This is some good news. I was speculating with others on the Hamburg Necromunda Discord about whether Chem Alchemy had been written out of the new gang books. Based on leaked images of the table of contents, it didn’t look like they were getting much more than ten pages per gang so that didn’t leave a lot of room for a mechanic like poisons (or for gene-smithng if you’re a Goliath).
Fortunately, a Warhammer Community article announced today that, not only are we getting the first “journal” replacement for the old House of books, we’re also getting a leaders and champions box like the squats and enforcers have!
See below:
This is consistent with various rumors I’ve heard, which is that GW basically doesn’t want to produce resin minis any more. If you look at what they’re doing on the Blood Bowl side of things, this seemed to be the case but also with the release of the rogue doc and other hanger-ons in plastic. I’ll be curious to see if this will also be applied to brutes or if they’re really just paring down the amount of resin but not eliminating it entirely…
Anyway…
it sounds like they really want to take things in the Kill Team direction
These new models definitely fit in well with the new box set team. It’s almost funny that it’s the original sculpts that are now looking a little odd-man-out. But, as I always say, paint hides a myriad of sins and depending on how you paint them, they’ll probably fit in a lot more than the pro-painted models do.
Just to get the negative out of the way, let me write this: I don’t love the cat-fur model. I’m glad it’s just an option. It looks very… sloppy for a gang that usually looks lithe and well put-together, if even uncomfortable in stiletto heels. There’s also the cat skull on the leader, which, again, just reads as a little more feral than I ever thought the Escher of.
I also don’t love the GW thing of the “tactical rock” or in this case “industrial thinggy”. I know it adds a bit more to the dynamic posture but it’s a little much. And, after having built one of each, the next time I do it, I’m just cutting the fucking thing off and stacking cork and rocks there or something. This is a case where I think an element like this actually removes modeling possibilities.
Then, about the journal, there was this line:
These alternate lists offer players a new spin on their faction, using more restricted rosters and equipment lists that allow a greater focus on their specialty.
I’m not wild about this, not because I don’t like options but because it sounds like they really want to take things in the Kill Team direction and offering side lists that are much more limited reads like that’s their intention. I just don’t want to have what had been a core mechanic of a gang (in this case, toxins) locked behind having to play GWs idea of what an Escher gang should be. Maybe I’m paranoid and wrong but… that’s my takeaway.
it does look like GW has decided to really back this new release
On the more positive side, I loved the raised Escher clan symbols! Because this means they can be cast and re-created and then used across a lot of other models, especially conversions! A little bit of Blue Stuff can go a long way, and I’m very excited to see that they sculpted this rather than creating a decal sheet. (Though I love decals, also…)
I guess I’m also buying the tactics cards… because I bought them all last time (what a waste of money that was…) but also because, with this game, I’m a completist. So that’s on me.
What I will say is that, unlike Secundus or event Ash Wastes, it does look like GW has decided to really back this new release. The fact that the game only went on pre-order two days ago and they’ve already announced the next thing, it feels like good things are on their way for us Necromunda players. At least, I hope so!
