Necromunda: Core Rulebook (2023)

Necromunda. This hive world was founded over 15,000 years ago, as a mining and manufacturing colony. In the millennia since, the planet's mountains have been reduced to rubble for the ore within, its seas turned into oceans of chemical sludge, its very air poisoned with radioactive filth. Teeming billions infest its vast hive cities, from the glittering spires to the bowels of the underhive, a maddening mass of humanity that lives, works, fights, and dies without ever seeing the light of day. In the world beyond, outlaw gangs and nomadic tribes war endlessly over trade routes across the irradiated ash wastes.

Life is cheap. The bullet is king. And in the shadows of the hive, only the strongest endure...

This rulebook is the definitive guide to the game of Necromunda – the tabletop skirmish wargame of anarchy and violence, where players control rival gangs battling for supremacy. It contains the full and updated core rules of the game, including new additions like vehicles, founding gangs, and ash wastes weather, along with campaign rules and scenarios. The book also offers an in-depth look at the setting of Necromunda through background lore and stunning illustrations. It's an essential resource for anyone who wants to enter the brutal world of inter-gang warfare!

This 336-page hardback book contains:

– Lore of Necromunda: Learn about the locales and locals of this nightmare world, from the choking underhive depths to the toxic expanse of the ash wastes. Includes a look at each of the major gang factions, maps of Hive Primus and the planet's western hemisphere, and a detailed timeline stretching back to the Dark Age of Technology.

– Core Rules: Updated and revised core rules for the game of Necromunda. You'll learn the basic principles of gang warfare and fighter characteristics, how to play out a full battle of rounds and phases, and advanced rules for elements like psykers or vehicular combat. This book incorporates updates from a variety of supplements and FAQs, collating all the core rules you need in one place.

– Founding a Gang: Rules for creating, equipping, expanding, and updating a gang of your own – including earning experience or injuries, purchasing wargear and Advancements for individual gang members, hiring mercenaries and extra muscle, and creating Skirmish gangs for one-off battles.

– Dominion Campaign: A comprehensive campaign system, allowing you to advance your gangs and fight over valuable territories – including victory conditions, rules for income and challenges, and 26 unique territories to seize control of, each with their own distinct benefits.

– Battlefields & Scenarios: Learn how to set up your battlefields in the underhive or ash wastes, discover special rules that cover everything from loot caskets and booby traps to radioactive desert storms, and fight it out in 11 different scenarios where victory means wealth and glory for your gang.

– Arbitrator’s Toolkit: An expanded Arbitrator’s Toolkit, with rules to help you shape the perfect campaign and story – including multiple campaign variants, optional special rules, new House Favour rules for rewarding Underdogs, and guidelines on using gang tactics.

– Gang Tactics & Skills: A complete set of core Gang Tactics and general Skills, available for any and all gangs to use as they play out battles and develop new abilities.

– The Trading Post: The complete Trading Post, with rules for buying, selling, and using a huge variety of weapons, armour, wargear, bionics, accessories, chems, companions, and more – including a full list of weapon traits. The Trading Post also incorporates items that were previously available only on the Black Market.

This book provides the core rules for games of Necromunda. You'll find the rules for specific gangs in other Necromunda "House of..." or "Book of..." supplements, which are available separately.