Amazons (Mordheim)

Grade: 1b
Source: Town Cryer #23 (PDF)
Setting: Mordheim

Lore

Most of the cutthroats and scum that risk their lives daily scouring the ruins of Mordheim are drawn there by the lure of Wyrdstone and the riches that it brings. For a few, such as the Sisters of Sigmar, there are other more powerful motivating factors like redemption. However, for a certain other group of exclusively female warriors, Mordheim has no such attractions. For the mysterious Amazons that have been brought to the damned city in chains, escape is all that they seek.

Very little is known about these strange warrior women from far across the Great Western Ocean. According to Norse saga, they originate from the colony of Skeggi founded by Losteriksson long ago on the eastern coast of Lustria. When large numbers of warriors deserted Losteriksson’s settlement because they were impatient to go and find gold, they left their wives behind. When they did not return, these and many other Norse maidens who had come to Skeggi hoping to find a brave and wealthy warrior as a husband were bitterly disappointed. Furthermore, the number of warriors defending Skeggi was badly depleted.

These resolute Norse women became Valkyries, by which name the dreaded Norse women warriors are known. Unfortunately, women warriors are not accepted by Norse warrior society, which holds that ‘axe wielding in battle is man’s work and not for women!’ After helping to beat off the foe, the Norse women warriors were in no mood to put away their weapons and go back to weaving breeches for the menfolk. The Valkyries were forced to leave Skeggi. They were given a longship and sailed far along the coast and up the estuary of a great river.

The Valkyries finally settled in a swampy island in the middle of the river, surrounded on all sides by impenetrable jungle. The island contained the deserted ruins of Lizardmen temples, and this place became the Valkyries’ stronghold. Many years later, these same warriors were encountered by Elf and Dwarf adventurers who had sailed up the river and attacked the settlement, thinking it to be a Lizardman city. They were beaten off and fled, bringing back tales of strange warrior women worshipping Lizardmen gods. They called them the ‘Amazons’ after the name of the river. The island they called ‘Heart of Darkness’ because of the denseness of the surrounding jungle.

Needless to say, the Amazons now bear scant resemblance to proper Norse Valkyries, having adopted the trappings of the Lizardman culture which they found in the ruins. Furthermore, the fact that they are still there, and their numbers have never been replenished and are never likely to be, lends credibility to the rumor that they have discovered a strange tropical drug which gives them everlasting youth and longevity. This rumor alone has attracted many would-be raiders to their stronghold, for such a potion would be more valuable than gold. The Amazons have never taken sides with the Lizardmen, nor have the Lizardmen ever sought their help. They remain invaders as far as the Lizardmen are concerned. The Amazons, therefore, are alone and never fight for anyone except themselves.

In recent years, more and more invaders have assailed the once hidden, exotic homeland of the Amazons, notably the Tilean expedition of Juan Cornetto in 1997. Raiders have pillaged the arcane riches of the Amazon temples and enslaved much of the population, carrying them off across the sea to the courts and bazaars of the Old World. Before the comet struck doomed Mordheim, Count Steinhardt purchased several hundred Amazons from Tilean slavers. These he used either as exotic gifts to sniveling, sycophantic courtiers or as his own personal concubines. It is said that during lavish parties held just before the city of sin was cleansed with fire, the depraved Count instructed his Amazon harem to perform an exotic dance for his noble guests. Most of the guests were so overcome by the mesmerizing dance that many of the Amazons were able to escape the palace and city into the surrounding countryside. These fugitives have adapted well to the wilds of the Empire, and their numbers have been swollen by more escapees from traveling shows and the fairs of Cutthroat’s Den and the Black Pit.

Of particular interest are the weapons and equipment carried by the Amazons. To those Old Worlders who liberated them, these items just appear as fanciful ‘mock’ swords, amulets, and staffs to be put on display as status symbols. Once activated by the rituals of the Amazons, however, they are fearsome arcane devices from an age of great magical power.

So, the Amazons find themselves trapped in a very alien environment far from home, but this doesn’t stop them from trying to return. These fiercely independent ladies form warbands to recover the green stones that the brutish men covet so greedily. They then sell these in an attempt to make sufficient gold to perhaps pay for safe passage back to their homeland.

Special rules

Sacrifice: The Amazons are quick to sacrifice any captive to their gods. The Amazons follow the rules for Possessed in the Rulebook when it comes to captives.

Not one of us: Due to the Amazons’ isolationism and suspicions about other races they never side with anyone else. For this reason, the Amazons may not have any Hired Swords or Dramatis Personae unless they are actually Amazons themselves.

Choice of warriors

A Amazons (Mordheim) 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.

• Priestesses: Each warband must have 1 Priestess: no more, no less!
• Champions: Your warband may include up to 2 Champions.
• Totem Warriors: Your warband may include up to 2 Totem Warriors.
• Amazon Warriors: Your warband must include at least 1 Amazon Warriors.
• Scouts: Your warband may include up to 3 Scouts.

Starting experience

• The Priestess starts with 20 experience.
• Champions start with 8 experience.
• Totem Warriors start with 8 experience.
• Henchmen start with 0 experience.

Amazons (Mordheim) Skill Table

	Combat	Shooting	Academic	Strength	Speed
Priestess	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Champion	✓	✓			✓
Totem Warrior	✓			✓	✓

Amazons (Mordheim) equipment lists

Pricing:

Heroines Equipment List

Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons

Item	Cost
Dagger	1st free/2 gc
Club, Mace or Hammer	3 gc
Sword	10 gc
Spear	10 gc
Claw of the Old Ones	30 gc

Missile Weapons

Item	Cost
Sunstaff	50 gc
Sun Gauntlet	40 gc

Armour

Item	Cost
Buckler	5 gc
Helmet	10 gc

Miscellaneous

Item	Cost
Amulet of the Moon	50 gc
Healing Herbs	35 gc

Henchwomen equipment list

Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons

Item	Cost
Dagger	1st free/2 gc
Club, Mace or Hammer	3 gc
Sword	10 gc
Spear	10 gc

Missile Weapons

Item	Cost
Sling	5 gc
Bow	10 gc

Armour

Item	Cost
Buckler	5 gc
Helmet	10 gc

Scout Equipment List

Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons

Item	Cost
Dagger	1st free/2 gc
Club, Mace or Hammer	3 gc
Sword	10 gc
Spear	10 gc

Missile Weapons

Item	Cost
Sling	5 gc
Javelins	5 gc
Bow	10 gc

Armour

Item	Cost
Buckler	5 gc
Helmet	10 gc

Special Equipment

Amazons (Mordheim) have access to the following special equipment when purchasing items from the Trading Post, outside their starting list:

Claw of the Old Ones

Cost: 30 gc
Availability: Rare 12

This is a very ancient weapon made from a strange metal that is impervious to age and corrosion. The powers of this artefact can only be unleashed through a ritual known only to a handful of Amazons. The blade of this weapon glows white hot and can cut through armour as if it were paper.

Range: Close Combat
Strength: As user +1

Special Rules

No save: The blade of the Claw can literally cut through anything. A warrior wounded by a Claw receives no armour save whatsoever.

Parry: Swords offer an excellent balance of defence and offence. A model armed with a sword may parry blows. When his opponent rolls to hit, the model armed with a sword may roll a D6. If the score is greater than the highest to hit score of his opponent, the model has parried the blow, and that attack is discarded. A model may not parry attacks made with double or more its own Strength – they are simply too powerful to be stopped.

Javelins

Cost: 5 gc
Availability: Common

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.

Range: 8"
Strength: As user

Special Rules

Thrown weapon: Javelins are thrown weapons and the warrior suffers no penalty for range or moving.

Conflicting Source Material

There are entries for Javelin in TC #11, #14, #21, #23 and Border Town Burning. In all those issues there are no less than four different versions for the javelins' thrown weapon special rule and range.

It was decided to use the thrown weapon rule from the original rulebook (used by throwing knives, blessed water, net, etc), which ignores both moving and range. This is the same as the most recent version of Javelins.

4 out of 5 sources used 8" range, so this was decided as the norm (only new Pit Fighters had 10", whereas the Norse, Lizardmen, old Pit Fighters, and Amazons all are 8").

Sun Gauntlet

Cost: 40 gc
Availability: Rare 12

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.

Range: 12"
Strength: 4

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

Cost: 50 gc
Availability: Rare 12

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.

Range: 24"
Strength: 4

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.

Amulet of the Moon

Cost: 50 gc
Availability: Rare 12

This ancient amulet creates a shimmering aura around the Amazon that makes it harder for enemies to see them.

Special Rules

Any missile fire directed at a model equipped with the amulet suffers a penalty of -1 to hit. The amulet also confers a special save of 5+ against missile fire.

Heroes

1 Priestess

70 gold crowns to hire

Priestesses are part of the religious sisterhood that rules Amazon society. They are powerful sorceresses and their word is law. The younger, more junior members of the Priestesshood often gather war parties to search for Slann artifacts and also conduct the ritual sacrifices of captured enemies.

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

Weapons/Armour: Priestess may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Heroines Equipment List.

Special Rules

Leader: Any models in the warband within 6" of the Priestess may use her Leadership instead of their own.

Wizard: The Priestess is a Wizard and may use Amazon Rituals. She starts with one ritual chosen at random from the list.

0 – 2 Champions

35 gold crowns to hire

Champions are veterans that have participated in dozens of war parties over the years. They are the right-hand girls to the Priestesses and also act as their bodyguards. They are skilled in fighting with a variety of different weapons including the legendary claws of the Old Ones.

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

Weapons/Armour: Champion may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Heroines Equipment List.

0 – 2 Totem Warriors

30 gold crowns to hire

There is a peculiar sect within Amazon society that attracts the most bloodthirsty, unhinged members of the population. These sisters are feared and revered in equal amounts. They are the Totem Warriors – Amazons that follow animal totems like the Eagle, Pirahna, Jaguar, etc, and adorn themselves in the skins and feathers of their patron gods. Totem warriors are addicted to dangerous narcotic substances that are made from the various rare herbs that grow wild in the jungles of Lustria. Before they go into battle they imbibe quantities of psychedelic herbs and enter a kill-frenzy – making them very ferocious opponents indeed.

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

Weapons/Armour: Totem Warrior may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Heroines Equipment List.

Special Rules

Frenzy: Totem Warriors are utterly fanatical, blood crazed individuals. They are also totally out of their heads on dangerous, psychedelic, herbal concoctions prepared by their sisters. Totem Warriors are mad berserkers who care little about danger or the prospect of death. They are subject to the rules for frenzy.

Henchmen

(Bought in groups of 1-5)

1+ Amazon Warrior

25 gold crowns to hire

Every Amazon woman is trained in the ways of warfare from birth and is hardened by a life in the unforgiving nature of their jungle environment. On the shattered streets of Mordheim, things are hardly that different as they have just traded the dense jungle undergrowth for broken buildings and rubble.

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

Weapons/Armour: Amazon Warrior may be equipped with weapons and armour chosen from the Henchwomen equipment list.

0 – 3 Scouts

30 gold crowns to hire

Scouts are known for their exceptional speed and agility. They are just at home stealthily picking their way through the rubble strewn streets of the City of the Damned and hiding in the ruins setting up ambushes.

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

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

Special Rules

Stealthy: A Scout may deploy twice the distance onto the battlefield than other warriors and may start the battle Hiding.

Amazon Rituals

Little is known about Amazon magic beyond their island home. It is said that the immortal Amazons learn their magic from the very gods themselves.

Amazon Rituals are used by Amazons (Lustria) Serpent Priestess, Amazons (Mordheim) Priestess

D6	Result
1	Singing Wind
2	Serpent’s Strength
3	Wendala’s Maelstrom
4	Shield of Thorns
5	The Living Jungle
6	Siren’s Dreams

Singing Wind

Difficulty: 8

The priestess calls upon the power of Shaekal the Wind Goddess to enter the battlefield.

The goddess appears in the form of singing motes and dancing lights that will entrance and ‘hold’ any model within 10" until the start of the Amazon player’s next turn. The model cannot move, shoot, or cast spells, but may defend itself in hand-to-hand combat. Models affected by this ritual automatically go last in combat.

Serpent’s Strength

Difficulty: 9

The priestess begins the ritual by dancing wildly and screaming in an ancient tongue.

All friendly models close to the Priestess will be charged with a frantic energy until the end of their next turn. During this time any model within 8" of the Priestess (including herself) will add +1 to their Strength. The ritual cannot be cast if the Priestess is in close combat during her Shooting phase. The effects will continue after the ritual is cast if the Priestess enters combat.

Wendala’s Maelstrom

Difficulty: 7

The priestess summons harsh tropical winds to protect the Amazons from enemy ranged attacks.

The storm extends out from the Priestess 18". All attempts to shoot missile weapons by the enemy will be at -1 to hit. The ritual lasts up until the start of the Amazon player’s next turn.

Shield of Thorns

Difficulty: 7

Moving her arms about in a weaving motion, the priestess calls upon the plants to protect her.

The ritual produces a cocoon of thorns all about the Priestess, making her immune to ranged or magical attacks. Any models wishing to charge the Priestess can do so but the thorns negate any strikes by the Priestess and her enemies in the first round of combat. The Priestess cannot cast this ritual while in hand-to-hand combat.

The Living Jungle

Difficulty: 6

Drawing upon her will, the Priestess reaches out to the denizens of the jungle, seeking their aid.

Pick one model within 12". The model is suddenly swarmed by a savage mix of snakes, spiders and insects, most of them poisonous. The afflicted model takes 1D6 Strength 2 hits with no armour saves allowed apart from Ward saves. You cannot use a dodge save against a swarm.

Siren’s Dreams

Difficulty: 7

The priestess starts to sing with a wondrous voice and all the Amazons join in with her.

The song is so beautiful and mesmerising that it momentarily distracts the Amazon’s enemies within 12" such that all Ld tests for the opposing warband are made at -1 until the end of the opposing player’s next turn. Lizardmen and Undead are immune to the effects of this ritual.