Pit Fighter
Pit Fighter Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
The Board
The Board: Pit Fighter is played on a board divided up into hexes. You will need to make your own board, either by drawing out a hex grid, or by downloading and printing out the Pit Fighter map from the Mordheim website, or by scratch-building a board.
Dice: To play the game you will need a D6, D10, D12 and a D20.
Core Game Rules
The rules that follow are split into two sections. The first section is the core game rules. It tells you everything you need to know to fight pit fights in the classic style. The second section, "Return To The Pit", contains additional rules for other styles of combat, new types of Pit Fighter, and campaign rules. It is recommended that players only fight one or two battles using the core game rules before moving on to the rules in the Additional Rules section.
1.0 Game Components
In addition to these rules you will need the following things in order to play a game of Pit Fighter:
Pit Fighter Miniatures: Each player will require a Pit Fighter miniature to represent their Pit Fighter.
Roster: A roster must be completed for each Pit Fighter, listing their characteristics. The roster is also used to record moves and attacks during the game.
The Arena: You will require an arena to fight in. You can easily make one yourself by drawing up a suitably sized hex grid.
Pit Fighter Scrolls: You will require a Pit Fighter scroll for each player. There are a number of different types of scroll, one for each of the different types of Pit Fighter miniature.
Dice: You will require quite a lot of different sorts of dice to play Pit Fighter. In addition to plain old six-sided dice (D6), you will need ten-sided dice (D10), twelve-sided dice (D12) and twenty-sided dice (D20).
Paper & Pencils: Each player will require a piece of paper and a pencil.
Adrenalin Rush Tokens (optional): If you wish you can mark a Pit Fighter that has received an Adrenalin Rush bonus with a token of some kind, such as a small coin or tiddlywink. If you decide to do this you will need a token for each Pit Fighter.
Historical Note: The equipment of the original Pit Fighters was based on the races with which the early Empire found itself at war, such as the Chaos Warriors from the north, the Orcs from the east and the Undead from the province of Sylvania and from the desert lands of Khemri to the south. To differentiate the different types the Pit Fighters would be known as having the fighting manner of the race that their equipment was based on. For example, a Pit Fighter might fight in the Chaos manner, or in the Orc manner, and so on. When fighting in the classic style only the original types of Pit Fighter may be used, and this means that players should choose their Pit Fighters from the list in section 2.1.
2.0 Preparing for Play
Before you can start your pit fight you need to carry out the following pre-combat steps:
- Select Pit Fighters
- Take Pit Fighter Scroll
- Complete Roster
- Set Up Pit Fighters
2.1 Select Pit Fighters
Each player needs to select a Pit Fighter miniature from the list below, and take a miniature and a scroll that corresponds to the type of Pit Fighter chosen. Scrolls for the Pit Fighters are included with this article.
- Empire Pit Fighter
- Chaos Pit Fighter
- Orc Pit Fighter
- Undead Pit Fighter
2.2 Take Pit Fighter Scroll
Each type of Pit Fighter has a corresponding Pit Fighter scroll. Each player must take a scroll for the type of Pit Fighter they have selected. Each scroll contains the following information:
- Type: The type of Pit Fighter represented by the scroll.
- Attack/Defence Modifiers: This section of the scroll lists any modifiers that apply to the Pit Fighter's attacks or defence rolls depending on the location of the enemy Pit Fighter. There are two types of modifier in each hex: Attack modifiers, denoted by 'A' and Defence modifiers denoted by 'D'. The number shown is added or subtracted from the Pit Fighter's Attack or Defence roll (see 6.3). 'NA' stands for 'no attacks', and means that the Pit Fighter may not attack enemy Pit Fighters located in these hexes.
- Pit Fighter's Location: The triangle shows the location of the Pit Fighter. The top point of the triangle shows the direction the Pit Fighter is facing.
- Armour/Hit Locations: This section of the scroll shows the Pit Fighter's hit locations and also the armour worn on each location (if any).
- Special Rules: If any special rules apply to the Pit Fighter then they are listed here.
- Moves: This is the most important part of the chart. It shows all of the different moves the Pit Fighter may make during a turn. Each move has a name, a start location (shown by a triangle), an end location (shown by a square), and a set of facing arrows.
- Red Arrows: Some facing arrows are printed in red; these denote what are called 'mighty blow moves', mainly because they allow the Pit Fighter to unleash a really devastating attack that can cause additional damage.
- Speed Bands: In addition, moves are split into three 'speed bands'; slow, normal and fast. The scroll's move diagrams show how each move works during a game.
2.3 Complete Roster
At the start of a game each player must fill in a roster for their Pit Fighter. The player must record the name and type of their Pit Fighter at the top of their sheet, and then fill in the Pit Fighter's characteristics.
Each Pit Fighter has five characteristics that determine how fast, strong and skilled they are compared to other Pit Fighters. These characteristics are:
Weapon Skill (WS): A Pit Fighter's Weapon Skill represents how skilled they are at attacking or defending with their weapons. A Pit Fighter with a high Weapon Skill is more likely to hit an opponent or avoid an opponent's blow than a Pit Fighter with a low Weapon Skill.
Strength (S): A Pit Fighter's Strength represents how physically strong they are. The stronger a Pit Fighter is the more damage they will inflict when they score a hit.
Toughness (T): A Pit Fighter's Toughness represents how physically tough they are. A Pit Fighter with high Toughness will suffer less damage from a blow than a Pit Fighter with low Toughness.
Initiative (I): Initiative represents how quick a Pit Fighter's reactions are. A Pit Fighter with high Initiative will act before a Pit Fighter with a lower Initiative.
Wounds (W): A Pit Fighter's Wounds represent how much damage they can take before they collapse. A Pit Fighter with a lot of Wounds will keep on fighting when a lesser fighter would have passed out.
In the core game rules all Pit Fighters start off with the following characteristics:
| Weapon Skill | Strength | Toughness | Initiative | Wounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 10 |
In addition, each player has 10 bonus points which they can add as they see fit to their starting characteristics. For example, you might choose to add all 10 points to one characteristic, or divide them evenly adding 2 points to each characteristic, or use them in any other way you see fit.
The Pit Fighter roster used with the original article can be photocopied, or a piece of scrap paper can be used for the roster.
2.4 Set Up
The players take it in turn to set up their Pit Fighters in the arena. The oldest player has to set up his Pit Fighter first, and then so on in order of age. Each Pit Fighter must be set up so they are touching the outer edge of the arena and so they are at least five hexagons away from any other Pit Fighter. In addition, each Pit Fighter must be set up so they are clearly facing one edge of the hex they're set up in.
Facing is very important in Pit Fighter. Because of this each player must declare out loud which direction their Pit Fighter is facing when they set the model up. If it is not clear which direction a model is facing (it isn't always) then you must tell all of your opponents how facing will be determined when the model is set up, and this will apply throughout the game.
3.0 Sequence of Play
You are now ready to start fighting. Each turn of a Pit Fighter game has a strict sequence of play that must be followed carefully. All players must complete each step in the sequence before the next step is started. The sequence of play is as follows:
a) Pick Move b) Carry Out Moves c) Resolve Attacks d) End Phase
How to carry out each of these steps is explained next.
4.0 Pick Moves
At the start of each turn all of the players must pick a move for their Pit Fighter and write it down on their roster. A player may pick any move they like from their scroll, except that Pit Fighters that either were involved in an attack (as attacker or target) last turn, or made a slow move last turn, may not pick a fast move this turn. On the first turn of the game all Pit Fighters are assumed to have picked 'Observe' as their last move.
Players must secretly write down the move their Pit Fighter will carry out on their roster. Once all players have written down their moves you may carry on to the next step in the sequence of play.
5.0 Carry Out Moves
Players must carry out the move for their Pit Fighter. The moves are carried out in order of Initiative, starting with the Pit Fighter with the lowest Initiative. In the case of a tie the older player must carry out their move first. Before carrying out their move, the player must ask if anyone wants to interrupt (see 5.2). As long as the player is not interrupted they may then carry out their move. Once all Pit Fighters have made their moves you may proceed to the next step in the sequence of play.
5.1 How To Move
Pit Fighters are moved one hex at a time, exactly as shown on their scroll. If the move takes them into an occupied square then a push-off must be resolved (see 5.3). Assuming this doesn't happen then the Pit Fighter is moved to the final hex shown on its scroll and then must be turned to face one of the hex-sides marked with a facing arrow. The Pit Fighter's move is then complete, and the Pit Fighter with the next highest Initiative may then take its move, and so on.
5.2 Interrupts
Designer's Note: The intent of the Interrupt rule is that someone higher up the turn order can always choose to make a move before someone that is lower down. Keep this in mind and you won't go wrong!
Normally moves are carried out in order of Initiative, starting with the Pit Fighter with the lowest Initiative value, and using the players' ages to resolve ties. However, players whose Pit Fighters have a higher Initiative (or the younger player in the case of a tie) may choose to interrupt this sequence and take their move before a slower/older opponent takes their move.
Because of this, each player must ask "Does anyone want to interrupt?" before they make their move. If you wish to interrupt then simply say so at this point and carry out your own move before the opposing player carries out theirs. If several players want to interrupt at the same time then the fastest/youngest Pit Fighter goes first and so on.
Very Important Exception: A Pit Fighter that is carrying out a mighty blow may not interrupt an opponent's move, but they can be interrupted themselves.
5.3 Push Offs
A push off takes place if a Pit Fighter is ordered to move into an occupied hex. Move the Pit Fighter so they are half in the contested hex and half in the last hex they occupied. Then each player with a Pit Fighter involved in the push off rolls a D20 and adds their Pit Fighter's Strength to the score. Whoever rolls highest wins the push off. In the case of a tie, roll again.
The winner of the push off 'captures' the contested hex, and the loser is forced out. If the loser was the moving Pit Fighter, then they are forced back into the last hex they occupied and their move ends.
If the loser was the Pit Fighter that originally occupied the hex then they must move into the hex that is directly away from the hex that the moving Pit Fighter entered from. If this hex is occupied or is a wall, then the losing Pit Fighter remains in the contested hex and the winner goes back to the last hex they occupied and ends their move, but all of the loser's characteristics, apart from Wounds, are halved for the rest of the turn.
Once a push off has been resolved the moving Pit Fighter's move ends (ie. they lose any further moves they may have). In addition they must keep the same facing that they had at the start of the turn. A Pit Fighter that loses a push off before they take their move loses their move for the turn. A Pit Fighter that wins a push off before they take their move may carry out their move normally. Note that Pit Fighters involved in a push off may still attack later in the turn, and can make mighty blow attacks if they win the push off.
5.4 Illegal Moves
Every now and then a player will make an illegal move, usually because they try to move too fast (ie. they move up two speed bands rather than only one). If this happens, and it is spotted when the move is being made, then the move is cancelled and replaced with an Observe move instead. If an illegal move is spotted later on, after at least one other Pit Fighter has moved or attacked, then the illegal move is allowed to stand.
6.0 Resolve Attacks
Attacks are resolved after all moves have been made. In the core game rules each Pit Fighter may make one attack per turn. Attacks are resolved in order of Initiative in exactly the same manner as moves and may be interrupted (see 5.0 and 5.2). Fully resolve each attack, including damage effects, before moving onto the next one.
Important Note: Any Pit Fighter that takes an Observe move may add +10 to their Initiative when determining the order of attacks.
6.1 Choose Target
In order to make an attack there must be a target in an adjacent hex (the additional rules section published in Issue 3 of Fanatic will include weapons with a greater range than one hex). Hexes that may be attacked will have an Attack modifier shown in the Attack/Defence modifiers section of the attacking Pit Fighter's scroll (see 2.2). Target's located in hexes where the Attack/Defence modifiers section of the attacking Pit Fighter's scroll has the letters 'NA' may not be attacked. An attacker with a choice of targets must pick one to attack.
6.2 Pick Hit Location
To resolve an attack both the attacker and the target must secretly write down one of the hit locations shown on the target's scroll on their roster. Once both players have picked a hit location then they are simultaneously revealed. If the defender guessed the location the attacker was going for, then the attack automatically misses. If the defender chose an area that is not even adjacent to the location chosen by the attacker, then the attack automatically hits. For any other circumstance then an attack roll off must be made to see if the attack hits or misses (see 6.3).
For example, assume that an Orc Pit Fighter is fighting another Orc. If the attacker chose to attack the head, then the attack would automatically miss if the defender also chose the head, the attack would automatically hit if the defender chose the groin or legs, and an attack roll off would be required if the defender chose the body or either arm.
6.3 Attack Roll Off
Assuming that the attack did not automatically hit or miss, then there is a roll off to see what happens. Each player must roll a D20 and add their Pit Fighter's Weapon Skill to the score. In addition the attacker is allowed to add any of the Attacker (A) modifiers from the Attack/Defence Modifiers section of their scroll, and the defender can add any of the Defender (D) modifiers from their scroll. If the attacker rolls higher he hits, if he rolls equal or lower he misses.
6.4 Critical Hits and Misses
If either the attacker or the defender rolls a 1 or a 20 on their Attack rolls, then something special has happened.
A roll of 1 always fails, so if the defender rolls it he will be hit, no matter what the attacker rolled, and if the attacker rolled it he will miss, no matter what the defender rolled. If both players roll 1s then the attacker's roll takes precedence and will apply, and the defender's roll is ignored (ie. the attack misses).
A roll of 20 is always a success, so if the defender rolls it he will not be hit, no matter what the attacker rolled, and if the attacker rolled it he will hit, no matter what the defender rolled. If both players roll 20s, then the attacker's roll takes precedence and will apply, and the defender's roll is ignored (ie. the attack hits).
6.5 Damage
If the attack hits, then compare the attacker's Strength to the target's Toughness to find what type of dice is rolled for damage.
| Difference between Strength & Toughness | Wound Dice |
|---|---|
| Strength ten or more points higher | D20 |
| Strength higher | D12 |
| Strength equal or up to ten points lower | D10 |
| Strength more than ten points lower | D6 |
Armour: Subtract the value of any armour worn on the location that has been hit, down to a minimum of 1 point of damage. Note that any attack that hits will always inflict at least 1 point of damage.
Mighty Blow Bonus: Any Pit Fighter that has taken a move that gives a Mighty Blow bonus may roll an extra D10 and add the score to the roll of its other dice. The value of any armour is subtracted from the total score of both dice. Remember that a Pit Fighter that loses a push off also loses their Mighty Blow bonus.
Any damage inflicted is subtracted from the target's Wounds, and may cause critical damage, as described next. Once a Pit Fighter's Wounds are reduced to 0 (zero) then the Pit Fighter is taken out – remove them from play. In a campaign, a Pit Fighter that has been taken out may well survive to return to the arena, but for the purposes of the core rules they count as having been killed. Campaign rules will be included in the follow-up article appearing in Issue 3 of Fanatic magazine.
6.6 Critical Damage
As well as reducing the target's Wounds, damage may also cause special critical effects. To find out what critical effect is caused simply refer to the Critical Damage charts below and cross-reference the amount of damage caused (after any reductions for armour etc) with the location that was hit.
Arm Critical Damage Chart
| Damage | Critical Effect |
|---|---|
| 1-4 | None |
| 5-6 | Arm Hurt |
| 7-8 | Lose Finger |
| 9-10 | Arm Broken |
| 11+ | Arm Chopped Off |
- Arm Hurt: The Pit Fighter suffers a -1 A/D modifier for the rest of the fight.
- Lose Finger: The Pit Fighter suffers a -1 A/D modifier permanently for each finger that is lost.
- Arm Broken: The Pit Fighter suffers a -3 A/D modifier for the rest of the fight. In a campaign a Pit Fighter with a broken arm must miss the next two pit fights while the arm recovers.
- Arm Chopped Off: The Pit Fighter suffers a -3 A/D modifier permanently. In addition the Pit Fighter will lose one additional Wound in the End Phase of each turn due to blood loss. In a campaign the Pit Fighter must miss the next two fights in order to recover from the wound, but the arm is permanently lost and they will continue to suffer the -3 A/D modifier.
Leg Critical Damage Chart
| Damage | Critical Effect |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | None |
| 3-6 | Leg Hurt |
| 7-8 | Kneecap Damaged |
| 9-10 | Leg Broken |
| 11+ | Leg Chopped Off |
- Leg Hurt: The Pit Fighter's Initiative is reduced by 1 point for the rest of the fight.
- Kneecap Damaged: The Pit Fighter's Initiative is reduced by 1 point permanently. In a campaign they must miss the next pit fight in order to recover.
- Leg Broken: The Pit Fighter's Initiative is halved and they may not pick fast moves for the rest of the pit fight. If the other leg is broken then the Pit Fighter is taken out; remove him from play. In a campaign the Pit Fighter must miss the next two fights in order to recover.
- Leg Chopped Off: The Pit Fighter's Initiative is halved and they may not pick fast moves for the rest of the pit fight. In addition the Pit Fighter will lose one additional Wound in the End Phase of each turn due to blood loss. In a campaign the Pit Fighter must miss the next two fights in order to recover from the wound and have their missing leg replaced by a wooden one. A Pit Fighter with a wooden leg has their Initiative reduced by 5 points, and they are not allowed to take fast moves. A Pit Fighter with two wooden legs must retire.
Groin Critical Damage Chart
| Damage | Critical Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | None |
| 2-4 | Stunned |
| 5-8 | Floored |
| 9-10 | Emasculated |
| 11+ | Hacked In Half |
- Stunned: The Pit Fighter suffers a -1 A/D modifier until the End Phase next turn.
- Floored: The Pit Fighter suffers a -1 A/D modifier until the End Phase next turn, and he is only allowed to choose a slow move next turn.
- Emasculated: The Pit Fighter is floored (see above). In addition he will lose one Wound in the End Phase of each turn. In a campaign he must miss the next pit fight in order to recover, and he will hate the opponent that inflicted the damage. A Pit Fighter that hates an opponent rolls an extra D6 when working out damage against them.
- Hacked In Half: The Pit Fighter is hacked into two halves and he is dead, dead DEAD! Remove him from play.
Body Critical Damage Chart
| Damage | Critical Effect |
|---|---|
| 1-4 | None |
| 5-6 | Rib Broken |
| 7-8 | Bleeding Wound |
| 9-10 | Disembowelled |
| 11+ | Chest Ripped Open |
- Rib Broken: The Pit Fighter suffers a -1 A/D modifier for the rest of the pit fight for each broken rib. In a campaign the Pit Fighter must miss the next fight in order to recover.
- Bleeding Wound: The Pit Fighter loses one extra Wound in the End Phase of each turn.
- Disembowelled: The Pit Fighter must use one arm to hold his guts in! The Pit Fighter suffers a -3 A/D modifier for the rest of the fight. In addition, the Pit Fighter may not choose to take any fast actions, and loses D3 Wounds in the End Phase of each turn.
- Chest Ripped Open: The Pit Fighter's chest has been ripped open and he is dead, dead DEAD! Remove him from play. The opponent that did the damage may pull the victim's heart from their exposed chest cavity and brandish it aloft by taking an Observe action next turn. This makes the crowd go wild and allows the Pit Fighter to take an extra Adrenalin Rush counter. In a campaign the victim counts as being worth three opponents towards the five opponents required to learn a skill.
Head Critical Damage Chart
| Damage | Critical Effect |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | None |
| 3-6 | Stunned |
| 7-8 | Stunned & Scar |
| 9-10 | KO'd |
| 11+ | Decapitated |
- Stunned: The Pit Fighter may not attack for the remainder of this turn or next turn.
- Stunned & Scar: Roll a D10 and refer below.
- 1-8 = Impressive facial scar with a length in inches equal to the dice roll. This has no game effect but is cool!
- 9 = Ear hacked off (roll randomly for which). -1 Initiative permanently.
- 10 = Blinded in one eye. -1 A & D permanently.
- If an eye or ear that has been lost is hit again then ignore the result. A Pit Fighter can lose both ears (-2 Initiative), but a Pit Fighter that loses both eyes must retire.
- KO'd: The fighter has been taken out. Remove him from play. If playing a campaign then the Pit Fighter will fully recover in time for the next pit fight unless the wound also reduced them to zero or less Wounds, in which case they must roll on the Recovery chart as normal.
- Decapitated: The Pit Fighter's head has been lopped off and he is dead, dead DEAD! Remove him from play. The opponent that did the damage may grab the severed head and brandish it aloft by taking an Observe action next turn. This makes the crowd go wild and allows the Pit Fighter to take an extra Adrenalin Rush counter. In a campaign the victim counts as being worth three opponents towards the five opponents required to learn a skill.
6.7 Adrenalin Rush Bonus
A Pit Fighter that inflicts one or more points of damage on an opponent receives an Adrenalin Rush bonus. An Adrenalin Rush bonus must be used before the end of the following turn or it is lost. An Adrenalin Rush bonus may be used to do one of the following things:
- The bonus may be used at any time to add +10 points to a characteristic. This bonus will last until the End Phase of the turn and then wears off. Note that you can take the bonus at any time, so you could, for example, roll the dice and see the score before deciding if you want to take a bonus. Also note that you can use the bonus to add +10 Wounds, which may result in a Pit Fighter staying on their feet until the End Phase of the turn and then collapsing when the bonus is lost.
- The bonus may be used to move one extra hex just before the Pit Fighter carries out its move. The extra hex of movement is always straight ahead. Take the extra move and then carry out the Pit Fighter's chosen action normally.
- The bonus may be used in the End Phase of the turn it is received or in the End Phase of the following turn to recover 5 points of lost damage. The recovered points may be added back to Wounds or any other characteristics that has been reduced, as the player sees fit. No characteristic may be increased beyond its starting level.
7.0 End Phase
The End Phase is basically a tidy up phase used to see if the combat is over and also to resolve the effects of some rules and mark the end of a turn. Once all necessary actions have been carried out the turn is over and a new turn can begin.
7.1 Winning The Combat
A pit fight continues until half or more (rounding fractions up) of the Pit Fighters that started the combat have been taken out. For example, in a pit fight with five Pit Fighters, the fight would end once three had been taken out. The winner is the Pit Fighter that is still standing and that caused the most damage during the combat. In the case of a tie the Pit Fighter that first inflicted any damage is declared the winner.
Note that you should keep track of the amount of damage inflicted by your Pit Fighter so you can determine who the winner is.
This is all you need to play the Pit Fighter game. Expanded rules for the game were published in Issue 3 of Fanatic magazine, see "Return To The Pit" below.
Return To The Pit
In Issue One of Fanatic we included a set of rules that allowed players to take part in battles in the blood-soaked battle pits of the Empire. (If by some dreadful misfortune you don't have a copy of Fanatic 1, then don't despair as you can download the rules from the Mordheim website. You will require a set of the original rules to use the new rules described below.)
The original Pit Fighter article only covered the types of Pit Fighter that battle in the 'classic style'. The additional rules below add several new types of Pit Fighter, each of whom fights in a very different manner to the classic style Pit Fighters of the Old Empire. It also includes rules for campaigns, and for different styles of combat.
8.0 Rules Changes
Further playtesting has led us to changing one of the rules in the original Pit Fighter article.
Arm Attacks: We've found that it is almost impossible to fully parry an attack on your arms, as the opponent is allowed to choose to attack either arm no matter where they may be standing. To stop this happening, the arms are treated as a single location, just as the legs are. In other words, rather than choosing to attack or defend the left or right arm, simply write down 'arms' on the roster. The 'arms' are assumed to be adjacent to the body for the purposes of adjudicating partial parries. If the Pit Fighter has two different armour values for his arms, then use the higher value.
8.1 New Pit Fighter Types
Players may choose to field the following new types of Pit Fighter. Note that some may only be used in certain styles of combat (see 8.3). The starting characteristics for all the types of Pit Fighter are summarised on the table below.
Pursuers: Pursuers are a style of Pit Fighter that originated some time after the Pit Fighters that fight in the classical style. They wear lighter equipment than the older style of Pit Fighter, though it is still based on the fighting style of enemies of the Empire.
Troll Slayer: The Dwarf Troll Slayer warrior caste often agree to fight in the pit fighting arenas of the Empire. Troll Slayers use the starting characteristic profile given below.
Ogres: Ogres are often used as mercenaries in Empire armies, and considering their size and strength it is hardly surprising that some have ended up agreeing to fight in the Empire's pit fighting arenas as well. Ogres are usually only used in a special style of combat called Sigmar style, though very occasionally they have been used in single contest against especially skilled human champions known as Pit Kings.
Pit Kings: The title of Pit King is given to a Pit Fighter that takes on and defeats a team of three opponents. This style of combat is known as fighting in the Sigmar style. Any type of Pit Fighter, other than an Ogre, can choose to fight such a battle in order to earn the coveted Pit King title. The title is lost as soon as the Pit King is taken down. The best way to include Pit Kings in your games is to use the campaign rules below. If a Pit King is required for a one-off game then they may be represented by any manner of Pit Fighter other than an Ogre. When working out a Pit King's characteristics they receive +30 extra characteristic points rather than +10 points as is normally the case.
Fighter Starting Characteristics Table
| Type | Weapon Skill | Strength | Toughness | Initiative | Wounds | Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic: Undead, Empire, Orc, Chaos | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 10 | +10 |
| Pursuer: Skink, Witch Elf | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 10 | +10 |
| Troll Slayer | 30 | 30 | 40 | 20 | 10 | +10 |
| Ogres | 30 | 50 |
8.2 New Weapons
The following special rules apply to the nets and javelins used by some Pit Fighters.
Javelins: A javelin can be used to attack opponents in an adjacent hex, or in a hex two hexes away. The Pit Fighter's chart will show which hexes can be attacked. Javelins are not the most powerful of weapons, and so the Pit Fighter using them can never count as having a Strength that is higher than their opponent's Toughness. If their Strength is higher, it counts as being equal to the opponent's Toughness instead. In addition a Pit Fighter armed with a javelin may only take the Mighty Blow bonus against opponents in an adjacent hex.
Net: Like a javelin, a net may be used to attack an opponent that is up to two hexes away. However, it may not be used against opponents that are in an adjacent hex. If the net hits then it ensnares the opponent instead of inflicting damage. An ensnared opponent has their WS halved and may not move or attack until they have freed themselves. To get free an ensnared Pit Fighter must take an Observe action and then roll a D10. They escape on a roll of 10 on the first attempt, 9-10 on the second attempt, and so on. Note that a Pit Fighter who ensnares an opponent loses their net for the rest of the battle.
8.3 New Styles Of Combat
Players may agree to fight using the following new styles of combat. If it is impossible for the players to agree which style of combat to use then it must be fought in the Free style.
Classic Style: Only classical style Pit Fighters or Troll Slayers may be used. The combat is fought one against all until over half the Pit Fighters taking part have been taken down.
Pursuit Style: Only pursuer style Pit Fighters or Troll Slayers may be used. The combat is fought one against all until over half the Pit Fighters taking part have been taken down.
Free Style: Any type of Pit Fighter other than Pit Kings or Ogres may be used. The combat is fought one against all until over half the Pit Fighters taking part have been taken down.
Sigmar Style: A Sigmar style combat pits one Pit Fighter against three opponents. In its original form the single fighter would always be a Pit Fighter attempting to emulate Sigmar and earn the title of Pit King, but more recently an Ogre can also be used. The combat is fought until only one side has no one standing.
Alliance Style: An alliance is fought between two or more equal sized teams of Pit Fighters. Any style of Pit Fighters may be used, with the proviso that all teams must have equal numbers of Ogres and/or Pit Kings. The combat is fought one team against all until only one team has any member standing.
In addition to the styles described above there are literally hundreds of other styles of combat that are particular to certain provinces or cities of the Empire, or certain arenas. For example, the Black Pits on the outskirts of Mordheim often feature combats against hideously mutated creatures, while the huge arenas of Altdorf hold enormous combats between dozens of Pit Fighters that are based on famous battles fought by the Empire. Players should feel free, therefore, to devise their own new styles of combat. Just remember that if you can't agree on a style to use, then you must fight using the Free style.
8.4 Campaigns
Most Pit Fighters are slaves that belong to a pit fighting 'school'. In a campaign each player takes on the part of the owner of such a school, working their Pit Fighters in the arenas of the Old World.
At the start of a campaign each player must create a stable of five Pit Fighters: two of the Classic style, two Pursuit style, plus one Ogre. A Troll Slayer may be substituted for any one of the Classic or Pursuit style Pit Fighters. Work out the starting characteristics for each Pit Fighter as you would normally.
When you fight a combat as part of a campaign you must pick the Pit Fighter that takes part from the Pit Fighters in your stable. All of the normal restrictions apply. Note that you can only use the Ogre (or Pit King if you have one) if the combat style chosen allows them to be used. Normally, players will only be allowed to pick one Pit Fighter from their stable. However, experienced players may choose to control two or more Pit Fighters as a single team in an Alliance or Sigmar style combat.
8.41 Campaign Injuries
Pit Fighters that are slain by critical damage results are replaced with a new Pit Fighter of the same type. Any Pit Fighter that was taken down during a combat is assumed to recover fully unless they suffer a critical damage result that either kills or permanently injures them. However, they must miss the next combat their stable takes part in while they recover. Some critical damage results also force Pit Fighters to miss fights. In any case where several things will force a Pit Fighter to miss a fight, then only the worst penalty is used. For example, a Pit Fighter is taken out in a fight (miss one fight) and also suffers a damaged kneecap (miss one fight) and a broken arm (miss two fights). The Pit Fighter must miss two fights, as this was the worst injury they suffered.
8.42 Campaign Training
Any Pit Fighter that survives a campaign combat receives a +1 bonus to the characteristic of their owner's choice. In addition, Pit Fighters that have taken down at least five opposing Pit Fighters are allowed to learn a skill from the list below. Once a Pit Fighter receives a skill they must take down another five opponents before taking another skill. No skill may be taken more than once and all bonuses are cumulative. (Players that prefer to have Pit Fighters progress more quickly can say that they learn a skill after taking down three opponents).
To generate a new skill, roll 2D6 one after the other, counting the first roll as tens and the second as units. This will generate a number between 11 and 66 and is known as a D66 roll. For example, if the first dice rolled a 4 and the second a 5 then the score would be 45. If you roll a skill you already have or may not use, then roll again.
8.43 Becoming a Pit King
The ultimate aim of every Pit Fighter is to become a Pit King. To do this they must fight in the Sigmar style and win. A Pit Fighter that does this may wear the crown of a Pit King, and the player that controls them wins the campaign!
Pit Fighter Skill Table
D66 Skill
- 11-12 Adjust Facing: You may change your facing by one hex side left or right after all other Pit Fighters have taken their moves.
- 13-14 Attack Master: You may choose to re-roll the dice when you attack. If you do so you must accept the result of the second roll.
- 15-16 Avoid Armour: The value of any armour is halved (rounding up) against your attacks.
- 21-22 Bruiser: All the Pit Fighter's Damage rolls receive a +1 modifier. If the Pit Fighter makes a Mighty Blow add +1 to each dice roll.
- 23-24 Counter: You may only use this skill against an opponent with a lower Initiative and as long as you don't interrupt their attack. If both these restrictions apply then your Weapon Skill counts as being 5 points higher on both attack and defence.
- 25-26 Defence Master: You may choose to re-roll the dice when you defend. If you do so you must accept the result of the second roll.
- 31-32 Dirty Fighter: You may choose to add +5 to your Weapon Skill when you attack or defend. However, after you have used the bonus against an opponent they will be wise to your sneaky tricks and the bonus does not apply to them again for the rest of the combat.
- 33-34 Disarm: You may try to disarm an opponent instead of making a normal attack. Both Pit Fighters roll D20+WS. You, the Pit Fighter with this skill, must score higher to disarm the opponent. A Pit Fighter that has been disarmed halves their Weapon Skill, until they manage to retrieve their weapon by taking an Observe action.
- 35-36 Extra Attack: Make an extra attack. The first attack takes place at the Pit Fighter's full Initiative and Weapon Skill, the second at half his Initiative and Weapon Skill. The attacks may be made against the same or different opponents.
- 41-42 Fast Reactions: Your Initiative counts as being 5 points higher when resolving moves.
- 43-44 Haymaker: Roll an extra D20 when you make a Mighty Blow, rather than an extra D10 as would normally be the case.
- 45-46 Lightning Strike: Your Initiative counts as being 5 points higher when resolving attacks.
- 51-52 Quick Witted: Once per combat you may re-roll any dice roll. If you do so you must accept the result of the second roll.
Pit Fighter Scrolls
Source note: the eight Pit Fighter scrolls (Chaos, Empire, Orc, Undead, Ogre, Skink, Slayer, Witch Elf) appear only as image pages in the source PDF (pages 15-22). Their special-rule text and move names are transcribed below. The hex move diagrams (facing arrows, start and end hexes, red mighty-blow arrows), the Attack/Defence modifier grids and the armour and hit-location labels are picture-only in the source and are not reproduced here; consult the printed scroll for them. Items marked "(as read)" were read from a rotated scan and should be checked against the original.
Each move name is listed under its speed band. Moves are carried out as described in 4.0 and 5.0.
Chaos Pit Fighter
Special rule: Chaos Pit Fighters are renowned for the lightning fast fury of their attacks. Add +5 to your Initiative when determining the order of attacks.
- Fast: Swerve Left, Run, Sprint, Swerve Right
- Medium: Advance Left, Lunge, Leap, Dash, Advance Right, Advance
- Slow: Hack, Right Side Step, Jump Back, Back Up, Observe, Left Side Step
Empire Pit Fighter
Special rule: Empire Pit Fighters roll an extra D20 whenever they make a mighty blow, rather than an extra D10 as would normally be the case.
- Fast: Swerve Left, Run, Leap, Sprint, Swerve Right
- Medium: Advance Left, Advance, Dash, Lunge, Advance Right
- Slow: Left Side Step, Hack Left, Observe, Back Up, Jump Back, Hack, Hack Right, Right Side Step
Orc Pit Fighter
Special rule: Orc Pit Fighter's Damage rolls receive a +1 modifier. If the Orc makes a mighty blow add +1 to each dice roll.
- Fast: Swerve Left, Leap, Run, Sprint, Waaargh!, Swerve Right
- Medium: Advance Right, Advance, Dash, Lunge, Advance Left
- Slow: Hack, Right Side Step, Jump Back, Back Up, Observe, Left Side Step
Undead Pit Fighter
Special rule: An Undead Pit Fighter may make an extra attack. The first attack takes place at the Pit Fighter's full Initiative and Weapon Skill, the second at half his Initiative and Weapon Skill. The attacks may be made against the same or different opponents.
- Fast: Swerve Left, Circle Left, Run, Sprint, Leap, Circle Right, Swerve Right
- Medium: Advance Left, Lunge, Dash, Advance, Advance Right
- Slow: Left Side Step, Observe, Back Up, Jump Back, Hack, Right Side Step
Ogre Pit Fighter
Special rule: Anyone hit by the Ogre will be smashed back one hex away from the Ogre, just as if they were stationary, and lost a push back. (as read)
- Fast: Sprint, Dash, Run
- Medium: Advance Right, Advance, Lunge, Advance Left
- Slow: Mighty Blow, Back Up, Observe
Skink Pit Fighter
Special rule: The Skink's javelin and net can be used to attack models that are two or more hexes away. See main rules for details.
- Fast: Swerve Left, Curve Left, Dash, Sprint, Curve Right, Swerve Right
- Medium: Advance Left, Circle Left, Lunge, Run, Advance, Advance Right, Circle Right
- Slow: Left Side Step, Observe, Back Up, Jump Back, Right Side Step
Slayer Pit Fighter (Troll Slayer)
Special rule: The Slayer's Strength always counts as being at least equal to his opponent's Toughness. Add +10 to Strength in push-offs. Add +2 to damage inflicted. (as read)
- Fast: Swerve Left, Leap, Charge, Dash, Curve Right, Swerve Right
- Medium: Advance Left, Lunge, Advance, Advance Right
- Slow: Left Side Step, Back Up, Observe, Hack, Right Side Step
Witch Elf Pit Fighter
Special rule: The Witch Elf flips right over the [word unclear in scan] hexes when she makes a forward or backward flip. Ignore whatever is in the hex, be it another Pit Fighter, a trapped hex or whatever. (as read)
- Fast: Swerve Left, Curve Left, Dash, Sprint, Curve Right, Swerve Right
- Medium: Lunge, Run, Forward Flip, Advance, Advance Left, Advance Right
- Slow: Left Side Step, Back Up, Observe, Back Flip, Right Side Step