N18 Collected Errors/Typos in N25 Tribes of the Wasteland (Ash Waste Nomads)

[TopsyKretts]

The 30th book! Giving a full republish and update to Ash Waste Nomads.

Spoiler: Previous discussions

• 2025:
  • Halls of the Ancients: Errors
• 2024:
  • Desolation: Errors
  • N24 Rulebook (Hive Secundus): Errors
  • Apocrypha: Errors
• 2023:
  • Aranthian Succession 3: Ruins of Jardlan: Errors
  • N23 Rulebook (Core): Errors
• 2022:
  • Aranthian Succession 2: Vaults of Temenos: Errors
  • Aranthian Succession 1: Cinderak Burning: Errors
  • Book of Outlands (Nomads & Squats): Errors
  • N22 Rulebook (Ash Wastes): Errors & General Discussion
• 2021:
  • Book of Outcast: Errors & General Discussion
  • House of Shadow (Delaque): Errors & General Discussion
  • House of Faith (Cawdor): Errors & General Discussion
  • Hive War (N21 Rulebook): Errors
• 2020:
  • House of Artifice (Van Saar): Errors & General Discussion
  • House of Iron (Orlock): Errors & General Discussion
  • House of Blades (Escher): Errors & General Discussion
  • House of Chains (Goliath): Errors & General Discussion
• 2019:
  • N19 Rulebook (Dark Uprising): Errors
  • Book of Ruin (Cults Codex): Errors
  • Book of Judgement (Enforcers): Errors

A summary of various findings (contributed by several yaktribe champions).

EXTERNAL CONFLICTS (CONFLICT WITH PREVIOUS PUBLICATIONS)

• Sky Mantle and Hide in the wastes is still a mess.
  • Comment: This would be a great opportunity to upgrade it to work with N23 Visibility (X") / Pitch Black. More info here: https://yaktribe.games/community/th...e-wastes-rule-is-widely-misinterpreted.14234/

ERRORS

• Ghost of the Wastes (p76): "Hide the Wastes (Basic)action".
  • Comment: Typo (should be "hide in the wastes").
• Hive Scum (p67), aka Nomad Outcast: "Nomad Outcasts are equipped with an ash cloak and sky mantle". Also: "Respirator ....... 15 credits".
  • Comment: Why? Just when they cleaned up the respirators from the rest of the gang, they copy-paste it from hive scum and apply it to nomad outcast who come with ash cloak.

NOTES

• First gang to get a 7th fighter class! The 'Hunter' is a "Specialist", but not the same as those promoted from Gangers.
• Some "new" weapons, several of which are disguised fluff renames of existing weapons:
  • Bone talons = Rending knife
  • Chitin gauntlet = 'Pulveriser' serrated axe
  • Helamite claws = drill

CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS

• Core gang fighters with ash cloak no longer have respirator in equipment list.
  • Comment: Great, as it is already included in ash cloak equipment.
• Born to the Wasteland (skill) updated and renamed to Ghost of the Wastes.
• 4 sets of 6 warrior spirits, instead of only the original 6 from Apocrypha pdf. The original ones seems to be scattered about in different categories.
• Ash Cloak ignores Battlefield surface (instead of granting a 5+ save to avoid losing a wound from Battlefield conditions) and gains a 4+ save again damage from Weather effects.
• Dustback Helamite gains Helamite Claws with Additional Attacks and is available from Nomad Trading Post as Common.

 

[SirWalterManny]

Sky Mantle double action:

Book of the Outlands (2022)
“Hide in the Wastes (Double): If this fighter is at least 12" away from the nearest enemy model, they gain the Hidden condition (see the Necromunda: Rulebook) even if the current battle is not using the Pitch Black rules. They become Revealed if they move as well as all the normal triggers for becoming Revealed.”

Tribes of the Wastelands (2025)
“Hide in the Wastes (Double): If this fighter is at least 12" away from the nearest enemy model, they gain the Hidden condition (see the Necromunda Core Rulebook) even if the current battle is not using the Pitch Black rules. They become Revealed if they move as well as all the normal triggers for becoming Revealed.”

So the rules have been updated… to reference the name of the current rulebook. But the rules referenced (in the core rulebook) have changed from what was in the 2018 rulebook (which effectively was Visibility (3”), or Visibility (12”) for fighters with e.g photo goggles).

But, with the Pitch Black/Visibility X rules from the Core Rulebook, this only now offers any benefit where there are no visibility/pitch black rules already in play? I don’t think the 12” mention actually has any effect, RAW, as hidden is just a condition with the effects determined by the Battlefield Conditions?

 

[TopsyKretts]

Clearly an update by the marketings department and not the rules department What a pity, judging by how seldom these kind of rules are updated (close to never), this was probably the only chance.

I think further discussion on that topic is better placed here (unless there are more updates on the matter in the book): https://yaktribe.games/community/th...e-is-widely-misinterpreted.14234/#post-329455

 

[OrderForm]

GHOST OF THE WASTES
While this fighter is equipped with a sky mantle, they
treat the Hide in the Wastes (Double) action as a Basic
action. In addition, if fighting in an Underhive battle,
this fighter may perform the Hide the Wastes (Basic)
action as if it was an Ash Wastes battle. [emphasis mine]

Typo there (unless it's my scan)

 

[Aulenback]

Hide the Wastes (Basic)

I mean, don't want them finding that full pit, or they can track your ambush. Best to cover it with sand. Oh, also for sanitation. And that smell spreads, too, if you don't cover it.

 

[libratorr]

Dustback Helamite being added as a specific bit of Personal equipment (available for 60 credits) is great - opens up access to everyone in the gang without need for house rules.

But it isn't listed on any fighter's equipment list, and is missing a scavenger rating (and the Exclusive tag...ruh roh)...so it is unclear as to whether it is an omission from the equipment lists, meant to be exclusive to specific fighter types and listed here as something to be bought when a fighter is promoted to the type, or whether it's meant to be a post-game-1 purchase (like special weapons on cultists) to stop game 1 cheese.
And that's not including the inevitable speculation re: Venators on Dustback Helamites that the lack of Exclusive tag brings...

Nice to see the fluff about AWNs not being able to be captured has been clarified - they rapidly decompose when their masks are removed, vampire style. Cool.

 

[Lunarcruiser]

Dustback Helamite being added as a specific bit of Personal equipment (available for 60 credits) is great - opens up access to everyone in the gang without need for house rules.

But it isn't listed on any fighter's equipment list, and is missing a scavenger rating (and the Exclusive tag...ruh roh)...so it is unclear as to whether it is an omission from the equipment lists,

It's in the Nomad Trading post section. That is separate from the fighters equipment lists, just like the Trade Post is for other gangs. If is does not have a scavenger rating it's Common.

meant to be exclusive to specific fighter types and listed here as something to be bought when a fighter is promoted to the type, or whether it's meant to be a post-game-1 purchase (like special weapons on cultists) to stop game 1 cheese.
And that's not including the inevitable speculation re: Venators on Dustback Helamites that the lack of Exclusive tag brings...

All Ash waste nomads have access to wargear from the Nomad Trade Post. (There is only limits on weapons from that list for the gang fighters). Any of them can buy a big as wargear.

Venators only have access to Trade Post and The Black Market on a trade action. They don't have access to the Nomad Trade Post so no dustbacks for them.

 

[TopsyKretts]

This gang now breaks the formula and introduces a new fighter class. Effectively a specialist ganger which, at +5 credits gains +1A and loses access to basic/special/heavy weapons? Why not have a special rule to gangers that if they only have pistols and close combat weapons, they gain +1A? It's also completely disjointed from promotions.

 

[HugeSamples]

I feel like GW just throws a dart at a board when making cost decisions .

 

[TopsyKretts]

Bone talons costs 20, rending knife costs 15 (common from tp). We can't say this is an error anymore, since they now have official intention (excuse) of nomad and nomad tp having different access and cost of items from normal.

 

[libratorr]

Bone talons costs 20, rending knife costs 15 (common from tp). We can't say this is an error anymore, since they now have official intention (excuse) of nomad and nomad tp having different access and cost of items from normal.

You mean the stalking knife?

Where's the rending knife?

 

[TopsyKretts]

I can't make absolute comparison with stalking knife because it has unique profile. Bone talons is identical to rending knife, so just a fluff rename. And bone talons and rending knife being identical, normally it indicates a mistake that one gang pays more for it than other gangs, particularly when it is common from Trading Post. But Nomads don't have Trading Post access, so it's kinda valid now in weird way.

 

[TopsyKretts]

Unbound Helamite (pet) has this special rule:

Spare Mount: If an Unbound Helamite’s owner is equipped with a Dustback Helamite and placed Prone and Pinned whilst within 1" of a Standing and Active
Unbound Helamite, they may make an Initiative test. If the test is passed, the Unbound Helamite changes its status to Prone and Pinned instead of its owner.

Who can pass an Initiative test (pet or owner)?

 

[TopsyKretts]

Ashwing Helamite (pet) has the following special rules:

Ashwing Lure: An Ashwing Helamite’s owner may perform the Deploy Lure (Basic) action:

• Deploy Lure (Basic): Place an Ashwing Lure in base contact with this fighter. For the remainder of the battle, any Ashwing Helamites this fighter controls treat the Ashwing Lure as if it were their owner. The Ashwing Lure may be moved as if it were a Loot Casket and may not be targeted by attacks.

Once an Ashwing Lure has been placed upon the battlefield, all Ashwing Helamites it controls may be activated as a single Group Activation.

Seems like this is optional? "treat the Ashwing Lure as if it were their owner". Instead of the actual owner? Or in additon to? When treated as being the owner, naturally it must make Group Activation including all pets. This is mentioned as optional: "may be activated as a single Group Activation". May instead of must?

 

[TopsyKretts]

There are 4 sets of 6 warrior spirits now (instead of just the original 6). Seems like some will break a lot of things, for example Urh'nag Dustwall Crawlers - Som-nag (Darkness Spirit). The fighter is only hit by attacks on a natural roll of 6. How does this interact with Template/Blast? The plethora of auto-hit effects in the game? Scenario specific effects? NPC monsters etc? A simple solution would be to roll a 6+ for auto-hits (like blast/template). Another weird by-product is it could potentially make unlikely shots requiring 7+ to be easier? Or does the unmodified 6+ requirement transfer to the 2nd roll, making improbable shots even more improbable?

This is a good way to stay almost immortal, particularly against the most dangerous effects in the game.

 

[TopsyKretts]

That Nomad Trading Post... damn! Gang-specific trading post, a brilliant way to add content and at the same time remove options. At the cost of complexity and breaking format. So much of it is already duplication of the fighters' own equipment lists. Like Blast Pistol, who's gonna buy that? the new Hunter, after the first battle? Haha. Reclaimed Autogun (aka 'scavenged'), every fighter which can take it already has it in their list. Bounty Hunter & Agent? They use Leader's list...

 

[katfezza]

That Nomad Trading Post... damn! Gang-specific trading post, a brilliant way to add content and at the same time remove options. At the cost of complexity and breaking format. So much of it is already duplication of the fighters' own equipment lists. Like Blast Pistol, who's gonna buy that? the new Hunter, after the first battle? Haha. Reclaimed Autogun (aka 'scavenged'), every fighter which can take it already has it in their list. Bounty Hunter & Agent? They use Leader's list...

The "duplicate" equipment on the NTP is there for campaign special rules where you can't access your own fighter equipment lists. Cinderak Burning being the example I can think of immediately.

Sha'dar Hunters don't have pistols on their own list but can equip them from the trading post.

 

[TopsyKretts]

Right! That makes sense.

Finally mounts can attack with the new weapon trait Additional Attacks (X). But isn't this almost identical to Digi (0-10 slots with 1 attack each) and Power Pack (0-2 slots with 1 attack each)? Feels like 3 traits doing the same thing, the previous ones had limit in slots (max 10 or max 2), but the new one has variable amount of attacks (X).

This book adds content all over the place, new Trading Post, chems, weapons, weapon accessories, traits, equipment, booby traps (!), skill updates, fighter class...

 

[Aulenback]

Unbound Helamite (pet) has this special rule:


Who can pass an Initiative test (pet or owner)?

Gramatically, as written, that's definitely the owner's Initiative Test. That said, I recognize that GW rule writers and definite grammar don't always meet, certainly not reliably. So I see why despite the writing, that may still feel uncertain.