#house helmawr

[titanomancy]

The new edition season of Necromunda takes the action to the genestealer-infested Under-Underdark Underhells of Hive Secundus - and what a hideous collection of xenos freaks are these!

The Spyrer Orrus Hunters have received a similarly grotesque glow-up, trading in their classic strongman suits for more obviously off-world equipment requiring voluntary dismemberment to operate. I like the minor xenos vibe these new suits give off, but I don't think they're meant to be t'au tech anymore.

And just in case you didn't already hate assembling Van Saar gangers, the new Tek Hunters look to be every bit as fiddly as the core kit and then some.

Meanwhile, the brood scum are... brood scum. Nothing really special, just new heads on the extant hive scum bodies. Good use of the range, especially as they already looked like Genestealer Cult neophytes minus the cult medallions.

A strong value proposition, overall - although the most interesting part of this preview, for me, is the promise of new Zone Mortalis ruins coming at a future date.

[wh40kgallery]

Necromunda Enforcer

by Thomas Elliott

[knightlightminiatures]

Hero’s have no place within the blighted realm of House Helmawr; The land of poisoning their bodies, the steel skies breaking their will. And yet the human spirit endured. Tormented and twisted, it has survived, and even thrived. Amongst the iron weeds of the ash-cursed planet. Men and Women, crushed beneath the feudal weight of the Imperium, their faces pushed into the dust, nonetheless can find the faint embers of their courage. They are the dregs of ancient bloodlines, the memory of great deeds hidden within their flesh, gifted to the across a thousand, thousand generations, from the forgotten origins of the world. The woman-warriors of Clan Esher are the inheritors of such genetic blessings, their long lost gene-mothers granting them a birthright stronger than the imperial chains locked around their throats. The True Necromundans are the Esher; descended from Queens, tempered by millennia, and sharpened to a Razor’s Edge, like the Blades their House is named for.

Straying for the classic yellow, I landed on a blue. Wild I know! 😂 but it seems to be my favorite color. There’s still so much I need to learn about skins and leathers that, in even a years time, I’ll probably hate how it looks. But for now! My unnamed Escher gang has a color scheme!

[theironwarsmith]

Sigma-Gamma One

Sigma-Gamma One, or sometimes referred to SG-1, is a small team of specialists that operate covert missions for House Van Saar, with the usual aim of obtaining archeotech or even forbidden xenotech from the depths of the hives of Necromunda.

Normally attacking with an element of surprise, they swiftly overcome their enemies with a lot of firepower before they make their escape with the loot. They are more of a kill-team than a gang.

Prime, Jacques Oneel. A former imperial navy veteran that got stranded on Necromunda in unclear circumstances, he made a name for himself as a bounty hunter before joining House Van Saar and working his way up their ranks. He had a wife, but they are now divorced following the death of their only child. Dreams of returning to the skies as a pilot.

Augmek, Saam Cartez. A woman of striking intelligence and unorthodox thought. She is able to see the larger picture, even in the midst of a firefight, and come up with effective solutions to issues that may arise [e.g. the Priorfire Reactor incident]. Her father died after being host to an alien parasite for a few years. Her and Prime Jacques have a close relationship, but they try to keep it 'professional'.

Tek, Dan'l Jacksen. Whilst just a Tek within SG-1, he is undoubtedly the expert on archeotech within the gang. Able to discern what era a piece of tech is from, he is also able to read the various languages that may be inscribed in or around the object, reading the heirocode of the Iron Kings to the warning-sigils and binary of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Also seems to have a woman in every bar, dive and club. Rumoured to have died twice.

Tek, Cyan'c Chulax. A man of few words but great actions. He once spent a night-cycle fighting two gangs at outpost by himself, killing all others as his fellow gangers lay dying all around. When he was much younger he almost fell into joining a gang that was later revealed to be a Chaos Cult, but he declared that they worshipped 'False Gods', the tzeentch cult still hunts him to this day.

Tek, Jonash Kinn. A fast learner, studies under Jacksen to learn about various pieces of archeotech and how to discern what they are capable of. He is quite concerned with any infighting House Van Saar experiences, since he is aware of larger threats on Necromunda that threaten the very existence of the House.

Tek, Kamer Mitch. An upcoming veteran, former Necromunda PDF soldier that deserted after being asked to open fire on an Ash Wastes settlement, killing many innocent people. He tagged along with many gangs, becoming known as a mercenary, until encountering Sigma-Gamma One holding the line against a Genestealer Cult incursion into House Van Saar's holdings. He joined the gang and made a name for himself as a brutal and effective member of the gang.

Subtek, Val'La Black. There is a lot to be said about Val'La. She was once a renowned thief a con-artist and it is rumoured she once led a cult that worshipped her. She can unlock nearly anything through a mix of lockpicking, hacking and brute force, there is a rumour that she has either lied, snuck or broke into every vault of the Noble Houses including House Helmawr. What she is doing with Sigma-Gamma One is a bit of a mystery but she does seem to stick close to Tek Jacksen.

[eljackinton]

"Well, gee, Lord Helmawr, there's just one thing bothering me about this. We got a whole load of spook being smuggled outta this hive world, but all the money from it is being paid into banks owned by House Helmawr. I mean why is that sir? That's what I'm not getting here."

[house-escher]

Future of Necromunda Part 2

From a post by Matt Swift in the NECROMUNDA 2017 Facebook Group

The layout of a gang.

Specialist champions and gangers incoming plus Prospects - pre-juves

Update - alliances!

Update 2 - new dramatis personae

Strix - mad techno hunter formerly of the Van Saar

Kage - former sump dogs Orlock ganger who rebelled against Rocky, failed the leadership challenge and is now the Anti-Orlock Orlock

House Catallus - first art for nobles, brother and sister who can be taken together. She’s a sniper, he’s a duelist. He claims to have never lost but really she just shoots anyone that starts to win. House is in civil war. She was meant to kill him but likes her brother more than her parents so they’ve fled downhive. Basically Merc’s for hire.

Psykers! One unsanctioned and one sanctioned. Thaetos comes from the Big Hole - giant mine. Was a god figure to the miners, got captured by slavers then escaped and now collects various undesirables to him. Montana is the daughter of a guilder, when her powers manifest her family sold her and she’s now a sanctioned Psyker. Her collar is made of the bones of dead psykers that talk to her.

Rex Spires - Demo expert... Geddit? He wrecks spires. Also... his arms are bionic so take his skill level with a pinch of salt...

Vorgen - former guardsman. Big fan of big guns.

Guild Allies - also, imperial credit artwork

Corpse Guild first up, models for some guilders will be coming at some point.

Promethium Guild - fire bois! Fuel merchants.

Water guild and slave guild - water guild builds on the other side of the water conflict to the vampire of water bounty hunter. Slave guild also manage the pit fights in the underhive.

Gameplay wise you can take representatives of the guilds to attach to your gangs rather than a “guild gang” at the moment.

Criminal alliances - the underworld of the underhive. Cold traders - black market goods. Imposters - what it says on the tin. Rogue factoria - counterfeit goods. Narco Lords - drug cartels. Fallen houses - former noble houses that have fallen from grace and are trying to regain power, rebels and usurpers. Psy-syndica - rogue Psyker traffickers, often led by a Psyker themselves. Think pimps but for psykers, sanctioned or not.

Future Battlegrounds....

Badlands! Actively dangerous battlegrounds - killer fungus!

Hive Mortis - Resident Evil... but on tabletop. Lots of bodies, people have started harvesting it

Hive Arcos - hive that’s fallen to Khorne. Cultist uprisings and lots of murder.

Hive Secundus - was the utopia hive, then it all went wrong. Because Grimdark. Rad tainted genestealers...

Ash wastes!!!! Yes!!! Orlock playground. Shanty towns and cargo trains. Getting a very Mad Max vibe.

Sump seas - the World sump, horrors from the deeps, sump spiders

Polar scrap spoils - massive junk yards, reclamation teams and gangs to go find things. Also a lot of tribes up there.

Bore Mines - vertical fights in the mine shafts

Navis Mortua - giant spaceship graveyard left over from a Helmawr civil war over shipping priority

The Eye of Selene - spaceyard, docking station, weapon batteries etc. Space pirates, infestations, cargo cults. Zero G skirmishes.

Enforcers will almost certainly be coming, Arbites probably not as they’re a central Imperial authority more concerned with the Nobles than the underhive.

Cool new factions coming in the future. Not necessarily a rebuild of the old stuff like Ratskins (though these will likely get touched on).

[fantasyscenery]

Voss the Younger spent his rule in a Ghast-induced coma, while his followers were forced to listen to his dreaming whispers for their commands. Targan III created chaos when he moved his entire court to the underhive to escape the incessant criticism of Necromunda’s moons, while Dagorn the Scaled spent years indulging in horrific genetic experiments on himself and his kin.

[drhoz]

Necromunda - Long Drop

Things have... not been going according to plan around Long Drop. For one thing the Redemptionists are regularly getting their asses handed to them, despite their most fervent prayers to the Emperor, and their total conviction that abhuman scum should be easy targets, even if they are Ogryns.

And the Spyrers themselves had a run of bad luck, again against Ogryns, which could best be summed up with this gif

But which might have something to do with them going native, and using too much of the Underhive vernacular - hardly becoming of a Necromundan noble. See the following from the Spyrer’s player +++

“I’m sweating my nuts off down here.” Growled Heavy. “Stop your bitching! You’re not the only one dealing with the heat! Something has gone off with the vents!” Malinka hissed back. “Both of you shut your holes! They aren’t far away!” DFAB whispered down the comm. It seemed the Zogg Ogryns had heard about the pile of loot Light’s Touch had carefully placed to draw in more unsuspecting gangers. Problem was that some heat vents had suddenly started going full-bore in the area and it was messing with their therm-optics. “Just stick to the plan and these big dumb brutes shouldn’t be an issue, we only need to prove ourselves a little longer then it’s back up to home we go!” Hunter added. If only it was that easy. DFAB watched the large heat-signatures move towards the Hoard and the familiar signatures of his companions moving in behind, but with all the heat it was just too hard to see too much detail. It was the heavy stutter of Rippers going off followed by a grenade explosion that indicated they had been spotted. The groans over the comms showed that the Ogryn’s aim had been somewhat successful. “Get your arses up and show those brutes who rule’s here!” DFAB goaded in between taking shots at the large moving shapes. “f**k you! I’ve got a couple of slugs in the leg.” It sounded like Hunter. DFAB knew that this wasn’t going as well as planned, both Hunter and from the sounds of the colourful swearing Malinka wasn’t in a good way either. He could see Heavy charging in, but DFAB just couldn’t get a good shot in not being able to see properly. “Alright, forget it, we’ll show this group later. Scoop you guts up and we’ll meet at the last rest spot.” +++ “Well that could have gone better! Sure we destroyed the Still, but f**k Me! how the hell is it that Hunter and Malinka can get your arses handed to you by a couple of Lugg-heads?” “Screw you Wings!” Malinka snapped as she injected healing foam into her gut wound “It’s not as if you made much of an impact yourself!” “Yeah! Whatever happened to getting them to keep their heads down?” Added Hunter as he patched up a couple holes in his arm. “At least one of us knocked some head in.” Rumbled Heavy. “f**k you Heavy!” Hunter said acidly “The only reason the Knuckle-dragger didn’t shoot the shit out of you is cause his gun jammed!” DFAB chuckled “Good thing he landed on your head, otherwise you would have been in trouble.” (The other night Ben and I got a couple of games in. If you hadn’t picked up on it my to-hit and wounding rolls were dismal and my saves weren’t much better. Ben’s Ogryn’s got away with The Hoard and so Light’s Touch decided to retaliate by destroying their Water Still. My rolling wasn’t much better and the only thing that went my way was his guy protecting the Water Still ran out of ammo and fell down the ladder (on top of Heavy Handed) which gave him the opportunity to smack the brutes head in before laying the Smack-Down on the Still.)

​On the third hand, things haven't exactly worked out for the Legitimate Businessman's Club, either. Sure, they captured that Jakara, and had her executed in front of a visiting Ulanti noble, and they captured another Spyrer after a run-in in a pea-souper fog, but if they thought they'd gotten away with it they had another think coming. Because Mercer Ulanti knew exactly who was being dropped down the Drop (gene-readers are a wonderful thing) and had contacted his opposite number in House Catallus, and the two dispatched a suitably neutral bounty-hunter to go meet the young nobles and find out exactly what had been happening down here. Happenings included another three Businessmen murdered by the psychos and the bountyhunter. And then the three surviving Spyrers headed back uphive, to receive a stern talking too from their elders and betters.

+++ For the first time in almost 400 years the Houses of Cattalus and Ulanti are agreeing on something which is the need for blood, for the disrespect shown to their kin. Lord Helmawr himself has given authorisation to the remaining team members to return below The Wall along with a cousin and a sister who have taken the recovered suits of their murdered kin, and have sworn bloody vengeance on those who have shown such disrespect to their rulers (by a public execution). The new team have been tasked to not return until they have ensured these Underhivers learn to fear their rulers, and so cannot return until they have collected 5 heads of their enemies.

+++

​Of course, as I observed, Helmawr isn't that concerned by the death of the noble youths - he's more concerned that the nobles and the Businessmen and the Long Drop Enforcers were all incompetent enough to actually get caught at it - but giving his quiet permission ensures political favours from Ulanti and Catallus later, and provides useful blackmail material.

[necromundaunderhive]

Lord Helmawr

[titanomancy]

Cutting art, state-of-the-edge.

[titanomancy]

It's wild to me that they're able to squeeze three of the classic spyrers, using only two poses, onto a single sprue while simultaneously preserving so much of the character of the original designs but here we are.

Not sure that I'm as impressed by the lateral move away from idle rich thrill killers slumming it downhive where their victims won't be missed, to some kind of suburban safari xenobeast hunting rite of passage for the crotchfruit of House Helmawr.

If it strikes you as problematic that the nobility should hunt the underclass for sport, congratulations, you've successfully intuited the surface-level themes. It's okay for the fictitious bad people to do the fictitious bad thing, it doesn't mean you're endorsing the act. That's what made it subversive.

[titanomancy]

Winter comes to Necromunda.

[titanomancy]

The new Palatine Enforcer kit looks pretty rock solid. Like the rest of the Necromunda range, the sprue is jam packed with bits and while it looks like there’s a limited number of poses, each one has several different options.

Bonus, there’s nothing explicitly Enforcer-y on the base model so you can leave the magnacles off and, with a little different paint job, use them as any mook in half-carapace - naval armsmen, chapter serfs, PDF auxilia - anyone with a shotgun, really.

[titanomancy]

“You know how often we get an Enforcer up in Rust Town?”

“Well, you got one now.”