The hive world of Necromunda is home to rival gangs in the grim dark sci fi universe of Warhammer 40,000. The latest result of Games Workshop’s ongoing efforts to produce or reproduce ‘specialist games’, Necromunda Underhive is a refreshing update of the 1995 classic miniature game.
The box contains the rules, the game board, dice, templates, tokens and sculpted plastic scenery- an upgrade of the originals game’s cardboard constructs. Most importantly are two rival teams to face off against each other: House Goliath and House Escher.
At a glance this looks like a top-notch product, but there’s one little thing to set this game apart: customisable miniatures! Both the gangs in this box are customisable with a variety of options-quite a nice change for a boxed game.
The gameplay of Necromunda: Underhive can be interesting, particularly with its sequence of activating a model in turns with your opponent. In the negative column, the odds seem stacked in favour of one side as the gang that is harder to lose with.
But don’t give up on Necromunda just yet! The saving grace appears in the form of the supplement, Necromunda Gang War. Here you’ll be playing on a three dimensional board in place of the static single level of Underhive. There’s also rules for playing a campaign, a group of players can fight it out for supremacy of the hive world over a number of skirmishes and the downtime between fights.
You may be thinking that a campaign is all well and good, but fear a campaign will get stale with only two gang types released so far. Games Workshop has provided a free download list of ‘legacy gangs’ from the original game for you at Necromunda.com.
My own local gaming store is running one of these campaigns, and some players are getting into the spirit by kitbashing and/or converting a gang from the legacy list. My house Van Saar gang (actually some standard Tempestus Scions) are looking forward to earning their keep in the weeks to come.
Meet the Savaran Stabbers of House Van Saar: Mr Booms, Mr Sawbones, Mr Pew, Lord Stabs, Sir Husqvarna, Mr Pewpew, and Mr Burns.
It’s definitely worth taking a look at Necromunda Underhive and Gang War if you haven’t already. Maybe you’d even like to ask santa for some holiday hobby goodness. If you still need convincing, check out the announcement for Necromunda releases coming next year.
Necromunda: Underhive and Necromunda: Gang War are available now from local hobby stores, Games Workshop and Warhammer stores nationwide.
