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!


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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...