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 lord_blackfang wrote:
... roads are an awful use of sprue space ...

Yes, due to the scale there will not be roads. Also, see teaser trailer.
This said, there could perhaps be some sort of trail markers instead, indicating more or less safe passages through the wastes - but neither roads nor railways.


I am actually designing rules for a road based Mad Max style game in an ash waste setting (using large road sections and a rolling battlefield) - but this requires extreme space. Game mechanics is a mix between X-Wing (movement trays and initiatives), Robo Rally (card based pre-planning of turns) and Necromunda (fighting).

El Torro wrote:
I've been wondering what kind of terrain is going to come with this expansion. Sure, it wouldn't make sense to have the board as densely packed as fights in the Underhive. Just an appropriate mat should be fine, with maybe some occasional rocky outcrops or rubble here and there.

If GW go down this route though they're passing up an opportunity to sell us more stuff.

Well, the first thing to note is that there is a reason these convoys are out in the Ash wastes in the first place.

Necromunda is a core Imperial world, one of the most important planets outside the Sol system. It was also a heavily developed metropolis millennia before it became part of the Imperium. Based on what we know of Imperial infrastructure, the hives themselves are almost cerainly connected by extensive and advanced transit networks- likely rail links (maglevs are a thing in 40k) and motorways. These are probably kept open by the PDF and enforcers to maintain commerce and passenger transit. This is supported by this map of Necromunda with lines between the hives, including one labelled the "Great Ash Road". Raids on these would probably be very rare as the planetary goverment has a massive interest in keeping these major routes open.



So why go out into the wastes at all? I believe the Orlocks in particular operate a number of mines out in the Ash wastes, so resource acquisition is a major reason. Other resource examples could be to hunt useful critters or plants, or perhaps to obtain water. Necromunda used to have a planet-wide metropolis before a major xenos attack resulted in only the hive spires protruding from the Ash wastes, so ruins (with potential archeotech) should be poking out of the ash dunes or being uncovered in strip mining all over the place. House smuggling operations may also wish to avoid the main arterial routes and any scrutiny with their checkpoints to sneak goods around the planet, so they may have hide-outs to store contraband stockpiles or hide from pursuit. Particularly risky House activities could be secreted away in the wastes, especially experimentation that is wildly illegal under Imperial law- such as labs working on the Delaque psykers.

The nomads themselves must also have some kind of infrastructure or facilities to cope with such a harsh environment- in particular there must be "oases" that they can obtain water from (actual natural water bodies/aquifers, moisture farms, areas where a hive water-pipe is leaking, etc), and perhaps they move between these in caravans. They must also have reliable food sources.

There may also be isolated military installations out in the wastes, some of which could be abandoned and represent a good place to set up a hideout, or somewhere to loot for resources.

All of the activity above would lead to small settlements popping up to service the convoys and miners, and maybe trade with the nomads on occasion- these would probably be little more than defended stockades with a fuel station and trading post, maybe a secure water source. The recent market kit could look really good in a settlement like this.

As such, terrain could represent everything from open Ash waste dunes, to nomad oases, to ancient runes half-buried in the sand, to mining outposts, to small service station settlements. The existing Ryza-pattern ruins would likely make great terrain for a lot of this.

Edited to fix dead image link.

Oh and, hey look at that, we’ve got that new Ryza pattern terrain coming out soon, what a coinkydink…

Great analysis Haighus!

I would add that you would also venture into the wastes to move things between cities without being known. Smuggling to evade taxes, stuff that you're not supposed to move, relocating assets you don't want people to know about...

Since the skies have eyes (orbital auguries in 40k ling) this actually makes it more interesting. Sometimes you WANT to be moving during a dust storm or other obstructing weather.

And of course security is whatever you can afford. So basically a lot of the storyline should be haphazard smuggling gangs and ambushes.

Also, I hope the Orlock harpoon gun gets rules for dragging around vehicles.

We also already know there are multiple permanent settles out in the Wastes. These range from top secret House facilities, waystations, villages et al.

And yeah, I can imagine the new terrain will factor in.

So much awesome 3D printable stuff that will fit into this

Now is currently a marvellous time for world building in all its forms.

I wonder….will the new terrain shown the other day be compatible with the Gang Stronghold?

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
I wonder….will the new terrain shown the other day be compatible with the Gang Stronghold?

Fronteris? I really doubt it, the existing walls don't fit with anything except stylistically a bit with Mechanicum walkway pillars.

I do reckon that, whilst pricey, two or three Gang Strongholds could make a decent waystation type location?

Really must get that Orky stuff from Kill Team too.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
I do reckon that, whilst pricey, two or three Gang Strongholds could make a decent waystation type location?

Absolutely, there's even a water tower. In fact the whole Stronghold is far more sensible when outdoors rather than inside the Underhive in the first place as it's basically a walled courtyard. It also connects to the Mortalis floor tiles rather poorly. Heck, now that I'm thinking about it, it might have been designed as an Ash Wastes outpost in the first place and released early for some reason. The water tower is very Mad Max.

True that.

Oooooh. I think I’ve just shifted my campaign concept. Ash Waste Settlement, setup over buried ruins. Gangs are exploring and exploiting the ruins in a sort of Dungeoneering style.

...so they'll be playing Underhive Quest, Doc?

Quite possibly!

StraightSilver wrote:
I knocked this together quickly in MS Paint but I think 2 of the rumour engines are almost certainly the land train.

Top left and top right images make me think of photos with oilify and/or cartoon filter over it, used as a cheap and quick thing for online comics.
Based on that, I think there is a model of that land train...

You finally have a reason to pimp that Genestealer Cult Limo!

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
I do reckon that, whilst pricey, two or three Gang Strongholds could make a decent waystation type location?

 lord_blackfang wrote:
In fact the whole Stronghold is far more sensible when outdoors rather than inside the Underhive in the first place as it's basically a walled courtyard.

Oh it absolutely does work as an 'outside' terrain feature:

 H.B.M.C. wrote:

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
I do reckon that, whilst pricey, two or three Gang Strongholds could make a decent waystation type location?

 lord_blackfang wrote:
In fact the whole Stronghold is far more sensible when outdoors rather than inside the Underhive in the first place as it's basically a walled courtyard.

Oh it absolutely does work as an 'outside' terrain feature:

That outpost needs to be surrounded by thousands of tyranid gants and gargoyles while guardsmen wait for valkyries to arrive and airlift them out

 MajorWesJanson wrote:

 H.B.M.C. wrote:

Spoiler:

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
I do reckon that, whilst pricey, two or three Gang Strongholds could make a decent waystation type location?

 lord_blackfang wrote:
In fact the whole Stronghold is far more sensible when outdoors rather than inside the Underhive in the first place as it's basically a walled courtyard.

Oh it absolutely does work as an 'outside' terrain feature:

Don't forget it's fully comptible with Mortalis walls and pillars, and the latter are much more accessible than extra Stronghold corner parts if you want to do wonky shapes.

I liked the trailer for Necromorka. I wish they'd shown at least one model, though. Oh well, guess that's something to look forward to in the coming months then.

We ushered in a whole host of reveals at LVO, but that was just the start. Next week we’re diving into a sizzling slate of news and announcements,

HOPE WE HAVE MORE NEWS

zamerion wrote:
We ushered in a whole host of reveals at LVO, but that was just the start. Next week we’re diving into a sizzling slate of news and announcements,

HOPE WE HAVE MORE NEWS

It will be an announcement giving us a date for a future announcement, where they will show 1 blurry pic or crappy animation and make another announcement about the date of the final announcement.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
True that.

Oooooh. I think I’ve just shifted my campaign concept. Ash Waste Settlement, setup over buried ruins. Gangs are exploring and exploiting the ruins in a sort of Dungeoneering style.

Shawdows of Brimstone might be a starting point.

T

The upside of a cargo hauler that looks like a shoebox...

You can just use a shoebox. Which will be a little cheaper than an official GW model, and comes with free shoes.

 Graphite wrote:
You can just use a shoebox. Which will be a little cheaper than an official GW model, and comes with free shoes.

Are you trying to cynically imply that a tiny plastic truck will cost more than a new pair of shoes?

Because of course it will

 lord_blackfang wrote:

 Graphite wrote:
You can just use a shoebox. Which will be a little cheaper than an official GW model, and comes with free shoes.

Are you trying to cynically imply that a tiny plastic truck will cost more than a new pair of shoes?

Because of course it will

Well i can buy a relatively decent-ish pair of shoes for 50 USD online, while the Goliath truck already costs 60 USD, and i suspect the new Necromunda thing will be a good bit larger and/or more expensive...

 Graphite wrote:
The upside of a cargo hauler that looks like a shoebox...

You can just use a shoebox. Which will be a little cheaper than an official GW model, and comes with free shoes.

That scrappy little start up company that you may not have heard of called Disney agrees with you.

https://wdwnt.com/2022/01/photos-box-truck-being-used-for-star-wars-galactic-starcruiser-shuttle-transport/

Ratskins, Scavvy Gangs, Karloth Valois, Zombies, Ash Waste nomads, Trader caravans, Redemptionist crusades, Ork gangs, Pit Slaves, New bounty hunter gangs, mutant beasts, Necromunda 8th patrols, .....
Good to see this finally getting some love.

Here's the old fanmade book-
https://sigil.biz/files.sigil.biz/data/fo_093_ashwastes.pdf

 lord_blackfang wrote:

Absolutely, there's even a water tower. In fact the whole Stronghold is far more sensible when outdoors rather than inside the Underhive in the first place as it's basically a walled courtyard.

Why would it make more sense for a roofless structure with no interior sections to exist outdoors, in an environmentally-hostile setting, than within a temperature-controlled and weatherless* indoor dome?

You could make the stronghold a good-looking outdoor outpost, but it would require either freestanding buildings inside it or some flat scenery that conveys the idea of entrances to underground interior sections, to pass the verisimilitude test.

*depending on how the failing hive infrastructure is working on that day