This section introduces Hired Swords - professional mercenaries - to Mordheim campaign games. Taverns in the settlements and shanty towns around Mordheim are good recruitment centres for warriors who do not belong to any particular warband or retinue, but instead hire out their services to the highest bidder.

A player can recruit Hired Swords when he creates his warband, or during the campaign phase after a game.

Hired Swords don't belong to the warband they fight with and usually don't help the warband except by fighting. This means that they do not count towards the maximum number of warriors or Heroes in the warband and don't affect your income from selling wyrdstone. A player cannot buy extra weapons or equipment for a Hired Sword, and he cannot sell the Hired Sword's weapons or equipment. To reflect their rarity, you can only have one of each type of Hired Sword in your warband.

You may not use the Leadership of any of the Hired Swords for Rout tests.

When a warband recruits a Hired Sword, you must must pay his hire fee. Subsequently, after each battle he fights, including the first, you must pay his upkeep fee if you want him to remain with the warband. If the Hired Sword is killed, or you no longer require his services, you don't have to pay any upkeep! These costs are indicated in the entries for each Hired Sword.

The money paid to Hired Swords comes from the warband's treasury in the same way as buying new weapons or recruiting new warriors. If you don't have enough gold to pay for the Hired Sword, or want to spend it on other things, he leaves the warband. Any experience he has gained will be lost, even if you hire a new Henchman of the same type.

If a Hired Sword goes out of action during the game, roll for his injuries as you would roll for a Henchman after a battle (i.e, 1-2 = Lost; 3-6 = Survives).

Hired Swords gain experience in exactly the same way as Henchmen. Refer to the scenarios to find out how much experience Hired Swords gain after each game.

Write the name and profile of a Hired Sword on your roster sheet in one of the Henchman group slots.

Once the Hired Sword gains enough experience for an advance, roll on the Heroes Advancement table (as opposed to Henchmen) to determine which advance he gains. Skills available to the Hired Swords are

listed under their entries.

Pit Fighters are dangerous men who make their living in the illegal fighting pits of the Empire. Many of them are slaves and prisoners but some are free men who earn their living from savage pit fights in settlements like Cutthroat's Haven or Black Pit, Even though pit fights are banned in many provinces, they are very popular and a great deal of money is wagered on the outcome. Thus many authorities turn a blind eye to these bloodsports.

When not in the pits, Pit Fighters offer their services to the highest bidders, and they readily find employment in warbands intent on exploring the ruins of Mordheim. Pit Fighters are powerful and dangerous fighters, and their unique weaponry gives them an advantage against almost any opponent.

May be Hired: Any warband apart from Undead and Skaven may hire a Pit Fighter.

Rating: A Pit Fighter increases the warband's rating by + 22 points, plus 1 point for each Experience point he has.

Equipment: Morning star, spiked gauntlet and helmet. The spiked gauntlet counts as an additional hand weapon and a buckler. And no, your Heroes cannot learn to use it!

Skills: A Pit Fighter may choose from Combat, Speed and Strength skills when he gains a new skill.

Ogres are large, brutish creatures, standing some ten feet tall, and all of it bone and muscle. For this reason they are much in demand as bodyguards and mercenaries, despite their lack of brains. A warband backed up by an Ogre makes a fearsome enemy, since Ogres are extremely dangerous fighters and a terrifying sight to behold when enraged. They happily accept any employer, as they are notoriously unbothered about who they fight for.

May be Hired: Any warband except Skaven may hire an Ogre Bodyguard.

Rating: An Ogre Bodyguard increases the warband's rating by +25 points, plus 1 point for each Experience point he has.

Weapons/Armour: Either two swords, axes or clubs (or any mix of them), or a double-handed weapon (you may choose which). Ogres wear light armour.

Fear: Ogres are large, threatening creatures that cause fear. See the Psychology section for details.

Large: Ogres are huge, lumbering creatures and therefore make tempting targets for archers. Any model may shoot at an Ogre, even if it is not the closest target.

Skills: An Ogre may choose from Combat and Strength skills when he gains new skills.

Halflings are diminutive creatures, generally more concerned with the timing of their next meal (or two) than with military pursuits. They range from three to four feet tall, and are neither very strong nor tough, but are naturally good shots and steadfast in the face of danger. Some Halflings are more adventurous than others, however, and these bold spirits are much sought after by mercenary bands, for they are splendid archers, and excellent cooks to boot.

May be Hired: Any warband except Skaven, Undead and the Possessed may hire a Halfling Scout.

Rating: A Halfling Scout increases the warband's rating by +5 points plus 1 point for each Experience point he has.

Equipment: Bow, dagger and a cooking pot (counts as a helmet).

Cook: Halflings are renowned for their cooking skills. A warband with a Halfling Scout may increase its maximum size by +1, as warriors from all around are attracted by the smell of great food! Note that this does not increase the maximum number of Heroes you may have.

Skills: A Halfling may choose from Speed and Shooting skills when he gains a new skill.

Wizards, shamans, mystics, all these and more are associated with men who can wield the power of magic. All magic is potentially dangerous and originates from Chaos, so those blessed (or cursed) with the power of sorcery are hated and feared.

Still, it is not difficult to find employment if you are a wizard, for many are willing to take the risk of persecution. But hiring a Warlock does not only mean that you lose your gold - if the teachings of the Cult of Sigmar are to be believed, your soul is at risk as well...

May be Hired: Any warband except Witch Hunters and Sisters of Sigmar may hire a Warlock.

Rating: A Warlock increases the warband's rating by + 16 points plus 1 point for each Experience point he has.

Equipment: A Warlock carries a staff.

Wizard: Warlocks are magicians and have two spells generated at random from the Lesser Magic list. See the Magic section for details.

Skills: Warlocks may choose skills from the Academic skills list, or they may randomly determine a new spell from the Lesser Magic spell list.

Just as warriors of the lower social orders can become mercenaries, squires or nobles may offer their skills for hire by becoming a Freelancer or 'robber knight'. Freelancers are often the younger sons of nobles, who have inherited little but their weapons, horse and armour. Having become disillusioned with their lot in life they have taken the only road available to them: that of a Hired Sword.

Financial considerations take precedence over the dictates of honour and chivalry. Many Freelancers have drifted to the shanty towns surrounding Mordheim, and offer their considerable strength to the highest bidders.

May be Hired: Mercenaries and Witch Hunters may hire Freelancers.

Rating: A Freelancer increases the warband's rating by +21 points plus 1 point for each Experience point he has.

Equipment: Heavy armour, shield, lance and sword. If you are using the optional rules for mounted models, a Freelancer rides a warhorse. When mounted, the Freelancer has an armour saving throw of 3 + . On foot his save is 4+.

Skills: A Freelancer may choose from Combat and Strength skills when he gains a new skill.

Elves are a wondrous race: lithe, tall, beautiful, long-lived and magical. For the most part they are feared and distrusted by humans, though some live in the cities amongst men and offer their services as minstrels and archers in return for a high fee.

Though Elves become rarer in the Old World each year, there are still some roaming on the trackless paths of the Drakwald Forest and the Forest of Shadows.

Elves sensibly tend to avoid the ruins of Mordheim, for in the City of the Damned there is little to attract that fey and strange race, but sometimes they are hired by treasure hunters, for few can match their skill with a bow, or their inhuman quickness and agility. The senses of an Elf are much keener than any human's, and they make excellent scouts.

May be Hired: Mercenaries and Witch Hunters may hire Elf Rangers. Warbands which include Dwarfs may hire Elf Rangers, but must pay 40 gold crowns after each battle instead of 20.

Rating: An Elf Ranger increases the warband's rating by 12 points plus 1 point for each Experience point he has.

Equipment: Elf bow, sword and Elven cloak.

Skills: An Elf Ranger may choose from Shooting and Speed skills when he gains a new skill. In addition, there are several skills unique to Elf Rangers as detailed below, which he can choose instead of normal skills. Note that these special skills can only be acquired through experience. They are not possessed by a new recruit.

Seeker. When rolling on the Exploration chart, the Elf Ranger allows you t modify one dice roll by -1/+1.

Excellent Sight. Elves have eyesight unmatched by mere humans. The Elf Ranger spots Hidden enemies from two times as far away as other warriors (ie, twice his Initiative value in inches).

Fey. Hostile magic spells will not affect the Elf on a D6 roll of 4 +.

Luck. The Elf Ranger is blessed by Lileath, the Elven goddess of luck. Once per game he may re-roll any dice roll he makes (but not one made by other members of the warband).

Troll Slayers are members of the morbid Dwarf cult whose followers are obsessed with seeking an honourable death in combat. Having committed some unforgivable crime or been dishonoured in an irredeemable way, a Dwarf will forsake his home and wander off to die fighting the enemies of Dwarfkind.

Troll Slayers are insanely dangerous individuals, psychopathic and violent. However, there are few better fighters, so they are much sought after when warriors are needed.

Known as 'Hired Axes', Troll Slayers who come to Mordheim find plenty of opportunity to indulge their deathwish.

May be Hired: Mercenaries and Witch Hunters may hire a Dwarf Troll Slayer. Warbands that include Elves may hire Slayers, but must pay 20 gold crowns after each battle instead of 10 gold crowns. Dwarfs won't put up with weak pointy-eared folk unless they have to, or are adequately compensated for their suffrance.

Rating: A Dwarf Troll Slayer increases the warband's rating by 12 points plus 1 point for each Experience point he has.

Weapons/Armour: Two axes or a double-handed a (the hiring player may choose).

Skills: A Troll Slayer may choose from Combat and Strength skills when he gains a new skill. In addition, there are several skills unique to Dwarf Troll Slayers which he can have instead of normal skills when he gains a new skill.

Deathwish. Troll Slayers seek an honourable death in combat. They are completely immune to all psychology and will never need to test if they are fighting alone.

Hard to Kill. Troll Slayers are tough, resilient individuals who can only be taken out of action on a D6 roll of 6 instead of 5-6 when rolling on the Injury chart. Treat a roll of 5 as stunned.

Hard Head. Troll Slayers ignore the special rules for maces, clubs etc. They are not very easy individuals to knock out!

Ferocious Charge. The Dwarf may double his attacks on the turn in which he charges. He will suffer a -1 to hit penalty on that turn.

Monster Slayer. The Troll Slayer always wounds any opponent on a D6 roll of 4+, regardless of Toughness, unless his own Strength (with weapon modifiers) would mean that a lower result than this is needed.

Berserker. The Dwarf may add +1 to his to hit rolls during the turn in which he charges.