N18 Escher Ash Wastes Starting List - Feedback Appreciated!

[nicholasahill]

Hello all - wanted to know what you thought of this list for an Ash Wastes campaign that starts next week. I'll be facing off against Ash Waste Nomads, Cawdor, Orlock, Palanite Enforcers, and Corpse Grinders. I know a few people are running one beefy heavy vehicle so there will be some well-armed and hard targets out there.

What do you recommend for the first upgrades? I was going to target a Clan Chemist, Shock Whip for Cutter (so she can use her versatile range) (just won't use the first game), and another Little Sister with Flash Grenades.

How do people feel about my choice of Matriarch instead of Death Maiden for Cutter? My feeling is since it requires big guns, I'd rather give a Death Maiden a normal Mount for 50 credits, to be honest.

My Heavy Vehicle can hold six people in the transport bed. Was going to use that as a mobile weapons platform when possible for Queen and Lasguns. Plan on getting a weapons stash and more firing arcs for the Mining Laser.

Was going to have the Deathmaiden, Matriarch on Cutter, Dual Pistols, and Little Sister run around and cause havoc.

Another alternative here is to drop the Cutter and run a Ridge Runner. But Cutter seems so fun!

I tried really hard to get 9th ganger in there but couldn't pull it off. Waiting to hear back from my Arbiter if I can run Ulanti Alliance which would add two close-range fighters, but for now, assuming the answer is no.

Sorry for the length. Any general thoughts would be great! Feel like I'm counting on the number of activations to get me through the first game(s) and then beef people up at the trading post. Painting them up now.

275 Credits - Queen (125) - Shock Whip (25) Plasma Gun (100) Laspistol (10) - Mesh Armor (15) - Spring Up

280 Credits - Matriarch (100) - Lasgun (5) Grenade Lchr (75) (Frag / Krak) - Cutter (85) Mesh Armor (15) - Dodge

200 Credits - Deathmaiden (115) - Stiletto Sword (30) Needle Pistol (25) - Mesh Armor (15) Chem-synth (15) - Combat Virtuoso

70 Credits - Sister (Specialist) (50) - Autopistol (10) Autopistol (10) - -

55 Credits - Sister (50) - Lasgun (5) - -

55 Credits - Sister (50) - Lasgun (5) - -

55 Credits - Sister (50) - Lasgun (5) - -

45 Credits - Little Sister (20) - Laspistol (10) - Smoke Grenades (15) -

365 Credits - Heavy Vehicle / Scrum Racer (175+20) - Mining Laser (Passenger/Forward) (125) - Transport Bed (Body 15) All Wheel Steering (Drive 10) Nitro Burner (Engine 15) Easy Turnover (Engine 5) -

Thank you!

https://imgur.com/jd90OC4

 

[LeakingGreyMatter]

The list looks like a good starting point.

I would setup the death maiden with the cutter instead of the Matriarch.
Purely because it will allow her to zoom into combat/blender mode.

Otherwise the matriarch sits on a vehicle and launches grenades all over the place.

 

[Lunarcruiser]

I would lose the lasgun on your matriarch. A twin linked grenade launcher on her cutter can avoid a lot of ammo checks with the twin linked re roll so no need for a initial back up lasgun.

I might also drop the smoke grenades, and take them again after your first game, and the deathmaidens needle pistol and get her a power sword instead to really make use of the virtuoso skill. List looks good to start but some missions may not allow your rig and mounts to be used fully due to crew restrictions or ash waste terrain so plan for some of your foot sloggers to carry more powerful guns.

 

[Lunarcruiser]

I agree with your death maiden not being on the cutter due to the compulsory big guns. The zooming around is great but your murder tornado should not be shooting people when she should be stabbing everything in sight!

 

[LeakingGreyMatter]

I agree with your death maiden not being on the cutter due to the compulsory big guns. The zooming around is great but your murder tornado should not be shooting people when she should be stabbing everything in sight!

Maybe put the death maiden on a regular bike instead?
With their agility score being what it is, it seems like a waste to not have her on a fast moving vehicle

 

[nicholasahill]

Maybe put the death maiden on a regular bike instead?
With their agility score being what it is, it seems like a waste to not have her on a fast moving vehicle

I like this idea and have though about it. But I’m not sure where to lose 50 points from my starting list. Might be an early upgrade.

 

[nicholasahill]

I agree with your death maiden not being on the cutter due to the compulsory big guns. The zooming around is great but your murder tornado should not be shooting people when she should be stabbing everything in sight!

Thank you for taking the time to look!

I would lose the lasgun on your matriarch. A twin linked grenade launcher on her cutter can avoid a lot of ammo checks with the twin linked re roll so no need for a initial back up lasgun.

I might also drop the smoke grenades, and take them again after your first game, and the deathmaidens needle pistol and get her a power sword instead to really make use of the virtuoso skill. List looks good to start but some missions may not allow your rig and mounts to be used fully due to crew restrictions or ash waste terrain so plan for some of your foot sloggers to carry more powerful guns.

good point about the lasgun. If I got 20 credits back from dropping the lasgun and the grenades where do you think I should put it? I would love to eek another little sister in. Maybe trim some upgrades from the big rig?

 

[Psyan]

Maybe consider dropping the Shock Whip and Las Pistol from your Queen so you can afford the Bike for your Death Maiden? While a Shock Whip and Pistol are excellent on a Queen, she already has a Plasma Gun, so the melee weapons are just a back up and you can always buy them back later.

 

[Lunarcruiser]

If you take the 20 credits smokes and the 35 credit needle pistol that gives you the 45 creds for the power sword for your death maiden. Having two separate melee weapons on a maiden gives you tons of attacks, particularly on the charge and adds some reliability to them. The toxin sword is powerful in her hands but at times could only inflict flesh wound while the power sword will always hurt. Both are candidates for the virtuoso skill making them versatile

I have played ash waste campaigns with Esher, and others, and I actually favour not putting the deathmaiden on a mount. She starts of with a move of 6" anyway so only needs two move upgrades which are relatively cheap xp wise to reach the move 8" provided by the bike and you get to keep the extra attack for duel weapons. Just have her targeting lowly gangers to rack up the xp early and she will be sprinting along with your bikes in no time.

As an aside how will you model any bikes? The rules state that they may be dirt bikes or pretty much any mount you model. I did mine from the Ttcombat Ostrich Racing??? Set so that my Esher '"bikers" are in fabulous xenos birds.

 

[nicholasahill]

Maybe consider dropping the Shock Whip and Las Pistol from your Queen so you can afford the Bike for your Death Maiden? While a Shock Whip and Pistol are excellent on a Queen, she already has a Plasma Gun, so the melee weapons are just a back up and you can always buy them back later.

This is an interesting thought! Maybe limited this campaign for model/painting before first game. Was looking for some sort of beast I could mount a death maiden on.

 

[nicholasahill]

If you take the 20 credits smokes and the 35 credit needle pistol that gives you the 45 creds for the power sword for your death maiden. Having two separate melee weapons on a maiden gives you tons of attacks, particularly on the charge and adds some reliability to them. The toxin sword is powerful in her hands but at times could only inflict flesh wound while the power sword will always hurt. Both are candidates for the virtuoso skill making them versatile

I have played ash waste campaigns with Esher, and others, and I actually favour not putting the deathmaiden on a mount. She starts of with a move of 6" anyway so only needs two move upgrades which are relatively cheap xp wise to reach the move 8" provided by the bike and you get to keep the extra attack for duel weapons. Just have her targeting lowly gangers to rack up the xp early and she will be sprinting along with your bikes in no time.

As an aside how will you model any bikes? The rules state that they may be dirt bikes or pretty much any mount you model. I did mine from the Ttcombat Ostrich Racing??? Set so that my Esher '"bikers" are in fabulous xenos birds.

I’ve been looking for some kind of lizard mount. Closest I’ve come was an STL for the lizard Obi-Wan rides in Revenge of the Sith. But the resolution was too low. Any models you can recommend?

 

[nicholasahill]

What I ultimately went with and I had a blast. Thanks for all the help!

Took the mining laser off of the vehicle. Used the credits to give Matriarch on Cutter a shock whip (versatile ride by, baby), and grenade launcher to my specialist, and an extra Juve!

https://imgur.com/qKhgiPB

 

[///Maverick\\\]

Hi. How did you add the Escher Cutter to your wargear? I cannot find it anywhere. Only mount option I see is at the trading post and it is a dirt bike.

 

[nicholasahill]

Hi. How did you add the Escher Cutter to your wargear? I cannot find it anywhere. Only mount option I see is at the trading post and it is a dirt bike.

Created a custom wargear item in Yaktribe. It is under “customize” in the Necromunda Underhive landing page.

 

[///Maverick\\\]

Created a custom wargear item in Yaktribe. It is under “customize” in the Necromunda Underhive landing page.

Thanks!