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16. Caravan Heist

RAW ✔️ Source: Necromunda: Rulebook (2018)

A gang makes a daring raid against a Guilder caravan.

Attacker and Defender​

In this scenario, one gang is the attacker and the other is the defender. In a campaign, the player who chose this scenario is the attacker. In a Skirmish, players roll off and the winner decides whether they will attack or defend.

Battlefield​

This scenario uses the standard Battlefield Set-up rules. However, the battlefield must be set up in such a way that the caravan can travel from where it is deployed to the opposite edge of the battlefield. There can be no structures or impassable terrain completely blocking its path.

Crews​

Both players use the Custom Selection (10) method to choose their crew.

Tactics Cards​

Each player may select two Gang Tactics cards.

If, during the pre-battle sequence, the total Credits value of fighters in one player's starting crew is less than their opponent's, then they may randomly draw an additional Tactics card for each full 100 credits of difference.

Deployment​

The defender deploys first, placing the caravan (see opposite) so that it is touching one of the edges of the battlefield. They then place their fighters so that they are on the caravan or within 12" of the caravan. The attacker then sets up their fighters within 6" of any board edge, except the one the caravan is touching.

Objectives​

The attacker wants to steal the Guilders' loot. The defender is determined to drive off the attacker empty handed.

Special Rule: The Caravan​

The target of the attacker's heist is a Guilder caravan traversing this stretch of the underhive on its way to the great cargo yards far uphive. The caravan can be represented by a large token or marker, or any suitable vehicle model in the players' collection.

At the start of each round, before rolling for Priority, the defender moves the caravan up to 6" toward the edge of the battlefield opposite its starting position. While the caravan must avoid structures and impassable terrain and remain on ground level, it is not slowed or stopped by anything. Fighters on the caravan are moved with it, while fighters in its path are moved the minimum distance necessary to avoid the caravan's advance – any obstacles that are run over by the caravan are removed.

The caravan cannot be attacked, blocks line of sight and provides partial cover to fighters riding on it (they are considered to be crouched down behind piles of goods or firing from hatches). A fighter may climb onto, or off, the caravan by performing an Embark/Disembark (Simple) action.

Attackers that are Standing and Active and are within 1" of the caravan may loot it by performing a Loot Caravan (Simple) action. Each time a fighter takes this action, their player should place a Loot marker on the fighter's card – the number of Loot markers will determine how successful the heist has been. If an attacking fighter goes Out of Action, any Loot markers they have are discarded.

Designer's Note: Guilder Caravans

Creating your own caravan can be a fun modelling project. Guilder caravans come in all shapes and sizes, and can be tracked behemoths, large-tyred all-terrain vehicles, huge mutie pack animals or even rattling scrap wagons dragged along by teams of slaves. If there are weapons modelled on the caravan, players may allow fighters riding the caravan to operate them by taking a Shoot action (ignore the Unwieldy trait for mounted weapons).

Special Rule: Guilder Hired Guns​

As Guild appointed protectors of the caravan, the defender's gang wouldn't dare run off, and so need not take Bottle tests for this scenario. They may, however, voluntarily bottle out and flee the battlefield to prevent catastrophic losses.

Additionally, if the defender is missing fighters due to injuries in a campaign, they may hire free of charge sufficient Hive Scum to even the odds. For example, if the defender has ten fighters in their gang, but three are currently In Recovery, the defender may hire three Hive Scum for free.

Ending the Battle​

The battle ends when either the caravan reaches the far table edge, or if either gang has no fighters left on the battlefield at the end of any round.

Fleeing the Battlefield​

If one gang voluntarily bottles out and flees the battlefield, their opponent automatically wins the scenario. If the attacker wins in this way, they may place D3 extra Loot counters on the Fighter card of each fighter in their crew that is not Prone and Seriously Injured or Out of Action at the end of the battle.

Victory​

The attacker wins if they can gather ten Loot markers; otherwise the defender is the winner.

Rewards (Campaigns Only)​

Credits​

At the end of the battle the attacker counts up the number of Loot markers they have, discarding those on fighters that went Out of Action, but counting those on fighters that fled the battlefield. For each Loot counter, add D6x10 credits to the gang's Stash.

The defender's gang receives D6x10 credits regardless of the outcome, with a bonus 3D6x10 credits if the attacker recovered less than five Loot counters.

Experience​

  • Each fighter that took part in the battle earns 1 XP.
  • Any fighter that gathered a Loot marker and did not go Out of Action gains 1 XP.
  • Any defending fighter that took an enemy fighter carrying one or more Loot markers Out of Action gains 1 XP.

Reputation​

  • Each gang that took part in the battle gains 1 Reputation.
  • If the attacker took ten or more Loot counters, they gains D3+1 Reputation.
  • If the defender moved the caravan off the far battlefield edge before the attacker could gather ten Loot counters, then their gang gains D3+1 Reputation.
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Arbitrating the Scenario​

In this scenario, the Arbitrator can either run a gang tasked with defending the caravan, or make up a gang of Guilder Watchmen to work alongside the defending gang. The Arbitrator can also take control of the caravan itself, deciding where it moves.