Enentol - Yaktribe
Home sick, so I took some notes from the WarhammerTV Gang War 3 preview. I missed the first hour (thought it was GMT, not BST), but the second hour was full of info. Caught some of the battle report too.
This is the first book of the series with the two new Necromunda leads writing it. It seems to contain a ton of stuff.
Van Saars
I’m guessing they covered the Van Saar list in the first hour, cause they really didn’t talk about it much. Along with Van Saars, there's a few named characters/hired-guns including new Orlock with the cyber mastiff.
Van Saar are obviously the shooty and technological gang. They’re frail, not liking close combat – so toys to compensate. Bad initiative.
Easy access to plasma, suppression lasers (laser shotguns?!), grav weapons in house list.They said that Van Saar lasguns are better than standard – but I’m not sure how. Rad Cannon and Rad Grenades in house list as well. Rad Cannon is range 32, Blast.
New Rad-phage rule – models hit take a flesh wound regardless of the wound/injury results. Van Saar suits mean they’re immune to rad.
Brutes
Brutes are hireable, big dumb guys. They include things like Ambots and Slave Ogryns. They’re a new class of Hanger On.
The list will be greatly expanded in the future. Each gang will be getting a themed brute.
Brutes are slow, but hit hard in close combat. However, they may not always do what you want.
Pets
Pets are upgrades for leaders and champions. There are limits for how many you can take based on pet type. Eg. One guy can take up to 3 cyber mastiffs. Not sure if there’s a gang limit though – or just capped at champion limit.
Pets usually have to stay close to the model that owns them. Can't go further than 3". Some have extended ranges, like Escher Phyrr cats that can go up to 9".
Each pet has different advantages and rules. Eg. Fighters can’t be coup de grace’d when they have a cyber mastiff. Cyber mastiffs are better at detection of attackers during sentry missions. Van Saar cyberarachnid is great on terrain and has different weapon modules they can plug in.
Pets can gain limited skills. Skill lists reflect gangs they're from.
Confirmed pets in GW3: cyber mastiff, phyrr cats, sump croc, cyberarachnid, caryatid.
Caryatid is a weird cherub baby thing that is attracted to lucky gangers and makes them luckier. But, if you start to fail, it can betray you.
Trading Post
Trading post = "Crazy amount of new stuff". Contains all house weapons and all imperial weapons from 40k. Some weapons are still house-exclusive (eg. Escher chem-thrower).
Gangs can have different prices for different weapons.
Huge amount of new wargear including force fields and displacer fields.
Lots of ammo and armour types.
Servo skulls are new wargear with lots of different types that have different bonuses.
No xenos weapons "yet", but lots of stuff that hasn't been seen before on 40k battlefields.
House lists have been extended so there are more options at creation time. Eg. everyone can take heavy stubbers when they create gangs now. Not sure if this means that there is an extended “house item list” for everyone, or if it’s the whole trading post open at gang creation.
Expanded Campaign Rules
Tons of new campaign rules (think Turf War 2.0). A big expansion.
Expanded role of arbitrator
More advice and guidance on running campaigns.
Balancing mechanisms for gangs – buffs for lower gangs, challenges for better gangs.
New options for battles, campaign events.
Introduces monsters, independent gangs (gilder watchmen, or other groups with narrative roles in the scenarios)
Narrative Scenarios
A lot of new scenarios Each scenario can be played in either Zone Mortalis or Sector Mechnicus styles. Each can be played as a skirmish, campaign, or "arbitrated campaign game" (add monsters, etc.)
Last Stand: Was the Warhammer TV battle report. One gang sets up whole crew within 6” of the middle of table as defender. Attackers can start on any and all table edges. Attacker has 7 turns to wipe defenders. When an attacker model is knocked out of action, it gets recycled back on as a reinforcement. Not sure if they can bring on new models as reinforcements.
Escape the Pit: Two gangs are down in a disused part of the hive. Some ancient mechanism has come to life and the walls start to close in garbage compactor-style (or a hive section starts collapsing, etc.). Start with gangs on either side of the board and an escape point in the middle. Grab loot and get out. At the end of each turn, there’s a chance that the hive closes in. Eg. take a board tile off if playing 2D or reduce playing size by 6" if playing 3D. Gangers have a chance to scramble out of the section right before it goes.
Downtown Dustup: Two gangs have found themselves in a settlement. Both are claiming its as their own. NPC civilian hive-dwellers are scattered around the bord. They'll react to combat (behaviour table with 3? random results). Gotta keep the civilians alive and protect them to have better rewards post-mission.
Shootout: It’s back! Similar to 1st edition. Big rep rewards for holding nerve.
Caravan Heist: Great for making money. A guilder caravan moves slowly across the board and one gang has to defend it from ambushers. Can model the caravan as trucks, wagons, etc. Can kit the caravan model out with heavy stubbers, flamers, etc. for defense. “Tough nut to crack, but lots of money to be made.”
Spook Harvest: One gang fights their way into a spook-growing area. Gotta harvest as much as you can and get out. When you harvest, there’s a chance it'll mess you up. You have to roll on a table (not sure if it happens if you fail a test, or every time). Results:
Oh god oh god oh god: ganger panics, may attack his friends
It’s like the universe is in my mind: random “power”
Today, I am the emperor: “you are your ‘best self’ and you go and thrash people”
In the Dark: Gang fight, but in total darkness. “Pitch Black” rules in effect. Can see about 3”. Wargear can help you overcome (night vision goggles, etc.). Muzzle flashes (or being on fire) give you away. Horrors and monsters may lurk in the dark.
Monster Hunt: Uses tentacle terrain piece - but LOTS of them. A bounty has been placed on a monster – but you have to go flush it out first. Tentacles start to pop up as gangers get seriously injured. After you kill a certain amount, the giant monster turns up. Gang who gets killing blow gets tons of money.
Multiplayer
New rules for multiplayer games - including MP-specific scenarios.
They ran out of time, but one example was "Pit fight", where each player takes one of their champions to brawl gladiator-style.