Necromunda returns

Fimm McCool

Member
https://www.warhammer-community.com/2017/08/13/breaking-news-necromunda-returnsgw-homepage-post-1/

Seen it yet? Not that nonsense they call Shadow War, this looks the real deal.

Yes, Necromunda is coming back and if you're anything like me then this will be news to take with a bit of trepidation (and not just because my own post-apocalyptic skirmish game is finally about to launch and a major company doing something similar at the same time is never good news...). Necromunda was my first venture into the 40K universe (if you don't count Space Crusade), its gangland roughness, campaign system and multi-level gaming shaped my ideas of what a good tabletop battle could be. With community edition, Inq28 and Inquisimunda keeping the scene alive it's also one of the games I have played most in recent years. So what's good and what's not from what has emerged so far about Necromunda: Underhive? Actually, we know nothing really, so here's my guesses-

Bad things-
Predictably GW's plastic action figure aesthetic has prevailed. Mind you, the Goliaths particularly were always a bit like that. I remember seeing the plastics and metals together in gangs and thinking "something doesn't look right there..."
The rules will almost certainly undergo a significant change. Skirmish gaming has shifted a lot since the first release and gamers will expect more. We've seen WFB and WHQ shaken up into something almost unrecognisable and 40K has undergone substantial changes in its last iteration. Whatever emerges won't me 'Munda as we remember it...
Doubtful if bulkheads will return. The single most versatile terrain feature GW ever released is long overdue a rerelease!

Good things-
Finally models you can convert! Potentially. It always struck me as odd that in such a customisable game the models were a pain to do even simple weapon swaps etc. with.
It may not be WHQ, but I like the new board-gamey dynamics in Silver Tower/Shadows Over Hammerhal. Similar strategy elements could work nicely in the 'Munda setting and with Specialist Games at the helm any development could be promising.

Most pondered thing-
The campaign system was always what made Necromunda for me. I know it wasn't wonderful, but it was the most easily-accessible, narrative-based tabletop campaign around at the time [discuss?]. I also played Trinity Battleground and it just didn't have the same grip. Given the poor advancement system in the recent WHQ releases and absence of a decent campaign system in Shadow War can we expect that a vast swathe of the game will be downgraded? Or can we hope it will be improved?

What are your hopes and fears for the new release? Assuming you care at all. Personally I'm happy to still play Community Edition but I'm willing to give the new release a chance. :)
 
I'm really looking forward to it, tbh. For a start it's no longer IGOUGO, so it'll be an interesting change from the original. I'm also looking forward to easily kitbashable plastics as well. Not keen on the Goliath sculpt I've seen so far, but then I wasn't keen on them in the original either, way too GI Joe action figure looking. I'm hoping some decent scavvies emerge soon, and maybe even some Bratts. ;)
 

Fimm McCool

Member
I GO, YOU GO. Turn-based where all one side takes a turn, then the other. Most skirmish games now alternate activating individual models, this gives more tactical opportunities and prevents getting gunned down before you have a chance to do something.

To be fair original Necromunda was somewhat static and something like that is a good change to make. I just hope they don't Infinity the whole thing up. A bit more Confrontation thrown in there would be nice to see, but doesn't really fit the trend towards simplification that tabletop gaming seems to be taking.
 

Sleepysod

Member
I GO, YOU GO. Turn-based where all one side takes a turn, then the other. Most skirmish games now alternate activating individual models, this gives more tactical opportunities and prevents getting gunned down before you have a chance to do something.

Doh! obvious.

I do agree that for skirmish game its better to have individual models activated - I liked both the Judge Dredd RPG system and EPIC (conversely a large scale/small scale miniatures game) in that they based actions on an initiative value of some sort.

Necromunda was released in the year that I was a GW and it did feel like a missed opportunity - lots of nice elements but the turn based system didn't suit it so well.
 

Fimm McCool

Member
We have a BOLS rumour...

http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2017/08/breaking-gw-necromunda-underhive-revealed.html

Custom dice are in
Templates are in
Space Hulk-style board sections are in (but apparently there are rules for 3d-play still)
Two gangs of 10 minis that are recognisably Escher and Goliath
Price looks about £95

At that price I'll buy a few more old metal minis and get the rulebook when it's sold separately on ebay, but looks like a lot of the old is preserved with a healthy splash of new to interest the old hands.
 
Fimm McCool":3bo7aqaq said:
We have a BOLS rumour...

http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2017/08/breaking-gw-necromunda-underhive-revealed.html

Custom dice are in
Templates are in
Space Hulk-style board sections are in (but apparently there are rules for 3d-play still)
Two gangs of 10 minis that are recognisably Escher and Goliath
Price looks about £95

At that price I'll buy a few more old metal minis and get the rulebook when it's sold separately on ebay, but looks like a lot of the old is preserved with a healthy splash of new to interest the old hands.
Finally! Was worrying that Necromunda will never return.

tfw no £95, though.
 
I wasn't very interested at first, but the idea is growing on me.

An increasing number of very tiny humans appearing in my house means my wargaming capacity seems to be shrinking by the month. I am now restricted to a tiny corner of the living-room on a 3' x 3' table. As such, the fact that this new Necromunda appears to be playable on small, modular boards is very appealing indeed!

Do we have any idea of a release date yet?
 

Dooz

Member
underhive-05.jpg


that piece of artwork have me intrigued, wonder if they will make a (new) mini of her. Looks a whole lot like kinky chaosette
 

Fimm McCool

Member
Apparently John Blanche was a bit disturbed when it appeared as the original artwork was a painting of his ex-wife... One of my favourite images from the Old World, I do hope we get another take on it.
 

Fimm McCool

Member
Looks like Cool, Willpower and Intelligence are back in the statlist, a nice nod to Rogue Trader? Also they've gone back to Confrontation for a lot of the background so looks like (apart from the miniatures) this could be a nice Oldhammery release. :) 11th of November apparently.
 

Andy H

Member
Fimm McCool":9am0azsi said:
Looks like Cool, Willpower and Intelligence are back in the statlist, a nice nod to Rogue Trader? Also they've gone back to Confrontation for a lot of the background so looks like (apart from the miniatures) this could be a nice Oldhammery release. :) 11th of November apparently.

I heard its a co-production with Tales from the Maelstrom 8-)
 

Fimm McCool

Member
I don't like them (surprise surprise). They're chunky and action-figure-esque, but then that's GW's current aesthetic so I guess they had to. I'll admit the old Goliaths (especially the a box plastics) were a a bit off but the new ones look more like pit slavesThe old Escher are some of the most beautiful, finely-sculpted models GW ever produced (in my opinion) and these new ones aren't nearly in the same league (to my eye) so I am still hoping for a rulebook only release. Of course, it's all subjective isn't it! :grin:
 
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