If I only had a brain... and a large plasma rifle obviously..

I've finally got around to the last two skill sets, and arguably I've saved the best for last? Shooting and Savant are the wheelhouse of the Van Saar and are part of what makes them the most powerful house gang released so far (together with their excellent weapons list). Why are they so good? well read on...

I've once again furnished the article with images from the Chronicles from the Underhive facebook group as I'm still stuck in Moonstone mode at the moment but I am almost finished so expect to see some new Necromunda stuff any day now! honest! the new cultists, spawn and other bits even have some paint on them! I've looked for nice terrain for a change for this weeks images.

Shooting Skills

Board by Ramon Nanez. 

without a doubt the most useful skills in the game, shooting skills have a major impact once invested in simply because shooting is the single most common way to take out enemy models. Close combat may be more reliable, but shooting can happen every turn from the first and has very little return risk unlike melee, so anything that boosts your ranged damage capacity is always going to give you an advantage. part of shootings double edged blade however is that the skill is only as good as the weapon you are using, so if you do gain a shooting skill it's always worth popping to the trading post to get the best from it. Only Van Saar having shooting as a primary skill, and only Orlock and Delaque currently have it as secondary so if you want it in any other gang be prepared to pay. All shooting skills perform better on big open sector mechanicus tables but don't underestimate hipshooting and Trick shot in Zone Mortalis games either.


Fast shot  (costed/proactive) Shoot action becomes simple with non-unwieldy weapons
Fast shot basically gives you the ability to stand still to shoot twice, making any weapon twice as effective and giving snipers and ranged support models that don't tend to move once they find a nest more versatility. I don't need to explain why an extra shot (or multiple shots with Rapid fire weapons) are useful but it is worth pointing out that you can target separate enemies with each shot, giving even more chance to pin them and deny them their own actions. I like Fast shot with either weapons with good range modifiers or fighters with good BS as you won't be aiming as often so you'll need to gain those befits elsewhere- likewise scopes are rarely useful on Fast shot fighters so Las-Projectors are the upgrade of choice. Another good combo for an Overseer leader who can effectively gain 4 shots from one gun, watch out for ammo rolls messing you up- don't plan to always have 2 shots just in case the first one leads out with an ominous 'click' (note- a good tactics card against Van Saar and shooting gangs anyway, 'click' becomes excellent against Fast Shot fighters) in addition it's not worth taking on Combi Weapons or other weapons with a poor ammo rule or niche roll. . great to choose and great to roll (as with half of the shooting skills- except with a heavy) Fast shot is going to be a regular in most Van Saar starting lineups.

Gunfighter (passive/proactive) no penalty to using two pistols, may target different enemies. 
In a fairly odd way Gunfighter is one of the only skills to have actually got worse since '95, if only because the basic ability to fire two pistols (tecjnically sidearms since the big rulebook hit) is now available to everyone at -1 to hit. That doesn't mean it's not a good skill mind; pistols tend to have at least +1 to hit at close range, which is normally negated by the two-gun rules, but once you take that additional modifier out even having two cheap autopistols can give you an impressive 6 hits a turn spread out across a wide front. Once you've splurged out on some shiny gear like Plasma pistols on your Gunfighter you'll have an incredibly reliable close range damage dealer, and because unlike Fast shot you can still move and fire both pistols you don't lose any maneuverability. Of course if you have a lot of experience you can get both, giving you a potential 4 pistol shots a turn if you stand still, but personally I think with pistol ranges being so short it'll be a rare opportunity and you'd be better of going with Hipshooting or Trick shot as your second skill. Again good for a starting skill if you want a model who can bring close range pain, also a fun skill to gain randomly unless you get it on a heavy or sniper... (Note- remember Hand flamers are NOT sidearms in the current rules, so no double flame attacks for you!)

Hipshooting (costed/proactive) May Run and Gun (double): make double move followed by ranged attack with -1 modifier (non-unwieldy)
Surprise! Hipshooting is possibly one of the hardest skills to counter, giving most models an effective 10" bonus to their threat range, and meaning objective grabbers don't have to choose between going for the prize or shooting.  The versatility of a Hipshooting champion with a nasty close range gun (see: Combi Melta) is hard to plan against and allows it's owner to move quickly to close down gaps, take advantage of fighters out of cover or even sprint past cover entirely. Note that because Run and Gun is a double action you can't combine Hipshooting with many other skills (no aiming or second action) but it does work pretty darn well with Gunfighter (otherwise you'd be at -2) or template weapons (hit modifiers are for other people). Another great skill to choose as a starting skill it's the first skill I bought my Escher champ as a second skill as it's just too good with Clamber to pass up.  randomly rolled guess what? That's right, it's great unless you're a heavy.. (Another note- there's a lot going on today: abilities like extra arm or equipment such as the suspensor won't allow you to Run and Gun with unwieldy weapons as they don't remove the Unwieldy trait, and it's the weapons trait that stops these skills working rather than anything with the character, I know, I'm sad too.)

Escher Gang Goliath by Tom Fern

Marksman (passive/proactive) May choose target freely, double damage on 6 to hit (only first rapid fire hit)
Do you need a dedicated sniper? Is your cool stat up there with Escher's and Chaos cults? then Marksman is the skill for you! The number of times my boys and girls have let me down and shot the closest model instead of the horrific heavy-bolter lugging brute right behind them is more than I have fingers to count them on, so the ability to bypass my terrible stats and just shoot them in the face would be a godsend. whilst that's the main part of the Marksman skill you'll use for the most part, the extra damage is pretty immense too, especially if you are using a damage 2/3 weapon anyway. Great for ranged fighters designed to take out enemy champions and leaders, Marksman means your opponent will have to think very hard when moving around the table as there's no safety in the back ranks with you around.  Not the strongest shooting skill, I do think Marksman has a place in a gang so could be a starting skill, and again as a secondary skill (for someone with a long-las and fast shot perhaps) it's definitely a winner. randomly you'd still be happy, and even heavies can use this one, yay!

Precision shot (passive/proactive) no saves vs 6's to hit with shooting attacks
All skill sets have that one skill that just doesn't quite keep up with the others, the rhino at the back of the Jumanji stampede if you will- it's not that it won't trample stuff, it's just other skills are better at trampling stuff first. Precision shot is that skill in the shooting set.  For one- any skill that only triggers on a six (Disarm, Dodge and Marksman also suffer from this to a degree, but they have additional benefits or can be improved with weapon choice) is a bit too unreliable for me to spend hard earned XP on, and secondly you can remove the need for this skill at all by simply buying better guns- and credits are a lot easier to find then XP let me tell you. Precision shot is still not a bad skill by any stretch of the imagination- early game it will be removing some saves completely and if the weapon already has -1 pretty much all starting fighters are susceptible, and late game it can be the only way to take down serious tanks with their 3+ save. (damn makeshift armour). Not really a starting skill unless you want it for fluff reasons as pretty much every other shooting skill is better, but you'd not be unhappy with precision shot if you rolled it (and then remembered it in game!). works with Unwieldy for a change but as they generally have save modifiers anyway it's not exactly great for them.

Trick shot (passive/proactive) Shooting attacks suffers 1 less penalty for targets in cover
Every single Necromunda board should be jam packed with stuff to hide behind, from barrels, and crates to walls, pipes and walkways, drawing a clear line of sight should be a rare occurrence. This profusion of cover is what makes Trick shot such a great skill- practically every shot you ever make will be against a target in cover so ignoring even one point of it is good news. Strangely whilst I'd consider Trick shot as a starting skill I'd only buy it for a secondary skill once I'd maxed out my BS increases- after all +1 to hit all the time still trumps +1 to hit when they are in cover, and at only 6XP BS increases are cheap as chips. A good skill to start with and a good random skill, Trick shot does see a lot of board time and when combined with the right scope/las-projector can make a ranged killing machine you really can count on to hit.  Again- works with Unwieldy weapons! and is actually a great choice as a starting skill with them as it can let you get the best from your most expensive purchases right from the word go, especially as they tend not to be able to aim.

Board by Jon Wyatt

Savant Skills

Scatter terrain by Chris Prules

Ooh, where's techno you say? Back in the 90's where it belongs that's where. (I guess there were some limits after all) Now known as Savant the horrifically overpowered skillset of my youth has been dropped back to keep it in line with others, it's still a damn good set, but nowhere near the must-take it used to be. Several interesting skills in Savant are only useful out-of-game when trading, so no use in skirmishes and frustrating early on in campaigns as it can be hard to see the benefits on-table.  However, these skills are amazing in a longer campaign, and can pay for themselves very quickly by kitting your boys and girls out in no time at all. Savant is a primary skillset for Orlock and Van Saar, and secondary for Delaque and Chaos Cults so it's a pretty common sight in most campaigns.


Ballistics expert (passive/proactive) INT check on aim action- if passed gain additional +1
The 'meh' skill of the Savant list, Ballistics expert is also the only one that can have a direct aggressive impact on the game. So why don't I like Ballistics Expert? Firstly because it only works on a certain action, and even then only if I pass a test, and if I do pass the test I only gain +1 to hit. Which I could get all the time with a BS increase, or a Gunsight, or Trick Shot to ignore cover, or emperor knows how many other ways. Frankly of all the skills in the game this is my least favourite, even though it's probably more useful than Mighty leap or Dodge it's limitations make it
less likely to actually occur than those skills, and they at least bring something extra to the table rather than a very easy to replicate +1 to hit. I wouldn't choose Ballistics expert, and I'm pretty sure it only exists to give Van Saar something bad to roll on their primary tables.

Connected (passive/proactive) may make additional seek rare item action in end phase
Connected is a cheeky little skill, as it means you can maximise your cashflow by working  turf but still get all the nice toys from rare trade, or even lug some fool to the doc's and not lose your rare trade roll as well as the cash. as with all out-of game skills it will have little effect early on in a campaign, and is of course completely pointless in a skirmish. For gangs with a long-term plan I definitely recommend Connected as a starting skill as you can really make the most of your turf and still take some new shinies into the next game. Combined with Savvy Trader it's an unbelievably powerful combination on a leader although with two out-of-game skills you may find yourself fielding them less than more punchy champions. Connected is a good skill however you get it you'll really start seeing the benefits after you start losing champs to recovery.

Fixer (passive/proactive) extra d3x10 creds in post game gain rewards if uninjured/captured
Sometimes a little extra income can make all the difference when you have some moron bleeding out and the doc's prices are a little steep, especially as you can't work turf when you are carrying the chump. Fixer is a good skill for the patient planners out there, and if you do have a champion trying to stay out of the way and stack those C-notes instead of skulls then Fixer is the skill to get. (hoping The Compiler will roll it in my next game as he has the 9 XP to randomise on savant) other than that not a lot to say, more money = less problems. Could be a starting skill as the earlier you get it the better it is, but it's not exactly glamorous so I can't see it being chosen a lot. randomly rolled it's all good obviously.

Board by Trevor Goddard

Medicae (passive/reactive) re-roll first out of action result whilst assisting a recovery
Not quite the awe-inspiring '95 version where you dodged serious injuries Medicae is still pretty good if massively situational. If you're the kind of gang that actually cares about each other and actually move to assist in recoveries (I.E. not my chaos gang who have no empathy at all) it can get people back in the game and avoid having to roll for serious injuries at all. If you do want to use this skill to it's best effect then pick up a medipak on the rare trade chart, and get it on a fast model with minimal kit like a Juve, then dedicate them to getting allies back on their feet. A dedicated medic will find this skill useful and can be a big asset for any gang, but other than that I probably wouldn't choose it, though I'd be pleased if I rolled it randomly.


Munitioneer (passive/reactive) re-roll failed ammo rolls within 6"
Wow, what a skill. Munitioneer works best when you bubble up which has it's own down-sides but on a heavy with multiple rapid fire dice it's a brutal emperor sent blessing for keeping them in the game. Combines well with Fast shot too as you can keep the 2 shots a turn more reliably. One of the only non-leader skills that effects models around it Munitioneer is up there with the best skills in the game, reloading is an action (that may not even work) and this drains your pool of actions for a turn- Munitioneer can stop that happening on multiple models every turn. Always worth considering as a starting or chosen skill if you can take it. Obviously the biggest downside is if you don't fail any ammo checks it's a totally wasted skill, but in that case you're probably doing alright anyway so quit whining. You aren't going to be complaining if you get this randomly either as everyone could do with a few bullets more couldn't they?


Savvy trader (passive/proactive) +1 to seek rare item rolls for this fighter, reduce any items found by 20 creds (minimum 10)

I would say it's not worth taking Savvy Trader on anyone who isn't your leader as it would still make them only just as good at rare trade than him, but on a leader- average score of 10 on the rare trade, yes please! That's before we even get to the price reductions which is even more of a bonus- 20 creds off the cheaper end of the rare items can make them much more affordable (remember to add the full cost to the fighters value though!) and knocking heavy bolters down to almost heavy stubber prices is great at the top end too.  The biggest downside to Savvy Trader- once again you aren't going to be seeing any in-game benefits short term. however long term (and as long as you can keep the credits flowing) having a savvy trader can make you the most tooled up gang in the campaign with ease. definitely worth taking as a starting skill on a leader if you're the patient type, if you roll it randomly on a champion it's still good, just not brilliant. on a juve or specialist it's tears time...

Scatter terrain by Hurakan Summit Guides

that's it for skills! after my next battle report I'll be looking at each gang in depth, what they are good at and how I'd rank them in terms of ease of play or competitiveness if you're that way inclined. 

Anger and Management

(c) Games Workshop

Darn it, no battle reports in between here as I've spent my time building a demo table for Moonstone instead, however I did find time at lunch yesterday to finish off another ramble about the Necromunda skills. This time we are looking at Ferocity and Leadership, two skills that are of most benefit to the gangs in the starter set curiously (especially Escher with Leadership).

Again, images are stolen shamelessly from the Chronicles from the Underhive facebook group (this time I've focused on leaders that caught my eye) . I do have a few new toys to show off, namely my new lasgun cultists for the 3rd protocol and a 'just in case' spawn model as well as some Van Saar that need painting, but I'll save those for next time as Shooting and Savant are kind of Van Saars thing..

Ferocity skills

Goliath leader by Hurakan Summit Guides

Ferocity was another slightly underwhelming skill set in Necromunda ‘95 (which added to brawn was why Goliath gangs struggled so much in longer campaigns) but again, the new version has brought it up much closer to the other sets level. A good spread amongst houses gives it a good chance of seeing table time, especially in Goliath gangs who really benefit from some of the skills here. Ferocity is a primary skill set for Goliath, Orlock, Chaos cult and Genestealer Cults, and a secondary skill for Escher and Cawdor.  

Berserker: Passive/Proactive      (+1 attack dice on charge actions.)

Berserker is a skill you will find vies with Bulging Biceps at times for warriors equipped with unwieldy weapons to get that extra dice in melee, but it’s also good to give pure combat beasts even more attacks which is never a bad thing. The downside of Berserker- that you have to charge- isn’t actually that bad as charging is the main way to engage in melee, (the only way other than consolidating) and having someone survive a charge from a specific combat monster is actually quite rare.  (Combat is still a more reliable way to take someone out that shooting, even if it’s less common).   Berserker is very good as a starting skill for melee based champions, and if rolled randomly for even a shooter is useful as it gives them a nice bit of versatility on the table. 

Impetuous: Passive/Proactive   (4" consolidation instead of 2".)

A nice carry-over from the ’95 game, Impetuous is a really useful if underrated skill. On the surface it’s an aggressive skill that will let a combat fighter engage again after a melee, but Impetuous is also an excellent defensive skill in that it can allow a model to really shift after a melee win. Clearing 2” walls (or 4” with Clamber or using ladders) and getting back into hiding can take away the suicidal aftermath of most charges and add survivability to Melee beasts. I like Impetuous for sneaky fighters and champions designed to take down enemy gangers and juves- try to focus on models you can smash in one round, and if you can’t get into the safety of Melee you can skulk back into the shadows. There are two great combo skills for Impetuous- Clamber and Overseer. Clamber I’ve already discussed- it makes 4” go a long way on a 3D table, often in directions your enemy won’t expect. Overseer on a prominent leader is also a winner- group activate and charge an enemy, beat his face in and consolidate towards the next one, then use Overseer for another charge at a new enemy and consolidate again- even a 5” move Goliath can get potentially 24” across the table with some careful placing and this move which can be an absolute nightmare for your opponent to deal with.  Not necessarily a starting skill, it’s a good secondary skill and not bad if you get it randomly.  

Fearsome: Passive/Proactive     (WP test to charge or fail and end action immediately.)

Not quite as good as its predecessor, Fearsome now only takes effect when a model is Charged- against fighters with low WP it’s obviously very useful, but as the main form of combat in Necromunda is shooting it’s very situational. That doesn’t mean it’s useless, on a combat beast who’s going to expose himself to counterattacks it’s a nice defensive buff, especially if they have Impetuous and can get into the safety of another melee so don’t have to worry as much about getting shot. The biggest advantage of Fearsome is the psychological effect it can have on your opponent- do they want to risk losing a models entire activation to an unlucky WP test? Not starting skill calibre, Fearsome is nothing to complain about if you did get it randomly- unless you only play against Van Saar, in which case you’ve been a bit unlucky.   

Bobby Gee by Tom Fern

Nerves of steel: Passive/Reactive            (cool test to avoid pinning from ranged attacks.)

Right up there with the best skills in the game, I’ve yet to see a Goliath gang without at least one Nerves of Steel fighter in the mix. I’ve mentioned about actions as a resource before, and pinning an enemy is the easiest way of stripping that resource from them- Nerves of Steel is a great way of keeping that resource. In particular it’s great for models with an excellent cool skill like Goliaths and Genestealer Cultists as they can be relied upon to pass more than they fail, it’s also good for any unwieldy heavy weapon user as getting pinned and losing the ability to fire next turn is a pain in the ass. I’d say not as good as Spring Up due to the versatility of the agility skill, and the fact that Nerves of Steel requires you to get shot before it kicks in. Starting skill= obviously amazing, random skill= loving it.

True grit: Passive/Reactive          (roll one less injury dice when damaged, if this would be no dice instead roll extra die and you choose result.)

True Grit is a weird little skill that I can’t really decide on. It’s very useful, no doubt about that, but using it generally means things are already going wrong for you. I looked at some maths using the old probability and injury dice, and the chances of getting a flesh wound on two dice are actually pretty good- add to this reducing those horrid D2 weapons to one dice and it can really increase survivability. I would say True Grit is a solid second skill for a dedicated tank model, one that already has armour, multiple wounds and maybe a Toughness buff to boot. Like Fearsome there’s also a psychological edge to True grit- your opponent can often choose to not engage them with bigger guns as the loss of effectiveness can be off-putting when they’ve laid out 55 creds for a Boltgun you’ve just nerfed back to D1. I can see certain builds taking this as a starting skill, and not terrible as a random one. Remember you need Champs and Leaders to survive to make money after a game, and anything that helps with that is good for the long term-plan.  

Unstoppable: Passive/Reactive (In recovery phase remove flesh wound on 4+, if no flesh wounds then roll additional recovery dice on 4+.)

I didn’t rate Unstoppable at first preferring True Grit for survivability, then I played against Genestealer Aberrants and had my eyes opened (with a power pick). In one of our early campaign games an aberrant was shot up pretty early on, went down by a vent and was promptly ignored by the Goliath he was facing in favour of smashing the rest of the Cult. All of a sudden, he starting getting rid of those flesh wounds, and then pop! Back on its feet, one flesh wound (which isn't a problem when you're S5 to start and have a massive pickaxe) right in the Goliath leaders face- butchery ensued and we all decided that Unstoppable is actually pretty damn nice. Even more impressive if they already have True Grit on board it’s better to think of Unstoppable as a limited Regen ability, it forces opponents to keep hitting injured models before they lurch upright like the Undertaker about to drop a Tombstone on the nearest ganger. Would I start with Unstoppable? Not sure. Aberrants always do and I have seen some impressive use of it so far, so maybe. Randomly though it’d be a fine use of XP. (Edit- it should be noted that we play it that the additional recovery dice is a benefit, not a drawback- we allow the unstoppable player to choose a result from the two dice, rather than applying both which it's been pointed out to me the wording currently suggests as that would be just silly- no-one would take a skill that made you easier to kill!)

Cawdor Leader by Michael Nicholls

Leadership Skills

Genestealer Adept by Eric Paints

It’s so shiny and New!!! Leadership skills! Too many exclamation marks, apologies. But I am quite excited by this skill set, Leadership skills are available to every single gang via a leader’s primary and a champion’s secondary skill sets, so there no excuse for not reading up on them. There are some good skills in here, and some that are very situational. If your chosen gang has a poor Cool stat it’s definitely worth considering a Leadership skill to start with, as without it you may find yourself bottling far more often than your opponent.

Commanding presence:  Passive/Proactive         (can activate one more ally than normal.)

Group activations are a new thing in Necromunda, (as there wasn’t model by model activations in the old game) and add a lot of tactical flexibility but can be a double edged sword. On the one hand bringing a massive alpha strike without opponent’s interruptions is very enjoyable, on the other hand unless you have a big gang you’re handing the same advantage to your opponent at the end of the turn as he gets to act freely after you’ve finished.  Regardless you’ll find yourself using group activations in most games, so what difference does an extra model make? The Commanding Presence skill for me is probably better on Champions than Leaders, as it brings their group activations up to leader’s standard and gives the extra tactical flexibility without having to clump together too much. On a leader you’d need 4 models in the bubble (including the leader) to gain anything, and for most gangs that’s around half the fighters you’re bringing which is both risky and limits the amount of space you can control on the table. Definitely not a starting skill because only Leaders can start with it, and randomly I think you’d be a bit disappointed?  Worth choosing as a second skill for a Champion is about the best I can say of Commanding Presence.

Inspirational: Passive/Reactive (may re-roll failed cool checks within 6" with this fighters LD.)

Cool is a stat from the old days of Rogue Trader, but Warhammer roleplayers and Inquisitor players will recognise it from more recent years.  It is now almost certainly the most important morale statistic in Necromunda, so Inspirational  is always going to be helpful. For gangs with great Cool such as Goliaths and Genestealers it means those rare failures can be re-rolled, but it’s personal taste if you want to use a rare Leader skill for a re-roll you may never use. Gangs with weak Cool stats like Escher and Chaos cults however need all the help they can get, and a re-roll can tip you over that golden 50% pass chance that most gangs get as standard. I would definitely consider Inspirational for an Escher gang leader starting skill though it does encourage a bubble which can be unhelpful- you can however use it reactively with Sprint to send a Leader or Champion to rally troops that have fled more reliably (though Regroup is better for that role). Randomly gained Inspirational is useful for anyone so I don’t think there’d be too many complaints even if there’d be no real celebrations either.

Iron will: Passive/Reactive          (-1 to all bottle test whilst in play and uninjured.)

Again- cool checks are important, bottle checks are really important and If you are Escher you may find you need Iron Will just to stay in the game. Cool 6 is very different to Cool 7, and a world away from Cool 8 as far as the odds of your guys (and gals) sticking around goes- remember once you fail the big bottle checks then all your models who have scattered across the board need to test again, this time on their own paltry Cool (unless you’re Goliaths or Stealers who really just don’t give a damn.) far better to just pass the first one than risk losing gang members piecemeal before the turn even starts.  Iron Will is not a flexible skill, it only works in one specific situation and it’s a situation that you may never get into- in fact the hope is that you won’t. Hope however isn’t a valued commodity in the underhive, so sometimes you have to plan for the worst and Iron Will is a good example of a skill to minimise your losses when mistakes are made/dice aren’t going your way. Worth pointing out is that it doesn’t have to be your leader to gain the benefit- if you somehow end up with a champion with this skill you’ll still test on your leaders Ld with the -1 modifier. Just like Inspirational , Iron Will is definitely worth thinking about as a starting skill for Escher and other high Cool gangs.  And randomly it’s still pretty good- as long as they can avoid getting shot.

Shotgun Miley by Karl Allen-John Bonner

Mentor: Passive/Reactive            (make Ld test when ally within 6" gains EXP, if passed they gain extra point of EXP.)

A fairly unique skill outside Savant, anything that involves sacrificing in-game skill benefits for long term gains can seem underpowered when viewed against the more spectacular skills. Mentor boosts one of the hardest resources to gain in Necromunda ’17- EXP. In the ’95 days experience came from wounding hits and D6 per game so most fighters levelled up every other game after bathing in the showers of EXP. Now however the rationing taps of Hive Primus have been turned off, and with only a paltry 1EXP for turning up, and 1 when you take someone out of action (not from bleeding out either, straight skulls only), 1 for rallying, plus a few scenario based bonuses even a well performing fighter can only look to increase a level every 3-4 games, and even then they’ll be purchasing the cheaper upgrades- for skills and higher level increase you’re looking at 5 or more games barring a lucky run. Mentor offsets this sparsity of EXP by effectively doubling the XP gained to 2 within a Leaders aura, it’s upsides are that it can really speed up a gangs progress in a campaign, it’s downsides are that it requires more bubbling up, and even a decent LD leader can mess up the roll making it a frustrating skill to own. If you are going to choose Mentor, Choose it as a starting skill- the longer you have it, the more benefits you’ll gain from it. Randomly gained it’s something that will be at best a cheeky bonus every so often., but for the most part won’t affect games at all.

Overseer: Costed/Proactive       (may Order (double): target ally within 12" makes 2 free actions immediately.)

I see the Overseer skill a lot, (and moan about it a lot because people keep thinking it’s the best skill ever) but you really need to think before you take this skill. Overseer is undeniably a good skill, BUT it does mean sacrificing one activation for another, so the action taken needs to be BETTER than the other options for it to be worth doing- examples of Overseer I’ve seen-

·         Bad example 1- Orlock gang with leader and two champions all with Heavy stubber- Overseer on leader. – Why does this guy have overseer? It makes no sense? The leader is just as good as the champion at shooting, and has exactly the same weapon? Using it on a ganger would be an absolute waste as so much has been spent on the first three models the rest are going to be sparsely armed and armoured. Drop the leader’s stubber, buy more goons and then if you want to use overseer you’ll be at least using it on a weapon better than your own, getting twice the value for your credits.

·         Bad Example 2- Goliath champion with Heavy Stubber, Leader with Renderiser and Overseer. This is ass backwards- the leader of a goliath gang is the best shot, and a champion without a melee weapon is wasting his strongest abilities. When the leader uses overseer he’s not only wasting a good action for a moderate one, he’s also wasting the credits spent on the renderiser as he’s not going anywhere useful with it! The only gain from overseer here is two chances to fire it a turn, but is that enough to justify your best and most expensive fighter being inactive?   In this situation just forget Overseer and give the leader the heavy stubber- far more sensible.

·         Good example- Cawdor gang with heavy bolter champion and melee/pistol leader with Overseer. First things first- Cawdor champions are better at range than leaders, so you are already swapping a mediocre action for a good one. The Leader can use the skill on the heavy to either fire multiple times in one turn, still be able to move after firing or even have some extra shots at reloading for when it inevitably runs out. The leader himself is very cheap and can avoid taking risks by just acting as the heavy’s guard, giving both a better chance of surviving, and you aren’t wasting many creds when he sacrifices his turn for the HB to go instead as his equipment is cheap and cheerful.

You can think of Overseer as a force multiplier- if you have something great in your gang it allows you to repeat that greatness multiple times, (I’ve already mentioned it in a few skills as a nice combo skill) and the 12” range means you’ll be able to take those extra actions mostly wherever you need. If you are going to seriously kit your leader out Overseer is a waste of a skill, but if you play to its strengths it’s super powerful so definitely worth taking as a starting skill (just not on all Leaders hey?) or choosing as a second skill. Randomly gained  it’s still damn good, but you may have to rethink your leader’s role on the table to get the best from it.

Regroup: Passive/Reactive          (if active at turns end take a LD test- if passed all allies within 6" recovers from broken.)

Regroup (like Iron Will and Inspirational) is another skill that is all about damage limitation when things go wrong. For some gangs they fail cool checks so rarely that this skill is utterly pointless, for others with High Cool rallying on a better models Cool is an Emperor sent blessing. Again the biggest flaw in Regroup is its very corner-case; you’ll rarely have more than one broken fighter unless someone’s chucking scare gas around, and if there’s only one within 6” you’re only really gaining an extra rally chance each turn- nothing to sniff at but hardly game winning stuff. I’d not choose regroup unless you were Escher and even then I prefer the general re-rolls of Inspirational or the better Bottle checks of Iron Will. If you got it randomly you’d be narked off I guess. Good as a second skill on a sprint character though, as they can ensure they are the right place to rally the troops which makes it more reliable and less corner case.  

(Waac protip from miks bag of jank: Take a leader with scare grenades and Regroup, deploy all your gang except the leader in a tight bundle where the enemy can’t see them, preferably in a little terrain cul-de-sac. Leader deploys within 6 and chucks scare grenade into own gang- if any of them fail they’ll either stick behind terrain when they break or run round it toward the leader. At turns end use Regroup- boom, free EXP for everyone who rallies. Combine with Mentor for giggling EXP farming fun that doesn’t actually involve your opponent at all.)

(real protip: don’t do this! Your opponent will earn the right to slap you upside the head automatically)  

Escher Leader by Tom Carter

Well that's it for the third section, next week is the last set of skills, and potentially the most powerful- Shooting and Savant! 

Daggers in the Dark.

This blog I'll be continuing my delve into the Skill trees of the new Necromunda 2017 with an overview of the 'C' skills, Combat and Cunning.

Both these skill trees have some very strong skills, and even in the couple of dozen games played so far there's been some repeat offenders that just won't go away, so I'm looking forward to comparing them to the other skills available and seeing if they really are the best choice. As before I've looted some nicely painted minis from the Chronicles from the Underhive facebook group to break up the monotony of my mind-spew. Like this one.

House Escher by Tom Fern

Combat Skills

Combat skills are rather surprisingly defensive skills for the most part, focusing on taking advantage of mistakes and surviving combat rather than actually dishing out the damage (that's what Brawn is for after all). and most of them are quite situational (especially considering getting into combat on it's own can be situational at times). Unlike shooting skills combat skills require set up and often a fair amount of input from your opponent before they really start to shine. a primary skill set for Escher and Cawdor, and secondary for Goliath, you are likely to see a fair few combat skills even in skirmish games.


Combat master.  Passive/Reactive. (no interference penalties, may always assist)

Combat starts off with a fairly weak skill in Combat Master, this skill doesn't jump out of the page at you immediately with it's amazing powers of Wow, but it can be useful. The ability to take on two enemies at once is a valuable skill in later games when players have been ab;e to afford more fighters, and can be very useful in the close confines of the Zone Mortalis tables when you can often find a lone ganger defending a doorway from multiple opponents. This skill falls down however when attacked by elite opponents- if they didn't need the +1 anyway then you're not doing yourself any favours dismissing it. Likewise the always assist part of the Combat Master is only good when you have relatively inexperienced fighters, as most champions that want a good brawl are starting with 3+ and can buy equipment to give the extra +1 if they desperately need it. Like Mighty Leap this skill is never going to be a starting skill choice, and if gained randomly it's not the best, but you may find yourself changing your play style to get the best from it.

Counter-attack. Passive/Reactive. (+1 dice per opposing miss when reaction attacking)

Counter attack is one of the most situational reactive skills- in the right place at the right time it's amazing, and the threat of it can often be enough to make any non-melee expert decide not to charge. The biggest downside with Counter attack is the requirement for the enemy to miss- against elite opponents (the ones you most want to avoid) it's less effective, and you also have to survive the attacks that do hit before it kicks in- not always easy. That said- If you can give this to a fighter who already has a couple of parries you are already swinging things in your favour, and if you play clever you can taunt your opponent into a fight that may well not be in their best interest. A good starting choice pick for dedicated tanks, it's a skill that requires a survivable warrior to get the best from it. If you gain Counter attack randomly it's worth investing in a parry weapon and some armour as soon as you can to increase the odds of actually managing to use it.

Disarm. Passive/Proactive. (all weapons gain disarm, disarm weapons work on 4+)

Disarm is another skill that you can replicate with equipment, but when you have both on a model it is definitely greater than the sum of its parts. The biggest issue most players have with Disarm is that you have already attacked them, and hopefully they should be dead if you didn't fluff it. Disarm is therefore a back-up skill for when things really didn't go your way and you've dropped yourself in the brown sump. On it's own it's useful, but no more than that- so you'd be okay gaining it randomly, but not ecstatic. However- buy a Disarm weapon, and maybe get Iron Jaw on the rebound, and you'll have a fighter that can survive any melee even if he does mess it up the first time around! Better against elite fighter's who have paid a lot for their fancy kit, it's a good starting pick for an assassin, especially early on when you aren't guaranteed to get the kill on every charge.

Matsumi, Escher Champion by Hurakan Summit Guides. 

Parry. Passive/Reactive. (may parry one additional attack as though armed with parry weapon.)

Parry is a classic skill straight from the 90's and it's still good- not quite as good due to the changes to the combat mechanic- but still pretty good. Even the best fighters have a chance to miss in melee, and forcing a re-roll increases that chance, in the cases of average or poor fighters quite considerably. This is another skill that equipment can replace, but it does mean you could have three parries if armed with two swords, and a single Parry even if you don't have any melee weapons at all. A decent starting pick for a champion who wants to go bully the little guys and will be putting himself in harms way, it's less useful against opposing champions and leaders due to their generally superior weapon skill. It becomes even more useful when attacked by fighter wielding high end pistols (bolt or plasma for example) as they can only ever attack with one dice with that profile, and parrying a damage 2 pistol can be the difference between life and death for a champion. As a random skill you wouldn't sneeze at an extra Parry, and you may choose it for some fighters depending on their role.

Step aside. Passive/Reactive.  (may take INI test to avoid one successful enemy hit each CC round.)

Step aside is a great skill, especially in gangs with good initiative such as Escher. Unlike parry which requires your opponent to roll badly, Step Aside is all on you which means with a buffed I stat (one of the cheapest increases in the game) you can almost guarantee immunity to one hit per round. Combine this with a parry or two, and you can have a fighter who is very hard to put down in melee, even when being targeted by reaction attacks.  Not as useful versus pistols as parry because rapid fire weapons can cause so many hits dodging one of them is almost immaterial, but still a very good skill nonetheless (and when a pistol does only get one shot off, dodging plasma bolts is both fun and recommended.) Start with it, Choose it, get it randomly, Step Aside is a strong skill that can alleviate an enemies best attack and really throw a spanner into the works.

Rain of blows. Costed/proactive. (Fight action becomes Simple)

Melee combat in Necromunda is often pretty fast, furious and fatal, and because of that a lot of fighter design is put into how much damage they can do on the charge- berserker, bull charge etc all play on this desire to kill straight away without fuss. Rain of Blows is different- you need to start engaged if possible, which means either you or your opponent has already charged and fluffed it, (or someone has consolidated into another fighter) and that isn't always easy to plan in. Once you are in melee two melee attacks is very useful- particularly when combined with other Skills such as Combat Master so you can charge multiple enemies and fight without penalty, and still have a chance of taking them both the following turn if they survive. It's also a good combo with an Overseer nearby- having a group activate, seeing the charge go in and then if it fails overseer giving the fighter two more attacks before the enemy gets to activate is usually fatal for whoever is on the wrong end of it. Worth picking if you have a plan for it, Rain of Blows is situational in that it needs either work to set up, or someone to mess up a charge. For this reason it's not great, but it is the only aggressive Combat Skill, and if you did get it randomly you'd definitely find a use for it.

Grub by Jason Wingett

Cunning Skills

Previously called Stealth, Cunning has undergone probably the most changes since 95, some very situational skills have gone altogether and a few more aggressive skills have appeared instead, giving gangs with access to Cunning a wide choice in play styles that they didn't quite have before. With Infiltrate and Overwatch it has two of the best skills in the game, and the other skills are still good (if a bit corner case at times.) so expect gangs with cunning skills to be full of the sort of tricks and traps that the name would suggest. Cunning is a primary skill in Delaque, both Genestealer and Chaos Cult and secondary for Escher and Van Saar, so expect to see these skills in most campaigns and skirmishes. Or not, depending on how cunning they really are..

Backstab. Passive/Proactive. (all cc weapons gain backstab, if they have it it adds +2 damage not +1)

Even weapons that have Backstab aren't getting the most use out of it in my games so far, as it takes a bit of setting up or dumb luck to actually get it to work, but I think you could still get a lot of work from this skill in a dedicated combat gang. Essentially +1 damage if they aren't looking at you, Backstab is at it's best in densely packed terrain or Zone Mortalis tiles where you can use the cover to sneak around your opponent's models. Best used in conjunction with another fighter or group of fighters to ensure the enemy is looking the way you want them to look by either engaging them in combat or drawing their fire, it's also worth  considering as a secondary skill for Infiltrating and Sprinting fighters who can punch through enemy lines easier than their slower counterparts. I don't think Backstab is strong enough to take as a starting skill unless you are doing it for fluff reasons, but as with many skills it's a good second skill choice, and if you gained it randomly you would find a use for it.

Escape artist. Passive/Reactive. (+2 to retreat initiative check roll, 2+ to escape capture in end game)

I'd have to say still probably the weakest of the cunning skills, escape artist is nonetheless very useful for certain builds of fighter. There are two parts to the skill- the first is new- the ability to almost guarantee escaping from melee with a medium ranged support fighter (such as a shotgun or flamer armed fighter who can then immediately turn the tables on their opponent) is excellent although again- it means surviving an initial charge (or follow-up move) and this can be pretty rare against combat gangs and fighters. The second part we all remember from Necro '95- the ability to escape when captured. this is less reliable than in days of old, but the addition of a useful in-game effect definitely improves the skill regardless. Not having to run rescue missions or risk losing a fighter to the guilders is pretty big, especially in gangs where the maths give you more odds of getting captured than not.  I can't ever see escape artists being chosen as both parts are far too reactive to be able to plan for, but it would be a good boost to a fighters long term resilience if you gained it randomly.

Evade. Passive/Proactive. (if active and in open, enemies have -1 short range, -2 long range vs shooting attacks)

The Evade skill is so dependent on external factors it's very hard to really give a good review of it. If you play on very densely packed tables full of terrain, then this skill isn't much use at all outside chance encounters. On the other hand if your terrain collection is a bit sparse this is the skill for you.  Personally I feel NOT being in cover in Necromunda should be a rare moment, and the amount of terrain on the board should reflect this- that said there's always times when you need to dash across the open for an objective or are unexpectedly outflanked by your opponent and then Evade is very useful, even if it just removes an opponents aiming bonus. Would I start with Evade? only if I knew I'd be playing into open tables, or against fast opponents that are likely to get up close very quickly. If you did roll it randomly I'm sure it would be useful in most games so you wouldn't be too disappointed in the long run.

House Delaque by Joshua Powers

Infiltrate. Passive/Proactive. (deploy anywhere on battlefield outside enemy LoS and not within 6" of enemy)

If any Cunning skill could be said to be ubiquitous then Infiltrate is the one. A skill that seemingly only affects deployment it can have a massive, MASSIVE effect on a game as it plays out. There are no restrictions on placing infiltrators in contact with scenario objects (like spook deposits), relics, crates and other markers so it can give you a jump in VP's from the very first turn. Relics are definitely worth mentioning again here as a lot of players drop their relics as out-of-the-way as possible, and can often leave them undefended so they can focus their troops up front. Knowing there's an infiltrator in play forces them to leave models by the relic, which either denies them flexibility in deployment or makes them place the relic closer to harms way than they usually would. Infiltrate also  gives close ranged weaponry like flamers and grenades added range early on that can cause carnage if an opponent deploys too clustered together. Finally infiltrate is useful as a way of stopping other infiltrators- if you are deploying first you can place your infiltrator further out forcing your opponents infiltrators away from your lines (or towards them if you want to punch their faces in). Probably the single most chosen starting skill I've seen across my games so far, if you can take an infiltrator from the start I'd definitely consider it, though don't get caught in the trap of infiltrating too many fighters up front as it can leave your actual lines quite sparse. If you rolled Infiltrate randomly you'd be pleased as a Goliath with an All-You-Can-Eat grox-burger buffet.

Lie low. Passive/Reactive. (whilst prone cannot be targeted by long range shooting attacks)

There is a champion in one of my local gangs who has earnt himself the name 'One shot willy', entirely due to his Lie Low skill. Even if caught clean in the open, without so much as a fig leaf to hide behind his opponent only gets one shot at him- if he is hit, he is pinned and that's it- nothing else gets to target him (he hides at the back with a long-las so is rarely in short range). that pretty much sums up why Lie Low is such a useful skill, it limits the amount of fire a single fighter in the open can take in a turn- give this to a multiple wound champion or leader and without some heavy damage weaponry your opponent is going to struggle to alpha strike them off the table. remember though, models in cover get this benefit already, so if you play on very dense terrain this isn't anywhere near as useful. Combine Lie Low with the take cover action and the Spring up skill and you have a model that can be almost impossible to shoot at if they don't want to be. watch out for grenade launchers and other template weapons mind- they can still get you by just blowing big holes in the ground around you. A consideration as a starting skill, definitely a good choice as a second skill for a Spring up fighter, and not too shabby if gained randomly, Lie Low is a decent skill if a bit situational like Evade.  

Overwatch. Costed/Reactive. (if active and readied may interrupt visible enemy action when declared with a shoot action. Lose readied)

I know a lot of people were wondering how Overwatch would change in the new edition, some (Van Saars) wanted it to stay the same as it benefited their play style, others (myself included) were hoping it still existed but with a few more limitations to stop certain people (Van Saars) hedgehogging it up and making the game a bit boring. The answer GW came up with for the action I think is a good fix- it's now something you don't have to plan ahead for, so can use on the fly (though it cancels your whole turn for that fighter) and it no longer has an accuracy penalty making it even better than before. The downside? Well it's a skill, not a basic action, so there's going to be a lot less of it in play. Overwatch is still a strong skill, it can dictate the course of play without ever being used which is super powerful all on it's own. It helps to be in a larger gang so the Overwatching fighter can leave their activation until late in the turn, and on Unwieldy weapons losing the second action is no different to firing normally so it's very much worth taking on heavies. Obviously the better the weapon the more scary this skill gets. A completely unique skill that can't really be compared to anything else in the game, placing it in Cunning rather than Shooting may seem odd, but it works here, and choosing between this and Infiltrate is going to very much depend on how your gangs are equipped, and how you like to play. Choose, it, roll it randomly- it's all good.

The Vega Rams, Squat gang by Finlay Robertson, 

That's it for this weeks skill ramblings, next time round we'll be checking out the revamped Ferocity and the new Leadership skill sets, which means I finally get to have my rant about why Overseer ISN'T the only skill a leader ever needs.

Cult on Cult action in the Underhive.

We are starting a Necromunda campaign in Newport soon as we have actually managed to rope together 5-6 people who want to give the campaign system a try. Because I've played the most and actually read the rules I've been allocated to teach everyone, so for the first few weeks we are just playing one-off skirmish game to get everyone used to the rules.

I'd made some walls and bulkheads for Zone Mortalis games already, but to give us more depth I very quickly knocked out six simple EPVC terrain in homage to the old boxed set terrain last Saturday, it does the trick but isn't exactly detailed...

Last week I played a game against steve's Genestealer cult, who hadn't named them yet but as he's an Eton old boy I named them for him after some of the institutions famous alumni. I have Genestealers, Chaos cult, Escher, Goliath and Orlock painted, so I'm not sure what I'm using for the campaign- but this game I took my plague infested Skitarii gang the 3rd protocol as the Cults are fairly similar in power level (as in not much power) so it would give Steve a balanced first game. as usual my boys (and girl) let me down like only rust machinery can but you'll see more of that later.

Anyway, enjoy a battle report with some old school white dwarf style maps I knocked up in powerpoint, not just for boring presentations!


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The sewers of Necromunda are as dangerous as they are vital to the hives infrastructure. Specially trained squads of skitarii patrol the depths of this vast network driving out unwanted squatters and repairing the damage caused by the eternal gang wars. When protocol team 3 were sent into the system to investigate extreme corrosion they found an infestation of ‘Bilebeetles’, chaos tainted mutants that decayed and rusted the environment around them. After a prolonged purge only one of the creatures survived, but when protocol team 3 delivered it to the mechanicus they had changed. Judged themselves to have succumbed to nurgles rusting witchcraft, they fled back into the sewers with their captive. now on the mechanicus bounty list they have become engaged in a vicious turf war with the brotherhood of the sun father, a holy cult with their own agenda in the underhive.

Left to Right- Sepsis 6.3, Ventrot, Rotbringer (witch), Bilebeetle (Disciple), Bitterbolt,  Mouth of Rust and Bile (Demagogue) Sporeslinger, Compiler of Miseries (dsiciple- nurgle accountant who doesn't show up unless he has to, someone has to make money!), Tetanus 4.1. 

Steves gang wasn't entirely painted so no pretty pictures of them as yet. 

The board set up ready to go with a second board in the distance from another game. 

Deployment

Pict-scan of the area after deployment with both gangs in place. and Steve's arm. He literally built a wall of dice to hide a model behind. You just can't trust Eton boys. 

Both gangs spread out across most of the length of the board, with the Chaos Cultists clustering around the building in the centre and the walls to the south. Bilebeetle deploys as high as possible to gain a good field of fire.  The Genestealers take advantage of their infiltrate skill (on both Acolytes and the Adept) to grab one objective early, and place both Acolytes under the refinery, as close as possible to the enemy in order to cause carnage and delay them straight away. 

Turn 1

The Chaos cultists advance cautiously, with Rotbringer taking advantage of levitation to soar toward the centre building. Caamhrone drags the objective back to his deployment zone and Mhogg-Rise and his allies advance behind the bulkhead walls. The first bullets are exchanged in the south corner as Mouth and Bitterbolt open up into Whailes, though their combined fire inflicts only 2 flesh wounds, and Bitterbolt realises he forget to bring enough shells for his shotgun which does not bode well for next turn..  

The firefight beneath the refinery starts early thanks to the infiltrating acolytes.  

Turn 2

The firefight beneath the refinery continues, with Mouth inflicting a flesh wound on the second acolyte, Both Acolytes return fire but only manage to pin the Chaos cultists in place while Bitterbolt reloads. A few opportunistic shots are taken, including BileBeetle and Hidlysttorm exchanging heavy Stubber fire without any real effect, and Rotbringer swoops up to the top of the centre building, hiding behind the chimney stack. 

The Genestealer cultists advance to try and spot the Nurgle tainted tech-priests in the ruins. 

 Turn 3

Whailes starts the turn with a fearsome charge into Bitterbolt, the acolytes vicious rock saw carving 7 points of damage into the nurgle cultists and slaying him outright! The second acolyte gets to his feet but is pinned again by Bilebeetles stubber and Sporeslingers autogun fire as he pokes his misshapen head round the corner. Caamrhone runs into the refinery proper to back the acolytes up and the remaining Genestealer cultists advance to new firing positions. Rotbringer snatches the centre objective and brings it back behind the chimney. As Sepsis finally reaches objective number 3 he is blown off the building by a lucky shot from Wrathschild, the fall knocking Sepsis out cold and taking him out of play. 

Bitterboil is torn limb from limb by Whailes Saw as The Mouth of Rust and Bile looks on. 

Turn 4

The turn starts badly for The 3rd Protocol when they fail their bottle check, shortly followed by it getting worse when Rotbringer decides she’s had enough of the others incompetence and promptly flying off the field. Mhogg Rhise and Redmaihne take control of the northern building now the cult are flushed out, and the chaos leader is forced to send his support team of Ventrot and Sporeslinger north to deal with the Aberrant and claim the objectives. The two cultists take heavy fire from Hidlystorm as they run but survive unscathed. The same can’t be said for Tetanus who takes a 3 round burst from the newly arrived Caamrhone, shredding one of his legs and taking him out. The only ray of light for the Nurgle cult is Mouth’s charge into Whailes, smashing the already weakened acolyte to the ground and critically injuring him before retreating back behind cover. The hybrids will need to find a doctor with low morals pretty quick if the rock saw wielding lunatic is going to make it to another skirmish.  

Turn 5

The Chaos forces gain the initiative, but a failed charge from Mouth leaves him vulnerable to a 2 pronged attack from the genestealers- first Jorhnson drops him with a burst of auto fire, then Caamrhone charges in to deliver the coup-de-gras, though this only knocks the putrescent Skitarii out for now. The relative quiet in the north is shattered by a barrage of fire on both sides, with Mhogg-Rhise weathering a hail of fire from Sporeslinger at close range. Redmhaine takes careful aim through a window and manages to blow a chunk out of Ventrot, he’ll be recovering from that damage for a while. Redmhaine’s victory is short-lived however as a blaze of accurate stubber fire from Bilebeetle shreds him and sends him off to recover later too. 

Rotbringer flees the flight while Ventrot and Sporeslinger advance as Hidlystorm lurks in the distance. 

Turn 6

The remaining Chaos cultists decide it’s better to flee the field whilst they still can, and as Bilebeetle lumbers off into the sewers once more the Genestealer Cultists can claim the spoils of victory... Damned xenos scum, coming over here and taking our loot...