Koyote enters the Underhive -Necromunda

[Koyote]

So I've decided to take the plunge and play Necromunda.  Returning to the GW fold makes me feel kinda icky, but I'll just keep telling myself that it's "Specialist Games".



Based upon from what I've read on the interwebs and my own observations, the House I've chosen, Cawdor, isn't really good at any one thing, so it's a bit of an underdog gang.   Nevertheless, I love the models and I'm eager to get started.

Overall, the stats of Cawdor fighters are slightly worse than those of other houses, but in exchange they are less expensive.  Similarly, some of their equipment is inferior,  but again,  this appears to be balanced out by a decrease in price.  Taken together, I was initially convinced that Cawdor gangs are supposed to make up for what they lack in stats and equipment with gang size, so my first shot at a 1000 credit Cawdor list included 12 models.  However, this notion got thrown out the window when I got a look at the scenarios in the Necromunda Rulebook, where many, if not most, restrict the gang size to a randomly generated number between 4 and 7 models.



So I went back to the drawing board and designed a gang comprised of 10 models.  The credits not spent on the gangers number 11 and 12 were instead spent on extra equipment.

Leader: polearm-autogun, flail, mesh armor, & bulging biceps
Champion: cawdor heavy crossbow, & headbutt
Champion: long rifle, flail, auto-pistol, & bull charge
Ganger: polearm-blunderbuss
Ganger: polearm-blunderbuss
Ganger: reclaimed autogun & axe
Ganger: reclaimed autogun & axe
Ganger: flail & reclaimed auto-pistol
Ganger: flail & reclaimed auto-pistol
Juve: stubgun, auto-pistol, & flak armor

If I were to use this in campaign play, my priority post-game purchases would include smoke grenades, incendiary grenades, a cult icon, and bomb delivery rats.

The cawdor polearm weapons appear to be a point of contention with the internetz chattering class, but they look cool and if used correctly, can give my gang some modest advantages -namely, the ability to deny some reaction attacks and equip models with half-price hand flamers.

Equipping my leader with a polearm-autogun isn't optimal, but the model pictured below is my favorite out-of-the box pose, so that model is going to be my leader. I'll give him a different head, a flail hanging from his belt, and add a bit of bling, but that's probably about it.



Since this is going to be primarily a painting project (I typically spend much more time painting than playing), I spent a lot of time looking online at how others have painted their Cawdor.  I decided to shamelessly steal someone else's color scheme, and paint them yellow and black.  The Imperial Fists recruit from Necromunda, so perhaps my gang's color is meant to emulate the Emperor's angels of death?

WIP pics to follow...

[Koyote]

I told myself that if I get into Necromunda, I won't go hog wild and build a full table of terrain for it.  I'd play on store terrain or other players' tables.

However, I am intrigued by the two types of play, Sector Mechanicus and Zone Mortalis. 

I've always like the look of Zone Mortalis boards, but since I've hung up my bolter and chainsword, I haven't had much use for Zone Mortalis terrain, until now.

Giving FW a car payment for 15 pounds of toxic resin isn't very appealing; however, I recently learned that Death Ray Designs sells a nice MDF alternative.  Even better, one of Death Ray's kits, the Deadbolt’s Derelict Corridors Bundle, appears to have been designed specifically for the Necromunda tiles and scenarios, and you get it all for only $130. 

I can see myself using the Death Ray walls and Necromunda tiles for TNT as well. 

Hmm?  Not bad.  Not bad at all. 

The Deadbolt’s Derelict: Corridors Bundle include parts to build the following:

• 18 Corridor Double Wall (1.3″ x 3.7″ x 2.75″)
• 20 Corridor Single Wall (1.3″ x 2″ x 2.75″)
• 24 Corridor Columns (2″ x 2″ x 2.75″)

    This bundle is a boatload of terrain, great for Necromunda, Warhammer 40k, This is Not a Test and just about any other sci-fi tabletop.  These walls are sized to fit the Games Workshop Necromunda: Underhive Tile sets and contains enough pieces to set up any of the scenarios maps from the base game.

 

[AWu]

I would consider rethinking s starting skills choice
.
Headbutt and biceps are lets say suboptimal (more like kinda worthless)

if you want them to be a combat monsters I would look at step aside, parry and that one that changes combat to simple action.
And leader can have Leadership skills..

But thats purely gaming advice
I am awaiting your paintjobs on them 

[Koyote]

I would consider rethinking s starting skills choice
.
Headbutt and biceps are lets say suboptimal (more like kinda worthless)

if you want them to be a combat monsters I would look at step aside, parry and that one that changes combat to simple action.
And leader can have Leadership skills..

But thats purely gaming advice
I am awaiting your paintjobs on them 

I appreciate advice, gaming or otherwise. 

I don't disagree with your assessment, but my selections are not driven entirely by a desire to win.  Don't get me wrong, I like to win, but for me aesthetics and story telling are also important parts of the hobby.  As time goes by, my memories of particular victories and losses fade, but memories of crazy events and colorful characters remain.   

I chose Headbutt for the champion because he isn't armed with a melee weapon and I think I'd be hilarious to see him take out an enemy model with a headbutt.  In fact, I may decide that eschewing melee weapons is simply one of that champion's (many) quirks. 

As I mentioned above, I elected to arm my leader with the polearm because it looks cool.  Bulging biceps helps me offset some of the polearm's disadvantages.

If my leader uses the polearm's Versatile rule and doesn't fight base-to-base, he gets two +1 strength attacks with his polearm (3 if he charged) with no to-hit modifier.  Unless his opponent also has the Versatile rule, the polearm deprives that opponent of any reaction attacks.

If my leader is charged or elects to fight base-to-base, his polearm suffers a -1 to hit modifier, but since he has Bulging Biceps he can fight with polearm and flail as well, giving him some attacks at a +1 to hit and +1 strength (plus other nifty bonuses). 

If a model has an odd number attacks, the controlling player gets to decide which weapon gets the extra attack die.  So, if my leader is in base-to-base, he'll favor his flail.

If my leader gets another skill, it will probably be Rain of Blows.  As you pointed out, it's a very good skill.

[Dr Mathias]

I'd originally planned to make my own 3D Zone Mortalis to match the Necromunda scenarios. I designed some floor tiles and had them 3D printed, made some molds and cast them in dental plaster. I made four boards, but I haven't been able to settle on how to do walls and kept think it was not worth my time (which is tight these days!).

About two weeks ago I found the Deathray site and decided to save some sanity by buying the Deadbolt Derelict kit. I'm almost finished painting it. It does the trick and I think it is reasonably priced. I'll be posting pics in the near future.

Good luck on your journey!

[AWu]

I played Goliaths only so far this edition so toi be honest havent seen polearms in action (saw them once in a intro game I ran for new players and pole arm blunderbusses were insane but he was Bussing not poleing).

My experience points me to Overseer skill for a leader (it is great ald let you leader lead and not only smash thing (said that in my next gang I will play brutal leader and take something other). I tend to take leadership on leaders as for me skills are rare advance. My gangers either do not gain xp or gain it in such numbers I go for T or W advances SO far I bought only T W and BS... In new Dominion campaign advances are cheaper and skills do not get xp penalty so they will be more prominent.
I am planing to try Mentor but I am yet to use it.



As to headbutt I like your choice thematically but in reality models rarely survive attack by dedicated cc ganger. And he have to survive and to make an action to use it. Its just not very probable. But as I said I like you fluff reasons. Now you have to model him huge forehead
Another question is do you really want bull charge on your sniper ?
Some combinations are just not that useful not because they are inherently bad skills but that gangers wont have chance to use them at all.


Polearms guns and bomb rats are my reasons to play Cawdor though but I will be building them after I paint Orlocks and Van Saar Ive built already*)
*STill had colour block on Escher..

I'd originally planned to make my own 3D Zone Mortalis to match the Necromunda scenarios. I designed some floor tiles and had them 3D printed, made some molds and cast them in dental plaster. I made four boards, but I haven't been able to settle on how to do walls and kept think it was not worth my time (which is tight these days!).

About two weeks ago I found the Deathray site and decided to save some sanity by buying the Deadbolt Derelict kit. I'm almost finished painting it. It does the trick and I think it is reasonably priced. I'll be posting pics in the near future.

Ive started to do walls from foamcore but this just dont looks good.
Would consider those as they are great set but shipping cost are prohibitive..

[Koyote]

My experience points me to Overseer skill for a leader (it is great ald let you leader lead and not only smash thing (said that in my next gang I will play brutal leader and take something other).

...


Another question is do you really want bull charge on your sniper ?

When I designed my first list, my leader had the Overseer skill, but when I realized that it's a double-action, I changed my mind.  Essentially what Overseer does is it lets you give your leader's two actions to another model.  There are certainly instances where this will be fantastic, but it's situational and I fear that it may result in my leader sitting out too much of the game.

My answer to your sniper question is that I want my 2nd champion to be able to fulfill two rolls, fire support and close combat. 

Since Cawdor are not really good at any one thing, I think that flexibility rather than specialization is the way to go.

Some of my opponents will be much better in melee than my Cawdor.  In these instances, I may elect to hold my gang back and use their guns to take down few of their fighters before counter-attacking.  The long rifle will allow me to use my Champion's starting 3+ BS to good effect (it's S4, -1 AP, and has knock back).   

With zero access to shooting skills, it's going to be hard for my Cawdor to win a long range gun duel.  If I'm fighting a very shooty gang, to win I'll need to close with them quickly. And since I'm going to lose models as I close, I may want to have as many models moving forward as possible.  With this in mind, I want a champion who can advance with my other gangers and kick some butt when he gets there. 

The long rifle is a great weapon. It's relatively inexpensive and has long range, but doesn't take up two slots (like heavy weapons). It has good stats, and since it's not unwieldy, a model can move and shoot with it.  This gives the model wielding it a lot of flexibility.  It can operate as a stationary or pop-up sniper, or the model can advance in support of other models, firing its gun the whole way.

[Pictors Studio]

I just arbitrated two games today with Cawdor.  Bulging bicepts on the champion is the best thing they can do combined with that massive cross bow.  That thing packs a punch, one of the best weapons in the game. 

[axiom]

Long rifles are fantastic weapons. A Cawdor player in our campaign has 3, and it's very hard to escape them!

[Koyote]

Making my own bomb rats would be a simple conversion, but these little fellas are amazing, so I'll probably use rat proxies until these models are available.

[Inso]

Making my own bomb rats would be a simple conversion, but these little fellas are amazing, so I'll probably use rat proxies until these models are available.

Have you seen these ones?:

http://anvilindustry.co.uk/bomb-rats

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Have you seen these ones?:

http://anvilindustry.co.uk/bomb-rats

Cute.

[AWu]

While anvil rats are better rats FW ones are much more climatic

[wkeyser]

Hey take a look at Battle systems terrain. They make fantastic futuristic terrain that would work really well with Necromunda.

https://shop.battlesystems.co.uk

William

[von Lucky]

Don't mind me - just taking a seat.