Mordheim is not the sort of game one can pick up and immediately do well at, and that is one of its strengths. The gameplay is as brutal and unforgiving as the blighted city that gives the game its name (as well as being equally grim, dark, and flavorful). Perpetually in what is often called Iron Man mode, your every mistake, and success, is saved automatically. And, like any tabletop game, the dice (or, in this case, the RNG) can play utter havoc with your best laid plans. Characters that go down in battle do not always die when they go down but instead have a chance of injuries both physical and mental, occasionally with positive as well as negative effects (having a character lose an arm increases their dodge bonus, for example, but they can't use two handed weapons or shields). Given time to level up your Warband and figure out their strengths and weaknesses (which differ a great deal by race) Mordheim offers a lot of customization as you level up, with each member of your Warband leveling independently of one another. This does not mean the game is without its faults. Other than the aforementioned learning curve, which some will find a joyous challenge, it's a relatively slow experience. Every animation takes just a little longer than it feels like it should, as does waiting on enemy turns. The story missions, while well voiced and conceptually interesting, all take longer to complete than they should and are some of the least challenging parts of the game (this last because, unlike skirmishes, they do not level to your Warband. For maximum fun, I suggest doing them early). All that said, there's a lot to love here, a lot of variety, and a lot of replayability. This isn't the kind of game you can pass judgement on right away. It takes time to learn its ways and fully appreciate it, but once you get there it's a real treat of a strategy game with far more depth than it at first appears, and set in one of the most interesting fantasy settings around to boot.
