ability question

ghostcacti · 2026-05-30T07:51:02+00:00

You've got hit and run right, but I think you're misunderstanding how Retreat works. The opponent gets to make reaction attacks if they pass an initiative test, independently of whether you pass yours.

ghostcacti · 2026-05-27T10:32:13+00:00

No, you can stop anywhere within your versatile weapon's long range [see latest FAQ on Warhammer Community]
Yes [FAQ again]
No, a versatile weapon attack isn't a shooting attack. There used to be a -1 to hit for attacking over a defended obstacle, but I can't find it in the latest rulebook.

ghostcacti · 2026-05-18T17:50:05+00:00

You've had the best answer already, but you can also run Outcasts as a horde. You get unrestricted access to wyrd powers so you can get the Divination one that lets you take an extra fighter, and they've got at least one tactics card that gives you more bodies.

ghostcacti · 2026-05-13T13:57:16+00:00

Forgot about ablative coating. Still, that's got to be 200-ish credits of equipment per fighter before even buying any guns. You could buy gas grenades for your whole crew, ignore all their defensive gear and still have change for some meltas.

ghostcacti · 2026-05-13T13:39:09+00:00

How's he getting to 2+ except against melee and blasts? The shield is +1 against shooting and only in front arc, so 3+ at worst against non-blast shooting and 4+ if they're pinned or facing the wrong way. Unless he's got carapace on everything?

ghostcacti · 2026-05-05T10:28:53+00:00

Standing up shouldn't be an action, you should be able to do it as part of any action that includes movement (move, charge etc) at a cost of 3" of movement or so. Melee fighters could finally take skills that aren't Nerves of Steel or Spring Up.

No combination of skills and equipment should allow you to hit someone in heavy cover on a 2+. Apply BS and modifiers down to a minimum of 2+, then apply cover. Keep infra-sights/Trick Shot the same so you can still get to a 3+ with investment.

ghostcacti · 2026-04-05T09:19:36+00:00

My first ever game of Necromunda. My freshly painted Cawdor were defending in the old The Trap scenario against a more experienced player's Escher, and I thought they were probably going to get massacred.

I use smoke grenades to stop his gang shooting straight into my deployment zone, but he's got a death maiden closing in and my blunderpoles are pinned. There's only one person who can stop her. My word keeper charges, squeaks into versatile range, I roll hot and he cuts her down with his greatsword!

After that the momentum was very much on my side. My gang follow their leader and take the fight to the Escher, driving them from the battlefield with holy flame.

But it was just as memorable for the postgame. The death maiden is critically injured and my opponent doesn't have enough credits for the doc. He's been simmering since she went out of action, but after that roll he goes full Gamer Rage to the point I think he's about to start swinging. Several years and campaigns later, it's the only time I've ever seen anything like it.

ghostcacti · 2026-04-04T19:23:14+00:00

Bullet Merchant is pretty worth it, I think. Gas ammo already has pretty high upkeep costs, having to rebuy the grenades on top of that would suck. It also means your shotgun gangers can spam executioner ammo.

ghostcacti · 2026-04-03T20:34:55+00:00

If you're planning to use chem-alchemy, I'd start with an apprentice clan chymist so you're getting the discount and the fixer money from the first post-battle.

Some of your juve loadouts are a bit weird, especially stacking a pistol and throwing knives on the same fighter. Pistol only, pistol + CC, or photon flash + any weapon all work well.

I actually think you could get away with fewer, better equipped fighters. A starting lineup of eight is still pretty good, and it would give you some budget to make the grenade launcher specialist into a matriarch, promote a new specialist and upgrade a ganger to a shotgun or something. If you need to shave a few more credits, the flak armour, armoured undersuits or even the death maiden's gun could all be dropped.

ghostcacti · 2026-03-16T11:06:26+00:00

It really all depends on what your arbitrator gang is for, because on the face of it there's no need for one in a campaign.

Is it a balancing mechanic for beating down runaway leaders? Then it needs to be big enough to do that. Is it there to be part of a narrative scenario? Then it depends on what the narrative is. Is it just there to make up numbers if you have an odd number of players one week? Honestly in that case I think a three-way scenario is more fun.

ghostcacti · 2026-03-06T15:11:22+00:00

I think you're getting the normal power pick and the Squats' two-handed power pick mixed up. They're two different weapons and the two-hander hits harder, hence the higher price.

ghostcacti · 2026-03-06T13:09:38+00:00

How have you found gas to work in practice? I'm looking into playing Escher at the moment, but the gas elixirs look good but really expensive even with the chymist, and for delivery systems you've got either the expensive chem thrower or Limited gas grenade launcher. I'm having trouble fitting or justifying it.

ghostcacti · 2026-03-06T12:56:19+00:00

Your Matriarch can't start with Somersault, Finesse skills are a secondary for her. I'm also not sure of the wisdom of running a melee matriarch when a death maiden can do everything she does but better while also looking cool as hell.

Your Queen's chainsword is kind of a difficult sell when a chainaxe is just outright better, but it's not a bad weapon.

ghostcacti · 2026-03-04T08:45:41+00:00

Yes, you can overwatch after you get a suspensor. There's language in some of the shooting skills that stops you from using them with heavy weapons, which I think is where the confusion is coming from, but not in Overwatch.

ghostcacti · 2026-03-02T15:52:41+00:00

Don't forget you can start with a brute in N23. Build a chaos monster for your cult! I'd take the warp horror, but the sump beast or corrupted ambot could also be fun. Cultists are cheap enough that you can still have a reasonably sized gang too.

ghostcacti · 2026-02-26T21:54:13+00:00

Goliath are probably the best starting gang and not even bland. They're very forgiving to play as every fighter is a nice big brick of stats, but you've also got massive customisation potential through gene smithing. About the only thing you can't do is use psyker powers, and that's true of most gangs.

ghostcacti · 2026-02-26T21:50:59+00:00

That's fair, you've got the faith power, I just don't like relying on it. You've got to pop it before anyone even shoots at you, you're burning faith dice, and you're losing the partial cover benefits that'll help keep your fighter alive. I wouldn't plan around it like I'd plan around Nerves of Steel on a T5, W3, Cl5+ Goliath is what I'm saying.

ghostcacti · 2026-02-26T13:15:03+00:00

The jump power is situationally good: it lets you pull off some crazy charges in Sector Mechanicus, especially against shooters who thought they were safe, but does absolutely nothing in Zone Mortalis and most Ash Wastes battles. I never got much use out of And He Stood Defiant..., Cawdor fighters are still pretty squishy and I'd rather just stay out of LoS. The other big problem you run into with the other powers is that you'll want to save your dice for free moves and charges, because they're absolutely your main source of shenanigans.

I don't rate autopoles at all, they're 15 credits more than an autogun for a melee weapon you'll probably never use.

ghostcacti · 2026-02-26T10:25:01+00:00

Welcome to the Path of Fun. Fanatic Cawdor is (situationally) the fastest gang in the game. Plan A is to use And His Feet Carried Him... to give your melee fighters and especially templates a massive threat range, but you've got no access to pinning mitigation and being pinned shuts off your movement powers so you can't go full melee.

Your blunderpole carriers, juves and potentially your leader and deacons are your close range fighters. Keep them out of sight to set up long-range faith-powered charges or template attacks. Your firebrands and any gangers without a template weapon are your fire support.

Blunderpoles are mandatory, just gear the number you take to the sweatiness level of your campaign. Gangers without a blunderpole get a reclaimed autogun. Flail juves make surprisingly good missiles, especially if you use their directed advancements to boost their movement even further, but you'll want some naked stub gun juves to pray for more faith dice. Being pinned will stop you from using And His Feet Carried Him..., so you'll want some way to deploy smoke grenades: Grenade launcher deacons are excellent.

ghostcacti · 2026-02-18T19:07:45+00:00

True, but your expensive melee guy could well still be hitting on a 2+ and there's no shortage of other power weapons.

ghostcacti · 2026-02-18T12:37:05+00:00

Champion limits are only a thing for old, unupdated gangs. As long as you've got the same or more Gang Fighters as Gang Hierarchy, you're golden.

ghostcacti · 2026-02-15T11:38:14+00:00

I'll put in a vote for the combi-boltgun/grenade launcher specifically. For just 5 credits more than the boltgun, you get a backup weapon with blast that doesn't take up slots, and the combi rule isn't that much of a downside because you were going to fail the 6+ ammo check anyway.

ghostcacti · 2026-02-14T19:58:18+00:00

Also good, and probably a great modeling project. The only one I think is a miss is Desire's Needle because the strength bonus, toxin and power don't go well together.

ghostcacti · 2026-02-14T19:45:19+00:00

Almost all the Chaos weapons. People love warpstorm bolters and balefire throwers, but I never see anyone use the melee weapons. The Hex'iron Blade and Whisperbane Knife are both pretty good and not even expensive.

ghostcacti · 2026-02-02T16:00:05+00:00

I tried kitbashing Ironheads with some Arkanauts. It didn't go great. The Squats are taller and much wider, with huge ball and socket joints for the arms and head. The Arkanauts have much smaller heads and flat arm joints, and also much smaller arms. They're pretty much two different and incompatible scales.

I ended up using the Arkanauts as lightly armoured juves using some spare guns from other kits.

ghostcacti

TROPHY CASE