Necromunda hobby ramble

Necromunda (GW’s simile for ‘nostalgia,’ apparently) is the next game I intend to build, paint and play after my 30K army is complete.  However, it’s not for the same reasons that the rest of the Necromunda community appears to be tumescent.  I never played the original (I haven’t played the re-boot either) but there’s no doubt there are many good reasons to get into Necromunda 2018.

1. It’s highly accessible with the Underhive boxed set. If GBP75 is your idea of highly accessible then this is true.  That’s not a criticism, there’s definitely a game called Necromunda Underhive you can play for GBP75 straight out of the box.  I haven’t (and probably won’t) because it looks like a board game (I like board games but don’t want this to be one) so the GBP75 is a bit of a misdirection.  Actually to really get the depth that the game is known for it’s apparent to me (again, not having played it) that you’ll need:
   1. More models. Here’s where buying two sets of UnderHive with a mate and splitting them works well.  Well, actually here’s where buying two sets of UnderHive with a mate and splitting them SHOULD work well if it wasn’t for…
   2. Upgrade kits. One of the great benefits of low model counts (see below) is the customization options and really creating a gang of ‘your guys,’ so don’t go gluing the arms on the second Underhive box contents just yet
   3. More books. At the time of posting there are 3 Gang War supplements.  This is where the rules complexity and campaign depth really comes to life.  They’re not expensive individually but multiplying any cost by three makes it three times bigger so you do the math(s).

So after all that you’re actually in for ~GBP150 without terrain (>GBP350 with terrain, all GW retail prices).  That’s about the cost of an army for any of 30K, 40K or AoS so not appreciably more accessible than those.  Actually that’s about the cost of lots of cool stuff (a mid quality set of golf clubs, half decent games console, entry level bicycle etc).  I’m not saying those things are better, just keep your eyes open to what your getting into.

2. Relatively low model count. This is a big thing for me.  Coming off the back of a 2 year 30K project (my Emperors Children) where I collected and painted around 7,000 points (and got utterly sick of painting purple) I’m looking forward to a smaller army (gang) and have a ‘nice,’ choice to make:
   1. Spend the same time per model as 30K on my Necromunda force and have it done very quickly
   2. Spend the same time on my Necromunda force as I spent on my 30K army and have each gang member at a very high standard.

Realistically I’m not going to spend two years painting a 20 model Necromunda gang so I’ll be erring more towards the first option but will be taking more care than I did with my 40K army.  So, like a true Liberal Democrat I’ve described how I’ll be taking the third way on a binary decision.  I’ll set a total deadline which is long enough to paint well but short enough so I don’t get bored and crack on.  Probably.

3. It feels well supported generally. By this, I mean there’s lots of content on the GW, FW and Warhammer Community websites (not surprising) and my favourite hobby resource is producing necromunda specific content.  This doesn’t feel like another Dreadfleet.

But…There are a couple of things bugging me about how I will interact with Necromunda.  These are not criticisms of the game at all, it’s just a matter of horses for courses:

1. The campaign system is very detailed. Living in Russia’s hanging hemorrhoid means gaming time is at an absolute premium for me.  It also means I’m likely to be attending tournaments or grabbing pick up games at my old club.  Necromunda’s not really designed for that.  It’s designed for your to grow old with your gang and tell fireside stories to your kids of their derring do over the campaign years.  I’m sure there will be events and I’m sure I will attend them.  It’s just that my small brain can’t process how they will work.
2. It’s not 30K. Yeah, tough one this.  I am a member (non paying anymore!) of a really good gaming group.  We’ve been through all the phases you can think of:  Malifaux, Batman, Bolt Action, Kings of War but it always comes back to 30K.  Necromunda will be in that basket in my group, I guarantee it.

Ultimately those are small problems, they are definitely ‘me,’ problems NOT ‘Necromunda,’ problems and I intend to use the gang I build to try and speed up (slightly) but also to raise my painting standard.  If I do both of those things for the cost of an Underhive box, an extra set of Escher models, some alternative weapons and the books (~GBP170) then it will have been well wort…actually….where are my golf clubs?