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150. Into the Underhive

RAW ✔️ Source: White Dwarf 496, Ferrostack 125 (01/2024)

"Hive levels are like corpse piles, one after another, each stacked on top of the last."
- Tilenne Gloom, Pale Consort, Mercator Palladus

In this scenario, two rival gangs delve into the depths of the Underhive looking for loot.

Battle Type​

This scenario is an Underhive battle; vehicles and Wargear that grant the Mounted condition cannot be included in either gang's starting crew.

Battlefield​

This scenario uses a Vertical Battlefield (see Playing on Vertical Battlefields).

Crews​

This scenario uses the standard rules for choosing a crew as described in the Battlefield Set-up & Scenarios section of the Necromunda Core Rulebook. Both players use the Custom Selection (9) method to determine their crew.

Deployment​

The players divide their fighters into three groups of three (or three roughly even groups if they have fewer than 9 fighters). Starting with the winner of a roll-off, they take turns placing a group of fighters within 2" of a random tunnel entrance (see Winding Tunnels). Only one group of fighters can be deployed next to each entrance, so if an entrance already rolled is rolled again, the player may choose another entrance instead.

Gang Tactics​

This scenario uses the standard rules for gang tactics as described in the Battlefield Set-up & Scenarios section of the Necromunda Core Rulebook.

Ending the Battle​

If either gang has no fighters left on the battlefield or there are no Loot tokens remaining at the end of any round, the battle ends immediately.

Victory​

The gang that gathered the most loot is the winner. If both gangs gathered the same amount of loot, then the gang that took the most enemy fighters Out of Action is the winner. Any other result is a draw.

Rewards​

Credits​

Each gang adds D6x5 credits to their Stash for each Loot token they recovered.

Experience​

Any Leader who is still on the battlefield at the end of the battle earns 1 XP.

Any fighter who recovered at least one Loot token earns 1 XP.

Reputation​

The victorious gang gains D3 Reputation.

If It Ain't Nailed Down...​

The gangs are delving into the Underhive looking for loot. At the start of the battle, before the first roll for Priority, designate a loot cache on each level of the battlefield, at least 6" away from any tunnel entrance — roll a D3 for each and place that many Loot tokens on the loot cache.

Fighters within 1" of a Loot token may perform the Loot (Basic) action to pick up a token. A fighter may only carry a single token at any one time, and while doing so counts all their weapons as having the Unwieldy trait.

Winding Tunnels​

When setting up the battlefield, players should designate six tunnel entrances. These should be spaced out and ideally on different levels (see Playing on Vertical Battlefields). At the start of the battle, number these tunnel entrances 1 to 6.

During their activation, an unengaged fighter within 2" of a tunnel entrance may perform the Tunnel Crawl (Basic) action. Remove the fighter from the battlefield and place them to one side. If they have any Loot tokens, these may be 'banked' by the gang as the fighter hides them somewhere safe for later.

In the End phase of the round, roll a D6 and place the fighter back on the battlefield within 2" of the corresponding tunnel entrance, at least 1" from any enemy fighters.

note

Playing On Vertical Battlefields​

Vertical battlefields can make for fun and challenging battles as opposing gangs climb, jump or fall from one level to the next in an effort to defeat their foes. Typically, a vertical battlefield will consist of a narrow board, with fixed terrain features (such as walls, pipes and doors) placed vertically on one edge, and is much like taking a traditional Zone Mortalis battlefield and simply turning it on its side.

Vertical battlefields also tend to have a solid 'back' and an open side, allowing players to place and interact with their fighters, though we can imagine the open side is also an invisible wall, much in the same way as Zone Mortalis has an invisible roof — and is thus impassable to fighters.

In all other respects, a vertical battlefield follows all the normal Necromunda rules, and fighters can climb, jump or move around it just as they would a traditional battlefield.