The new House of Blades book features a range of new tools that will allow Escher gangs to slice and dice their way across the underhive. Today, we’re taking a look at some of the rules from the book.
Death-maidens and Wyld Runners
Earlier in the week, we looked at how to create an Escher gang using the new Wyld Runners and Death-maidens models. But what can they do in battle? Death-maidens are raised from the grave to deal retribution in the name of House Escher. In the game, they’re truly lethal fighters. To represent the sheer amount of chemicals in their system required to bring them back to life, they even have poisonous blood!
You can take advantage of this special rule with the venom claw, which is one of the Death-maidens’ favourite weapons and which happens to have the Toxin trait. Armed with one of these, your Death-maidens will be sowing terror throughout the underhive.
At the other end of their lifespan are the Wyld Runners. These are young and reckless fighters, known as bold underhive explorers and beast wranglers. As up-and-coming prospects in the gang, they have a huge potential for growth and they only cost a handful of credits to recruit.
They also have access to a unique range of weaponry, including wyld bows – which come with a variety of deadly arrows – and whips. Usually, these whips are used to train their pet Phelynx, but they’re also useful in a scrap.
Speaking of Phelynx, let’s take a look at these feisty four-legged creatures.
Each Wyld Runner can take up to three, meaning that you can easily outnumber enemy fighters. Plus no House Goliath fighter will ever get over the embarrassment of being beaten in a fight by a venomous cat! Although, with its debilitating bite, it’s a threat to ANY fighter.
Death-maidens, Wyld Runners, and Phelynx add some incredible tactical (and fun) options when creating your Escher gangs. And who doesn’t love the thought of stalking the underhive with warrior women who’ve been raised from the dead?
Skills That Pay the Bills
House Escher have their own skill table – Finesse. Whereas Goliath gangs focus on brute strength, the Eschers lean more towards agility, raw speed, and the expert use of blades. There are six new skills, which can make your Gang Queens, Matriarchs, and Death-maidens even more dangerous. Like to keep your distance from other fighters in the underhive? Then the Combat Virtuoso skill is for you.
With most Escher having Strength 3, this gives you some crucial separation from enemy gangers.
Strategise
Usually, the only tactic you need in the underhive is a sharp blade between the shoulders of your enemies. Just in case you need a little something extra, there is a whole host of new gang tactics within House of Blades. Make the most of your Death-maidens with Mistress of Death.
No enemy gang wants to see a Death-maiden take a second activation in a turn. Use this when you can attack a second enemy fighter and witness all of the chaos that your undead fighters can cause.
Get Your Lab Coat
Some of the most exciting new rules are those for Chem-alchemy. These represent the strange concoctions that are brewed up by the clan’s Chymist Cults and they can give you a real edge in battle. First, you decide whether you’re creating a Stimm, some Toxic Ammo, or some Gaseous Ammo. Each has a range of different traits, and you get to select up to three to create your own Elixir. For example, you can create some Toxic Ammo with the Paralysing and Bleeding traits.
We’ve given this the street name of “Pool” because of the pools of blood that form around the paralysed enemy fighters. We can’t wait to see what lotions, potions, and pills you create with these rules. Maybe during a campaign, you could even speak with your Arbitrator about selling your Elixirs to other gangs!
That’s just a taste of what’s inside the House of Blades book. There are also new Alliances, Escher-specific Hangers-on, Escher terrain, and even some scenarios. The book is available to pre-order tomorrow – make sure that you pick up an Escher gang so that you’re ready to carve out your legend in the underhive.