N18 Is it possible to win a game of Necromunda with only one fighter?

[GucciGonk]

I'm currently in the process of starting up my first Necromunda campaign as an arbitrator, and as such have been reading through as much of the Necromunda content as I can to learn as much as I can about the game to help my players with rules, lore questions etc. I kept reading cool backstories for Dramatis Personae like Djangar (House of Chains), Necrana (House of Blades) and the like, and it got me wondering whether its possible to play Necromunda with a one man gang, and not lose horribly every game?

This is more just a fun thought experiment on how jacked a fighter you need to a) survive more than the first round or two, or b) potentially even win a game.

Is it possible to take a crappy juve, play a campaign and maybe eventually win a game? or do you think you need some of the extra unqiue rules you get with Dramatis Personae to even slightly stand a chance? Is it even possible with a single regular fighter from the various gangs abiding by the rules for levelling, equipment etc. that come with playing a campaign or would you have to conjure up a Dramatis Personae with new rules to better survive getting a lascannon to the face or being captured and sold to the slavers.

Maybe there's a perfect skill list selection that allows you to get the skills to not get clapped and a certain loadout that gives you the tools to take on the rest of the underhive by yourself.

let me know what you think? I'm super curious. Maybe if there's some potential combinations I might give it a go in the second campaign for the lolz xD

 

[JawRippa]

I highly doubt it. The best bet you'd have is some sort of brute and trying to cram in as many + action tactic cards as you can. Your best chance would be killing just enough for an opponent to bottle and then run away, hiding outsde of opponent's LOS until their gang eventually bottles out. I doubt it'd make for a fun game.
If you want a scenario that supports 1vsAll, check scenario from House of Blades, it is gives you a jacked up Death Maiden to take an entire opponent gang out.

 

[daveh]

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• daveh
• Jun 26, 2022

 

[GucciGonk]

I highly doubt it. The best bet you'd have is some sort of brute and trying to cram in as many + action tactic cards as you can. Your best chance would be killing just enough for an opponent to bottle and then run away, hiding outsde of opponent's LOS until their gang eventually bottles out. I doubt it'd make for a fun game.
If you want a scenario that supports 1vsAll, check scenario from House of Blades, it is gives you a jacked up Death Maiden to take an entire opponent gang out.

I'll have to have look at that mission. It'll give me an idea of how jacked you have to be to take on the underhive and live those Dramatis Personae moments of taking on whole gangs by themselves!

 

[GucciGonk]

uljWS.jpg

• daveh
• Jun 26, 2022

Pahaha Lol, I was thinking about loadouts and how it'd probably be mandatory to have tools of the trade on the fighter l, what with not being able to remove weapons from fighters. So that'd limit it to leaders, champs, specialists, and some prospects, unless you turn a different juve into a leader with the outcast gangs

 

[GucciGonk]

I was reading through the House of Iron book for the campaign, and if you're wanting a zero to hero in a campaign and starting with a juve, the Orlock Wreckers seem like a potentially good start. Having jump pack will help get them in/out of trouble where you need to. They have tools of the trade so big tick there. Skills wise they start with shooting primary and agility secondary, and if you upgrade them to an arm's master they swap to combat and brawn I think. The bravado skill tree also seems pretty decent for this sort of run as you can take the skill that reduces the cost on bounty hunters so could take one for cheaper as some cannon fodder xD also shotgun savant and free reloads is great so you don't waste actions reloading.

So maybe they're the first potential candidate?

 

[JawRippa]

Alrenatively, you can check rules for Sly Marbo from Shadow War Armageddon. It's based on old Necromunda, but you should get the gist of it. Also Solitaire operative from Harlequins was absolute bulls*** which could solo gangs on its own. The trick is multiple actions and/or extra lives.

And just in case for mods, the links I've attached are from official GW site, they've made these rules available for free.

 

[GucciGonk]

That makes a lot of sense. Skills like Naargah! would be super useful, charging stabbing someone in the guts/consolitdating, then moving again would really help. And if you could somehow get Sprint alongside it you could position yourself wherever you need to be. Also either spring up or Nerves of Steel seem mandatory as you'll need all your actions on your turn.

Thinking about it, Ferocity as a tree seems like it would be fantastic based on what you're saying. Berseker helps secure the kills, Fearsome will help keep some combat people off your back, impetuous to get out of dodge when you get a combat kill, Nerves of steel for preserving your actions, and True Grit + Unstoppable to stop you dying.

 

[FunGals]

Curious thought experiment.
I suspect, given unlimited budget and access to all equipment it may be possible.
I think you would need to build from a base of being outrageously hard to hit or damage as the main problem would be getting out actioned.
You can be the baddest MF in town but if you are putting out 1 shot to your enemies entire gangs worth of attacks, chances are you're going down.
Once you're as evasive and tough as possible then you need to think about how to take out the opponents.
What's the longest range gun? Maybe just being able to shoot from a distance where you are always out of range of return fire would let you pick off one or two, eventually the gap will close though.
What's the most consistent midrange weapon for accuracy and damage? I'm sure someone has crunched the numbers.
Likely a template weapon for close to midrange attacks that auto hit.
Weapons that incapacitate enemies even if they don't kill them need to be considered. Flamers, web weapons etc.

The other way might be to go stealth close combat.
Whilst my Death Maiden is nowhere near being able to single handedly beat a whole gang, but her current setup of 2x Stiletto Swords with Combat Virtuoso, Mesh Armor, Ablative Overlay, Falsehood, Frenzon Collar does make her a menace in a campaign in its early-ish stages.
I'd imagine if you wanted to, you could really turn a build like that up to 11

 

[JawRippa]

Smoke grenade + Photo-goggles + Good weapon could be very one-sided if the enemy gang does not have photo-goggles.

 

[MusingWarboss]

Sounds fun. You definitely need to look at the birth of a Death Maiden scenario in HoB - she gets more powerful as the game progresses. You may have to pinch that mechanic.

I’d have thought starting as a vanilla Juve would be insanely difficult though. You pretty much need to custom craft the lone fighters advancements yourself and just ignore all of the usual rules (which you will have done partially by dropping the 50% requirements, leader etc). So go the whole way!

I’d say to keep thematic, you might want to (say use that Death Maiden rules thing) and start as a Prospect, x2 Games level up to Juve, x2 level up to Ganger etc right up to Leader. By level up I mean you get access to their skills, rules and equipment lists and discard the old. Full multiple fighter cards from the off so you can tool up like Doom guy.

That about x7/8 games in total. So pretty much a small campaign.

Just a few random thoughts.

 

[Heart of Storm]

So, ignoring the fact that the minimum size of a gang is always two (you always need a gang fighter to balance out the compulsory leader) my money would be on an appropriately jacked up Goliath leader.

Abuse gene-smithing, best armour, a big gun and a big melee weapon, then skulking around LoS blocking terrain mercing people as the opportunity presents. It wouldn't be easy but the advantage of one model is you can hide from most of the enemy gangs fire assuming you are playing with the correct amount of terrain.

 

[MusingWarboss]

Abuse gene-smithing, best armour, a big gun and a big melee weapon, then skulking around LoS blocking terrain mercing people as the opportunity presents.

“The only thing that matters to me now is Jenny… my Sump Croc”

 

[TopsyKretts]

Hey I got that mini!

 

[Tk421wayayp]

So, ignoring the fact that the minimum size of a gang is always two (you always need a gang fighter to balance out the compulsory leader) my money would be on an appropriately jacked up Goliath leader.

Abuse gene-smithing, best armour, a big gun and a big melee weapon, then skulking around LoS blocking terrain mercing people as the opportunity presents. It wouldn't be easy but the advantage of one model is you can hide from most of the enemy gangs fire assuming you are playing with the correct amount of terrain.

Pets would help too to both help in close combat and force cool checks to target your model

 

[MusingWarboss]

Hey I got that mini!
View attachment 171672

Perfect!!!

The other chap looks like he’d be useful as the solo fighter against some Wasteland Enforcers, first half the campaign he lures them into a dense biodome, the second half the action turns to the Ash Wastes settlement they evicted him from in game one.

 

[Punktaku]

Perfect!!!

The other chap looks like he’d be useful as the solo fighter against some Wasteland Enforcers, first half the campaign he lures them into a dense biodome, the second half the action turns to the Ash Wastes settlement they evicted him from in game one.

Biodome? I guess with the hair, he could be Pauly Shore…