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I think the fluff was that Prospects get the risky jobs, so you can make an argument that it lines up somewhat with everything we've seen so far, if hoverboarding is a dangerous pastime (the others are Arc welders, dangerous temperamental weapons, and jump-packers iirc? I forget what Escher Prospects do).

Those grav-cutters look like a very effective way to jump the shark.

Don't forget Van Saar are supposed to have better tech in general and if they aren't obeying the Mechanicus and such then sure they likely have traded with and for Xenotech to get things like hoverboards and such.

This happens all over the Imperium, but not at a scale unified, organised and large enough to appear in most games. Remember Necromunda is just one planet, one world, one situation. It's notable and famous but there are millions of other worlds out there. That there are some disobeying the law in a lawless region of the underhive isn't that surprising.

Are those, uh, "melta-pistols" of some kind? Because I'm trying to think of a reason I would want to deploy an expensive, highly-mobile, defensive-shielded laspistol, and there isn't one. There could never be one.

I'm also -- generally -- anti-hoverboard. The spider-champs are nice, though.

edit: watched the preview video, and, unfortunately, they're clearly just laspistols. Hopefully some of their other weapon options are decent; the Goliath and Orlock prospects both needed conversions to make a useful loadout, so no surprise here, I suppose.

 Altruizine wrote:


I'm also -- generally -- anti-hoverboard. The spider-champs are nice, though.

Anti hover Board? I am disappointed. Mine will be daubed with certain slogans...

If the weapons are the same modular design as the basic gang box, then conversions will be pretty easy

Really liking the Van Saar models, and pleased to see every greater variation between the Gang Houses.

Whilst I’ll still be cobbling my own campaigns with elements of the original game (I prefer the turf and advancement rules from the first version), these new models are absolutely superb.

It’s making the game more visually distinct, and by extension more appealing. When my Delaque or Cawdor are fighting Van Saar, it’ll be a very different experience to fighting House Meathead, with different strategies involved.

Lovely stuff overall.

So, first they came up with Orlock Jump Packs, and then had to justify why they aren't A Terrible Idea In The Underhive.

And they did! They acknowledged that they're a bad idea, but they're more often used for boarding actions on transports out in the wastes.

And that seems fair enough. I'm looking forward to hurling some luckless noob down a ZM corridor with the advice of "watch out for the ceiling, kid!"

What's the practical reason for the Van Saar to have the Green Goblin's hoverboard? I'm guessing fixing hi-tech things like Comms antennas on the outside of the hive. Similarly I expect it to be stated that these are a bad idea, but that Prospects are keen to show off.

I liked it better when the idea of one gang having better tech was that their flak armor was new instead of a 5th generation hand-me-down.

It's hard to imagine what the superior tech of a spyrer rig is supposed to be like these days. They'll probably need to be walking around in Terminator armor with an Assault cannon, Cylone launcher, and powerfist with auxiliary grenade launcher just to get a second glance. Maybe throw in a displacer field, combat drugs, a vortex grenade, and cameleoline just to be sure.

I’m really wondering what new stuff Cawdor and Delaque will receive.

 Graphite wrote:
So, first they came up with Orlock Jump Packs, and then had to justify why they aren't A Terrible Idea In The Underhive.

And they did! They acknowledged that they're a bad idea, but they're more often used for boarding actions on transports out in the wastes.

And that seems fair enough. I'm looking forward to hurling some luckless noob down a ZM corridor with the advice of "watch out for the ceiling, kid!"

What's the practical reason for the Van Saar to have the Green Goblin's hoverboard? I'm guessing fixing hi-tech things like Comms antennas on the outside of the hive. Similarly I expect it to be stated that these are a bad idea, but that Prospects are keen to show off.

It's almost like the model designers thought we'd be outside the hive in the outlands at this point, but no-one told the rules writers...

beast_gts wrote:


It's almost like the model designers thought we'd be outside the hive in the outlands at this point, but no-one told the rules writers...

Good point

'based on an incomplete stc hoverboards are an intriguing but flawed offshoot of repulsor technology,

if their insatiable power consumption can be reduced they could be of great use to the house (and the Imperium),

but even with all the spare space in the board stuffed with power cells they run for only a few minutes, enough for a quick gang skirmish (unless the rider is unlucky), but not for anything more useful'

House Van Saar, private record FB/45&GGH14

beast_gts wrote:

 Graphite wrote:
So, first they came up with Orlock Jump Packs, and then had to justify why they aren't A Terrible Idea In The Underhive.

And they did! They acknowledged that they're a bad idea, but they're more often used for boarding actions on transports out in the wastes.

And that seems fair enough. I'm looking forward to hurling some luckless noob down a ZM corridor with the advice of "watch out for the ceiling, kid!"

What's the practical reason for the Van Saar to have the Green Goblin's hoverboard? I'm guessing fixing hi-tech things like Comms antennas on the outside of the hive. Similarly I expect it to be stated that these are a bad idea, but that Prospects are keen to show off.

It's almost like the model designers thought we'd be outside the hive in the outlands at this point, but no-one told the rules writers...

We can neither confirm nor deny that we never thought any battle wouldn't not take place in any environment other than the non-standard underhive cavern tunnels that can range from not tall enough for a human being to vast machine-caverns with multi-level freestanding structures.


Alternately they could have gone the route the video game devs did, and given everyone unlimited, never fail ascension grapples and immunity to falling, making vertical distance a non-issue entirely.

 Altruizine wrote:


edit: watched the preview video, and, unfortunately, they're clearly just laspistols. Hopefully some of their other weapon options are decent; the Goliath and Orlock prospects both needed conversions to make a useful loadout, so no surprise here, I suppose.

Laspistols and Plasma pistol aren't bad, they're actually much more useful than stub gun, but they already made them in the base kit, now we get the same thing again. Even for the heavy weapon choice, the rad cannon is pretty lame.

They made these kit compatible with the existing one, and yet they keep making the same weapons they already made again and again, then saved actual new weapon bits in resin. What's next? Cawdor get more stubguns?

Bob Lorgar wrote:
I liked it better when the idea of one gang having better tech was that their flak armor was new instead of a 5th generation hand-me-down.

It's hard to imagine what the superior tech of a spyrer rig is supposed to be like these days. They'll probably need to be walking around in Terminator armor with an Assault cannon, Cylone launcher, and powerfist with auxiliary grenade launcher just to get a second glance. Maybe throw in a displacer field, combat drugs, a vortex grenade, and cameleoline just to be sure.

Spyrer gear already had some of that including force fields, cameoline and combat drugs. Plus the suits grew more effective as part of the reward for successful kills.

Thinking on the heavy weapon choices... I am a little disappointed that they didn't go for a 'plasma-ball' generator style weapon (inspired by the plasma gun aesthetic) - that would target d3 closest gangers (within say 8') indiscriminately (much like the xenos puzzle box weapon) and could arc over low scenery. That would have been cool as hell, rather than just a low-key facsimile of their Brute option.

 Mr Morden wrote:

Bob Lorgar wrote:
I liked it better when the idea of one gang having better tech was that their flak armor was new instead of a 5th generation hand-me-down.

It's hard to imagine what the superior tech of a spyrer rig is supposed to be like these days. They'll probably need to be walking around in Terminator armor with an Assault cannon, Cylone launcher, and powerfist with auxiliary grenade launcher just to get a second glance. Maybe throw in a displacer field, combat drugs, a vortex grenade, and cameleoline just to be sure.

Spyrer gear already had some of that including force fields, cameoline and combat drugs. Plus the suits grew more effective as part of the reward for successful kills.

Good thing those rich kids weren’t flying around big empty domes of the underhive...

But ya, Van Saar seems to be leaning heavily into the Spyrer shtick.

I feel like that rumor engine with a pitchfork/prong with nails in it is for Cawdor. Their special weapon will be an extra long stabby spear. The better to reach those hard to reach fliers.

 GaroRobe wrote:
I feel like that rumor engine with a pitchfork/prong with nails in it is for Cawdor. Their special weapon will be an extra long stabby spear. The better to reach those hard to reach fliers.

Makes me wonder what their special juves will be.

Shoes with springs on them?

Stilts?

Roller skates and a rocket backpack?

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:

 GaroRobe wrote:
I feel like that rumor engine with a pitchfork/prong with nails in it is for Cawdor. Their special weapon will be an extra long stabby spear. The better to reach those hard to reach fliers.

Makes me wonder what their special juves will be.

Shoes with springs on them?

Stilts?

Roller skates and a rocket backpack?

Rat cavalry!

Given the Goliath and Escher Prospects didn't appear to be doing anything too weird, should we be expecting odd movement tech for Cawdor and Delaque?

I really hope those hoverboard van saar are either bad in the game or too expensive to reasonably field. I don't want to take them in my lists, i'll tell you that much. As a collector of this gang I just feel bummed out at how underwhelmed I am by these. They just seem so uncreative and uninteresting.

They're going to have to make up for it with a well written book otherwise I might have to switch gangs. That's how bad this is looking for me.

Hover board should be a champion unit, and with guns on the board too. Too bad GW always shoot for the boring option, they already jumped the shark, at least make it interesting.

So far I only buy the new Goliath kit, the guns are new and meme-tier, but at least it was actually kinda funny to use.

Unit that can move fast or deep strike in Necromunda are always god-tier in usefulness, unfortunately whoever handle the rule didn't understand this and were giving these unit to the gangs like candy.

I've only bought the Escher one so far, and I've mainly used it to make additional gangers/champions.

So far I haven't been very impressed with the new additions, TBH.

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
Makes me wonder what their special juves will be.

Some form of fanatic ala the Brettonian Battle Pilgrims. They're holding bits of trash that are "relics" of the Imperium.

That'd be nice.

 Thargrim wrote:
I really hope those hoverboard van saar are either bad in the game or too expensive to reasonably field. I don't want to take them in my lists, i'll tell you that much.

"I don't like these, so I hope they suck so no one takes them."

Way to tell people to stop having fun the wrong way...

I hope they're awesome. In fact, I hope that they're mandatory, and that you have to bring 5 per gang, necessitating the purchase of two boxes, but that you can only ever bring 6, leaving you with two spare always.

 Dysartes wrote:
Given the Goliath and Escher Prospects didn't appear to be doing anything too weird, should we be expecting odd movement tech for Cawdor and Delaque?

I'd suspect the Delaque to have some sort of stealthsuit upgrade or some kind. Not sure on Cawdor though. Maybe the Champions will be like some sort of pseudo redemptionist priests. Firebrands that inspire?


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 H.B.M.C. wrote:

 Thargrim wrote:
I really hope those hoverboard van saar are either bad in the game or too expensive to reasonably field. I don't want to take them in my lists, i'll tell you that much.

"I don't like these, so I hope they suck so no one takes them."

Way to tell people to stop having fun the wrong way...

I hope they're awesome. In fact, I hope that they're mandatory, and that you have to bring 5 per gang, necessitating the purchase of two boxes, but that you can only ever bring 6, leaving you with two spare always.

I'm the opposite. I love the hoverboards. I can see the Van Saar being a bit po-faced and their youths are tearaways. First opportunity they get, they're straight on a stolen/cobbled together hoverboard and they're off, chasing rats, leaving obscene graffiti everywhere on how the Ad-Mech can suck a toaster and annoying the enforcers. They'll be in loud colours, slogans everywhere, listening to loud inappropriate music that annoys the local religious types and be a general nusiance as they blast through a settlement knocking over rat soup and the like.

Leaves me hopeful for the Brat Gangs should they ever appear...

I'm cool with people liking them, I just don't want to be handicapped by not taking them. Part of this hobby is building/painting models I like. And if I can get away fielding van saar they way they have been, plus the new tech champs i'll be just fine. I always saw VS as being the most serious minded and militarized of the 6 house gangs. And these seem a bit cartoonish and at odds with that.

Wouldn't be surprised if Cawdor and Delaque ended up with the best of the new kits though. It's not like the bar has been set very high. Cawdor will be interesting cause they could go redemptionist, or do the sisters of battle inspired branch of the faction. Since the current gangers seem to take influence from the custodes.

Orlock second box is my favourite so far, good mix, particularly removing the flying stands.

I *think* they are my favourite base gang box also, tied with Cawdor.

So if I ever got into Necromunda.
One of them would be my gang, depending how the Cawdor second box hits would decide between them I’d think..

 Thargrim wrote:

Wouldn't be surprised if Cawdor and Delaque ended up with the best of the new kits though. It's not like the bar has been set very high. Cawdor will be interesting cause they could go redemptionist, or do the sisters of battle inspired branch of the faction. Since the current gangers seem to take influence from the custodes.

There's so much they could do with Cawdor, but that is pretty much what I'm hoping for - Redemptionist-esque champions (rather than as a whole other gang) and fanatic-style prospects that are 'guided' by a true-believer (Repentia kit style). Though I would very much love to see an alternate take with the Sisters-inspired female branch hinted at in the lore.