Editing Mordheim/Tactics (section)

====Skills====
The thing that separates your Heroes from your Henchmen, fundamentally, is that as they accumulate experience, they can gain '''Skills''', which are special abilities that provide all kinds of helpful bonuses, modifiers and special rules to your elite characters. There's a set of "Common" skills that are universal across the Mordheim range, but many warbands, especially the non-human ones, often have unique skills that only they can accrue, to better represent unique cultural aspects or biological attributes.

Precisely what Skills a Hero can learn is dictated by the type of Hero; your Warband Leader usually has the broadest array of possible skills, allowing for maximum customization, but other Heroes tend to have much more focused Skill options that will generally mesh with their combat archetype.

Whilst Warband-specific skills will be analyzed in their warband analysis below, we'll break down the common skills here, since they can be applied so diversely and are the most likely to affect your game.

There are five Common Skill tables, each with six skills on them; '''Combat''', '''Shooting''', ''Strength''', '''Speed''' and '''Academic'''.

'''Combat''' skills directly contribute to the hero's melee prowess, and consist of:
* ''Strike to Injure:'' Add +1 to all injury rolls caused by this hero in hand-to-hand combat.
* ''Combat Master:'' This hero is immune to "All Alone" tests and gains +1 Attack in each HtH combat phase so long as they are fighting 2 or more enemy models.
* ''Weapons Training:'' This hero can use ''any'' HtH combat weapon, not just the ones in his equipment options.
* ''Web of Steel:'' This hero gains +1 to all Critical Hit table rolls in HtH combat.
* ''Expert Swordsman:'' When this hero charges into combat, they can re-roll all missed attacks. Only works for heroes equipped with normal swords or weeping blades, not with two-handed swords or any other weapons.
* ''Step Aside:'' This hero can make a second, unmoddifiable 5+ saving throw against wounds suffered in close combat.

'''Shooting''' skills, obviously, are the projectile counterparts to Combat skills:
* ''Quick Shot:'' This hero can shoot a bow or crossbow twice per turn.
* ''Pistolier:'' This hero can fire a single pistol on the same turn it was reloaded, and can fire a brace of pistols (Any type) twice in the Shooting phase.
* ''Eagle Eyes:'' This hero adds +6" to the range of any missile weapon they uses.
* ''Weapons Expert:'' This hero can use ''any'' missile weapon, not just the ones in his equipment options.
* ''Nimble:'' This hero ignores the "Move OR Fire" rule for missile weapons. This cannot be combined with Quick Shot.
* ''Trick Shooter:'' This hero ignores cover modifiers when using missile weapons.
* ''Hunter:'' This hero can fire a handgun or Hochland long rifle each turn.
* ''Knife Fighter:'' This hero can throw up to 3 throwing knives or throwing stars in a single Shooting phase, and can divide their shots between any available targets. This skill cannot be combined with Quick Shot.

'''Strength''' skills boost a hero's physical brawn:
* ''Mighty Blow:'' This hero adds +1 Strength for close combat weapons only.
* ''Pit Fighter:'' This hero gains a +1 bonus to Weapon Skill and Attacks when fighting in a building or ruin.
* ''Resilient:'' This hero reduces the Strength of enemy attacks by -1 for determining their "To Wound" value.
* ''Fearsome:'' This hero gains the "Causes Fear" rule.
* ''Strongman:'' This hero ignores the "Always Strikes Last" rule for double-handed weapons and instead fights in normal Initiative order.
* ''Unstoppable Charge:'' This hero gains +1 Weapon Skill when charging.

'''Speed''' skills augment agility and mobility:
* ''Leap:'' This hero can make a d6" leap as a bonus during their Movement phase in addition to their regular move, run or charge. A leaping hero can clear man-sized models and obstacles 1" high without penalty.
* ''Sprint:'' This hero triples their Movement rate when running or charging.
* ''Acrobat:'' This hero can negate damage from jumping or falling 12" or less if they pass an Initiative test, and can re-roll failed Diving Charge rolls.
* ''Lightning Reflexes:'' This hero always strikes first when charged.
* ''Jump Up:'' This hero ignores Knocked Down results when rolling for injuries, unless knocked down by a successful helmet save or because of the No Pain rule.
* ''Dodge:'' This hero gains a pre-emptive, unmoddifiable 5+ save against missile attacks.
* ''Scale Sheer Surfaces:'' This hero does not need to makle Initiative tests to climb up or down, and can climb a distance equal to double their Movement value each turn.

'''Academic''' skills are a grab-bag of "thinking man" skills:
* ''Battle Tongue:'' Non-Undead Warband Leader only. This hero increases the range of their Leader ability by +6".
* ''Sorcery:'' Spellcaster Hero only. This hero gains a +1 bonus to spellcasting rolls.
* ''Streetwise:'' This hero gains a +2 bonus to rolls to find rare items.
* ''Haggle:'' This hero can knock -2d6 gold crowns off of the price of a single item (minimum price 1 gold) once per post-battle sequence.
* ''Arcane Lore:'' Cannot be taken by Witch Hunter, Sister of Sigmar Heroine, or Warrior-Priest. This hero becomes a Spellcaster using Lesser Magic.
* ''Wyrdstone Hunter:'' This hero can reroll one dice when rolling on the Exploration chart.
* ''Warrior Wizard:'' Spellcaster Hero only. This hero can wear armor ''and'' cast spells.