Well, I'm pretty new to Necromunda, but as someone talked about getting a collected discussion on the skills I thought, hey why not me? I've been working with game design for a bit and over the last year or so I've been involved in the design of our own system that shares a number of features with the new edition of Necromunda, so I thought some of my insights from there would be applicable.
I'll be going through the skills by group, and I'll be reviewing them as if they had a cost of either picking a primary skill or rolling as a secondary. This primarily to see how they hold up against +1WS/BS/S/T. To start with I'll do the four "Primary" skills of Eschers and Goliaths (Agility, Brawn, Combat and Ferocity) as well as Leadership.
Agility - Watch me soar, like a leaf on the wind
Catfall - This one I think is deceptively good, at least if you're playing with a lot of vertical terrain. Halving the distance may not seem like much, but it means that you'll be able to traverse down 6" of terrain with absolutely no problem whatsoever, and you'll have to fall more than 10" before it starts hurting for real. A hidden bonus is that unless the injury took the fighter OOA or SI, they can avoid pinning from a fall on an initiative check. It is, of course, worthless if you play on ZM.
Clamber - You climb faster up or down. Solidly meh, Catfall is better for moving down and gives you protection against unplanned falls. Also worthless on ZM.
Dodge - A chance to avoid all effects of an attack, seems good right? Not really. The chance is very low and will interestingly only trigger on taking a wound, meaning that an attack that hit and did not cause a wound will still transfer its effect. Against template weapons they're even worse, as the model will have to clear the template fully to be able to dodge, which against blasts they can only really do if they are more than 1" away from the center. It's also badly written here since presumably when Dodge is triggered (after wound roll) you've already taken away the template...
Mighty Leap - Some discussion on this, at its worst it is simply worse than normal leaps, at its best you can get tons of extra movement as long as you keep jumping. For now, it should probably be avoided and you're better off with Catfall to protect you from failed falls.
Spring Up - I'd say this one is one of the better Agility skills, since Pinned is a pretty common condition. Not having to spend an action on getting up can be crucial for your melee gals (and guys), as they'll be able to charge. It's also good for shooters, since if you got pinned you're likely to be in range and LOS of an enemy, giving you the ability to aim for that +1 bonus, or be able to move into cover after firing back.
Sprint - Do a Double move as your second move if you move twice. Good if you need to get across the map fast, but it doesn't do anything to impact the board state and you might maybe use it twice per game, if ever. Skip.
Conclusion - A skill group with several duds, or at least underperforming skills, but also a few good ones. I guess you can randomly roll on this skill group as there's only one *bad* skill, but you're better off picking something instead.
Brawn - "Goliath Crush, Goliath Smash! "(oh, and Cawdor too, I guess)
Bull Rush - Ok, let's begin this with saying, getting +1 S is cheaper to just flat out buy than to pick this skill (although it will raise your gang rating more), for an effect that is permanent, instead on just conditional. Secondarily, +1S is underwhelming on Goliath gangers, Champions and Leaders, since the magic number is 6 (turns those 3+ to 2+ against all the T3 gangs). It only has an effect if you're going up against other Goliaths. Skip this one and get a Strength Increase instead.
Bulging Biceps - There's some discussion on this, if it only ignores the effects in the Unwieldy traits description, then you're better off grabbing a Suspensor for your Krumper, although it still has some uses with the Renderizer. For Cawdor it's even less interesting atm, due to the weakness of the Legacy Unwieldy weapons, and even if the Heavy Stubber was "fixed" it's superior range means it isn't as reliant as the Krumper on being able to move and fire. For the Renderizer it still has a use, since it can give you the additional CC attack. However, since you'll probably want a ranged sidearm for a guy with a Renderizer it is probably only worth it if you get a Stub/Plasma Combi or a Plasma Pistol. And that attack will still be worse than the ones you're dishing out with the Renderizer. There's better options out there.
If, however, it allows you to ignore other limitations from Unwieldy (weapon slots, etc), it becomes a MUCH better skill, that will allow for a bunch more versatility (dual wielding Renderizer anyone?).
Crushing Blow - Better than Bull Rush, since it is active on all kinds of melee attacks, not just the Charge ones, although it can only effect one attack. Again, +1S is underwhelming on Goliaths, but the bonus Damage can be nice to securely make sure that whoever you hit stays down. It's better for Cawdor, since they can more effectively use the Strength bonus, but it's probably easier to just get another weapon for the increased damage, and even a single Injury die will still result in 66% OOA in a 1v1. Get +1S instead.
Headbutt - This one is actually pretty nice, at least if you don't have access to Combat, since it gives you another powerful attack if you got two actions in melee. The Headbutt has an 89% chance against T3 and a 75% chance against T4, meaning that a Goliath that headbutts a T3 fighter has a 74% chance of inflicting a 2 Damage wound on them (before save).
Hurl - Ok, now we're talking. This one might not be that great, actually, but it is plain hilarious. Being able to chuck your enemies at each other to make them pinned is theoretically amazing. Also, throwing people over ledges or into dangerous terrain, is going to make you do many evil laughs. It has a huge FUN potential, and can actually be somewhat useful too. Also, mind that this movement is one of the few kinds that will not stop if it moves the fighter within 1" of an enemy.
Iron Jaw - Your Toughness is 2 higher against unarmed attacks. Utter crap, just pick +1T instead.
Conclusion - Don't roll on this table, especially as Goliath, you're better off just taking +1S or +1T instead, and that is often not needed. Depending on rulings there are a few skills that can have their place in careful builds,.
Combat - "What do we say to Death? Not today!" (Oh, hi again Cawdor!)
Combat Master - Always giving Assists and never receiving penalties can be nice, but as you're unlikely to often be outnumbered more than 2 to 1 +1WS is better on the penalties side. Always giving Assists is better, but I'm really unsure on how that is going to play out. Since you have to Charge or be Charged to become engaged, it's hard to say how often you'll be able to just assist, and I think you'll often be able to adjust where you engage to stay out of ganging up situations. Could be decent in a long running brawl, but even then you're spending a skill to give a bonus of +1 to one or two other fighters, when you could instead just kill the person you're assisting on. Probably not something you'll want to pick, but not the world if you get it by rolling.
Counter-Attack - Now we're talking, with the right build this could turn your fighter into a nightmare to attack in melee. Combine this with a pair of Parry weapons and Step Aside (later) and your enemy will hate you in close combat. Not something you want to take as your first skill generally, but a solid second pick.
Disarm - Solidly meh, again a 1/6 chance of doing something. Not the worst you could roll, but not something you'll want to pick. Take +1S and kill your enemy instead.
Parry - Get an extra Parry, another solid thing for becoming invulnerable in Close Combat, but Step Aside is better. An ok Random result, but there are better skills in the group.
Rain of Blows - Headbutt, but BETTER. Makes you able to do a second Fight action in a turn. This means a Dual Wielding Champion gets to do 6 attacks in a turn they began engaged, with a 2" consolidation move inbetween, combine this with Overseer to dance through your enemies, showered in blood. Really good pick.
Step Aside - My favorite, on an initiative check, just ignore a hit in close combat. On an Escher with 2+ Initiative it is crazy reliable. Combine with Parry Weapons and Counter Attack to make you nigh on impossible to hit and dish out a lot of hurt back if they were the one charging you.
Compared to Agility and Brawn, this one is pure gold. While some are clearly better (with some of the best skills in the game) there are no really bad skills, and the risk of getting something moderately useful like Combat Master or Disarm is outweighed with how good Rain of Blows and Step Aside is. Generally better for Escher than Cawdor though, since they have better initiative for Step Aside and WS 3+ Champions, but it is probably still a better skill group than Brawn for Cawdor.
Ferocity - "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry "(Oh, and welcome to the game Orlock)
Berserker - Extra Attacks are great. A better option than Bulging Biceps for your Renderizer Champion. More Attacks means more likely that you hit, and what you hit should stay down. Much better than Bull Rush. (Arguably you don't do the CC attacks as part of a charge action though, but as part of a free Fight Action, but Rules as Intended are clear)
Fearsome - The effectiveness of this one varies a lot depending on what gangs are in your turf war, and loses its potency over time. Surprisingly it's best against other Goliath gangs, who have terrible WP, but most other gangs will have a solid chance of passing on their Melee fighters. Still, they'll risk a 25-33% risk of just straight up losing the turn on their fighter, which could serve as a deterrent. If picked it should be combined with Berserker, to capitalize on your charge possibility.
Impetuous - This skill would be great if combined with Flurry of Blows, now... it's pretty eh. Still getting some free mobility is not the worst thing, and could work with Headbutt. Generally not a pick, but not the worst thing to roll.
Nerves of Steel - This reads: On a Cool check, get an additional Action if someone shot at you. Great all purpose skill, especially for Goliaths with their better Cool stat.
True Grit - This skill decreases the chance of an OOA or SI to 45% from 66% on a 1 Damage attack, which could easily save your bacon in a close combat. Probably not as good as Berserker or Nerves of Steel though, but a solid "tank" skill.
Unstoppable - Discard flesh wounds on 4+ or roll 2 dice on recovery checks on 4+. I'd say it is a solid skill, especially with something that decreases the amount of OOAs and SIs you get, like True Grit.
This is the better skill list for Goliath, with these skills Goliaths become human tanks, able to shrug off the psychological and physical effects of battle. Berserker is also a good offensive skill to make your beefcakes hit like the trucks they are in close combat.
Leadership - "This is the chain of command, it is the chain I beat you with until you follow my orders."
Commanding Presence - Activating another ganger can be good, but it isn't necessarily what you want to do all the time. Activating 2 extra fighters at once will often be enough, and I doubt you'll see a lot of actual use of that third one.
Inspirational - Lets you "reroll" a Cool check for fighters within 6". Not a great range, but can be a good option if your gang has bad cool scores.
Iron Will - An ok choice for a small gang to stay in the fight, but ask yourself, if the fight is going so badly that you have to make Bottle tests, are you sure you want to stay and fight? This skill choice is probably better spent on something that will actually have an effect on the fight before this point.
Mentor - XP progression is pretty slow, and this could be a nice way to alleviate that. However, the range is pretty short and the effect is not wholly reliable. Choose only if you know you're in for a long Turf War.
Overseer - This is the one. Being able to activate one of your more combat focused characters twice in one go can be awesome, especially if you combine it with Fast Shot or Rain of Blows and group activations. Unless you plan on turning your Leader into a frontline combat monster, this is probably the best skill they can get.
Regroup - Pass a Ld check to make all the Broken fighters within 6" rally. Again, this is a skill that only effects things when it is already going bad, and the range is short. Do note that it does combine decently with Mentor, as a Rallying fighter earns 1xp.
Overseer is up there among the best skills in the game, and thus gives this group a high status. The other skills are not as impactful and suffers from having a pretty short range IMO. Still, if you have taken Overseer for your Leader you might almost as well just continue going with Leadership skills and turn them into a buff-monster.
Next up! Cunning, Shooting and Savant
I'll be going through the skills by group, and I'll be reviewing them as if they had a cost of either picking a primary skill or rolling as a secondary. This primarily to see how they hold up against +1WS/BS/S/T. To start with I'll do the four "Primary" skills of Eschers and Goliaths (Agility, Brawn, Combat and Ferocity) as well as Leadership.
Agility - Watch me soar, like a leaf on the wind
Catfall - This one I think is deceptively good, at least if you're playing with a lot of vertical terrain. Halving the distance may not seem like much, but it means that you'll be able to traverse down 6" of terrain with absolutely no problem whatsoever, and you'll have to fall more than 10" before it starts hurting for real. A hidden bonus is that unless the injury took the fighter OOA or SI, they can avoid pinning from a fall on an initiative check. It is, of course, worthless if you play on ZM.
Clamber - You climb faster up or down. Solidly meh, Catfall is better for moving down and gives you protection against unplanned falls. Also worthless on ZM.
Dodge - A chance to avoid all effects of an attack, seems good right? Not really. The chance is very low and will interestingly only trigger on taking a wound, meaning that an attack that hit and did not cause a wound will still transfer its effect. Against template weapons they're even worse, as the model will have to clear the template fully to be able to dodge, which against blasts they can only really do if they are more than 1" away from the center. It's also badly written here since presumably when Dodge is triggered (after wound roll) you've already taken away the template...
Mighty Leap - Some discussion on this, at its worst it is simply worse than normal leaps, at its best you can get tons of extra movement as long as you keep jumping. For now, it should probably be avoided and you're better off with Catfall to protect you from failed falls.
Spring Up - I'd say this one is one of the better Agility skills, since Pinned is a pretty common condition. Not having to spend an action on getting up can be crucial for your melee gals (and guys), as they'll be able to charge. It's also good for shooters, since if you got pinned you're likely to be in range and LOS of an enemy, giving you the ability to aim for that +1 bonus, or be able to move into cover after firing back.
Sprint - Do a Double move as your second move if you move twice. Good if you need to get across the map fast, but it doesn't do anything to impact the board state and you might maybe use it twice per game, if ever. Skip.
Conclusion - A skill group with several duds, or at least underperforming skills, but also a few good ones. I guess you can randomly roll on this skill group as there's only one *bad* skill, but you're better off picking something instead.
Brawn - "Goliath Crush, Goliath Smash! "(oh, and Cawdor too, I guess)
Bull Rush - Ok, let's begin this with saying, getting +1 S is cheaper to just flat out buy than to pick this skill (although it will raise your gang rating more), for an effect that is permanent, instead on just conditional. Secondarily, +1S is underwhelming on Goliath gangers, Champions and Leaders, since the magic number is 6 (turns those 3+ to 2+ against all the T3 gangs). It only has an effect if you're going up against other Goliaths. Skip this one and get a Strength Increase instead.
Bulging Biceps - There's some discussion on this, if it only ignores the effects in the Unwieldy traits description, then you're better off grabbing a Suspensor for your Krumper, although it still has some uses with the Renderizer. For Cawdor it's even less interesting atm, due to the weakness of the Legacy Unwieldy weapons, and even if the Heavy Stubber was "fixed" it's superior range means it isn't as reliant as the Krumper on being able to move and fire. For the Renderizer it still has a use, since it can give you the additional CC attack. However, since you'll probably want a ranged sidearm for a guy with a Renderizer it is probably only worth it if you get a Stub/Plasma Combi or a Plasma Pistol. And that attack will still be worse than the ones you're dishing out with the Renderizer. There's better options out there.
If, however, it allows you to ignore other limitations from Unwieldy (weapon slots, etc), it becomes a MUCH better skill, that will allow for a bunch more versatility (dual wielding Renderizer anyone?).
Crushing Blow - Better than Bull Rush, since it is active on all kinds of melee attacks, not just the Charge ones, although it can only effect one attack. Again, +1S is underwhelming on Goliaths, but the bonus Damage can be nice to securely make sure that whoever you hit stays down. It's better for Cawdor, since they can more effectively use the Strength bonus, but it's probably easier to just get another weapon for the increased damage, and even a single Injury die will still result in 66% OOA in a 1v1. Get +1S instead.
Headbutt - This one is actually pretty nice, at least if you don't have access to Combat, since it gives you another powerful attack if you got two actions in melee. The Headbutt has an 89% chance against T3 and a 75% chance against T4, meaning that a Goliath that headbutts a T3 fighter has a 74% chance of inflicting a 2 Damage wound on them (before save).
Hurl - Ok, now we're talking. This one might not be that great, actually, but it is plain hilarious. Being able to chuck your enemies at each other to make them pinned is theoretically amazing. Also, throwing people over ledges or into dangerous terrain, is going to make you do many evil laughs. It has a huge FUN potential, and can actually be somewhat useful too. Also, mind that this movement is one of the few kinds that will not stop if it moves the fighter within 1" of an enemy.
Iron Jaw - Your Toughness is 2 higher against unarmed attacks. Utter crap, just pick +1T instead.
Conclusion - Don't roll on this table, especially as Goliath, you're better off just taking +1S or +1T instead, and that is often not needed. Depending on rulings there are a few skills that can have their place in careful builds,.
Combat - "What do we say to Death? Not today!" (Oh, hi again Cawdor!)
Combat Master - Always giving Assists and never receiving penalties can be nice, but as you're unlikely to often be outnumbered more than 2 to 1 +1WS is better on the penalties side. Always giving Assists is better, but I'm really unsure on how that is going to play out. Since you have to Charge or be Charged to become engaged, it's hard to say how often you'll be able to just assist, and I think you'll often be able to adjust where you engage to stay out of ganging up situations. Could be decent in a long running brawl, but even then you're spending a skill to give a bonus of +1 to one or two other fighters, when you could instead just kill the person you're assisting on. Probably not something you'll want to pick, but not the world if you get it by rolling.
Counter-Attack - Now we're talking, with the right build this could turn your fighter into a nightmare to attack in melee. Combine this with a pair of Parry weapons and Step Aside (later) and your enemy will hate you in close combat. Not something you want to take as your first skill generally, but a solid second pick.
Disarm - Solidly meh, again a 1/6 chance of doing something. Not the worst you could roll, but not something you'll want to pick. Take +1S and kill your enemy instead.
Parry - Get an extra Parry, another solid thing for becoming invulnerable in Close Combat, but Step Aside is better. An ok Random result, but there are better skills in the group.
Rain of Blows - Headbutt, but BETTER. Makes you able to do a second Fight action in a turn. This means a Dual Wielding Champion gets to do 6 attacks in a turn they began engaged, with a 2" consolidation move inbetween, combine this with Overseer to dance through your enemies, showered in blood. Really good pick.
Step Aside - My favorite, on an initiative check, just ignore a hit in close combat. On an Escher with 2+ Initiative it is crazy reliable. Combine with Parry Weapons and Counter Attack to make you nigh on impossible to hit and dish out a lot of hurt back if they were the one charging you.
Compared to Agility and Brawn, this one is pure gold. While some are clearly better (with some of the best skills in the game) there are no really bad skills, and the risk of getting something moderately useful like Combat Master or Disarm is outweighed with how good Rain of Blows and Step Aside is. Generally better for Escher than Cawdor though, since they have better initiative for Step Aside and WS 3+ Champions, but it is probably still a better skill group than Brawn for Cawdor.
Ferocity - "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry "(Oh, and welcome to the game Orlock)
Berserker - Extra Attacks are great. A better option than Bulging Biceps for your Renderizer Champion. More Attacks means more likely that you hit, and what you hit should stay down. Much better than Bull Rush. (Arguably you don't do the CC attacks as part of a charge action though, but as part of a free Fight Action, but Rules as Intended are clear)
Fearsome - The effectiveness of this one varies a lot depending on what gangs are in your turf war, and loses its potency over time. Surprisingly it's best against other Goliath gangs, who have terrible WP, but most other gangs will have a solid chance of passing on their Melee fighters. Still, they'll risk a 25-33% risk of just straight up losing the turn on their fighter, which could serve as a deterrent. If picked it should be combined with Berserker, to capitalize on your charge possibility.
Impetuous - This skill would be great if combined with Flurry of Blows, now... it's pretty eh. Still getting some free mobility is not the worst thing, and could work with Headbutt. Generally not a pick, but not the worst thing to roll.
Nerves of Steel - This reads: On a Cool check, get an additional Action if someone shot at you. Great all purpose skill, especially for Goliaths with their better Cool stat.
True Grit - This skill decreases the chance of an OOA or SI to 45% from 66% on a 1 Damage attack, which could easily save your bacon in a close combat. Probably not as good as Berserker or Nerves of Steel though, but a solid "tank" skill.
Unstoppable - Discard flesh wounds on 4+ or roll 2 dice on recovery checks on 4+. I'd say it is a solid skill, especially with something that decreases the amount of OOAs and SIs you get, like True Grit.
This is the better skill list for Goliath, with these skills Goliaths become human tanks, able to shrug off the psychological and physical effects of battle. Berserker is also a good offensive skill to make your beefcakes hit like the trucks they are in close combat.
Leadership - "This is the chain of command, it is the chain I beat you with until you follow my orders."
Commanding Presence - Activating another ganger can be good, but it isn't necessarily what you want to do all the time. Activating 2 extra fighters at once will often be enough, and I doubt you'll see a lot of actual use of that third one.
Inspirational - Lets you "reroll" a Cool check for fighters within 6". Not a great range, but can be a good option if your gang has bad cool scores.
Iron Will - An ok choice for a small gang to stay in the fight, but ask yourself, if the fight is going so badly that you have to make Bottle tests, are you sure you want to stay and fight? This skill choice is probably better spent on something that will actually have an effect on the fight before this point.
Mentor - XP progression is pretty slow, and this could be a nice way to alleviate that. However, the range is pretty short and the effect is not wholly reliable. Choose only if you know you're in for a long Turf War.
Overseer - This is the one. Being able to activate one of your more combat focused characters twice in one go can be awesome, especially if you combine it with Fast Shot or Rain of Blows and group activations. Unless you plan on turning your Leader into a frontline combat monster, this is probably the best skill they can get.
Regroup - Pass a Ld check to make all the Broken fighters within 6" rally. Again, this is a skill that only effects things when it is already going bad, and the range is short. Do note that it does combine decently with Mentor, as a Rallying fighter earns 1xp.
Overseer is up there among the best skills in the game, and thus gives this group a high status. The other skills are not as impactful and suffers from having a pretty short range IMO. Still, if you have taken Overseer for your Leader you might almost as well just continue going with Leadership skills and turn them into a buff-monster.
Next up! Cunning, Shooting and Savant
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