Necromunda Returns!

One thing I have noticed over the many many years that I have been playing miniature games, and GW games in particular, is that I go through cycles of enthusiasm.  I have many friends in the hobby as well and I listen to a number of podcasts who have confirmed that others go through this cycle as well.

Well since 8th Edition of 40k has come out I know many people have gotten very excited and have got back into the hobby.  I, on the other hand have only gotten discouraged and have not been very interested in 40k, either playing or hobbying.

What started out as annoyance with GW releasing a new version of the rules which invalidated all of my old books, turned to anger when they told me that this was what I wanted.  I wanted GW to get rid of my new Chaos Legion rules that they just released.  I wanted them to throw the entire 30k community into uncertainty.  I also apparently wanted terrible new fluff that led to new bigger Space Marines and the return of the Primarchs.

That anger bubbled over onto the tabletop when I apparently can't figure out how to play the new edition and win.  I have won only a handful of games and I am getting frustrated.  I don't like to play 40k anymore it is just a very tedious system that plays quite different than before.  I can't actually play the army I want to play because it is not even remotely good.

All of the above has gotten me into a rut of dislike for 40k and also GW in general.

I have been in this rut before.  When the 4th Edition Chaos Codex came out I was so annoyed that they removed all of my legion rules and made Chaos bland that I felt like quitting.

It happened again when the 6th Edition Chaos Codex came out and basically just put a fresh coat of paint on the 4th ed codex.  Its was like that saying about lipstick on a pig.

Each time I have gotten into a rut about 40k something else GW does brings me back in.

It was Forgeworld in 4th Edition with the release of the first Siege of Vraks trilogy which brought in three new Chaos lists focused around traitor Imperial Guard.

It was Forgeworld again when they released the Horus Heresy series of Supplements that allowed me to create a 30k Iron Warrior Legion.

And this time its GW's new Specialist Games release of ......

NECROMUNDA!

Necromunda is back!

Necromunda is actually something that I want!

I preordered the box and the Gang War Supplement as well as Escher Dice for Xtine.  I also went on a building spree to create new terrain for Necromunda.  I have been saving many bits of GW terrain kits and other odds and ends to make new terrain out of.

Everything GW has released so far.

On the Necromunuda.com website they have released Rosters and the rules summary as well as the Gangs of Legend PDF which allows you to run four of the old gangs, Orlock, Cawdor, Van Saar, and Delaque.

On the Forgeworld.co.uk website they have released a special figure, Gor Half-Horn and have released a PDF of rules for him for free. His rules include the rules for Hired Guns which looks to be expanded upon in the next Gang War 2 book which I think will be released in January along with new House Orlock minis.

I am very excited for this because I think it will reinvigorate my love for the hobby and I really enjoy making terrain for Necromunda and other skirmish type games.

Here are some pictures of my new terrain WIPS:

With new tables shown off at 40K Open Day in Nottingham this past weekend along with the news that Orlocks are next, it seems that GW will be supporting Necromunda for quite a while.

Check out the Recalcitrant Daze blog for pics from 40K Open Day here:

 https://recalcitrantdaze.blogspot.com/2017/11/40k-open-day-2017.html

The New Necromunda rules are an interesting mix or 2nd edition 40k along with 8th edition 40k.  

They are also a mix of Rogue Trader (1st edition 40K) and Book of the Arbitrator (https://sites.google.com/site/aresarsenal/book-of-the-arbitrator)

The new rules have the new 40k convention of WYSIWYG stats for WS and BS as well as the new wound table.

They have added in new attributes like Cool and Willpower which make a comeback from Rogue Trader.  

They have also added the alternating activations of models like in Book of the Arbitrator and also the Primary and Secondary Skills and different type of Skill groups.

The weapons have a short and long range like 2nd edition 40k (and old Necromunda) and created a new type of variant on Necromunda; The Underhive or Zone Mortalis variant (Yes just like the expensive board tiles from Frogeworld).

There are new things as well like the Card mechanic with the Tactics cards and new types of dice.

I am really excited for this new version of Necromunda.  I have only scratched the surface with what I have done so far.  I hope to play more games and do a campaign both in the Underhive and then in the hive proper using a fully 3D table with height!

I will also get things modeled and painted up and share it here.  Tonight I might try and play Scenario 1 and see how it goes.  

I have added a new section on the blog with Necromunda resources on the right, make sure to check it out!

I will continue to report on my experiences with Necromunda and as always,  Until next time......

Iron Warriors VS Marines Errant 100 PL Blitz Mission

To read the previous entry of the story go here: http://apostlesofcontagion.blogspot.com/2017/09/iron-warriors-vs-ultramarines-100-power.html

Sorceror Melkor tried to think back to the fight with the Ultramarine Terminators and he tried to figure out exactly what had happened.  

He was a very quick Psy Caster when he needed to be and he certainly needed to be when those terminators charged into him.  He had cast a few offensive powers to try and break the terminator's resolve, but being Ultramarines he knew that would be difficult.

As one of the terminators took a swing at him with a powerfist, he quickly cast a psychic power he had always held in reserve in his mind.  One which he had never needed to use before.  It was a teleportation power.  It was supposed to teleport the caster a few kilometers but it had obviously backfired in some strange way.

The tank shook as a shell exploded mere inches from its hull and it jolted Melkor back to reality.  He was riding in an old Proteus Land Raider from the days of the Horus Heresy some 10,000 years prior.  His teleportation spell had sent him to a Heresy-Era Iron Warriors fleet which had somehow been transported into the future.  

He was with the Warsmith Martok in Martok's personal Proteus transport assaulting a Marines Errant-held city.  Melkor had convinced Martok he was worth keeping alive because he knew that Marines Errant were guarding the location of Atomic Weapons.  Atomics were some of the most powerful weapons in the Imperium and were also banned from regular use.

The Game

My friend Pen Dull was in town and we played a mini two-game campaign.

We played a basic Blitz scenario as our first of a series of two games.

To read the rules for this mission and the next go here: 

http://apostlesofcontagion.blogspot.com/2017/09/bunker-assault-battle-mission-extra.html

The battlefield.

The deployment.

The Iron Warriors go first.

Through a combination of Psychic powers and strategem cards, 

the large Iron Warrior unit eliminates a full squad with bolters.

The Iron Warriors advance towards the Marines Errant-held ruins.

A Rhino and a Vindicator use their smoke launchers.

The Contemptor is destroyed by the Marines Errant Predator.

The Vindicator is damaged by the other Predator.

The Vindicator shows it still has teeth by destroying the Dreadnought.

The Iron Warriors Tactical squad advances firing at the Marines Errant in the ruins.

The Iron Warriors get close enough that the lone remnant of the 

Honor Guard decides to charge them.

Imperial Guard lascannons line up shots at the advancing traitor marines.

A Marines Errant Drop Pod drops in behind the Iron Warriors lines.

Melkor and Martok disembark to lend their support to the large Iron Warriors Tactical Squad.

The deepstriking Marines Errant eliminate the Vindicator.

The Iron Warriors' plasma team disembarks from the destroyed Rhino.

The combat with the Honor Guard is surprisingly long lasting.

The Tactical squad tactically retreats from the Honor Guard.  

Another smaller Iron Warriors tactical squad assaults the Marines Errant Dreadnought.

A Rhino plows over a set of tank traps into the remaining Honor Guard.

Some Iron Warrior reinforcements arrive, but they may be too late.

Melkor and Martok advance while the Proteus lines up some lascannon shots on a Razorback.

The Iron Warriors are trying to secure the right flank.

Things are going ok, from a certain point of view.

The Iron Warriors continue their advance through the city.

The Rhino has taken some damage.

At the end of the battle the Iron Warriors haven't advanced enough.

After Battle Report

The objective was to take ground in the Blitz mission.  The Iron Warriors took ground, but not quite enough ground.  The Marines Errant stopped the Iron Warriors advance just enough to give them the advantage in the next battle.

The next post will be that next battle......

Iron Warriors Vs Imperial Guard and Sisters of Battle 200 PL Battle Report

Over Labor Day weekend I played 2 games.  One was the 100 PL game versus Ultramarines and the second is the 200 PL game that this Bat Rep will cover.

Both of these games were for the D-Co 2017 Project Mayhem Campaign.

This game was led by Warsmith Morgoth.

He had been retired for most of 6th and 7th edition because he was basically unusable.  He would have been the least effective HQ I could have fielded back then but now with 8th he's a bit better because of the warlord traits and the Stratagems.

He is armed with 2 Lightning Claws.

 200 Power Level of Iron Warriors

100 Power Level of Sisters 

 100 Power Level of Imperial Guard

The mission.

We decided to use the new Open War cards to create a mission from scratch.  It turned out that we deployed opposite of each other like in a classic game of 40k.  We decided that there would be a distance of 18" between the enemy units once they were set up.

The Twist was called "Dead of Night" It is a new twist on the old night fight rules basically it shortens the length of all shooting and psychic attacks to only 12".  At the start of each subsequent turn the player who went first rolls a d6 and on a 4+ 6" is added to the max range everyone can shoot to.

The Objective was called "Burn & Pillage", it is basically three objectives in each deployment zone and each side has to capture the objectives in the opposite deployment zone.  Once an objective is held by the opposing player it is then removed.  Once all three objectives from one side are removed the game is over.  It basically removes the idea of a set number of turns from the game.

The final card drawn was the Ruse.  This ruse was given to me since I had 199 PL and they had 200.  It allows me to pick one of my units that has been destroyed and at the end of one of my movement phases I can place it back on the battlefield 9" away from any enemy unit and within 9" of any board edge.

The Deployment

A Unit of Iron Warriors surveys the battlefield from the top of a ruined building. 

A squad of Havocs equipped with 4 lascannons prepares to fire. 

The left flank of the Iron Warriors. 

 

 Celestine flys above a ruin.

 The battle commences.

  

 The Iron Warriors advance on the left flank.

The Penintent Engines advance towards the Ogryn berzerkers. 

The Sisters and Guard advance along the Iron Warriors right flank. 

 The three Predators open up and annihilate the Penitent Engines.

The Iron Warrior squad atop the ruined building moves forward for a better firing position.

 Two rhinos move into position to counter the advancing Sisters' rhino.

Warsmith Morgoth leads the charge into the Imperial Guard tanks. 

The Ogryn Berserkers charge and die to the Penitent Engines, taking one Penitent Engine with them. 

In the center the Iron Warriors meet the Sisters head on.

The Guard counter the Iron Warriors' charge, and the Penitent Engine engages a large Iron Warrior Squad. 

The range on turn three has finally reached 18" 

The Penitent Engine is doing work and so is the Guard. 

The Sisters have done a number to the Iron Warrior's center. 

The counter punch eliminates most of the Sisters' infantry. 

The Iron Warriors squad falls back from the Penitent Engine. 

 A squad of Raptors deep strike in to try to handle the Penitent Engine.

 Morgoth is alone.

 The Iron Warriors move up to the Sisters' rhino.

The Iron Warriors' Helbrute finishes off the Sisters.

 The Rhino dies along with half the squad.

 

The other rhino dies to two Helbrute fists. 

Morgoth fights on. 

The Sorceror  tries to take on the Penitent Engine but has little luck.

The Sisters fire upon the marines who destroyed their rhinos, killing several. 

Morgoth finishes off the squad he was fighting and the whole Guard line fires on him. 

A squad of Seraphim deep strike onto the board.   

The Sorceror dies, but Morgoth lives on. 

Morgoth lines up a charge on a tank. 

The Iron Warrior Center regroups.

The battle had to end at the end of turn 3.  We had time constraints so we couldn't finish the game.  It was an interesting scenario that we randomly created.  I like the idea of using the cards to create games.

The game end in a tie, neither side had an objective.

Overall it was a pretty fun game.  

Next time I have a series of games to report on.  

Until then.