They’re here! The first images of the New Necromunda Box Set and gangs have appeared on the Warhammer Community site and they are looking good! Let’s disect this image a bit before we move on to looking at the gangs of House Escher and House Goliath.
Well, I’m glad I didn’t chuck my templates. 😉 Yep, the trusty markers are back in business, though I think I prefer the green ones that I’ve got to the rust orange ones here, but it’s good to see these fellas back after a brief absence. Tales of their demise were greatly exaggerated it seems. So does that mean the rules will be more closely linked to Old 40k than 8th edition? I can’t wait to find out.
And we have a board. This is interesting, and from what the article says, there are more than one way to play: Either using the board, or playing on your tabletop with multi-level terrain. This is sensible, as it makes Necromunda both a gateway/entry-level game (kids can buy it, play on the board included with unpainted minis) while those more hardcore of us can take the miniatures to the tabletop. Time to get building those crazy walkways and pumping stations folks!
There will be some useful looking bulkheads and doors in there too, which is a nice touch and great for any of us wanting to craft our own scenery. And do I spy some new Underhive-specific objective markers in there? Why, yes. I believe I do. Winning. On top of that, we have our two gangs, some dice, markers and various rules-related paraphernalia. This looks like an excellent set which I imagine will be priced around the £85-95 range. Pricey for pocket money, but not bad when hours of fun can be had.
So how does it compare to the old days?
I know exactly what you’re going to say. You’re going to put on your rose-tinted glasses, stare back into the warm depths of nostalgia and talk about how the Necromunda scenery from the first box set of the game was amazing, and I am going to totally agree with you. At the time, it was frankly groundbreaking. It transformed so many tabletops and became almost as iconic as the gangs themselves. But I challenge you to take a look at it now, compared to modern GW scenery, and even scenery made by other companies and tell me that it looks as good. The bulkheads have actually aged extremely well, but the cardboard, not so much. It was flimsy and wobbly and while it looked amazing to my young eyes way back when, I can acknowledge now that it wouldn’t quite be good enough. And yes, GW want us all to buy more scenery kits, but that’s hardly a shock. Just consider what you could do with all the terrain pieces now available to you…
Beyond that contentious point (I know some of you will still be spitting bile about not getting that kit again), it’s a general upgrade of everything. Everything’s a little more polished which is what one can expect these days, and the models are better too. Speaking of which…
How good do these gangs look?! The Goliath gang will be so much fun to paint. I’m thinking tattoos, bright mohawks and a lot of rusty, red armour for mine. And as for the Escher gang, I’m sure my regular readers know well my predilection towards 80s fashion and animal print so you can expect to see plenty of that from me. But as good as they look, this isn’t what’s got me most excited. This paragraph from the press release has made me very happy indeed:
“One of the best things about Necromunda is building a gang and equipping your gangers with wargear, and each kit is absolutely packed with options. There are weapons for any situation, from classics like the stub gun to more esoteric choices like the repurposed industrial equipment of House Goliath or the chem-weapons of the Eschers.”
Options!! In a box set!! Get those teeny-tiny magnets ready folks because everyone’s going to be swapping gear and weapons around here. Everything can be unique and of course if you’re rich in bits too, you can do so much more! Slaaneshy Escher gang? Why not. Mork-following Goliaths? As you please. Necron affiliated Van Saar? Hells Yes. Renegade Cawdor, Wig-wearing Delaques, mutated Orlocks… the possibilities are endless. This is fantastic news and I cannot wait to get going with these adaptations.
So what are your thoughts on the box? Happy with the way it’s looking? Got any ideas for your gangs? Excited by all of this? Not as much as I am. November can’t come soon enough. Onwards!
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I’m on board with everything bar the lack of scenery. If they’d not discontinued the SW:A boxes before they were reasonably available it wouldn’t be so bad, but the new multi-level scenery seems made for Necro (because it probably was), and not having some bundled in the box at starter-set prices is disappointing. Not having a well-priced scenery bundle to go alongside it is also quite disappointing.
I know what you mean. But who knows – maybe we’ll get some scenery deals come November. I’m sure there’ll be plenty of interested parties when the game finally drops. Fingers crossed.
Yeah, I’m hopeful (but not expectant) that there’ll be some kind of terrain bundle to go with it, or for Christmas release. Or both, given the timeframe.
Sweet, im not to bothered by the lack of terrain, as im not that impressed with the new 40k modular terrain stuff, the prices just dont stack up compared to what you can get for the same price with laser cut mdf, there are loads of people on ebay making awesome multi level gantries and stuff for infinity, never mind all the goodies from 4ground, ttcombat and custom meeple. And as i just bought a desktop vinyl cutter i can feed plasticard into i can see myself printing gantries in the near future 😀
My thoughts are more or less “AWWWW YISSS!” XD
The Sector Mechanicus stuff, not to mention all the third-party stuff available now, is enough better than the old cardboard terrain that I don’t mind that lack, but I do still wish that those bulkheads were available. You can do some pretty cool stuff with those and some plasticard.
I think those cardboard Zone Mortalis boards look absolutely great. I can’t wait to get my hands on them. (They will most definitely be sold separately on EBay.)
Holding my breath until I see what other gangs come out with it. Ratskins or redemtionists for me!