From the Pit:

The Low, Low, Low Price of Mordheim.

One of the reasons that I am always suggesting Mordheim to people is the low cost of playing it. All of the official rules are free, and a few of the warbands cost the price of a single unit in WHFB or 40K. Recently, I put a challenge out to myself, I wanted to figure out exactly HOW cheap Mordheim was. Since I live in the States, I did everything in dollars, so you can probably figure out how much it costs in your own country.

Now, there's a lot of things going around about how much a standard army is for WHFB or 40K, and it seems to be upwards around five-six hundred dollars, and sometimes more. However, the MOST expensive of the Mordheim warbands is the low, low price of $164.50, and in that price, you end up with a lot of models you can't even use!

So what I want to do for you now is break down every Official Mordheim warband by what is required, and what the boxes come with. Now, I do want to put a little caveat in there. You can't take everything in a warband, BUT what I figured out is if you wanted to have all the options from the very beginning. So you might be the type of player who NEVER uses a certain type of model, but I'm putting it out there for you.

So without further ado, I present the break down.

1. Mercenaries: Mercenaries comprises of Reiklanders, Middenheimers, and Marienburgers. Are all really well rounded, and each has its own strengths.

Requires: 1 Captain, 2 Champions, 2 Young Bloods, 7 marksmen, 5 swordsmen, and up to 14 warriors.

Official Mordheim Box: There isn't one. There are a few captains and that are specific for each type of Merc, but they really aren't necessary.

Individually: This is where it gets dirt cheap. You can buy a single box of Empire Militia for $35, and technically you have everything you need. So if you wanted EVERYTHING, you could just buy two Empire Militias. However, you can also get Empire Archers, Empire Captain, Empire State Troops, Empire State Handgunners/Crossbowmen, but that's only if you want to really make it unique.

2. Cult of The Possessed: The bad guys of Mordheim, or one of them at least. They are a fun warband, but a bit difficult.

Requires: 1 Magister, 2 Mutants, 2 Possessed, 5 Darksouls, 3 Beastmen, and up to 14 brethern.

Official Mordheim Box: Comes with 1 Magister, 1 Possessed, 4 Brethren, and 1 Darksoul. All for $41.25. So you get about half of what you need. So if you buy two of them, you get one left over Magister, and you still don't have a few more models you need to get!

Individually: I had to work a bit to get this one to work, but here you go. 1 Magister (Chaos Sorceror 13.25) 2 Possessed (Chaos Spawn 33.00), 2 mutants, 5 Darksouls, 14 Brethern (Chaos Marauders $35), Gor Herd (24.75). Now, as for the Mutant, I would suggest using extra bits left over from the Spawn to modify some Chaos Marauders. As for the Darksouls, I would suggest using a different paint scheme. So grand total of $106.

3. Witch Hunters: Ah, Sigmar's elite inquisitors. A fun little warband, but one of the harder ones to get together. Especially if you want all the warhounds.

Requires: 1 Witch Hunter Captain, 3 Witch Hunters, 1 Warrior Priest, 5 Flagellants, 5 Warhounds, up to 11 zealots.

Official Mordheim Box: 1 Witch Hunter Captain, 1 Witch Hunter, 2 Flagellants, 3 zealots, 1 warhound for 41.25. So two of them, you end up with one extra captain, but I would use him as a regular witch hunter, and you have a whole warband for $82.50, but you are STILL needing a warrior priest.

Indivually: Witch Hunter Captain, 3 Witch Hunters (10.75 each), 1 Warrior Priest (11.50), 5 Flagellants (10 for 29.00), 11 Zealots (Empire State Troops 25 or Empire Militia 35), 5 warhounds (5 wolves for 15). A grand total of $123.50.

4.Sisters of Sigmar: A great and really unique warband, and probably the only really GOOD warband.

Requires: 1 Matriarch, 3 Sister Superiors, 1 Augur, 10 novices, and up to 14 Sigmarite Sisters.

Official Mordheim Box: Matriarch, Sister Superior, 4 Sisters, 2 novices 41.25. Technically, any sister could be a novice, a Sigmarite Sister, or a Sister Superior. This is the ONLY official warband I would suggest getting multiples of the official box. So no individuals here!

5. The Undead: The Vampire Counts of Mordheim, or to be more precise and fluffy, the agents of the Vampire Counts. Kind of a frustrating warband, since Dregs are only available in the official box.

Requires: 1 Vampire, 1 Necromancer, 3 Dregs, 5 dire wolves, up to 14 ghouls, and up to 14 zombies.

Official Mordheim Box: 1 Vampire, 1 Necromancer, 2 Dregs, 4 metal zombies $40.00. I really do not recommend buying this box, you get too many doubles and too many bad henchmen. Eight Metal zombies is a bit much, and you still don't have enough to get a full warband.

Individually: 1 Vampire (15.25 OR 13.25 Mordheim single), 1 Necromancer 13.25, 3 Dregs (?), 14 zombies (20 for 35), 14 ghouls (10 for 24.75), 5 Dire Wolves (10 for 24.75). A grand total of 137.75. Now as for the Dregs, I would suggest that you use zombies, only flesh colored instead of rotting.

6. Skaven: The true masters of Mordheim, they are really made for Mordheim, a bunch of extra skills.

Requires: 1 Assassin Adept, 2 Black Skaven, 1 Sorcerer, 2 Night Runners, 1 Rat Ogre, up to 19 Giant Rats, up to 19 Verminkin.

Official Mordheim Box: The Warp Hunters box, is a rip off. It's $29.75 for 10 models. What it actually is half of a Night Runners box, which is $35. Don't buy it. However, a Night Runners box is twenty models, and it is all you really need. You can actually convert everything but Giant Rats and Rat Ogre from it.

Individually: Actually, I would suggest buying Isle of Blood for $99, and you would have lots left over. However, if that is no longer available, here's the list; Skaven Assassin (12.25), Grey Seer (15), Clan Rats or Night Runners (35), Rat Ogres (comes with 3 and 6 giant rats (40), 4 Sets of Giant Rats (40). Grand total of $142.25.

7. Beastmen Raiders: From the Empire In Flames expansion, these are a powerful warband.

Requires: 1 Bestman Chieftan, 1 Beastman Shaman, 2 Bestigors, 1 Centigor, 5 Gors, 1 Minotaur, up to 14 Ungors, 5 chaos Warhounds.

Official Mordheim Box: 1 Champion, 1 Shaman, 3 Gors, and 3 Ungor for 41.25. While this would be a decent start to a warband, even doubling it doesn't really pay for itself.

Individual: 1 Chief (15), 1 Bray Shaman (13.25), 1 centigor (12.25), Gor Herd (good for Gors and Bestigors 24.75), 5 chaos hounds (10 for 24.75), Ungor Herd x2 (24.75), 1 minotaur (25 mordheim single) A total of $164.50.

8. Carnival of Chaos: Another Empire In Flames expansion warband, it is truly unique.

Requires: 1 Carnival Master, 2 Brutes, 2 Tainted Ones, 2 Plague Bearers, up to 14 Nurglings, up to 14 Brethren, 1 Plague Cart.

Official Mordheim Box: 1 Carnival Master, 1 Brute, 1 Plague Bearer, 4 Brethren, 1 Jester (tainted one), for $41.25. This is actually not a bad deal, two of them and you've filled your hero choices, have the max number of plague bearers, and after you drop your duplicate Carnival Master, you are at the max number of the warband.

Individually: Ok, I lied, this is the only other warband that I would suggest buying multiples of. Add in the $50 plague cart, and you have a grand total of 132.50. If you wanted to get all the nurglings as well, you would add single package of nurglings for 17.50. That would take you up to $150.

9. Dwarf Treasure Hunters: Another expansion warband, but it is still available on the website.

Requires: 1 Dwarf Noble, 1 Engineer, 2 Trollslayers, 5 thunderers, up to 11 clansmen, and up to 11 beardlings.

Official Mordheim Box: 1 Noble, 1 Engineer, 1 Trollslayer, 5 warriors for 40. Not bad, but not good enough to warrant buying two.

Indivual: 1 Noble (15), 1 Engineer (13.25) , Trollslayers (24.75 for 5), Thunderers (35), Dwarf Warriors (35). The great thing is that warriors can serve as both clansmen and beardlings. Total of $123.

Now, one thing that I would like to mention is that many of the Captains or Nobles, or even heroes can actually be made from the champions from some of the boxes. And some of the boxes don't really need multiples. For instance, a single box of ungors is 10 models, and with heroes, that's more then you need. Making a warband with just the captain and the rest henchmen is an odd way to do it, but you can if you want.

Now, there's a lot of other warbands out there as well. However, they are no longer on the website, so I didn't include them, even though there are some things that are still on the website, model wise. That's another article.