The newer Underhive

  One of the many projects that I have going right now is some fantastic terrain that I got in a Kickstarter.  This terrain closely resembles both the style and look of the original terrain for Necromunda back in the 90's.  Now I've finally got that stuff built and it looks fantastic!

  I've now played a couple of games of Necromunda and there's something that's not quite right to me.  The rules aren't bad, even if a bit different from the original game with those extra dice and the new alternating activation sequence.  But the rules aren't what feels quite right...  It's the setting.  While the storyline is the same, now the game has us fighting in these tunnels.  Gangs used to fight across soaring gantries and crumbling ladders.  The new version of Necromunda is a board game now and it's just not the same...

 I found some terrain that absolutely fits the bill and takes advantage of the expansion rules for 3D terrain (which aren't many).  I have enough to paint and don't want to paint terrain.  If you're looking for something like this and the many, many advantages, check them out here. 

  It took me a while to get all mind built, but I finally did.  My wife even helped out with the second set that we ordered.  It was hilarious that it took me two weeks to build the first bundle, but then it took the wife and me only a day to build the second.  Have I even mentioned that my wife is a bit crafty?  

  We still haven't had a chance to use it yet, but we at least wanted to set some of it up and show it off.  It looks great!  No painting, no gluing plastic or metal, and no set layout- all modular!  Check this stuff out below:

The Skirmish bundle without the Cover set

The brilliant ladder-clip

   And there it is!  Tell me what you think and definitely let me know if you get some.  This terrain has me completely geeked to play Necromunda.  I hope that this is what's missing from that game because the quality of this terrain isn't go to be the issue. 

  Even better, this stuff has me excited to build some home-made industrial stuff like storage tanks and generator complexes.  I can't compare with GW terrain, but I can make stuff that easily compliments this stuff.  Plus, who wants walkways with nothing to walk around?  That's certainly not what battling in the Underhive is about...

 

More work in the Underhive

  It has been a while since our last battle using the new Necromunda rules.  Plus, I still hadn't finished the stuff in the main box and I needed some motivation.  It was going to be a project just to get the gangers painted, much less all the terrain bits as well.

  So I did what all us modern folk do today- I pulled up the internet and asked it how to paint that Necromunda terrain.  Finding GW's own Duncan doing a simple method, I just followed along with that.  It turns out that his method is very effective and quick.  Here's some pics of me getting started:

  Unfortunately, I got in a hurry and finished all the rest of the steps without taking pictures.  But how it looks in the video above is how mine end up generally looking as well.  So easy!  My wife, having helped out just a bit, then demanded that we play another battle.  She had just finished painting one of her models according to another Duncan video and she wanted to put her into action.  And who am I to turn down a game?

  We picked the first scenario again because we were familiar with it and it's easy to play.  The only elements other than gangers are the two ammo containers on the board.  Even better, the mission only requires you to choose six of your gangers to make a crew, which means that you don't have to remember every rule for everyone you've payed for!  This first scenario is the perfect starting point, and that's it.  

The board

   I chose the three Goliath gangers with stub cannons- a very powerful firearm at Strength 5.  Adding the champion with the renderizer and the two gangers with close combat weapons, I built a crew based on close range and bashing heads.  It's actually the only thing that the Goliaths really do, so my options were pretty obvious.  They look so cool!

  My wife chose her Escher based on range and poison.  With three gangers rocking lasguns and another rocking an autogun, there was plenty of range.  She took the champion with the chem-spitter and another young lady with the intent to use her blade.  Of note is her painted model, especially when I don't have any yet.  Embarassing!

  The two gangs then deployed along their backline, with the Goliaths pairing up and focusing on each entrance to the tunnel complex and the Escher setting up to run down each flank and focus on the middle with the big hitters.  The air was tense as both crews knew the other was somewhere in these tunnels.  They couldn't see each other yet as doors and walls blocked their view after only a few yards.  But they were there...

Deployment

 Turn 1
  The first turn was uneventful, as tunnel fighting usually is.  The Goliaths, being slower and bulkier, had to move up and take positions behind the doors.  They could hear the scuffling and darting sisters but the closed doors kept them from being able to see.  While they were blocked out, the Eschers dashed down their hallways and set up on the flanks, ready to create a crossfire.  Their heavy group confidently opened the door and peered out, seeing shadows but little else...

End Turn 1

Turn 2
  Suddenly, the battle erupted.  One Escher peered around the corner to take a shot and was immediately blasted in the face, while another could only pin an enemy while keeping herself safe.  The decision to open doors and trundle to cover left many Goliaths under fire.  One was even charged from the hallway he didn't see, but the champion intervened and cut the attacker down.  Most were lucky while the more apprehensive ladies suffered far worse.  The Eschers had one sister out-of-action and another one pinned while the Goliaths had two fighters pinned.

End Turn 2

Turn 3
  This was where the ferocity of the Goliaths really took over.  One of the pinned fighters stood and took a shot, taking out the sister still hiding just inside a hallway.  The other side saw the champion's entourage gun done the sister that emerged only a moment later.  The crossfire had turned into an ambush!  The rest of the Goliaths simply advanced, laying down fire at the group in the middle and taking out another sister.  The ladies' efforts meant very little as the toughness of the Goliath gene easily ignored any damage they took.
  With only two sisters left, including the champion, the situation was certainly dire for the Eschers.

End Turn 3

Turn 4
  Now came the priority roll for initiative this turn and the Goliaths arrogantly took it.  With barely a move, the Goliaths gunned down the Escher champion, leaving only a ganger with the lasgun standing alone in the corridor.

End of skirmish

  Reaching maturity in the Underhive is achieved by knowing when to get out, and that last sister definitely beat a figting retreat away from this mess.  Hopefully, the gang could recover and actually put up a fight against these monstrous Goliath gangers.  This battle was a learning experience...

  Having the painted terrain on the board definitely made me want to get my gangers painted.  With all the other projects and life in the way, it may not happen for a while.  But I'm certainly more motivated now.  Of course, I would be much more interested with more traditional, 3D terrain...

Ghost vs. Greenskin

  My wife has been asking for a larger game in Age of Sigmar for some time.  She has everything for the Death allegiance, including the Lord-god himself- Nagash!  I unfortunately, do not have updated rules or even enough modern units in most of my armies to stand up to that.  I've been using my Ironjaws because they are simple and I don't have to worry about constant re-dos (looking at you, Bloodbound).  Unfortunately, I only have 1440 points of Ironjaws, but I DO have some regular Orcs from the old Warhammer days kicking about.  Adding that bit of extras, upgrading the Maw-crusha to the special character version, and following the 'allies' rules, I brought my Ironjaws force up to 1980 points.  Now I can give my wife the 2000 point game that she wants. 
 

  She had the brilliant idea to lay out the board as though it was near a drying-up or low-tide coast.  With a mausoleum nearby and a shipwreck not too far away, it made sense for the spirits of the deceased to consider this their territory.  It was a fantastic table and an even neater little narrative that added to the game. 

The battlefield

  Finally being able to bring some toys, her force was led by Reikenor and included a couple of unit of Hexwraiths, some Spirit Hosts, a battalion of Chainrasp Reapers, some special Banshees, and then a Mourngul.  Following the 'allies' rule, the Nighthaunt force is able to bring this Forgeworld-created monstrosity of unkillable horror.  Great...

  My army list was really just adding some stuff to this list I normally use- this time led by the Gordrakk Ironfist or whatever that main character's name is (a super-Megaboss on Maw-crusher), a Warchanter, a Warcaster, a Megaboss on foot, all tending to a unit of 'Ardboyz, two units of Brutes, some Gore-gruntas, and now including a mob of 20 orc choppa-boyz and a mob of 10 orc arrer-boyz.  To top it all off, an Aleguzzler Gargant followed along...

  The undead had more command points than the Ironjaws due to including a battalion.  It would be interesting to see how they get used.  Remember that the Ironjaws do nothing but call their buffing command ability every turn, so theirs is simple to predict.

  We rolled up a mission from the General's Handbook 2018 (if I remember correctly and I'm not real sure...) and came up with Border War.  There were four objectives on the table, one in each players' zone and two on the centerline.  The players gain points by controlling objectives, each worth more depending where they are on the table.  Simple- kill and control.

  The Ironjaws deployed in a line across the battlefield.  The Mega-Megaboss on Mawcrusher stood in the center of the line, flanked by a giant and Gore-gruntas to one side and Brutes on the other.  To the far left mobbed the Choppa-boyz, ready to leap forward and take the centerline objective, while the Arrer-boyz guarded the right flank while hiding in the woods.  In between those woods and the Brutes stood the 'Ardboyz, ready to answer the charge of super-quick ghosts. 
  The Nighthaunt forces also deployed in a line, from the other woods to the shipwreck, nearly tracing the old coastline.  To their left flank was placed the Spirit Hosts and terrifying Mourngul, with cavalry and Banshees screening Reikenor in the center.  To his right was the mob of Reapers and the Dreadblade Harrow to sweep the flank if needed.  More, they kept a unit of Reapers in reserves.
  Both armies had their generals planted atop their own objectives, and each mirrored units to move and take objectives in the middle.  This was going to be a tug-of-war at this point. 

Deployment

Battle Round 1

  The Ironjaws wisely chose to hold the line and allow the Nighthaunt to go first.  They would need to understand how the ghosts were going to stretch to get those objective points before unleashing their rage.  Plus, the option of the back-to-back turn is the goal on every first turn (unless you're a ranged army)!

  The Nighthaunt forces started their turn by rushing everything foward to take the objectives and set up for charges when they became possible.  The final unit of Reapers turned up just in front of the Choppa-boyz, but chose not to charge so they could instantly claim that middle objective.  The cavalry formed a wedge right up the middle toward the 'Ardboyz, and the Spirit Hosts moved up to take the other middle objective.  With control of her and both of the middle objective points, the Nighthaunt army immediately gained 5 victory points.  Plus, her army had to solid waves of invulnerable ghosts to wade through- this was going to be hard...

End Nighthaunt Turn 1

  The morning mist still clung to the wet and rocky landscape, and this was further sullied by the incorporeal warriors floating above it.  But the greenskins simply licked their teeth, eager to see just how similar 'incorporeal' is to 'unkillable'. 
  Gordrakk bowled forward and crushed a unit of Hexwraiths nearly to death, which allowed the 'Ardboyz to get into a frenzy and charge both the Spirit Hosts and the nearby Hexwraiths, nearly wiping out that second unit with the help of the Arrer-boyz garrisoning the woods.  The Choppa-boyz happily took the bait from the Reapers and charged into combat, which then urged the Aleguzzler to stop all the way around and charge the rear of the enemy line.  The Dreadblade Harrow counter-charged and invited the attacks of the giant, only to fail all the way around.  The giant just wanted his presence known for the moment...
  While those units of mayhem wreaked their havoc, the Brutes and Megaboss firmly held their objective, and the 'Ardboyz had maneuvered in just such a way to steal control of one of the middle objectives.  This only gave the greenskins three points this turn.

End Ironjaws Turn 1

Battle Round 2

  The all-important die roll to get initiative in the turn resulted in the Ironjaws getting a back-to-back turn.  Taking full advantage, Gordrakk continued his rampage and destroyed the Banshees, but was then locked up by that unnoticed survivor from the last charge, keeping the orc Lord from getting to Reikenor.  Brutes quickly caught up and charged alongside the Gore-gruntas into the second unit of Reapers, locking them up and keeping them from reinforcing the flank. 
  The Choppa-boyz hacked down most of the first unit of Reapers while the giant kicked and 'eadbutted the Dreadblade Harrow, almost killing him.  The other side of the Battlefield saw the Mourngul lazily attack and fail to kill many of the 'Ardboyz, while still losing most of the unit to the frightful touch of the Spirit Hosts. 
  With clever maneuvering and timely casualties, the Ironjaws were able to take control of both middle objectives and gain five points this turn.  That put the greenskins clearly in the lead and in position to obstruct the undead in every direction. 

End Ironjaws Turn 2

  The Nighthaunt were now stretched too thinand had too many combat-oriented beasts to deal with.  Unfortunately, the magic was very weak again and the resurrection of ghosts was minimal.  The back unit of Reapers was completely wiped out by buffed Brutes and Gore-gruntas, while the first unit was nearly destroyed as they killed a few Choppa-boyz in return.  The Dreadblade Harrow actually hurt the giant, forcing him to turn and 'eadbutt the undead officer to death.  The center and right flank of the Nighthaunt line just completely vanished.
  In desperation, Reikenor charged into Gordrekk, hoping to severly wound the big monster.  Instead, his ethereal weapon somehow bounced from the impenetrable hide of the Maw-crusher, which then noticed and stomped him into the ground.  An irritated beast had just effortlessly killed the Nighthaunt general and now the home objective was open to Brutes and a barely-distracted Mega-megaboss on Mawcrusher. 
  Luckily, the Mourngul and Spirit Hosts exerted their power and killed all but the champion from the 'Ardboyz, retaking control of that objective.  This act of defiance would get the undead three points, tying up the game. 

End Nighthaunt Turn 2

Battle Round 3
  Unfortunately, this game mirrored last week's game in that the final turn would be determined by the priority roll.  And again, that irony came in whether my wife won the roll or lost it and the timing issues it would create.  If she won, then my models would finish off their combats and have their next turn to destroy the rest of her army.  If I won, then I would have to waste my turn finishing combats and she can then move her survivors and attempt to salvage the situation.  After all, that Mourngul is insanely powerful and can easily kill the orc general.

  So we roll the die, hoping for an orc priority for any chance of victory, and...

  The Nighthaunt wins the roll-off.  That's it- the game is over.  There's no conceivable way, based on numbers of models and units and simple order, regardless of perfection of tactics and miraculous dice, that the Nighthaunt would be able to pull it out now.  This was an Ironjaws victory. 

  This was a very intense game right from the beginning, but everything went really well for the Ironjaws.  Besides missing out on the opportunity to use the general's 'bowling ball' trait, every charge roll was made and priority always fell in their favor.  Rather than the strategic errors from the last battle, this one was simple luck.  And Ironjaws like luck too!

Any good but way too one-sided in the blessings games lately?  Please leave a comment below and fill me in- I always dig a good story.  Otherwise- Happy Gaming