was forced out of Coherency. As soon as he calms down he must join Coherency but the group may still ignore him. A Frenzied model, Hero or Henchmen group, must charge an enemy model within charge reach. They fight with double their basic Attack characteristic and if they carry an additional hand-to-hand weapon they get an additional Attack after doubling their basic Attacks. Further a Frenzied model is immune to Psychology and will never flee. Also frenzied models are not likely to realize the situation or hear the shouts to retreat so if the Warband bottles out they are not removed until the turn after the Warband bottled out. This is likely to leave them in situation where they are beaten up, but in their blood-crazed state of mind its doubtful they will notice it anyway.
A model that hates an enemy model may reroll any of its missed attacks in the first round of each hand-to-hand combat.
At the start of the Movement Phase each model subject to Stupidity must pass a Leadership test to be able to move and attack normally. Note that you test seperately for each model even if a whole Henchmen group is subject to Stupidity, this is an exception to the rule that the whole Henchmen pass or fail the same test. If you fail and the model is in hand-to-hand combat then the model will not fight on the D6 roll of 4+ as it forgets where it is and what its supposed to do. Any attacks made against the model hits on a roll of 1+, and you may still roll a Critical Hit. If the model is not in hand-to-hand combat the model will move D3" in a random direction, and will count as charging if he end up in base contact with a model. He will fight this model regardless of wether it's a friendly model or not. Models that passed the Stupidity test and belong to the same Henchmen group do not need to try to maintain group Coherency with models that failed the test. Note that Stupidity is likely to force members to randomly move in different directions and this is the intention of that rule.
Unlike WFB there are no Break Tests in City of the Damned and a group that have one of its warriors taken "Out of Action" do not need to take a Break Test. This is a skirmish battle between warriors who are brave enough, or too stupid, to run away until the combat is truly lost. Instead of each Henchmen group taking a Break Test the whole Warband takes a Bottle test similiar to the Necromunda or Gorkamorka games Bottle test. In the recovery phase after you have recovered models: If 50% or more of your models are still "Knocked Down", "Out of Action" or fleeing you must test on the leaders Leadership characteristic. If you fail your warband flees the battlefield and is immediately removed, your Warband have bottled out. If the leader is "Knocked Down" or "Out of Action" test on the model with the next highest Leadership characteristic, but at -2 to represent the lower morale of the leaderless Warband. In addition once 25% or more of your warriors are "Knocked Down", taken "Out of Action" or fleeing you may call for a volountary bottle out without taking a test. This is sometimes preferred when you feel that the situation is too much for your warriors and want to cut down on the wounds and casualties they would otherwise suffer. Also frenzied models are not likely to realize the situation or hear the shouts to retreat so they are not removed until the turn after the Warband bottled out. This is likely to leave them in situation where they are beaten up, but in their blood-crazed state of mind its doubtful they will notice it anyway. Back to Tommy Punk's Mordheim Articles. This page hosted by Geocities. |