Necromunda: Ash Wastes is approaching release with the momentum of a fully-loaded Cargo-8 Ridgehauler convoy. This high-octane game of vehicular combat will be up for pre-order very soon, and it’s time to talk about how some of the new rules work.
So let’s start with something truly new – the Dustback Helamites. The nomads of the ash wastes use these long-legged insects to move quickly and quietly across the great ash deserts that cover the planet.
While most gangs have access to garages full of vehicles that come with their own profiles and upgrades, Dustback Helamites work as wargear under the rules. They provide the Mounted condition, and for more mobility, they give their riders a move of 8” and the Mighty Leap skill. Those legs ain’t just for show.
Mounted also applies to dirtbikes and other wargear, and opens up opportunities for a Ride-By, in which a Mounted model may make a single close combat attack if it moves within 1” of an enemy before swooping off. Those Nomad chain lances are beginning to look mighty tasty…
You better make your attack count, though. When making a Ride-By, the target gets to make a Reaction attack (if they’re in range) and can even try to use the rider's momentum against them.
If they are knocked down, Mounted fighters are released into the hands of gravity and its best friend, the ground. When a mounted fighter is Knocked Down, they suffer an automatic hit, with the strength and AP increasing according to how far the fighter moved.
As for the Helamite-riding Nomads, those trusty chain lances have everything you need from a melee weapon designed to skewer enemies from the back of a giant flea – including a Long Range characteristic of 2” and the Lance keyword. This lets them Ride By from 2”, enough to dodge most reaction attacks. Dealing two damage, with a +2 bonus to Strength, and AP-2, most gangers are going to get perforated in a single devastating thrust.
There’s plenty more to come – more vehicles, more wargear, and much else besides to introduce whole new layers of strategy into your games of Necromunda, so keep an eye out for that pre-order.
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