Starting Necromunda

Lore & Background

House Cawdor is driven by unyielding faith and apocalyptic zeal, its gangers convinced they are chosen to cleanse Necromunda of corruption. Clad in rags and scrap, they march into the Underhive as self-appointed penitents, preaching redemption through fire and suffering. Cawdor fighters overwhelm their enemies through numbers, fanaticism, and holy fury. Armed with crude weapons and burning faith, they press forward without fear, believing that martyrdom is a blessing and that every blaze brings the hive one step closer to salvation.

Playstyle

Cawdor excel at overwhelming the enemy with sheer numbers and close-range firepower. They use fire, smoke, and massed charges to control the battlefield and destroy their enemies through attrition.

Strengths

• Large gang sizes with low-cost fighters
• Access to incendiary weapons and fire tactics
• Strong close-range combat capabilities
• Articles of Faith provide many tactical options
• Effective at suppressing enemy capabilities with fire

Weaknesses

• Limited long-range weaponry
• Individual fighters are relatively weak
• Many fighters don't have armour
• Reliance on mid-range combat and fire can be predictable

Lore & Background

House Delaque rules from the shadows, trading in secrets, surveillance, and unseen influence rather than open power. Its agents are information brokers and manipulators, embedded throughout the hive, gathering leverage long before a shot is fired. Pale and unsettling, Delaque gangers fight on their own terms, striking from darkness and confusion. They rely on misdirection, patience, and control rather than brute force, turning knowledge into a weapon and ensuring that by the time violence begins, the outcome is already decided.

Playstyle

Delaque specialize in stealth, infiltration, and psychological warfare. They use web weapons, smoke, and superior positioning to control engagements on their terms, picking off enemies from the shadows.

Strengths

• Excellent stealth and infiltration capabilities
• Access to web weapons and smoke grenades
• Strong leadership and command options
• Superior positioning and movement options
• Psychic abilities

Weaknesses

• Fighters are expensive and fewer in number
• Requires careful positioning and planning
• Vulnerable in open, straightforward engagements
• Higher skill ceiling for effective play

Lore & Background

House Escher is a fast, deadly sisterhood that dominates Necromunda through speed, skill, and chemical mastery. Built around tightly bonded gangs of warriors, the house thrives on independence and constant competition, refining its fighters through conflict and survival. Escher gangers rely on agility, toxins, and precise violence rather than brute strength. They strike hard and fast, exploiting weaknesses with poisons and superior movement, and in the shifting wars of the Underhive, they endure by never standing still for long.

Playstyle

Escher excel at fast, mobile combat with a focus on close-range engagements. They use their superior movement, chemical weapons, and toxins to strike quickly and overwhelm enemies before they can react.

Strengths

• Superior movement and agility
• Access to chemical and toxin weapons
• Fast, mobile playstyle
• Strong close combat capabilities
• Good access to special weapons

Weaknesses

• Fighters are relatively fragile
• Limited armour and protection
• Requires aggressive playstyle to succeed
• Can struggle against heavily armored foes

Lore & Background

House Goliath is built on strength, endurance, and dominance, breeding its fighters for war through brutal gene-forging and pit-born selection. In the depths of the hive, power is survival, and Goliath culture embraces violence as both industry and identity. Towering and heavily muscled, Goliath gangers advance through pain and fire, trusting in raw toughness and overwhelming force. They do not outmanoeuvre their enemies or outthink them, they crush them, proving again and again that might is the only law that truly matters in the Underhive.

Playstyle

Goliath gangs are the tanks of Necromunda, using their superior toughness and strength to dominate close combat. They advance methodically, shrugging off damage and crushing enemies in melee.

Strengths

• Highly durable fighters with high toughness
• Exceptional close combat capabilities
• Access to heavy weapons and armour
• Intimidating presence affects enemy morale
• Gene-smithing provides a lot of flexibility
• Can absorb significant damage

Weaknesses

• Slow movement speed
• Expensive fighters limit gang size
• Vulnerable to suppression fire which will prevent them from getting into melee
• Limited tactical flexibility

Lore & Background

House Orlock is the House of Iron, forged from the labour gangs and industrial clans that keep Necromunda running. Its fighters are workers, hauliers, and crew bosses turned gangers, bound by loyalty, contracts, and a strong sense of mutual respect rather than fanaticism or noble ambition. Pragmatic and dependable, Orlocks value preparation and steady fire over grand gestures. They thrive on cooperation and hard-earned experience, carving out their territory through grit and reliability, and proving that in the Underhive, showing up and holding the line often matters more than glory.

Playstyle

Orlock gangs are the jack-of-all-trades of Necromunda. They have no major weaknesses and can adapt to any playstyle, making them reliable and flexible in all situations.

Strengths

• Balanced stats across the board
• Variety of weapon and equipment options
• No major weaknesses
• Good mix of fighters and heavy weapons
• Reliable and consistent performance
• Good at generating income

Weaknesses

• No standout special abilities
• May struggle against specialized gangs
• Lacks strong standout capabilities
• Less unique than other houses

Lore & Background

House Van Saar are the masters of technology on Necromunda, hoarding knowledge and weapons far beyond the understanding of other houses. Their dominance is built on ancient Standard Template Construct (STC) fragments and forbidden science, maintained at great cost to those who wield it. Cloaked in radiation-shielded suits, Van Saar fighters rely on precision, firepower, and cold efficiency rather than brute strength. Their advanced gear keeps them alive and deadly, but constant exposure has left them dependent on their technology, binding the house to its machines as tightly as any oath.

Playstyle

Van Saar excel at long-range firefights with superior technology and weaponry. They control the battlefield through superior firepower and technological advantages, keeping enemies at bay with devastating ranged attacks.

Strengths

• Superior technology and weapons
• Excellent long-range firepower
• High ballistic characteristics
• Advanced cybernetic enhancements
• Strong shooting capabilities

Weaknesses

• Fighters are fragile and expensive
• Weak in close combat
• Smaller gang sizes
• Dependent on maintaining range
• Too reliant on gear

Lore & Background

Palanite Enforcers are the official law enforcement arm of Hive Primus, sworn to uphold the rule of House Helmawr through discipline, armour, and overwhelming force. Equipped with sanctioned weapons and rigid training, they represent the visible authority of the ruling house within the hive. Methodical and uncompromising, Palanite Enforcers advance in formation, relying on coordination and superior gear rather than improvisation. In the Underhive, their presence is a reminder that the law still reaches down from the Spire, even if it arrives at the end of a shock baton or a bolt round.

Playstyle

Enforcers are balanced, disciplined fighters who use superior equipment and tactics. They excel at mid-range engagements and have access to specialized enforcer equipment and rules.

Strengths

• Well-balanced stats and equipment
• Disciplined and reliable fighters
• Access to enforcer-specific gear
• Good mid-range capabilities
• Strong leadership options

Weaknesses

• Limited customisation compared to house gangs
• May struggle against highly specialized gangs
• Requires good tactical play
• No access to house-specific mechanics

Lore & Background

Badzone Enforcers are the hard-bitten lawkeepers assigned to Necromunda's most lawless districts, where authority is fragile and survival comes before procedure. Cut off from the resources and support of Hive Primus, they are forced to adapt, enforcing the law through grit, experience, and whatever equipment they can keep running. Less rigid than their Palanite counterparts, Badzone Enforcers balance discipline with pragmatism, negotiating shifting alliances and constant threats. In the Badzones, justice is improvised, often brutal, and always contested, and only the toughest enforcers last long enough to make a difference.

Playstyle

Badzone Enforcers are more flexible and adaptable than their Palanite counterparts, with access to different equipment and tactics suited for harsh environments. They balance discipline with practical survival skills.

Strengths

• Flexible equipment options
• Battle-hardened and adaptable
• Good survival capabilities
• Balanced tactical options

Weaknesses

• More expensive than standard enforcers
• Requires good decision-making
• Less specialized than house gangs
• Limited access to Enforcer mechanics

Lore & Background

Corpse Grinder Cults are the cannibal butchers of Necromunda's corpse-processing industries, twisted by bloodshed and dark ritual. What began as labour in slaughterhouses and rendering plants has curdled into a violent creed, where murder is worship and flesh is both offering and reward. Masked and maddened, Corpse Grinders descend into the Underhive to hunt the living, driven by an insatiable hunger for violence. They exist only to kill, carving a path of terror through the hive as they prepare the world for an endless feast of blood and bone.

Playstyle

Corpse Grinders are pure melee specialists, designed to close with the enemy and tear them apart in close combat. They are fast, brutal, and terrifying, overwhelming enemies through sheer ferocity.

Strengths

• Exceptional close combat capabilities
• Fast movement and charge capabilities
• Terrifying presence affects enemies
• Access to the most brutal melee weapons
• High damage output in melee

Weaknesses

• Extremely limited ranged options
• Must close distance to be effective
• Vulnerable to template weapons and suppression fire
• Unfun to play against, often banned by Arbitrators

Lore & Background

Genestealer Cults are hidden infestations embedded deep within Necromunda's hives, spreading their influence through bloodlines, secrets, and stolen faith. What begins as a single corrupted lineage grows into a web of hybrids and sympathisers, patiently preparing for a future only they truly understand. Operating from the shadows, these cults thrive on infiltration, misdirection, and sudden violence. Their fighters range from seemingly ordinary workers to warped hybrids and deadly purestrains, all united by an alien creed that promises deliverance while quietly consuming the hive from within.

Playstyle

Genestealer Cults use a mix of cult members, hybrids, and purestrain genestealers to achieve objectives. They excel at infiltration, ambush tactics, and have access to psychic powers and alien abilities.

Strengths

• Access to psychic powers
• Infiltration and ambush capabilities
• Mix of human and hybrid fighters
• Unique abilities and mutations
• Strong close combat potential

Weaknesses

• Complex rules and mechanics, especially the psyker abilities
• Requires good understanding of abilities
• Can be fragile in direct confrontation
• Can be made unfun to play against when overusing their abilities

Lore & Background

Helot Chaos Cults are the hidden worshippers of the Dark Gods, festering in the shadows of Necromunda's hives. Formed from desperate workers, fanatics, and the broken, these cults survive through secrecy, sacrifice, and dark bargains whispered in forgotten shrines. Driven by devotion rather than discipline, Helot Cults grow in power through corruption and mutation, their leaders wielding forbidden rituals to shape the faithful into living weapons. Unpredictable and dangerous, they rise and fall on the favour of the gods they serve, leaving ruin in their wake when their faith is rewarded.

Playstyle

Chaos Cults are highly customizable with access to different chaos powers and mutations. They can be built for various playstyles but excel at close combat with chaos-enhanced fighters and dark magic support.

Strengths

• Access to psychic powers and mutations
• Unpredictable and dangerous
• Leader and Champions are immune to Insanity
• Cheap fighters

Weaknesses

• Requires careful list building
• Can be fragile if not built well
• Options are limited, making it hard to build

Lore & Background

Ash Waste Nomads are the hardened tribes who survive beyond the hive walls, roaming the toxic deserts and blasted plains of Necromunda. Shaped by relentless storms and scarce resources, they live by raiding, scavenging, and careful movement across the wastes, striking where the hive-born least expect it. Masters of mobility and ambush, Nomads rely on speed, environmental knowledge, and sudden violence rather than prolonged battles. In the Underhive they are outsiders, but in the open wastes they are at home, disappearing into the dust as quickly as they emerge.

Playstyle

Nomads excel at mobile, hit-and-run warfare with superior movement and scavenged equipment. They use their environmental knowledge and mobility to outmaneuver enemies and strike from unexpected angles.

Strengths

• Superior movement and mobility
• Hit-and-run capabilities
• Access to their Nomad Trading Post with their own unique equipment
• Adapts to the battlefield environment
• Flexible tactical options

Weaknesses

• Fighters can be fragile
• Requires good positioning and movement
• Limited access to advanced technology
• Needs skilled play to maximise effectiveness
• Limited capabilities when playing in the Underhive

Lore & Background

Ironhead Squat Prospectors are stubborn miners and resource hunters who delve into Necromunda's depths in search of profit and forgotten claims. Descended from void-born Squat clans, they are hardened by generations of labour and equipped for both mining and war, wielding tools that double as deadly weapons. Methodical and unyielding, Ironhead Squats rely on resilience, discipline, and solid firepower rather than speed or finesse. They care little for hive politics, valuing contracts, ore, and survival above all else, and once they stake a claim, they are notoriously hard to dislodge.

Playstyle

Squats are tough, resilient fighters who excel at mid-range combat with superior equipment. They use their toughness and mining expertise to control territory and outlast enemies.

Strengths

• High toughness and durability
• Excellent mid-range combat
• Good heavy and special weapon options
• Good at generating income

Weaknesses

• Slower movement
• Expensive fighters
• Smaller gang sizes
• Limited close combat specialists

Lore & Background

Underhive Outcasts are those cast aside by the great powers of Necromunda. Exiled House fighters, failed nobles, disgraced Enforcers, mutant survivors, and desperate scum all find their way into these gangs, bound together by necessity rather than loyalty. They have no shared creed or heritage, only the knowledge that the hive has no place for them any more. An Outcast gang is shaped by its leader and the scraps they can gather, drawing strength from stolen gear, hired muscle, and sheer adaptability. In the depths of the Underhive, survival belongs to those willing to bend, bargain, and fight dirty. For Outcasts, every victory is stolen, every loss costly, and every day alive a small act of defiance against a hive that already wrote them off.

Playstyle

Outcasts are highly customizable, allowing you to mix and match fighters from different backgrounds. They can be built for almost any playstyle, making them the most flexible gang in Necromunda.

Strengths

• Maximum customisation options
• Can mix fighters from all backgrounds
• Flexible to build for any playstyle
• Access to the trading post at gang creation
• Unique and thematic gangs

Weaknesses

• No house-specific bonuses
• Requires good list-building knowledge
• Basic fighters are weak with less than ideal characteristics

Lore & Background

Slave Ogryns are brutalised labour beasts, torn from their chains only to be driven into violence for the profit of others. Once used for heavy industry, pit fighting, or corpse processing, they are controlled through crude implants, pain-inducers, and the constant threat of punishment. Their overseers hurl them into the depths of the Underhive where their sheer size and strength are weapons enough. Despite their simplicity, Slave Ogryns possess a stubborn resilience born of endless abuse and survival. They fight because they are made to fight, smashing aside enemies with raw power and endurance, while those who hold their leashes reap the rewards from the blood they spill.

Playstyle

Ogryns are close combat specialists with massive toughness and strength. They advance slowly but surely, using their durability to absorb damage and crush enemies in melee combat.

Strengths

• Extremely high toughness
• Exceptional close combat strength
• Can absorb massive amounts of damage
• Simple but effective

Weaknesses

• Slow movement
• Limited access to weapons and equipment
• Small gang sizes due to cost
• Vulnerable to being outmaneuvered
• Slow progression during campaign play

Lore & Background

Venators are professional bounty hunters and hired guns who make their living in the depths of Necromunda. Some are former Enforcers, disgraced House agents, or veterans of forgotten wars, while others are simply killers with a reputation strong enough to command a price. They operate alone or in small teams, taking contracts from guilders, nobles, crime lords, and anyone wealthy or desperate enough to pay. Unlike House gangs, Venators owe loyalty only to the hunt and the credits it brings. Every contract is a test of skill, planning, and nerve, and failure can end a career as quickly as a bullet. In the Underhive, a Venator gang survives on reputation alone, and each successful job buys another chance to keep hunting.

Playstyle

Venators are elite, highly customizable fighters with superior stats and equipment. They excel at precision strikes and can be built for any playstyle, but with smaller, elite gangs.

Strengths

• Superior stats and skills
• Highly customizable
• Access to advanced equipment
• Can be built for any playstyle
• Elite, professional fighters

Weaknesses

• Very expensive fighters
• Requires excellent tactical play
• Every loss is significant
• Can be very powerful if optimised and become game-breaking

Lore & Background

Spyre Hunters are the privileged scions and sanctioned predators of House Helmawr, clad in rare hunting rigs and turned loose below the Spires to prove their worth. For them, the Underhive is not a home but a proving ground, a place to test their gear, their nerve, and their ambition. They descend to stalk chosen prey, gather trophies, and return to the heights with stories that buy status, favour, and future power.

Playstyle

Spyre Hunters are elite operatives with superior technology and skills. They excel at precision strikes, infiltration, and using advanced equipment to eliminate targets efficiently.

Strengths

• Elite stats and superior equipment
• Access to advanced technology
• Professional and highly skilled

Weaknesses

• Very expensive and extremely small gangs
• Requires perfect positioning
• Vulnerable if caught out of position
• Every model loss is critical
• Cannot earn income

Lore & Background

Malstrain Gangs are the infected dregs of Hive Secundus, warped by a corrupted Genestealer legacy and the sins of forbidden experimentation. The strain has rotted into something wrong, spreading through the ruins in half-formed broods and tainted bloodlines that barely remember what they once were. Malstrain fighters range from desperate Brood Scum and half-changed carriers to nightmarish creatures like Tyramites, all driven by the same hunger to multiply, survive, and drag the living down into Secundus' dark.

Playstyle

Malstrain gangs are highly unpredictable with access to mutations and warp-tainted abilities. They can be built in various ways but often excel at close combat with mutated fighters and unpredictable abilities.

Strengths

• Access to mutations and unique abilities
• Unpredictable and dangerous
• Strong close combat potential
• Thematic and unique

Weaknesses

• Unpredictable abilities can backfire and make them unfun to play against
• Can be fragile if not built carefully
• Higher complexity