Archetypes

The skills system opens up a lot of possibilities, so you can design the Heroes that you want to play. There are, however, some proven Archetypes that are better built and developped in a certain way.

There are dozens Archetypes, here's a few (and feel free to add you own) :

## Hidden Thrower

1. First focus on attacks to rake up the kills: Thrown Weapons Mastery, BS Increase (up to BS 45+), Knife Fighter and Strength Increase (up to Str 35+, so your stars can hit with Str 30+). Learn the Alpha Strike, and point-blank shooting (right next to target = very high hit chances and damage).
2. Then train to fight from the shadows: Initiative Increase (up to 40+), Hidden in the Shadows, Quick Reactions, Ambush, Initiative Increase (up to 50+) and Sprint (for mobility).
3. Finally: Armour Training, Wounds Increase, Resilient and Lightning Reflexes to get Dodge.

Marienburg Marksmen with Throwing Daggers can take that Archetype, as they have access to Speed and Shooting skills. Elves can also fulfil this archetype, if your warband has access to them. Skaven are already skilled in Thrown Weapons, have access to Throwing Stars and Perfect Killer, and higher Initiative and Move (both help to hide, either by delaying your action or moving from cover to cover).

You may want Quick Shot at some point (maybe after Ambush?), but that's overkill for that Archetype, IMHO.

## Sniper

1. First focus on hitting your target with a high-accuracy bow, either the Long Bow or Elven Bow Bow Mastery, Eagle Eyes, BS Increase (up to BS 50+).
2. Then increase the effectiveness of your Alpha Strike : Initiative Increase (up to 40+), Quick Reactions, Ambush and Quick Shot.
3. Finally, get Perception and a Lantern to reveal hidden targets, and accumulate levels (3) and gold crowns (500+) to get, all at once, a Hochland Long Rifle & Sight\* and the Blackpowder Mastery, Nimble and Hunter skills.

\*This rifle is very expensive and doesn't show up often in the Store, so you may want to invest extra levels in Streetwise and Haggle. Other than that, really focus on Ballistic Skill (the higher it is, the higher damage will be ; see Combat for details).

I prefer Bows over Crossbows and Blackpowders for that build (for the first 12 levels or so), because they are cheaper and it is more important to shoot often (move and fire with a bow) and hit targets in cover (Mastery unlocks this advantage with Bow and Elven Bow), than +10 Str with a bad aim (vs cover) and low rate of fire (because you just can't move and then fire).

From my experience, a Long Bow or Elven Bow are as good hitting targets in cover with the proper Mastery skill, with or without the Trick Shooter skill. Maybe this is a bug, but this is why I never spend two levels on that skill (dependent on Crossbow Training). Use these levels and one more for Blackpowders (and that Hochland Long Rifle & Sight).

Reiklanders have amazing Marksmen, but they can't learn the Ambush and Perception skills as, despite their henchmen's access to Shooting skills, they cannot level in Speed skills. Marienburg thus make the best henchmen Snipers in Mordheim. They will lack heavy armour, but their range should make up for it (and Dodge vs ranged attacks), as well as access to more rare weapons and at a lower price.

Witch Hunters' Zealots can train to become Snipers too, but can't use Bows and start with a maximum Ballistic Skill of 25 (with 8 increases). A Handgun will have to do the job until you can get Nimble and Hunter. Undead, Skaven and Middenheimers can't train proper Snipers.

## Recon

1. First, equip your Recon with Lantern to reveal hidden units, an Ithilmar Sword to do so before your companions get to act (Initiative +10) and to defend while doing so (Parry +25), and a Pistol or Crossbow Pistol to attack right away the revealed ennemies.
2. Take Blackpowder Training and Mastery, Advanced Weapons Training and Mastery, and then Initiative Increase (up to 40+), Perception and Sprint so the Recon can do the first part of its job well (get first to the front, do so fast, and reveal hidden units).
3. Your Recon will survive in its hard task with a combination of defensive and offensive skills (remove threats before they attack). In this order, take: Armour Training, BS Increase (up to 45+), Quick Shot, Wounds Increase 1 (and the needed Strength Increase 1), Resilient, Weapon Skill (up to 50+), Step Aside and Lightning Reflexes (and the needed Quick Reactions).

Mercenary Captains make the best Recon units in Mordheim. They have access to all the required Speed and Strength Skills, and even to Arcane Lore and Flight of Zimmerman. Skaven Assassins don't have that spell, but they're naturally fast, can take the Infiltration skill, can cast Sorcerer's Curse for good team work, and their Warplock Pistols are deadly.

Many other units make good Recons (Vampires, Witch Hunter Captain), but some will not have access to all the needed skills (like Pit Fighters and most Henchmen). Still, most Warbands will want at least two units in that role, and will do with an expert and an okay Recon.

## Tank

1. Your tank should be designed to soak up damage and draw the aggression of melee units without dying as a result. While heavy armours like Full Plate, Dwarven Plate, Heavy Banded Armour and the much-prized Gromril Armour come at high price points, they can be dispensed with at early stages provided your tank levels up their maximum Wounds. Armour Training avoids the Movement reduction when wearing armour or equipping shields. Weapon Skill serves the dual purpose of increasing the chance to hit others while decreasingthe chance of others to hit you, and should be increased to its maximum.
2. The weapons equipped comes down to your preferred flavour of Tank. Generally helpful skills are the Advanced Weapon Master Combat Skill to get the most out of the best melee weapons available, Fearsome to ignore the fearsomeness of your opponents as well as to cause fear in those that are not also fearsome, Strongman if applicable to advanced two-handed weapons, and Mighty Blow after that to add strength to each attack. If your warband or mercenary tank candidate has access to Speed Skills, Quick Recovery enables your Tank to avoid stunning, and keep using Weapon Skill and Parry to defend while on their feet.
	* One able to parry frequently to reduce incoming damage beyond armour points should use an Ithilmar Sword with its 30% chance to parry and a Spiked Gauntlet in the left hand with a 12% chance to parry. The closest Skaven approximation is the Jagged Sword (25%) with Half Shield (10%). The Web of Steel skill adds a 10% chance to parry as well.
	* A Tank that scores criticals to quickly deal with lightly-armoured opponents should use an Ostland Great Axe with a 25% additional chance to hit a critical. Ogres can use the Ogre Axe (25%, one handed) or the Ogre Great Axe (20%, two-handed). The Strike to Injure skill adds a 10% chance to score criticals.
	* The anti-tank Tank build is perhaps the most viable as it emphasises damage while bypassing armour. It is also the only kind available to the Sisters of Sigmar henchmen, who do not use bladed weapons. For this, your warrior needs the Comet Maul (or Sigmarite Great Hammer, if your faction has access to it) which sets a cap of 25 armour for your opponent and adds 20 strength. The Skaven equivalent is the Mace, which has the same armour cap, is one handed but has no strength increase.

Ogres make the best tanks, and are available to all factions apart from the Skaven on the grounds of ~~competing ravenous appetites~~ good ogre morals. Skaven in general do not make very good tanks, with rush and swarm tactics better suiting their available options. Ogres have an innate racial Defence of 15 and maximum Wounds of 15.

Generic Henchmen for all factions make good tanks, so long as their Wounds value is 5, their Strength is 30 or more (on the grounds of access to Fearsome after +15 Strength from Stregnth Increases) and Weapon Skill of 30 or more (20 or more for Sisters Novices, Undead Dregs and Hunters Zealots, who have eight increaes in place of six).

## Damage Dealer "Pistolier"

1. First, equip your Pistolier with a Pistol or a Crossbow Pistol, and later on a Dual Pistol when you have taken the Pistolier ability.
2. Take Blackpowder Training and Mastery, Pistolier and then Ballistic Skill Increase (up to 40+), Hunter,
3. Aftewords you have two choices, protect your pistolier with Armour Training, Wounds Increase (and the needed Strength Increase (This skill also increase the damage output, since the strenght value of the dual weapon is equal to the strength of the character)), Resilient or keep focussing on the damage output Eagle Eyes(so you can shoot from further distances), Ballistic Skill Increase (up to 45+), Quick Shot (Only the main Pistol gets the one extra shot) and more Ballistic Skill Increase (the higher it is, the higher damage will be ; see Combat for details).
4. Finally you can take Inititative Increase to make sure you are the first to attack and other skills taht increase the number of attacks and damage.

## Swashbuckler

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