85. Intelligence Gathering
RAW ✔️ House of Shadow, p106
While the scenarios presented here have been designed specifically for House Delaque gangs, there is no reason that, with the permission of the Arbitrator, they might not be used for any gang.
Cauldron of Lies lends itself well to multi-player games – where multiple gangs must fight in a chaotic free-for-all as the very win conditions they are fighting for changes from round to round.
Intelligence Gathering is the perfect opportunity for a gang to test its skill, not just measuring its strength by the size of its crew or the firepower it can muster, but by its ability to survive long enough without taking out the foe to get the info it needs
A gang must stay alive long enough to get some vital info.
Battlefield
This scenario uses the Battlefield Set-up guidelines, as described in the Necromunda Rulebook.
Attacker and Defender
In this scenario, one gang is the attacker and the other is the defender. If one gang is a Delaque gang and their opponent is not, then the Delaque gang is the attacker.
Otherwise, the player whose gang has the lower rating is the attacker. If both gangs have the same rating, players roll off and the winner decides whether they will attack or defend.
Crews
This scenario uses the standard rules for choosing a crew, as described in the Battlefield Set-up & Scenarios section of the Necromunda Rulebook.
The attacker uses the Custom Selection (10) method to choose their crew. The defender uses the Random Selection (10) method to determine their crew.
Deployment
The defender deploys first, dividing the battlefield into four quarters and placing at least one fighter in each quarter (unless they have fewer than four fighters). The attacker then deploys their entire crew, each fighter within 2" of one of the battlefield edges, at least 6" from a defending fighter and, if possible, within 12" of at least one other fighter from their crew.
Gang Tactics
Each player may choose two gang tactics from those available to their gang. If, during the pre-battle sequence, the total credits value of fighters in one player's starting crew is less than their opponent's, they may randomly determine one additional gang tactic for each full 100 credits of difference.
Ending the Battle
The battle ends when all five spy devices have been placed or when only one gang has fighters remaining on the battlefield.
Victory
The attacker wins if they placed all five spy devices as described opposite. The defender wins if the attacker voluntarily bottles out or if only the defender had fighters remaining on the battlefield at the end of the battle. Any other result is a draw.
Rewards
Credits
The attacker adds 2D6x10 credits if they placed all the spy devices.
The defender adds D6x10 credits if they are the winner.
Experience
Each fighter who took part in the battle earns 1 XP.
Each fighter who placed at least one spy device earns 1 XP.
Reputation
If the attacker is victorious, they gain D3 Reputation.
If either gang bottled out, they lose 1 Reputation.
Underhive Spies
In this scenario, each of the attacker's fighters is carrying a miniature recording device which they are attempting to plant. An attacking fighter may do this by performing the Plant Spying Device (Double) action:
Plant Spying Device (Double): If this fighter is within 6" of one of the battlefield corners or is within 6" of the centre of the battlefield, and no enemy fighters can draw a line of sight to this fighter, this fighter may surreptitiously plant their spying device.
Each time this action is successfully performed, place a marker on the battlefield to represent the spying device – this marker remains on the battlefield until the end of the battle and can otherwise not be interacted with.
To claim victory the attacker must place five spying devices on the battlefield – one within 6" of each of the four corners of the battlefield and one within 6" of the battlefield's centre (or as close as possible to these locations if impassable terrain is present). Players should note that, whilst spying devices can be placed anywhere (all five spying devices could be placed within 6" of one battlefield corner should the player wish), this will not secure victory! The attacking player must endeavour to place the spying devices as described above.