One of my battle brothers has a Fear Rating 1 (something coming from his armor, I think). Last session we encountered an Horde, he went in melee with them, and they rolled their test, and failed. Do they all suffer the effect of the Fear?
Hordes and Fear
I do not remember seeing an explanation in the DW books, but I believe Black Crusade mentions that hordes should get a bonus on their test v. fear equal to half of their magnitude, but other than that, yes, the whole horde is effected. (Tome of Blood, pg. 68)
Obviously some hordes and enemy types are immune to fear, and certain traits and leaders can mitigate its effects, but fear is pretty awesome against hordes without such advantages. I would give the PC's armor history the moment in the spotlight; scaring a whole horde into breaking is a good story!
Just posting up a reply to put this recent discussion back where it belongs after all the necro posting by yibbo.
The answer is on page 6 of the living errata:
Damaging a Horde (page 359): Add the following subsection
at the end of the description: “Hordes do not suffer from
Fear in the same way a single person would. Instead a Horde gains a
bonus to its Willpower Tests to resist effects of Fear equal to its current
Magnitude, and suffers appropriate penalties listed in Table 9-6: Fear
Test Difficulties (see page 277). If the Horde fails its Willpower Test
to resist effects of Fear it breaks and flees at its highest move value.
Hordes composed of enemies with the Fearless Talent, Blood Soaked
Tide Trait, Fear Trait, or Tyranid Trait are immune to Fear.”