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White Scars

2023-05-12T03:25:34Z

2600:387:9:5:0:0:0:BA: Moved image up since it interrupted reading speed.

{{Infobox Spess Mahreen Chapter
|Name = White Scars
|Heraldry = [[file:Whitescarslogo.png]]
|Battle Cry = "For the Khan and the Emperor!"
|Number = V
|Original Name = Various cognomens, including Star Hunters, The Pioneers, Blood Debt, Vanguard, and Grey Ghosts
|Founding = [[First Founding]]
|Successor Chapters = [[Dark Hunters]], [[Destroyers]], [[Iron Talons]], [[Mantis Warriors]], [[Marauders]], [[Rampagers]], [[Storm Lords]], [[Storm Reapers]]
|Chapter Master = Jubal Khan
|Primarch = [[Jaghatai Khan]]
|Homeworld = [[Chogoris]]
|Specialty = Fast attack units, bikes, and Librarians
|Strength = 1,000
|Allegiance = [[Imperium of Man]]
|Colours = White and red
}}
{{Topquote|The greatest joy for a man is to defeat his enemies, to drive them before him, to take from them all they possess, to see those they love in tears, to ride their horses, and to hold their wives and daughters in his arms.|The Mighty Genghis Khan, as quoted in the Jami-al-Tawarikh of Rashid Al-Din Tabib}}
{{Topquote|He carried the ''sulde'' for the sake of his kinsmen. He plunged into battle with the dogs. "I will massacre them all," he said, "and take back my horses.|Manas-e-Destani, the epic saga of Kyrgyzstan}}
{{Topquote|What is of the greatest importance in war is extraordinary speed: one cannot afford to neglect opportunity.|Sun Tzu}}
{{Topquote|I have to kill fast and bullets too slow| Freeman Khan}}

The '''White Scars''' (although to themselves, they are named the "Horde of Jaghatai") are a [[Chapter]] of [[Space Marines]] that are basically [[Mongols]] in [[Power Armor]] and on bikes, in contrast to the Space Vikings of the [[Space Wolves]], Space Vampires of the [[Blood Angels]], and the (kind of) space ancient Egyptians of the [[Thousand Sons]]. Their [[Primarch]] is known as [[Jaghatai Khan]]. Their requisite one-trick-pony is hit-and-run attacks, which they do on those sweet bikes of theirs. They are specifically a mixture of Mongols and Tatars, with very strong Chinese influence (think Yuan dynasty) and a few sparingly-used sprinkles of Japan. Due largely to [[Chris Wraight]]'s and the [[Black Library]] cover artists' attempts to be respectful to these cultures, this leaves them surprisingly aesthetically diverse - the White Scars recruit from a collection of heterogenous tribes rather than a single unified culture, meaning their depicted hairstyles and armour customisations can come from pretty much anywhere in and any historical period of East Asia in general.

Also, their bikes (mounts?) don't give a fuck about difficult terrain [[Skyrim|(Bitch, I'm a bike!)]].

In the meta, they've probably benefited the most from the Horus Heresy, with Chris Wraight finally building them beyond the very basics of their fluff and keeping them well away from the derpery which has often afflicted other Legions. Even their cameos in other Legions' stories have been badass.

[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wqnhdeMSO7U#searching This is their theme song].

They now have an officially released Codex Supplement for 8e.

==History==

In the Unification Wars, the Vth legion served as the eyes and ears of the unifiers. They were the scouts of big E, who sought out anyone who dared oppose Him. They traveled through the devastated landscape of Terra, often in small groups of a few dozen, looking for any enemies or foes in the wasteland. When the unification of Terra ended, the Emperor split the Vth legion into pioneer companies of several hundred marines to scout the frontier. These pioneer companies were all related by gene seed, but were otherwise independent divisions. The pioneer companies would always travel far ahead of the main expeditions, following warp currents to places unknown.

This behavior was also the origin of the legion's preference for hit and run tactics. Since the pioneer companies were almost always fighting against foes that outnumbered them, it was pretty much the only option for them. They would perform raids and surprise attacks on the enemy, learning the strategies and tactics of the enemy, and then pass on what they learned to other expedition. Though some like Horus appreciated them, (he was especially fond of the pioneer company that discovered his homeworld, and was amused that the captain reported that "it was a nest of serpents coiling in the dark that we would be better to destroy") the Vth legion's battles were seldom given attention, though none of the "legion" were especially upset over this, and they kept to themselves anyway.

Finally, Jaghatai was found (ironically, by the Luna Wolves instead of the pioneer companies). Unifying his "legion" was not an easy task, as the pioneer companies had fought indepedently for so long that even other members of the Vth were seen as outsiders. When all the legionnaires had come to Chogoris (this process took nearly a decade), the Khan made all present undergo a Chogorian ritual, which involved first scarification, and then choosing a new name. To further solidify the bonds between members, Jaghatai and his men participated in the age old Spehss Mehreen bonding exercise of killing Orks. The Khan deployed his men such that the initiated Chogorians would fight alongside the Terrans, and that the warriors would have to rely on others to defeat the foes. A tenth of the legion died in the battle, but the remaining came out as a unified legion for perhaps the first time in their history.

===Horus Heresy===

When Horus flipped out and started having his little tantrum, the White Scars were on the far side of nowhere from the rest of the Imperium, having a grand old time killing Orks on Chondax. Because of this, they had no idea what was going on until they started to receive contradictory messages from both sides. Horus sent them a message claiming that the Space Wolves had turned traitor and fragged Prospero, while Rogal Dorn told them that ''Horus'' was the traitor and recalled them to Terra. Just to make things more complicated, the Alpha Legion showed up unexpectedly and set up a blockade of the Chondax system, and then they also received a distress call from the Wolves, who were getting pummeled by the Alpha Legion at the Alaxxes Nebula. Jaghatai considered all this, then decided to go figure out what was going on for himself. The Scars blew past the Alpha Legion fleet with their superior speed, told the Wolves to have a nice winter, and took off for Prospero. There, the Khan discovered a shard of [[Magnus]] that had been left behind after [[Burning of Prospero|the furries' outing.]] The shard explained that both sides were correct, from a certain point of view: Russ and the Wolves had indeed blown Prospero to hell, but Magnus had sort of brought it on himself, and Horus and his allies were the real traitors. At this point, [[Mortarion]] turned up with a Death Guard fleet, hoping to recruit Jaghatai for Team Horus. The Khan laughed in his face, pointed out that Morty had chosen the side which stood for everything he hated, and dueled him for a while.

While all this was going on, some of the Terran White Scars were trying to force the legion to declare for Horus (ironic as in the traitor legions the loyalists were mostly the Terrans); they almost succeeded, but one of the legion's mortal officers was able to teleport the Khan back up to his flagship. He revealed what he'd learned to the Scars, and the pro-Horus faction surrendered. Some were executed, while the rest were formed into suicide squads called the Sagyar Mazan and sent out to kill traitors until they died themselves. The Khan opted to go fight a guerrilla war against the Traitor Legions, though not before swearing that he would return to Terra when needed. The Scars actually did a fairly good job of tying up Horus' forces for a while, but after four years of relentless attritional warfare, they realized it was time to head for Terra before they were cut off and destroyed. The legion rallied at the Catallus [[Warp Rift]], where they found a Webway portal controlled by a device called the Dark Glass. While they were studying the Dark Glass, the Death Guard caught up with them, once again led by Mortarion, [[RAGE|who was starting to take things personally]]. In the end, though Jaghatai wished to make a last stand against the traitors, his Chief [[Librarian|Stormseer]] [http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Targutai_Yesugei|Targutai Yesugei] used the Dark Glass to open a Webway portal to Terra, and Jaghatai and the legion took their chance. The last of the Sagyar Mazan squads remained behind to delay the Death Guard, and ''nearly'' got Mortarion killed on the Khan's flagship by holding him there until the ship's reactor exploded.

The Scars were one of the three loyalist legions that fought in the [[Siege of Terra]], alongside the Imperial Fists and the Blood Angels. We don't know much about their role in the battle yet, except that they recaptured an important spaceport so that loyalist reinforcements could be brought in, [[If the Emperor had a Text-to-Speech Device|and that the Khan apparently spent at least part of the siege commanding his legion from atop a Razorback.]]

Memes aside, the White Scars didn't like being at the Siege much, since sitting behind the Palace walls while the traitors banged away at them with big guns ran counter to their entire tactical philosophy of GOTTA GO FAST. During the opening stages of the Siege, the Khan took some of the legion to go defend the civilian populace of Terra from the predations of the Emperor's Children and the Night Lords. Later on, they launched repeated sorties beyond the walls to delay and harass the advancing traitor forces. They also held the Colossi, a key portion of the Palace defenses, during Dorn's gambit at the Saturnine Wall. Their biggest moment in the Siege was their counterattack on traitor forces at the Lion's Gate Spaceport. The attack was led by Jaghatai Khan himself, who dueled and banished his daemon primarch brother Mortarion through decapitation. The victory came at the cost of the Khan's life, but his body was rescued and sent to Malcador, so he can eventually get lost in the webway.

===M41===
When the [[Great Rift]] opened near Chogoris, the [[Red Corsairs]] invaded the sector, leaving behind corruption and is currently entrenched in the sector. The White Scars fought off the Red Corsairs, several Warbands, and daemons beside the united tribals. That's right, [[Awesome|the White Scars pretty much ''on their own'' beat back a force that could be capable of challenging Abbadon's own Black Legion and his allied Warbands]]. The current chapter master Jubal was injured but still leads from the infirmary. He was tortured beyond the Imperium's ability to repair but remains sane, keen, and awake. He now leads the Chapter remotely, seeing through outriders and giving orders on a segmentum scale. If anything, his skills have increased as he now can devote his attention fully to commanding his men and leaving the rest to his subordinates. Not to mention whatever devices they probably hooked his brain up to. I mean, it would make sense. Obliterated the [[Death Guard]] that was on Dortwyr with [[Inquisitor Greyfax]].

==Organization==
They are known for their sweet mustaches and the Scars they make on their faces upon induction into the Chapter. They are '''also''' known for the Scars they make on the enemies of the Emprah's faces '''after''' induction into the Chapter. Which is introduced into the chapter after Jaghatai was reunited with the 5th Legion, (i.e. his legion) as he had recently united the fierce tribes of the Talksar tribesmen. Never mind that many Talskar did join the legion due to their loyalty to Jaghatai. Also, they only recruit from Jaghatai's adopted homeworld: Mundus Planus (known as Chogoris to the natives). Up until the Horus Heresy, there was a mix of Terran and Chogorian legionaries, and quite likely many legionaries from other diverse planets across galaxy prior to their reunion with Jaghatai.

[[File:3d0a524229f9c180bcf4689948e874e6.jpg|thumb|600px|left|For those of us who want to play barbarous Marines but aren’t into [[Space Wolves|Vikings]] or [[Chaos Space Marine|worshipping Satan]].]]

The White Scars are led by a Great Khan and several Brotherhoods' (Company) Khans (Captains). They abhor Dreadnoughts as they find it a distasteful treatment for their fellow warriors [[What|though they do allow it]]. And of course the whole biker thing makes slower moving tanks (stripped down to go faster) and troops (like Devastators) rare; in their place they have a large amount of drop pods, Land Speeders and Rhinos and also aerial vehicles like Storm Talons, Nephilim Jetfighters. Plus bikes, lots and lots of bikes. Space bikes.

They have an incredibly deep, abiding rivalry with the [[Raven Guard]] because of their conflicting general tactical doctrines - according to Deathwatch, a failure to cooperate in an old war campaign destroyed any chances of fostering ties they might've had. While the Raven Guard prefers to lie in wait and plan out their attacks down to the letter to ensure the most efficient results are achieved when they finally start their attacks, the White Scars pretty much does the opposite and just rush in chainswords drawn, using their fast-attack specialty to overwhelm their opponents with sheer speed and force. Despite the animosity, the two forces have fought alongside one another on multiple occasions, and it's worth noting it's more of a competitive rivalry in any case. Plus lately the Ravens rode shotgun on a Great Hunt, which made for a great bonding exercise.

Despite their savage image, much like their main inspiration, they're actually one of the most cultured legions (and by far one of the best-groomed) in the current Imperium, with aspirants having to take up pursuits like poetry, painting and calligraphy (often about their battles), and wearing silks in their downtime. As a result, they don't like hanging around with the [[Space Wolves|mad drunk Vikings who treat the whole barbarian thing like a badge of honour]]. The only cultural traits they share are hunting (though it's hinted at that the Scars are more into falconry) and really enjoying their job, frequently admonishing recruits to laugh and smile when fighting. Hey, if you can channel the myriad of emotions, good, bad, and ugly the battlefield brings into sheer thrill then you've found the only glory (and perhaps psychopathy) there is in war. Unfortunately, they don't hang out with anyone apart from their successors, so the rest of the Imperium has kept this misconception for millennia. Their Primarch and Legion were also perhaps the only ones besides Guilliman and Lion to realize that they are, in fact, living weapons and not really more than that. Unlike certain losers who realized this and went all grimderp, the White Scars embraced this and were totally fine with. It was their purpose, simple as that. Everyone likes knowing their purpose (except people who spent centuries deluding themselves).

They used to get on well with the Luna Wolves - particularly the Terran portion of the Legion, many of whose members had aspired to join the other Legion only to find themselves seconded to the Scars (the Scars seem to have ranked just below the Space Wolves and World Eaters as the Legion aspirants most dreaded being assigned to, though this might have been due to the indignity of being part of a Legion of strange outriders who earned little renown while flying in the face of the glorious military doctrines aspirants were raised on as opposed to being part of a brutal close-quarters assignment likely to end in death). As a result of this, the Terran Khans tended to favour a mix of White Scars and Luna Wolves organisation and doctrine, to the point that they resented Jaghatai's leadership for being "flighty" compared to Horus' fully committed, crushing attacks. Their relationship with the sons of Horus brought the Warrior Lodges into the White Scars. This was fairly harmless at first, and might have helped bring the Terran and Chogorian Astartes together in time.

But then the Horus Heresy happened. The Lodge members were duped into rebelling against their Primarch and trying to force the Scars into declaring for Horus. They were kept in the dark about the whole Chaos and rebellion thing - as far as they were aware the only act of rebellion was the Space Wolves' smashing the Thousand Sons. Unlike the <s>[[Fallen]]</s> :{{Blam|+++FOUL TRAITORS COMPLETELY UNRELATED TO THE FIRST LEGION+++}}, these traitors were overwhelmed, eventually realized Horus was messing with some [[Warp|seriously fucked up shit]] and surrendered to the loyalists. [[Irony|Ironically]], it was a ''Terran-born'' Noyan-Khan who stood up to the uprising, against one of the Khagan's oldest comrades who fought by his side even before becoming a Space Marine. Jaghatai executed the ringleaders and assigned all others to the Sagyar Mazan, where they performed suicide missions in [[Zone Mortalis]] missions to redeem themselves.

The Chogorian portion of the legion, on the other hand, used to be big bros with the [[Thousand Sons]], having Chogorian artistic culture colliding perfectly with the Prosperian knowledge-seeking and nerdity, not to mention the high positions psykers had in both legions. The fact that the Space Furries (though they were manipulated) pretty much forced TS into turning to Chaos does not play well with Scars even to this day, which stacks with their dislike of Wolves' "barbarian and proud of it" shtick (which is ironic considering modern-day Mongolia has a drinking culture that makes Russians look like sissy lightweights).

On the subject of the [[Thousand Sons|nerds who wear blue better than the Ultramarines]], the White Scars also created a Librarius and ignored the [[Council of Nikaea|Edict of Nikaea]]. Their Librarians, who are also their Chaplains, are known as ''Stormseers''; a call back to the title of the [[Rune Priest|shamans]] of Jaghatai's tribe and are also responsible for recruitment. They also have another Chaplaincy, the [[TTS|Head Chaplaincy, dedicated to the collection of heads]], they do supposedly collect enemy skulls from the Hunt.

One might imagine the Imperium being on high alert against the Scars, seeing as only two legions they ever got along with went traitor, but surprisingly it's not the case. May have something to do with them being the heroes of the Siege of Terra.

Their current [[Chapter Master]], or rather, 'Great Khan' is Jubal Khan, whose namesake once kicked [[Sigismund]] in the face. Legends are told of his sweet mustache across the entire length and breadth of the Imperium, which the mustache also spans. The Khan's bodyguard, the Keshig, are the only White Scars known to use Terminator Armour - presumably they wait until he's stuck in and teleport down onto the field, since it's hard to imagine Jubal letting things as insignificant as 'common sense' or 'letting your bodyguards do their job' get in the way of charging the enemy at mach 1.5.

They probably get along well with the [[Attilan Rough Riders]]. If they'd been the first to encounter the Interex instead of the Luna Wolves, the two factions would have probably got along pretty well except for the [[Interex]]'s implied issues about psykers. Also, the Scars would've dug that cyber-centaur armour.

==Notable Members==

*[[Jaghatai Khan]]: Primarch of the White Scars, Master of the Ice-Blue Heavens, the Warhawk of Chogoris, and total speed demon. Believed that conquering an empire was much more fun than ruling it and disagreed with the Emperor about basically everything, though that didn't stop him being loyal to the Imperium. Kicked tons of ass in the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy, almost died in the Siege of Terra, and later disappeared into the Webway while hunting some Dark Eldar dicks who'd been raiding Chogoris. Many like to assume that he's still tear-assing through the Webway, possibly with a harem of [[Wyches]] in tow.
*Targutai Yesugei: Chief Stormseer of the White Scars during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy and probably Jaghatai's best friend. Spoke in defense of the Librarius at Nikaea, but it didn't help much because he wasn't fluent in Gothic, so he came off like a stupid hick to the snooty Imperials. Despite this, he went on being bro-tier and using his psyker powers to aid his legion during the Heresy. Sacrificed himself in a heroic and tear-jerking fashion to help the White Scars get back to Terra in time for the Siege.
*Qin Xa: Master of the [[Honour Guard|Keshig]] and in the minority of White Scars who [[Heresy|grew to like Terminator armor]]. Like Targutai, one of Jaghatai's best friends and strong right hand, both of them fighting by his side even before the Emperor's arrival on Chogoris. While utterly loyal and generally stoic and composed, he also often questioned or challenged the Khagan's decisions to see if they held up, and encouraged his subordinates to do the same. Killed by [[Eidolon]] at the Kalium Gate while armored like Jaghatai to distract the Emperor's Children from the Scars' true attempt to return to Terra.
*Tsolmon Khan: Veteran member of the White Scars who was born on Terra and served in the legion prior to Jaghatai's rediscovery. He wholeheartedly embraced Chogorian culture and the Khagan's reforms and became a pillar of the legion prior to the Heresy. When the Alpha Legion showed up to ruin the Scars' day at Chondax, Tsolmon was on the ground on some planet called Byfrust with his brotherhood and some Sisters of Silence who happened to be there. They held the Alphas off until the XX Legion got bored and orbitally bombarded the place, but Tsolmon and his guys and some of the Sisters were able to evacuate in time. He recovered the relics and wargear of a Knight-Centura who'd died fighting alongside him and brought them back to the other Sisters, also testifying as to her bravery. In response, the matriarchs of the Order decided to award him his very own <s>harem</s> personal guard of Silent Sisters, an honour which he apparently bore with great humility.
*Shiban Khan: Khan of the Brotherhood of the Storm during the Great Crusade. Also known as Tachseer, or the Restorer. Was pretty laid back and bro-tier up until he got blown up during the White Scars' mini-civil war at the beginning of the Heresy and rebuilt into an angry mass of scars and augmetics. He felt shackled by his artificial limbs and was pissed at the Scars who'd declared for Horus, blaming them for his injuries, especially his former friend Torghun Khan. Ironically, his augmetic rebuild saved his life during the Siege of Terra when his shuttle was shot down and bounced off the Eternity Wall; he shrugged it off and hiked back to friendly lines, picking up a baby along the way so he could do a reenactment of Lone Wolf and Cub. May have become the first chapter master of the [[Storm Lords]] after the Siege of Terra.
*Torghun Khan: Terran-born Astartes, formerly Haren Svensellen of [[Viking|Scandinavia]], who just missed being selected to join the [[Black Legion|XVI Legion]] and was reassigned to the V Legion. He tried his hardest to fit in and admittedly came to realize and respect that they actually knew their shit, but was always frustrated by the Scars' freewheeling nature as compared to the rigid discipline of the Luna Wolves. Notably, while his Chogorian brothers were blade-dancing with tulwars and guandaos, he preferred a distinctly Terran fighting style of wielding a Terranic greatsword with precision and control; in a Legion with the power of Genghis Khan and anime on their side, he was the one character who used Western-style fighting. Struck up an unlikely brotherhood with Shiban Khan despite their differing tactics, which would be tragically sundered. He was part of the faction that tried to declare for Horus at the beginning of the Heresy. Torghun did this with the best of intentions, seeking a place to belong and genuinely buying Horus' half-truths which suggested that siding with him against the renegade Russ was necessary to preserve the Imperium, though like many of his Terran brothers, he also thought that if the Scars were pushed into the Warmaster's camp they could finally be more like the 'no backwards step' Legion they'd always wanted to be a part of. When that backfired, he was assigned to the Sagyar Mazan suicide squads, even becoming a command figure they looked up to, and finally found redemption in death by fighting to delay Mortarion on the bridge of Jaghatai's flagship as the rest of the legion retreated to Terra. He died laughing, having become a true son of Jaghatai.
*Jubal Khan (30k): First Master of the Hunt, Lord of Summer Lightning and the Death That Comes With Laughter. If Qin Xa was the methodical, composed [[Mork|Yin]] side of the Legion, he was the precise, aggressive [[Gork|Yang]] side. Was initially a Terran-born recruit, but took to Jaghatai's cultural and tactical changes [[Weeaboo|exceptionally well]] like Tsolmon Khan, embodying their 'laughing warrior-scholar' archetype. Noted for being one of the few members of the insular V Legion who was actually well-known by other Legions and military detachments in the Great Crusade. Fierce and cunning, he put up a good fight against Sigismund (in a friendly bout) and Abaddon (to the death) in two separate duels, but ultimately lost in both. However, his [[Weeaboo Fightan Magic|unorthodox and wild fighting style]] gave them fierce resistance, and he [[Awesome|nearly posthumously killed the future Despoiler with a Caestus Assault Ram after their zero-gravity duel]].
*Ilya Ravallion: Mortal Army officer who was assigned to the Scars during the Crusade to help them improve their logistical infrastructure. She quickly discovered that the Khagan couldn't give less of a shit about making sure his legion was doing things by the Imperium's book, but still managed to earn the Scars' respect and even teach them a few things. They gave her the title of "szu", or "sage", and she was more or less an honorary White Scar by the end of the Heresy. Jaghatai respected and liked her enough to play Go with her and ensure she had one of his Marines bodyguarding her at all times.
*Jubal Khan (40k): Current Chapter Master of the White Scars. Shares his name with Jubal Khan from the Crusade and is generally [[Vorn Hagen|overshadowed]] by Kor'sarro these days. Suffered grievous injuries fighting off the Red Corsairs and got stuck in a life-support device, so he can't ride into battle personally. However, he still leads the Chapter remotely, and if anything, his mind has only gotten sharper.
*[[Kor'sarro Khan]]: Captain of the 3rd Company and Master of the Hunt. The archetypal White Scar who believes in going fast and having fun with your job, he's also pretty bro-tier in his attempts to play nice with other Chapters, especially the [[Kayvaan Shrike|Raven Guard]] despite their mutual antagonism. Cut off [[Doomrider]]'s head and might be tsundere for [[Shadowsun]]. Upgraded to Primaris with the advent of 8th edition but can [[FAIL|no longer ride a bike]] for some reason.

==Daily Rituals of a White Scar==
[[File:WhiteScars.JPG|200px|thumb|right|Quan Zhou, the White Scar [[Fortress-monastery]]]]

04:00 - Rousing from slumber. The White Scars get up from their bikes.

04:10 - Grooming. White Scars tend to their mustaches and long, flowing hair.

05:00 - Morning Prayer. Those with mustaches pray to the God-Emperor for the strength to defeat their enemies. Those without pray for mustaches

06:00 - Morning Firing Rites. White Scars practice with their bike-mounted weaponry.

07:00 - Battle Practice. White Scars practice beheading a target with a single stroke of their swords during a 100 mph driveby.

12:00 - Midday Prayer. White Scars pray for their bikes to perform well in the coming afternoon. Those without fabulous mustaches might pray more desperately for mustaches.

13:00 - Midday Meal. White Scars consume the various meats they had put under their saddles during the morning exercises. Meal is now properly cooked from the heat of the bike, the metallic, promethium-like flavor is said to add to the taste. Milk mixed with promethium from their bikes is consumed as well.

13:15 - Tactical Indoctrination. White Scars are informed on which foes are the latest to elude the Chapter.

15:00 - Battle Practice. White Scars practice beheading a target with a single stroke while hanging upside down from a Land Speeder.

20:00 - Evening Prayer. White Scars give thanks to the Emperor for another productive day. The younger battle brothers fervently praise the emperor when they find stubble on their faces.

21:00 - Evening Meal. A feast is provided by the Chapter serfs, consisting mostly of horse meat and Har Airag (fermented horse milk). Partaking in drunken throat singing is encouraged -- Jaghatai Khaani Magtaal (A Song of Praise for Jaghatai Khaan) is a particular favourite.

21:45 - Night Firing Exercises. The White Scars practice formations in the dark. Any marine who crashes into another is disciplined.

23:00 - Maintenance Rituals. White Scars spend time maintaining and customizing their bikes.

23:45 - Free Time. White Scars prefer to spend this time on things like poetry (about their battles), painting (their battles) and calligraphy (writing about their battles). Others opt for more time on the bike

00:00 - Rest Period. White Scars return to (or park) their bikes and sleep on them.

==See Also==
*[[Brother Konig]]
*[[Kor'sarro Khan]]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM8dCGIm6yc White Scars attributed battle hymn.]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwutOqv4cGo&list=RDYwutOqv4cGo&start_radio=1 song that fits PERFECTLY for White Scars]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc7TOqhndiw Another hymn.]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh9HI4eudR8 *throat singing intensifies*]

{{Marines-Official}}

Necromunda

2023-05-12T00:42:29Z

2600:387:9:5:0:0:0:BA: Diggy diggy hole

=The Planet=
[[File:Necromunda Map.jpg|thumb|right|400px|A bleak name for a bleak world]]
Necromunda is a [[Hive World]] located in the [[Segmentum]] Solar, and one of the strongholds of the [[Imperium of Man]] in the region. Its great forges manufacture [[Lasgun]]s, [[Autogun]]s, Shotguns and [[Bolter]]s, among other weapons. The planet also levies huge numbers of troops for the [[Astra Militarum|Imperial Guard]], most notably the regiments of the Necromundan Guard and Necromundan Spiders, as well as other crucial supplies. An [[Imperial Fists]] chapterhouse is located in the top of the world's primary hive city, establishing the planet as one of their recruitment worlds.

The planet's biggest claim to fame, however, is serving as the setting for the ''Necromunda Underhive'' skirmish game, and several [[Black Library]] anthologies and novels. Also of note is that the comic ''The Redeemer'' by Pat Mills, Debbie
Gallagher, and Wayne Reynolds centers around one of the Redemptionist cults on Necromunda, led by a psychotic mofo named Klovis, who lights his head on fire and leads his men to murder shit-tons of mutants and zombies led by a chief [[Ratskin]]s by the name of the Caller.

==History==
First settled during the [[Dark Age of Technology]] as a mining and manufacturing colony, Necromunda was formerly known as Araneus Prime and was the capital of a human civilization called the Araneus Continuity. During the [[Age of Strife]], it had remained in contact with other planets in its system thanks to a network of Warp Gates, and by the time of the [[Great Crusade]] Araneus Prime had become the capital of a small stellar empire.

The [[Imperium of Man]] stumbled over the Continuity when a squadron of ships entered their territory by accident during the [[Great Crusade]], only to be boarded and overrun by the cybernetically augmented warriors that formed the Aranean military. When the Imperium sent envoys demanding that the Araneus Continuity swear fealty to the Imperium, the Technobility that ruled the Continuity responded with its own demand that the Imperium should become their tributary instead. The [[Imperial Fists]] legion was tasked to bring into compliance, and it fell to [[Battle of Phall|Captain Yonnad]] to muster an invasion force from the world of [[Tallarn]].
Two months later, the Araneus Continuity had surrendered to the Imperium.

Unfortunately, the Imperium would not be able to celebrate its victory for long. ''[[Xenos|Something]]'' was coming out of the Warp Gates and was in the process of destroying every planet in the Continuity. By the time the VIIth Legion had destroyed the Warp Gates to keep more of the mysterious invaders from getting through Araneus Prime was the only planet in the Araneus Continuity that was still inhabitable, and even it had been left a ruined shadow of its former glory. It was at this time the planet came to be called Necromunda in recognition of how it had survived its near-annihilation by the unknown xenos.

After the heresy, Necromunda has been relatively peaceful if one ignores all the murder going on in the depths of the underhive. The two major threats to the Imperium's rule being an attack by [[Ork]] [[Freebooterz]] on a minor hive (now purged, abandoned, and renamed the skull because of the giant holes left by the attack orks), and a [[genestealer]] cult uprising that brought down the second biggest hive on the planet, forcing the Planetary Governor to permanently establish a quarantine zone around the nuked city where the [[Planetary Defense Force|PDF]] keeps constant watch against the infiltration attempts of the Xenos horror.

===The Aranthian Succession===
The game's recent expansion has moved things forward and shown us how Necromunda is handling the [[Great Rift]]. The answer is "badly": on top of the window directly into the Warp, the planet's core is cooling such that the hives are suffering increasingly frequent blackouts. Worse, Lord Helmawr is now in medical stasis following a failed assassination and just about everyone and their Grox is eager to fill the power vacuum. We'll tell you more as we learn about it, but suffice to say that life on Necromunda is going to be a lot worse.

==Setting==
By the time of the 41st millennium, the vast majority of Necromunda's surface is covered by scorched wastes of ash creatively named the "ash wastes". Unlike other worlds such as [[Vigilus]] however, the millenia long industrial exploitation of the planet's crust combined with the scars left behind by the unknown xenos invasion has given it its own unique... flavour.

First and foremost, the copious amounts of waste from the hives cities has been dumped into the surrounding territories, sometimes creating vast seas of sludge and stinking sewage no less creatively known as the "sludge seas". These oceans of green goo have ensured a relatively fertile farming environment and fairly bountiful fungus harvests (by Necromunda's standards anyways). Many underhive outcasts leave the hives to take up residence on the sludge seas, becoming fungi farmers who trade their products to passing ash waste nomads and back to the inhabitants of the hives.

At the outer edge of the spires are vast sprawls of ramshackle shanty towns. They are inhabited by all kinds of scum unsuited to even the already low standard of life within the hives. The spires offer a limited protection against the acid rains and corrosive ash of the world, though the best shelter a shanty dweller can hope for is one or two layers of packing material or an abandoned vehicle. To make matters worse, much of the manufactoria's toxic goo of death pours directly down onto the shanties.

Of course, Necromunda being a Hive World means most of its people live inside the cities, governed by the noble house of Helmawr. As far as planetary governors go, Gerontius Helmawr isn't the most incompetent, but he's known for doing shit like only allowing extraplanetary trade from a single spaceport in order to keep monopolies and such. Many visiting merchants and Administratum tithe-factor have observed the inefficiency of this system, but none question its efficacy when it comes to maintaining the unquestionable power of House Helmawr.

=The Game=
'''Necromunda''' is also a skirmish-level [[wargame]] designed to be played in an "open campaign" format, pitting gangs of the hives cities against each other. Originally released in 1995, it was overhauled in 2017 and re-released with a new box set and updated weaponry reflecting the expansive lore changes to the [[Warhammer 40k]] Universe.

Although released in 1995, it is so 80s (even in its new edition) it makes you want to snort a kilo of coke (or new coke) and vote Ronald Reagan's corpse into office.

==Confrontation==
[[File:40k Confrontation Rules Compiled.pdf|thumb|right|The rules for Confrontation.]]
The immediate predecessor and beta-test for Necromunda, ''Confrontation'' only appeared within several 1990/1991 issues of [[White Dwarf]]. If you wanted to try Necromunda with [[Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader|Rogue Trader]] rules and equipment for that sweet nostalgia trip, then look no further, this is even more 80s than Necromunda proper.

==System 2017==
===Rulebooks===
#'''Gang War:''' Goliath & Escher Gangs. Rules for campaigns
#'''Gang War 2:''' Orlock Gangs, hired guns (Bounty Hunters and Scum) and hangers on.
#'''Gang War 3:''' Van Saar Gangs, Gang Brutes, Trading post updates
#'''Gang War 4:''' Cawdor Gangs, Exotic Beasts, more Gang Brutes, Dominion campaign rules, and rules for psykers.
#'''Gangs of the Underhive''': Delaque gangs, but also combines the abovementioned books.
#'''Book of Peril:''' Venator Gangs, more hired guns, alliances, and rules for Badzones.
#'''Book of Judgement''': Enforcer gangs, Trading Post updates, Law and Misrule campaign rules, and Criminal Alliances.
#'''Book of Ruin''': Expanded rules for Chaos Helots, Genestealer Cults, and Corpse-Grinder Cults.
#'''House of Chains''': Expanded rules for House Goliath, introducing Goliath-exclusive upgrades, skill trees, Hangers-on, and Champion types. Also adds a new type of gang member called a Prospect. Introduces the Ogryn Slave Gangs.
#'''House of Blades''': Expanded rules for House Escher.
#'''House of Iron''': Expanded rules for House Orlock.
#'''House of Artifice''': Expanded rules for House Van Saar.
#'''House of Faith''': Expanded rules for House Cawdor.
#'''House of Shadows''': Expanded rules for House Delaque.
#'''Book of Outcasts''': Outcast gangs
#'''Ash Wastes ''': Introduces the Ash Waste Nomads, vehicles, mounts, and rules for battles in the wastes outside of the hive.
#'''Book of the Outlands''': Expanded rules for Ash Waste Nomads and custom vehicles, and introduces the Ironhead Squat Prospectors.
#'''The Aranthian Succession: Cinderak Burning''': Expanded rules for Goliath and Escher, and the first part of the "Succession" narrative arc.

===Basics===
====The Game====
See a video from a Necromunda demo game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxGWIcTGKJs
Link to [https://necromunda.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/10/Necro_Ref_ENG.pdf PDF] (official Necromunda website) where some actions and other info is found.

Rather than each player taking turns to move their entire gang, players take turns to activate a single model with two action points; actions such as moving, shooting, taking cover, or reloading consume one action point, while some will require two action points, such as charging or hitting. Some single-point actions cannot be taken twice, such as shooting. A model can only shoot at the closest enemy model unless they pass a coolness check or something farther away is easier to hit. The gameplay borrows a lot from the simplified hitting and wounding mechanics of 8th 40k; the starter set also bears a strong resemblance to Shadespire, with character cards of predefined characteristics and loadouts to speed starting (without the special combat dice, though Necromunda has special dice to decide the affect of wounds rather than rolling against a table like in the classic version), whilst the full game still looks to old school Necromunda, with extended character stats such as coolness, willpower, and intelligence, and terrain/skill combat modifiers, as well as plenty of wargear and weapon options.

====Turn order====
The game turn is divided into activations; every activation encompasses 1 miniature, although some special rules modify this - for example, a "Leader" can activate up 2 additional models within 4", or a "Champion" can activate 1.

First, every mini gets a ready token, and you and your opponent roll off. The player that rolls higher may choose 1 ganger and activate it for two actions, consuming that mini's ready token.
After one ganger has played, your opponent may do the same for one of his gangers, and so on. Once there are no more ready tokens on the board, you resolve end-of-turn effects, and then repeat.

====Actions====
"Simple" actions take up 1 action point, and can be spammed; "basic" actions take up 1 action point, but can only be used 1/activation; "double" actions take up both action points.

===Gang Generation===
====Starting your Gang====
First off, you have to pick a faction for your gang. Factions determine your choice of starting wargear, the basic statline of your gang members, and the skill trees they have access to.

The six Great Houses are still the main factions:
* '''[[House Cawdor]]''' - Not the richest of houses, Cawdor is the stronghold of the Cult of the Redemption. To many, they are known as "The House of Redemption" due to these deep ties. Their trademark appearance is the use of masks in public when around anyone outside of their House, along with rags because they can't afford real clothing. They run most of the recycling on the Hive, scouring the waste for potential relics and holy objects. This also generated a rather interesting House Equipment in the previous version that allowed for a bit more flexibility than many of the other houses, and in the current version gives them a bunch of cobbled-together scrap weapons that shouldn't be underestimated because of their shoddy design, such as improvised crossbows and crude imitations of [[Adeptus Custodes|Guardian Spears]].
* '''[[House Delaque]]''' - House Delaque is very dark and secretive, and other houses are justifiably suspicious of them. Many of their agents look like your average diver dealer flipping fake watches on the corner. Most of this house is pale and bald-headed, which have led some people to suspect they've been infiltrated by a Genestealer Cult; the truth is even stranger and more worrying. Traditionally, they have been a very range focused faction with next to no melee support in either equipment or skills, though nowadays they also have a decent amount of access to psykers.
* '''[[House Escher]]''' - Millennia of exposure to the alchemical processes used to create their pharmaceuticals have altered this house's Y chromosomes. Without exception, the males of House Escher are docile troglodytes, and breeding is done in a lab. This has created a strong matriarchal and misandrist power structure with Escher women doing virtually everything needed to keep society running, including acting as their soldiers and hired guns. Their gang lists mostly consist of agile melee fighters who compensate for sub-par strength with a plethora of poisoned weapons. Las weapons are also a house specialty and can be procured for next to nothing during the gang creation process.
* '''[[House Goliath]]''' - House Goliath values size and strength above everything else, with its members using enough gene-mods and stims to match a [[Space Marine]] in bulk. The furnace and foundry workers of Necromunda, they consider the hivers of other Houses to be weak and lazy. The other houses view them as barbaric, unsophisticated, and unpredictable. In game they have improved strength and toughness stats compared to the other houses which makes them very durable and extremely deadly in melee combat. Much of their starting equipment list is comprise of industrial tools converted to blast and bash their way through the Underhive.
* '''[[House Orlock]]''' - In control of most of the mines and refineries of the Hive, House Orlock is a hardened and fearless group since its Gangers see plenty of action defending their convoys and logistics lines. They are in constant tension with House Delaque due to acquiring the Ulanti Contract, previously held by Delaque. Despite their loose-leaf internal leadership, they are actually one of the most unified and disciplined Houses. Their equipment list is very practical, favoring ballistics weapons, and combined with their skill selections, are considered the most balanced House. They can match other houses where they are strong, and then take advantage of their opponents' weaknesses.
* '''[[House Van Saar]]''' - Perhaps the richest of the houses, House Van Saar provides most of the other houses with their most technological items and needs thanks to the STC they found a while back. Their suits keep them from dying as a byproduct of their STC's malfunctioning, as it constantly leaks radiation that would otherwise leave them dead from radiation sickness. Trademark gang look is high-tech range weapons, with their own special brand of lasguns, energy shields, plasma weaponry, and a cannon that fires radiation!

Other playable factions include:
*'''[[Genestealer Cult]]s''' - The gribbly-worshippers we know and love; it doesn't seem like they get full-fledged Genestealers this time, but that's not much consolation for the ganger facing the hammers of a [[Genestealer Aberrants|Genestealer Aberrant]]. They also follow different rules for gang composition and cannot benefit from Guilder Contact territories. Updated rules are found in the Book of Ruin.
*'''[[Chaos Cults]]'''- Chaos Cults also have a slightly different ruleset for gang composition, but the important take-away is that they can bring along rogue psykers and even [[Chaos Spawn|you-know-whats]]. They can also call upon the Ruinous Powers to empower a gang member, granting them bonuses based on the Chaos God that they dedicate their rituals to. Chaos is notoriously fickle, however, and a champion seeking power from his gods might end up with far more than what he bargained for. Updated rules are found in the Book of Ruin.
*'''Venator Gang'''- A brand new faction representing <s>the best from every gang with no negatives</s> a group of Bounty Hunters. A white Dwarf release with no hint of balance (they can pick any model/weapon/bit of gear from any gang or the trader lists and carry up to 5 weapons each rather than the usual 3). The closest to a disadvantage that they get is that they are a bit pricey and in a campaign they don't hold territory so won't get as much money unless they get lucky with capturing fallen gangers. Balance issues aside they let you take any model you like and use it, which can be a modder's dream and give you a legal way to field whatever group of models take your fancy, so bar the cheese are a nice idea that could lead to some awesome modelling opportunities. Rules included in May 2018's White Dwarf and slated to be overhauled to address balance issues.
*'''The Guilders''' - A brand new faction representing the divisions of the Merchants' Guild that keep up the supply of vital resources to the Hives, such as the Water Guild, the Power Guild, and [[Grimdark|the Corpse Guild]]. They don't appear directly in the game, but other gangs can ally with them for extra benefits...if they're willing to deal with the costs of doing business.
*'''[[Palanite Enforcers]]''' - The Hive law enforcement are listed in the Book of Judgment. These guys aren't the [[Adeptus Arbites]] professional FBI, they're the US police. They're here to shoot your dog and enact gratuitous violence. They don't take shock batons because they plan on taking you alive, they use shock batons because they hurt more than stabbing you. Load up and savour the sweet sound of police brutality. And when things get really tough, they bring out the riot shields, assault rams, and grenade launchers because there is no such thing as collateral damage.
**'''Badzone Enforcers''' - Introduced in White Dwarf 477, these guys are like the Palanites, except with a bit of Mad Max thrown in for style points. Things are always tough for these guys: their higher-ups get the best gear, their grunts get whatever they can find and the middle men? Well, they get what they're given. Unlike their well supplied cousins, these guys can hold territory beyond their Precinct.
*'''[[Corpse Grinder Cults]]''' - A bunch of <s>closet</s> Khorne worshippers, down to wearing skull masks and wielding a variety of chain weapons originally intended to process dead bodies into corpse starch. Interestingly, they are the first view into the aforementioned Corpse Guild, being menial workers who went insane from constantly cutting up corpses and devoted themselves to "the Lord of Skin and Sinew" as cannibals. Introduced with The Book of Ruin.
*'''[[Ogryn]] Slave Gang''' - These cyber-Ogryns are similar to House Goliath in that they value brawn over brains. They've risen up against their masters and now fight for their freedom in a classic slave revolt. As a result, your army has a rather static loadout and you absolutely have to watch out for enemies who try to capture your troops - they're worth more than a pretty penny as prisoners! Introduced with House of Chains.
*'''The Outcasts''' - Where the Venators are considered elites among the gangers, the Outcasts are better viewed as the dregs of the admittedly seedy underworld of the underhive. While weak, they are hyper-customizeable with options for different skillsets for your leaders and the ability to tie your gang with either a major house, a noble house, a guild, or nothing. Introduced with Book of Outcasts.
*'''[[Ash Waste Nomads]]''' - The Mad Max-style scavengers that make a living in the ash wastes outside of the Hive. Rumor has it that these were the original inhabitants of Necromunda before the Imperium came and fucked it all up. They prefer the use of long rifles to pick off trespassers from afar, aided by the insectoid steeds known as Dustback Helamites.
*'''[[Ironhead Squat Prospectors]]''' - Why yes, the OG [[Squats]] are still here! Considered distant relatives to the also recently-revealed [[Leagues of Votann]], these Squats more cleanly channel the old wide-headed helmet aspects of yore.

When you first make your Gang - and any time you add members to it - you must obey the following rules:
*At least one "Leader". Starting out, you get to recruit an actual "Leader" model, which has a superior (or mostly superior) statline to your other choices, but costs the most credits; at any time in the future when you need a new Leader, such as the old one dying, or you're starting a new Gang by splitting an old one, you have to promote a non-Leader to Leader, which typically means a worse starting statline and worse efficiency in terms of statline per credit (relevant in case your opponent captures them alive and sells them off, for example). As a result, you will never again get the chance to recruit a Leader.
*"Champions", from 0 to at most 2 + 1 for every 10 Reputation points (e.g. a total of 4 at Reputation 24). Champions recruited fresh cost the second most, but typically have the second best statline. Champions can come both from promoting up Gangers and Juves, or be recruited - only in the latter case does the restriction apply. Future books will introduce house-specific Champion types such as the Goliath Stimmer.
*"Gangers" at least equal to the number of all non-Gangers (Juves, Champions, and the Leader) combined. Gangers can only be recruited - you have no way to promote them from any other role. These typically have the third highest (second lowest) cost, with a statline to match. Gangers can also can become Specialists, which lets them take skills without counting against any specific limits.
*You can have as many "Juves" as you like, subject to the Ganger tax; they are usually your cheapest, and usually have the worst statline, although for most Gangs, they actually have a better Move stat than the other roles. Juves and Specialists can promote to Champions, or, if necessary, Leaders directly, Gangers can promote to Specialists, and Champions can promote to Leader.
**House of Chains introduces Prospects, Juve-tier Gangers who have the ability to upgrade to another model type (usually a gang-specific Champion). They also tend to have unique equipment choices.

Genestealer Cults set up their Gangs like so:
*At least one Adept, who acts as a Leader-equivalent. Unlike normal Leaders, they do not have skills to start with but gain access to unique abilities that only they can use as well as unique wargear like boneswords and toxin injector claws. Additional abilities can be bought like secondary skills.
*Acolytes, following the same rules as Champions from any other gang. However, they can take four weapons instead of the usual three.
*0-2 Aberrants, which have the Unstoppable skill inherent in their profile along with very high stats and powerful melee weapons. They follow the same advancement rules as Gangers but cannot promote to Specialists.
*Neophytes, which follow the same overall rules as Gangers in terms of both promotion and recruitment.

Chaos Cults set up their Gangs as follows:
*One Demagogue, who acts as a Leader-equivalent. They can learn skills like regular leaders, but start with the special "Cult Leader" skill (any fighters from the same gang within 9" use the Demagogue's Cool and Willpower for checks).
*Up to two Disciples, who are Champions for all intents and purposes.
*Up to one [[Psyker|Witch]], a rogue psyker with lower accuracy than even the Cultists and cannot be made the replacement Leader if the Demagogue is slain, but is otherwise roughly equal to a Disciple in its statline and activation ability. Obviously, they start with one psychic power and can buy more as if they were secondary skills.
*Cultists, which follow the same overall rules as Gangers in terms of both promotion and recruitment.
*[[Chaos Spawn|The Unnameable Beasts]], which are not recruited via conventional means and have the following special rules:
**They are not recruited normally in campaign battles, and instead occur when a Dark Ritual roll with a gang member as its focus dramatically fails. The former cultist is considered dead for the purposes of the gang roster and fighter limits, and any gear the victim might have been carrying is lost. Up to two can be taken in a one-off skirmish.
**They have d6 Movement (changing every time it moves or charges), and their Weapon Skill, Strength, Toughness, Wounds, Initiative, and Attacks are randomly generated upon creation. They have no score for the other stats; Willpower and Cool tests always pass, but Leadership and Intelligence tests always fail.
**They cannot gain Experience or Advancements, and are unable to use weapons and equipment. Additionally, the only actions they can make are Move, Charge, Fight, and Coup de Grace.
**They cannot be Pinned and ignore Flesh Wounds, Serious Injuries, and Lasting Injuries. However, they are difficult for a cult to control; in the post-battle sequence, up to three Cultists not taken out of action or Seriously Injured must be nominated to restrain their former comrade. A d6 is rolled for each nominated cultist, and if at least one scores a 4+ they keep the thing under control- otherwise, the abomination breaks loose and flees into the underhive, effectively removing it from the Roster. Any cultist who rolls a 1 gets a Lasting Injury as the freak lashes out at them.

Enforcers set up their gangs like so:
*1 Captain (Leader), who may be either a Palanite or a Subjugator.
*0-2 Sergeants (Champions), either Palanite or Subjugator.
*At least 2 Patrolmen (Gangers), who must be the same type of Enforcer as the Captain. The number of Patrolmen must be equal to or greater than the total number of Captains or Sergeants in the gang.
*Enforcers cannot start out with Rookies (Juves), but may take one for free each time one of their gangers dies or is retired during the post-battle sequence.

Badzone Enforcers set up their gangs like this:
*1 Captain (Leader), who can mix and match Palanite and Subjugator gear.
*0-2 Sergeants (Champions) at the get go, can get more and can mix and match Palanite and Subjugator gear.
*At least 1 Patrolman (gangers). The number of patrolmen must be equal to or greater than total the number of Sergeants and the Captain. Their Enforcer Boltguns, Enforcer Shotguns and Concussion Carbines all gain Scarce, though. One of them can be a Specialist from the get go, who gets Tools of the Trade.
*Any amount of Enlisted Hive Scum. These guys are expendable as hell, to the point they can't benefit from Group Activations or Gang Hierarchy. These guys can become Patrolmen, if they live long enough.

====Gang Attributes====
Gangs have two major attributes: Rating and Reputation.

Rating is the sum cost of every Fighter (and remember, a Fighter's cost is the sum of their personal cost and their gear cost). A high Rating is ''bad'' if the difference between your Rating and your opponent's is very large; having a higher rating than your opponent means you're less likely to be able to choose the scenario you're fighting in and gain worse reputation rewards (every scenario so far awards the participant with the worse rating +1 reputation per full 100 points of rating they are below their opponent). Consequently, it's unwise to fight against a gang with a lower rating than your own since you have less to gain from a victory and have less control over the scenario.

Reputation on the other hand is always ''good'' - a higher reputation means you can recruit more Champions, find rare equipment more easily, and the two highest reputations at the end of a campaign fight over who wins the entire campaign, with reputation serving as their tiebreaker if they draw during the scenario.

Gangs can also form Alliances for the duration of a campaign, symbolizing a connection to a prominent group like one of the guilds or a criminal organization. These grant benefits such as expanded Wargear options or adding free Hired Guns to a scenario, but they also come with drawbacks such as having less control over which scenario is chosen or giving up part of their gained credits. These drawbacks can be ignored, but the other party won't like it- they may temporarily deprive you of the alliance's benefits or end it entirely.

The Law and Misrule campaign type adds Alignment, which determines whether or not your gang abides by the laws of Necromunda. This determines what kinds of Hired Guns they can use, as well as a mixture of other benefits and drawbacks depending on whether or not the gang is on the wrong side of the law. While it is possible to switch alliances partway through a campaign, doing so comes with steep costs.

====Advancing your Gang====
Leaders and Champions can buy stat points and skills (skills are special rules and/or actions only available to the model that has them) for experience points (which you mostly earn by murdering the enemy, but also by Rallying, ironically meaning it can be optimal to get your models to fail their Cool checks, so you can Rally them later for experience), which also raises their credit value for game effects like being sold off by enemy gangs; when they do so, they pay a base experience amount, plus 2 per Advancement (an Advancement is any time they buy one of these things). "Specialists" are basically unlucky (or lucky, depending on your point of view) Gangers who can do the same thing; this is how you promote one of them to Champion. Typically, Leaders have cheaper access to more skills (particularly the Leadership skills) than the other roles, while Champions have cheaper access to something than the others. Experience costs vary by what you are buying - some stats cost more than others, some skills cost more than others depending on your role and House, and so on.

Juves and non-Specialist Gangers do not have to pay escalating costs for Advancements, but have some restrictions to go along with that. Juves typically have the least access to cheap skills, compared to Leaders, Champions, and Specialists, and if you end a campaign (referred to as a Turf War) with any Juves that have 5 or more Advancements, they must promote to Champion, immediately forcing them to begin paying Advancement taxes. Non-Specialist Gangers have no access to skills at all, but buy stats by paying a non-escalating cost and then rolling 2d6; if they roll a 2, a 12, or any result that would force a stat above its maximum, they promote to Specialist, gaining access to skills but being forced to pay Advancement taxes. Any other result, depending on what it is, raises your choice of one of 2 stats. The nature of the table is that, starting with their second Advance, they pay less experience per stat gain than anyone but a Juve, but can't buy skills at all, and run a constant risk that slowly goes up over time of promoting to Specialist and being forced to pay taxes.

=====Skills=====
Leaders and Champions bought new start with one Primary skill of their choice; for everyone else, there are 4-5 ways to gain skills as an Advancement. For all of the options below, the way to handle rolling a random skill you already have is to re-roll it, which is identical to rolling a smaller die type (1d1, 1d2, 1d3, 1d4, or 1d5, although the d4 or the d5 will require non-d6 dice on hand - the easiest way to handle both cases at once is to keep a d20 around), but isn't actually supported by the rules. All of them cost experience points and add to the fighter's credit cost - aside from the downside of making the entire gang's rating go up, this also makes the fighter a larger liability, since they're worth more to the enemy when captured.

*Pay 6xp and gain 20 credits in value to gain 1 random skill from a chosen Primary skill tree.
*Pay 9xp and gain 20 credits in value to gain 1 chosen skill from a chosen Primary skill tree.
*Pay 9xp and gain 35 credits in value to gain 1 random skill from a chosen Secondary skill tree.
*Pay 12xp and gain 40 credits in value to change roles from Specialist to Champion and gain 1 random skill from a chosen Primary skill tree.
*Pay 15xp and gain 50 credits in value to gain 1 random skill from a chosen skill tree.

Typically, Juves have 1 Primary skill set and 2 Secondary, while Specialists have 2 Primaries and 2 Secondaries, and neither has Leadership as a Primary or Secondary. Champions have 2 Primaries and 3 Secondaries, while Leaders have 3 Primaries and 2 Secondaries, but the "additional" skill set they have is always Leadership - Secondary for Champions and Primary for Leaders. That said, it is typical for roles to have other "unique" skillsets within their House - for example, only Goliath Juves have any access to Agility (which they do as a Secondary); as of the current set of 6 gangs, only 2, Escher and Orlock, have skillsets such that Leader>Champion>Specialist>Juve - for everyone else, there's at least one exception, such that promotion can make the Fighter worse at collecting skills they were going after. Skill sets are listed below by name, but these groupings only ''trend'' towards being similar to each other, and a single skill set may provide wildly distinct abilities - for example, under Cunning, Backstab makes you more useful with a melee weapon, while Overwatch makes you more useful with a ranged weapon - and at least one skill, "Savvy Trader" under Savant, is capable of providing absolutely no buff at all (it makes the Fighter better at finding rare items, but only Champions, Leaders, and/or Fighters with the separate Connected skill are capable of even attempting to find rare items).

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Skill Sets by Name
! D6 !! Agility !! Brawn !! Combat !! Cunning !! Ferocity !! Leadership !! Shooting !! Savant
|-
| 1 || Catfall || Bull Charge || Combat Master || Backstab || Berserker || Commanding Presence || Fast Shot || Ballistics Expert
|-
| 2 || Clamber || Bulging Biceps || Counter-attack || Escape Artist || Impetuous || Inspirational || Gunfighter || Connected
|-
| 3 || Dodge || Crushing Blow || Disarm || Evade || Fearsome || Iron Will || Hip Shooting || Fixer
|-
| 4 || Mighty Leap || Headbutt || Parry || Infiltrate || Nerves of Steel || Mentor || Marksman || Medicae
|-
| 5 || Spring up || Hurl || Step Aside || Lie Low || True Grit || Overseer || Precision Shot || Munitioneer
|-
| 6 || Sprint || Iron Jaw || Rain of Blows || Overwatch || Unstoppable || Regroup || Trick Shot || Savvy Trader
|}

Later expansions added unique skill categories usable only by specific gangs, such as the Savagery, Palanite Drill and Muscle skill categories.

====Brutes====
A new mechanic introduced in '''Gang War 3''', Brutes are basically inhuman monsters who can be taken by various gangs to give them some extra raw killing potential. They pay for this killing power with ''big'' price tags, so think very carefully before including one in your gang.

'''[[Luther Pattern Excavation Automata]]:''' An [[ambull]] [[servitor]] normally used as a mining robot. All House Gangs can purchase these guys, but [[House Cawdor]] have a particular affinity for them, which manifests as only needing to pay 185 credits for one rather than the usual 215. As well as [[Rip and Tear]], it's also a mining servitor, so it can generate extra credits for your gang outside of the battlefield. Valuable enough that they can be captured like regular gangers.

'''Jotunn H-Grade [[Servitor]] [[Ogryn]]:''' As the name suggests, this is a [[servitor]] that's been made out of an [[ogryn]] and as such it's a big, tough, meaty boy with armor and cybernetic bits. Gang-neutral, but cheaper for [[House Goliath]]. 180 credits.

'''Stig-Shambler:''' [[House Cawdor]] Brute consisting of a hulking, strong-but-dumb [[mutant]] paired with a small, weak-but-smart [[mutant]] that rides on the bigger mutie's back and mans a heavy stubber or heavy flamer mounted on a swivel on its shoulder. 208 credits. Master Blaster from Beyond Thunderdome. If you don’t shout “He’s just a boy” you’re doing it wrong.

'''Spyker:''' [[House Delaque]] Brute consisting of a once-human ganger strapped into a cybernetic exoskeleton and forcefed psy-augmenting drugs until it becomes a hideously deformed artificial psyker. Cheapest of all the Brutes at 190 credits.

''''Zerker:''' [[House Goliath]] Brute, a once-normal ganger overdosed with drugs and gene-mods to the point of becoming an oversized, hyper-violent lunatic. 210 credits. At Strength 6, he is pretty much the ''strongest'' thing on the damn battlefield, or at least very close to it!

'''Lugger Cargo Servitor:''' [[House Orlock]] Brute, and really, what is there to say? It's a lobotomized cyborg, stolen and outfitted with cybernetic limbs; one for [[Rip and Tear]], one for dakka.

'''Khimerix:''' [[House Escher]] Brute, a [[Fleshcrafting|genegineered]] animal cooked up in their geno-alchemy labs for shits n giggles. Whilst primarily aimed for [[Rip and Tear]], it also has the ability to spit a noxious chemical breath weapon, which is basically a never-fail flamer.

'''Arachni-Rig:''' [[House Van Saar]] Brute, basically a battle robot worn as a shoulder harness, with two heavy las-carbines, four ripping claws, and its own legs to carry you around. Can take a Radgun or Plasma Gun at a rice of -1 Attack. Competes with the [[Dreadknight]] for silliest exo-armor style in 40K. 240 points.

Brutes for the Outlaw Gangs were introduced in [[White Dwarf]] #458, and given how Outlaws struggle with funds, the price-sinky nature of the regular Brute is even more relevant here.
* '''Scrapcode-Corrupted Ambot:''' Basically the [[Chaos]]y version of the [[Luther Pattern Excavation Automata]]. Trades the ability to mine credits out-of-battle for much greater killy power. Costs 220 credits.
* '''Mutated Ogryn:''' An [[ogryn]] that has become a [[mutant]], and as such is lured to serve cult leaders or the worst kinds of outlaws. Costs 210 credits.
* '''Warp Horror:''' It's basically a [[daemonhost]], with lots of different gribbly weaponry options. 210 credits.
* '''Sump Beast:''' Generic statblock for any number of horrible mutant fauna from the depths of the Underhive. 200 credits.

==System 1995 ==
[[Image:Necromunda_cover.JPG|thumb|right|Robustly Heterosexual]]
===Basics===
Similar to Warhammer 40,000, Necromunda is a fairly fast paced skirmish game focusing on a small fight between two gangs. Gangs are chosen from the roster below, named, and equipped as the player sees fit. Gameplay represents each man or woman in the gang moving 4", but can run to double the distance or charge to the same effect. Shooting differs from Warhammer 40,000 as the game is less about a fixed ballistic skill and more about modifiers to represent more detailed scenarios of a firefight. Close combat relies on fixed weaponskill and modifiers representing the detailed scenarios much like the shooting phase's mechanics.

===Gang Generation===
Gangs are bought with a set amount of starting cash, along with all weapons and other equipment. The gang grows, levels up, and gains superior equipment between battles, adding a roleplaying element. Lasting injuries can cripple characters, and a few lucky territory rolls can grossly overpower a gang. Basically, fun.

*To start off you need to pick a house to build your gang from. The big six "House Gangs", the base non-expansion gangs, are below. Each gang is more or less identical in practice (i.e everyone has identical stats), but their weapon options differ - e.g. Goliaths don't get swords that can parry but do get Final Fantasy style greatswords, while Escher is vice versa. Each gang has access to a different set of skill tables as well, differentiating them a little more. so in the long run a Van Saar gang will have a different playstyle from an Escher.
** '''[[House Cawdor]]''' - Holier-Than-Thou extremists. Think Jake Busey from Contact. Heavily converted to the worship of the Redemptionist creed. They favour combat with their combat, ferocity, and agility accessing don't expect much shooting with minimal ranged weapons and no shooting skill access.
** '''[[House Delaque]]''' - Sneaky Molemen/Matrix hybrids. The sneaky, shooty gang. N17 claims that they are somehow in league with the descendants of the planet's long-lost native inhabitants, but the few who might have heard of this rarely if ever believe it.
** '''[[House Escher]]''' - Crazy man haters with a cyber-punk style of dress. The agile melee gang. Themed as [[Science Fantasy]] [[Grimdark]] [[Amazon]]s. N17 even retcons that they use archaeotech to reproduce through parthenogenesis, as the few men born to the clan are inevitably deformed and retarded due to severe mutations in their Y chromosomes.
** '''[[House Goliath]]''' - Roid Raging skinheads. The slow, not very good melee gang. Big mutual hate-on for House Escher, because they're the uber-Macho House and Escher thinks they're idiots. N17 makes them ironically dependent on Escher for the super-science gene-mods and stimulants they use to maintain their bodies.
** '''[[House Orlock]]''' - Bikers, except they don't have bikes and they're miners. The Jack-of-All-Trades gang.
** '''[[House Van Saar]]''' - The hell is up with their Eldar-esque suits? N17 retconned that they actually have a semi-functioning STC, but it also poisons them. The suits keeps them from dying quicker. Techy-Shooty gang; they excel in trying to spam the inventor skill and wrecking face.
*Then we have the expansion gangs.
** '''[[Scavvies]]''' - Shittily armed and diseased, they use zombies and lizard hybrids to help with the fighting. They favor melee and can make a pretty badass horde.
** '''[[Servitor|Pit Slaves]]''' - Escaped cyborgs armed with industrial digging equipment. Slow, not so good melee gang but they have this scissors weapon and it's like so totally broken it like kills you in one hit. This is true and rather annoying.
** '''[[Ratskins|Ratskin Renegades]]''' - The native American archetype. They are sneaky, use shitty, shitty guns and are pretty good in melee. Playing them forced the game to be played using the "Treacherous Conditions" table, but they themselves were immune to any of the crazy shit that could be rolled, such as poison gas, rampaging vermin hordes or the ground collapsing.
** '''[[Cult of the Redemption|Redemptionists]]''' - Cawdor on crack. A horde style gang; believes heavily that you can kill it with fire.
** '''[[Spyrer]]s''' - Super 1337 and best armed gang. They are the spoiled rich kids from the hive bored out of their skulls. The gang is tiny, usually consisting of 3-8 models. It's stupid when the other guy pins your entire gang with overwatch, which makes them tricky to use. Fun as hell to play, though. Also, once per campaign, you can take the Matriarch and Patriarch (both in one game if you feel like royally fucking someone's day). If you do this, the game is essentially Slender with miniatures.
** '''[[Adeptus Arbites|Enforcers]]''' - The riot cops of the underhive, Two sets of rules exist for them, One treating them more like a regular gang and one that treats them exactly like you would expect from a police force. Tend to get all their equipment for free, it's pretty good equipment too. downside is you may only every use 5 enforcers a match (though if your opponent is a hard ass the rest of your 10 men put down their paperwork to help on out) Largest skill access of all gangs. (Everything bar agility and techno for their regular enforcers. Handler and sarge get techno.)
** '''Ash Waste Nomads''' - These guys live ''outside'' the hive, and have vehicles. Good luck convincing anyone to let you play them unless you leave out their rides.
**'''[[Vampire#Warhammer_40.2C000|Vampyres]]''' - An attempt to cash-in on the popularity of Buffy the Vampire slayer during the 90s. Were included as a gang of a few superhuman mutants followed around by useless Thralls whose main purpose was as food.
**'''Chaos Cultist Coven''' - Laughable in regular 40k, but in the Underhive you get to see what [[Chaos]] is really like.
**'''Genestealer Cults''' - Yes, they even got [[Genestealers]] and with a [[Rape|Weapon Skill of 7, four attacks and all at strength 6, you bet your ass is grass]].
**'''Ork Gang''' - Why have Orks in Necromunda when you have [[Gorkamorka]]? LISTEN UP YAH GROT. VENATORS GOT T4 GITZ WIV BS5+ SO NOWS WE GOT RULEZ AN WE GOT ‘REZUNS’ - SUM ‘OOMIE INQZTOR SAID SUMMINK N’ NOW WEZ ‘ERE! TA FIGHT FER TEEF!! ...BUT NOT YERR STINKIN’ WEEDY ‘OOMIE TEEF!! CUZ WE’Z DA ONES GOT DEM PROPPAH TEEF... NOT YOO STINKIN’ ‘OOMIES!! BUT DAT INQUIZZY GIT SAID DERE WOZ A SKRAP SO ‘ERE WE IZ!! - ”Reasons” never were Grombragg Git Slappa’s strong point.. but he belligerently jabs you in the chest with a big green finger while telling you them all the same.. Seriously tho. According to lore hive cluster currently known as The Skulls was at one point invaded by orks and held by them for some time until joined operation of PDF and Iron Fists who actually came to necromunda specifically to get rid of those orks did. It destroyed those hive cities, but you know orks. Once they make planetfall it is impossible to get rid of them completely with anything less than complete exterminates of planets biosphere (and even then it is worth to doublecheck). So there is sizeable population of mostly feral orks in the wastes and presumably in The Skulls ruins.
**'''Wyrd Gathering''' - A bunch of psykers and their pets as a gang.
**'''[[Ironhead_Squat_Prospectors|Squat Miners]]''' - Even though [[Squats]] were on their way out, Specialist Games still remembered them. They play very similar to Dwarfs in Mordheim.
**'''Guilder Gang''' - Now you play as the merchants! Good for getting a lot of money.
**'''Hive Prospector Team''' - Basically a merging of the main house gangs and Guilders.
**'''Shanty Town Gang''' - The dregs of society. Hope you love having to recruit half of your gang after they get hit by a stiff breeze.

===Starting your Gang===
Once you have picked your "faction", then you get to the nitty gritty of actually building your starting force which most tabletop gamers will be familiar with. You start with 1000 credits (read points, at least at this stage) with which you purchase your gang-members and equip them.

The original six gangs are all built the same way, with the same selection of membership options, though they have access to different tables of starting gear depending on the faction you choose. The other more specialised gangs will have access to different character archetypes depending upon their fluff, but basically your gang's minimum size is three models and you can go nuts from there.

*'''Gang Leader''': Most gangs have a "leader" equivalent who you must take if he's available to your gang. He usually starts off as a WS/BS4/I4/Ld8 Veteran. He's good because you need him to keep the gang together and take most of their leadership tests, as well as determining what happens between battles. He also gets access to some of the best gear, making him one of your most effective warriors in addition to his statline.
**Gang Leaders invariably start out with a lot of experience to account for all the cool stuff they do. This usually equates them to about ninth level on the advancement scale, meaning they can only accumulate a few more advancements before maxing out.
*'''Ganger''': After that, most gangs will have the equivalent to a squaddie, who represents your rank-and-file warrior. They have the same statlines as imperial guardsmen, and you just need them because most gangs have a minimum number of these guys you need to take. They're good because they cover most of your bases and they level-up readily.
*'''Heavies''': Then you have the specialists, but some gangs have a variant which works in a different way ''(eg: Techno / Mastiff-Handler / Totem Warrior / Zealot)''. Usually, these guys are veterans of equivalent level to your Gang Leader, but often only have similar statlines to your regular Gangers. This sounds like a poor deal, but even at their most basic, they get access to the biggest guns, making them really useful in laying down the pain during your battles. They will also have access to different upgrade options, often acting as the techie dudes that fix the rest of the gang's broken shit.
**Some gangs do it differently, and have these specialist dudes perform a more unique function. These guys will have different special rules depending on the faction you've chosen, but generally you're always going to want a few in your gang for the utility they bring.
*'''Juves''': Not all specialist gangs have access to them; they are usually the last things you consider, but they have some of the greatest potential. They start out as WS/BS2 conscripts and they don't have access to basic (ie: rifle) weaponry. However, they are cheap to add to your gang, and they start at level zero which is actually a good thing in the long run. That is four advances behind regular gangers, therefore when they upgrade to the same level they will have earned themselves several skill or characteristic bonuses that make them stand out and excel. If you build them correctly, who cares if they keep their BS2 through-out their whole career if you made them into power-sword champions? They eventually earn the right to carry rifles later anyway so if they turn into ace marksmen you can hand them the gang's good weapons.

==Dramatis Personae==
====Bull Gorg====
The legendary leader of a slave uprising against the guilders and Spartacus stand-in. A pit fighter that turned on his masters when a fellow slave/love interest of his was denied medicine and died. Ended up liberating a town and several slave trains before guild mercenary armies cut it apart and paraded Bull Gorg around before his execution. His legacy has since been taken up by one Gor "Two Guns" Coran, a Hive scum that became convinced he was Gorg's long-lost son after a run-in with a Ratskin shaman who claimed that Coran was the offspring of a great hero of the underhive.

====Kal Jerico====
Perhaps one of the most famous and recognisable characters to come out of the setting. The bastard son of the Planetary Governor and [[Inquisitor]] [[Jena Orechiel]], who described his conception and birth as "one of the unpleasant things one has to do for the Imperium". Jerico is a dashing figure who [[Drizzt|dual wields]] master-crafted pistols and acts as a swashbuckling hero whose guns and uncanny good luck get him out of trouble as easily as his mouth gets him into it. Despite his devil-may-care attitude and considerably long list of people who want him dead, he's still one of the most successful bounty hunters in Hive Primus.
*'''Scabs''' - Jerico's half-[[Ratskins|Ratskin]] sidekick. Originally a Hive Scum whose heritage made him a perpetual outsider, Jerico recognized his good heart and hidden talents as a scout and Scabs reciprocated his acceptance with loyalty. As the voice of reason to Jerico's bon vivant, Scabs's pragmatism and knack for finding hidden paths in the underhive has gotten the duo out of more than a few predicaments.
*'''Yolanda Catallus''': The heiress of the Noble House Catallus, at least before she ran away to join and later lead a House Escher gang as "Outlaw Annie". Jerico and Scabs had accepted bounties for Yolanda's return and Outlaw Annie's capture only to realize that they were the same person. They were able to capture her, but Yolanda's threats to use her family ties to ensure Jerico's slow and painful death impressed him enough to give her a chance to escape- or more precisely, he left her tied up in a sewer tunnel figuring she'd be able to get away before the local giant spiders found her. She later become a bounty hunter herself with a rather complicated relationship with Kal culminating in their marriage.

====Karloth Valois====
One day, a rogue-psyker stumbled into the underhive from the spires above to get away from all the voices he kept hearing and the dreams he kept having. He was promptly assaulted by [[plague zombies]]... though bitten, Valois' psychic talent was enough to keep him the zombies at bay while the disease ate through his brain. He "survived" the ordeal but remained infected by the plague, giving him mastery over zombies ''(essentially making him the Zombie king... with a crown and everything)'' which he can bring with him into battle and boost them from "Night of the Walking Dead" undead to "28 Days Later" undead, without losing the original's durability. He's also a telepath, and he can suck the life out of his opponents... badass.
*'''Trivia:''' Valois ''(pronounced "Val-wa")'' is probably named for the real-world king Charles Valois VI (better known as "Charles the Mad") of France, who is immensely more hilarious because it actually happened: Valois suffered schizophrenia (hallucinations/delusions, which bring on erratic behaviour), probably brought on by some sort of genetic problem like porphyria (a disorder that can also cause victims to break out in blisters when exposed to sunlight, like a really sucky [[Vampire]]); he went around the castles howling like a wolf, attacked and killed his servants because he was convinced they were traitors, pissed himself in public, thought he was made of glass, and even had holes drilled in his skull to relieve pressure because it was considered to be a cure for mental illness at the time.

====Klovis the Redeemer====
The other (and arguably most) highly recognizable character from the setting, owing to being the focus of an insane-as-fuck comic. Originally from House Cawdor, Klovis turned out to be way too fanatical to control and thus was exiled. In response, he managed to round up a bunch of rabble, beat them into shape, and began leading a self-proclaimed holy crusade to spread his holy word to the outcasts and underhivers in the Ash Wastes, common sense be damned. His chief instruments of justice are his eviscerator and his headpiece, which triples as a flamethrower and impaling implement.
*'''Deacon Malakev''' - Klovis' semi-servitorized pet lackey/chronicler and sycophant bar none. He'd be totally useless if it weren't for him having the Liber Excruciatus, the big book of torture.

====Others====
*[[Phanta Claws]] - the 40k equivalent of Santa Claus

*[[Farseer]] Yrthrian Mardawn - The only known Eldar on the planet. He isn't 100% alone, accompanying him are two Fire Dragons. Originally from [[Saim-Hann]]. His purpose in the Underhive is to find someone who will fight for his family back on the Craftworld so that they will win whatever power struggle they are currently embroiled in.

*D'onne "Mad Donna" Ulanti - A crazed daughter of a nobleman from the Ulanti House. She was kept locked up, Rapunzel style, where something made her go off the deep end. Once her dad figured she was old enough to be married off to another nobleman, shit hit the fan. After tearing out her husband-to-be's eyes with a fork, she gunned down him and his guards with his own pistol, along with several more people during her trip down to the Underhive. After that, she got employed by the Eschers. Known for having a plasma pistol and a chainsword. [[RIP AND TEAR|The sword is not for show as she had the unique rule "Psycho-Bitch" which basically made her into a]] [[Khorne]] [[Berzerker]]. To emphasize just how bat-shit insane she is, the reason she wears an eyepatch is because when some guy tried to hit on her in the Underhive, she gouged out her own eyeball so nobody would call her pretty again.

*Brakar, The Avenger - A Ratskin heavy with a heavy stubber. He is unique since Ratskins can't have "proper" heavies.

*Grendl Grendlsen - A mercenary and former bodyguard for a Rogue Trader, who came down to the Underhive after his master was killed in a bombing. Most notable for being the first official [[Squat]] miniature in over twenty years.

*Gor Half-Horn - A [[Beastmen (40k)|Beastman]] bounty hunter with a background shrouded in mystery. Some believe he's the sole survivor of an Imperial Guard abhuman auxiliary, others say he was part of an Inquisitor's retinue but went rogue, and there's even a claim that he was a noble whose mutations manifested later in life and fled to the Underhive. Regardless of the truth, he's a nasty son of a bitch.

*Eyros Slagmist - A scavenger who discovered a strange archaeotech device that fused with his body, allowing him to extract clean water from anything. Or ''anyone'', as his unlucky companions discovered when the thirst generated by the device got the better of him. He now sells his services as a bounty hunter, working with the gangs and providing his water in exchange for new victims to "drink" from. He now resembles a nightmarish mass of water tanks, pipes and cables, and it's unknown if there's anything left of him that can be called human underneath the machinery.

*"The Deserter" - A nutty old man who once served in the Necromundan 8th, whose original identity and reasons for ending up in the Underhive are unknown. He's well-known for his skill at setting up ambushes and working with explosives, but most gang leaders learn to send only the guys they don't particularly care about when trying to get his services. Mostly because every path leading to his warren is loaded with booby traps.

*Belladonna: The daughter of a powerful Escher matriarch, she was engaged to the Tzakwon Ran Lo, heir of the Ran Lo Stratoplane Empire. Surprisingly for an arranged marriage, they were deeply in love- but the wedding ended in tragedy when one of the wedding gifts turned out to be a ravenous Crotalid beast that devoured the groom and several guests. She managed to kill it at the expense of an arm, a leg, and an eye, and she now works as a bounty hunter in the hopes of finding the people who arranged for her husband's death.

*Krotos Hark: A member of House Goliath with an uncommon degree of intelligence, he works as a bounty hunter and armorer in pursuit of an unknown agenda. Observers note that he takes a strong interest in jobs opposing House Goliath, making them wonder if he seeks to make himself its new leader.

*Grub "Lumpy Nox" Targeson: Grub used to be an average Guilder until the lump began to grow on his back. At first it was nothing a looser coat couldn't hide, but it wouldn't stop growing...and then it began to talk. Nowadays he wanders the underhive selling his services as a hired gun, and while most people assume his whispered conversations with his hump just mean he needs to cut down on the drink, some swear that they can hear it whisper back- and it seems to know an awful lot of things Grub couldn't possibly know on his own.

==Necromunda: Underhive Wars==
[[File:Rsz 1rsz 15994934 135429053628056 4990385316092068855 o.jpg|300px|thumb|right]]
A new turn-based tactical RPG game developed by Rogue Factor and [[Focus Home Interactive]], which is a video game adaptation of [[Specialist Games]] Necromunda. So far it only consists of three Gangs: the Goliaths (who have red scrap armour), the Escher (who wear yellow scrap armour) and Orlock (who wear blue scrap armour) so they've gone for primary colours and gangs. The gangs all feel and (despite the excellent level of detail, customisation, accuracy and love that went into the models) somehow even look a bit samey. They all get access to the same 5 classes and so the only difference between them is 6 different passive skills and a starting perk and stat bonus, so very little to make them play in a unique way. In an effort to make all weapons balanced they don't play anything like they to in the table top as Auto weapons are amazing, plasma and las cannons are weak and flamers don't set things on fire. Ignoring the fluff it does make for a bit more balanced game, but may aggravate some.

With the game now released [https://store.steampowered.com/app/566440/Necromunda_Underhive_Wars/ store page] you can try it for yourself. If you like Mordheim you might like this, as it's similar in feel and on the plus side has better graphics, guns and more dynamic movement on visually stunning multi-level and occasionally somewhat confusing maps. That said it could be better as the AI is dumb as bricks, the pacing for them is slow (apparently these are being fixed) and the story mode is somewhat tedious with pre-generated gangs you don't care about, but that you have to play to unlock all cosmetic options. The dynamic movement also makes a bit of a mockery of cover as gangers can pretty much always move from one side of a map to the other in a turn making it impossible not to be flanked.

===Mordheim Similarities===
The core gameplay is very similar to Rogue Factor's previous game, Mordheim, meaning e.g. movement will be in real time, not turn-based; the game was basically developed from Mordheim as a starting point. Changes include:
The AI being bloody stupid.
The maps themselves are beautiful, much more 3D and with zip lines more traversable, but a little too small. The map view now shows everything rather than what's in your gangs line of sight. Considering the complexity of the maps and the speed of movement this is necessary despite removing what was a nice mechanic from Mordheim.
Ranged weapons are much more important and powerful rather than for most warbands where they were a nice to have before the main hitting people with sticks could start.
You can only field 5 gangers rather than the 10 of Mordheim and you have no Monster, but all your gangers are essentially heroes. The leader just gets access to some extra (and fairly awesome) perk tree and a bonus to maximum stats.
Combat wise as you advance you can easily get to the stage where any ganger killed in a single attack (damage goes up but health doesn't), but do get stims to bring them back to make up for some of the worst excesses of the RNG.

Hopefully they will improve on the base they have and release all standard and extra factions as DLC's before stopping development like it happened in Mordheim. Which is sad indeed.

==Necromunda: Hired Gun==
A fast-paced FPS game developed by [[EYE: Divine Cybermancy|Streum On Studios]] and published by [[Focus Home Interactive]] that released in June 2021. It looked promising before its release, but so did Space Hulk: Deathwing, which was a mixed bag. The premise is simple enough: You are an otherwise nameless mercenary who gets fucked up on a job gone wrong and were made into a cyborg thanks to the graces of [[Kal Jericho]]. Now saddled with a shitton of debts and no way to reach your benefactor and cash in his massive bounty, you have to go back on the beat, hunting down marks and buying better gear and cybernetics.

One of the chief features of this game was the inclusion of a pet [[Awesome|Cyber-Mastiff]], who was supposed to be an integral part of the game. This, much like the rest of the game, turned out to be a mixed bag much to no one's surprise. It still includes the usual jank characteristics of modern 40K video games, but still with solid gameplay, reminiscent of 2016's [[Doom]].

==See Also==
*[[Necromunda/Tactics|Necromunda/Tactics]]
*[[Mantic Games]]' [[Warpath#Deadzone|Warpath: Deadzone]]
*Fantasy's Mordheim

==External Links==
* [https://yaktribe.games/community/vault/necromunda-community-edition-rulebook.1/ yaktribe.games], hosts a community-maintained Necromunda rulebook.

{{Specialist-Games}}
{{40k-Planets}}
[[Category:Necromunda]]
[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category:Skirmish-Level Wargames]]
[[Category:Video Games]]
[[Category:Imperial]]

Communism

2023-05-11T19:25:40Z

2600:387:9:5:0:0:0:BA: A longer track record is not a better one.

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{{Heresy}}

[[Image:Communismleaders.jpg|right|thumb|400px|Contrary to western propaganda, this is how communism has always worked]]

{{topquote|Under [[capitalism]], man exploits man. Under communism, it's just the opposite.|Anonymous radio host from Soviet Armenia; also attributed to Yakov Smirnov}}
{{Topquote|MASH THE DIRTY RED SCUM! KICK THEM IN THE TEETH WHERE IT HURTS! KILL! KILL, KILL! FILTHY BASTARD COMMIES! I HATE THEM, I HATE THEM! AH! AH!|Ordo Xenos Inquisitor John Cleese, responding to the threat of the Damocles Crusade}}
{{topquote|Communism is the corruption of a dream of justice.|Adlai Stevenson I}}

'''Communism''' can refer to two concepts: the society where the economy is collectively managed and organised government is replaced by local communes (hence the name), and the (usually) authoritarian ideology that seeks to instate such a perfect society. Communism in the first sense had been tried in various villages through the early nineteenth century before fizzling out or being suppressed by authorities, but most people are only interested in the second sense, due to its enormous impact on the twentieth century. Communism the ideology is generally associated with oligarchic rule of the "vanguard party" and a degree of central planning; it was the state ideology of the Soviet Union and its satellite states, as well as a few minor powers such as Yugoslavia and Vietnam, during the Cold War. It is still, albeit in a very modified form, adhered to in a few countries today, such as the People's Republic of China, North Korea and Cuba.

In many ways, it is the opposite of [[capitalism]], both of them along with [[nazi|nazism]] are considered by some historians as diverging branches from [[humanism]].

==Overview==
[[Image:Boris_Yeltsin_in_Texas.jpg|right|thumb|400px|Boris Yeltsin visits a Randall's in Houston.<br>Two years later the Soviet Union was dead.<br>Communism < Jello Pudding Pops]]
The ideology of communism is highly diverse, as numerous thinkers have proposed different definitions and pathways to a communist society, yet most modern communists, in one way or another, derive their ideas from the writings of Karl Marx: hence, it is Marxist communism that will be discussed here. Even then, a full explanation is far beyond the scope of this wiki, so [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communism Wikipedia] might be a better bet if you want to get into the philosophical and economic details.

Most non-Marxist communists are more anti-authoritarian (e.g. Kropotkin, Makhno), so they are sometimes classified as [[Malal|anarchists]] instead. However, even Marxist communism is not homogenous, ranging from the more extremist (Hoxhaism, Stalinism aka Marxism-Leninism) to more moderate (Titoism, Kadarism, classical Marxism), sometimes mixed with nationalism (Juche), liberal capitalism (Dengism) or - ironically given communism's recurring [[Imperial Truth|anti-religion]] tendency - ''Catholicism'' (Liberation theology). Perhaps the reason why there are so many different variations of communism is because Marx and Engels' blueprint is so vague in many places (it didn't help that Marx died before finishing ''Das Kapital'') that it lends itself to a dizzying array of interpretations, for better or worse.

Marxism originates with the work of (newsflash) Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels: Engels was the working son of an industrialist, while Marx got a PhD in law and spent much of his life in academia and radical politics; this arguably makes them the world's first [[Gretchin Revolutionary Committee|socialist justice warriors.]] These two developed their economic theories as a response to the effects of the Industrial Revolution. Marx observed that while the mechanization of production was a good thing since it generated a lot of wealth, he believed it was [[Rage|grossly unfair]] since said wealth was accumulating in the pockets of only a few [[Games Workshop|fucking rich pricks]] and most other people lived in Victorian poverty. He further saw this as another step in a long historical trend in which a class that owned the means of production (i.e. factories, land, etc.) exploited and dominated a lower class that had to sell its labor power to survive (by working in said factories, land, etc.) even though they had no say in how the means of production could be used and had a better claim to it on account of being the class that actually used the means of production.

Marx viewed society as being on a very clear cut path of social evolution with clearly defined phases, based on his interpretation of Hegelian philosophy (we suggest you look that up yourself, it's much too complicated to make into a pithy explanation here). Every phase represented a different form of economy and social hierarchy, and, while starting out "progressive", would eventually [[Imperium of Man|fall into degradation]] as it exceeded its limits. At this point, this decayed socio-economic system would have to be overthrown and replaced with a more just and advanced one, starting a new phase: Marx considered the Fall of the Roman Empire (transition from individual slavery to land-based feudalism) and the revolutions of the 19th century (transition from feudalism to industrial capitalism) to be the moments when such a transition occurred. He believed that capitalism was rapidly approaching its own collapse and replacement.

The new social order, Marx believed, would be collectivist, atheist and classless: as industrial production required people to work together on a large scale, so too would the new system of government. The new society would start out more authoritarian (socialism) before its government would eventually dissolve (communism proper). The economy would be controlled by the workers rather than by individual shareholders, competition would be discouraged in favor of a more cooperative and collective-oriented mindset, and religion (which Marx considered an obsolete "opiate of the masses"- although contrary to popular belief he did not actually oppose its existence) would fade away when it was no longer needed to distract people from the poor conditions they lived in. Most importantly, the new order would end the traditional state of affairs in which one class dominated all others through its control of the means of production and allow for true equality and prosperity for everyone. It is for this reason that no Communist party has claimed it has actually ''created'' a communist society, as according to their ideology they are simply guiding society through its socialist phase until true communism can be achieved at an unspecified future time.

However, Marx and Engels never gave a clear outline of how such a society could be created or what it would look like, either because they believed the workers would decide that or [[Profit|they had no idea or plan for how to achieve it]]. The the first one to put it into practice on a national scale (Vladimir Lenin) gave it a distinctly authoritarian spin which only got worse with Stalin. It should not be surprising that even in Marx's own time there were many opposing views of how a communist society would be created and maintained since he failed to give a method to accomplish it.

As a whole, most forms of Marxism are highly skeptical of liberal democracy (albeit supportive of the democratic process itself and direct democracy in particular), as it is considered to be corrupt and easily manipulated by the wealthy (even if you take the role of the media and its ability to influence public opinion into account, the old stereotype of politicians serving their richest donors rather than the people they allegedly represent didn't exactly spring out of a vacuum); similarly, they dismiss the process of slow reform advocated by social democratic ideology as a mass of half-measures intended to preserve a broken system instead of replacing it. In its place, communists propose the "dictatorship of the proletariat". Before you jump to conclusions, Marx considered all forms of government to be a form of dictatorship in that one class held absolute power over all others; in this case, the class in question would be the workers, who would use the innately authoritarian power of the state to ensure that a worker-controlled democratic decision-making process would not be opposed by reactionary elements attempting to re-establish the old order (also, keep in mind that back in Marx's day even the most democratic societies restricted the vote to male property owners). According to Marx, this dictatorship would last only long enough to eliminate the differences between classes- as the state's existence is due to said class differences, this would eventually lead the state to dissolve when it was no longer needed...somehow.

One of Marx's most prominent socialist rivals, Mikhail Bakunin, made the prediction that a dictatorship of the proletariat wouldn't "wither away" as Marx expected, but instead would serve as the foundation of a new ruling class that would dominate and exploit the proletariat just like the capitalists did: rather than class differences leading to the creation of the state, it was the state itself that allowed those class differences to exist in the first place. As a result, using the power of the state to end class differences would only perpetuate them further.

In Leninism, Marxism-Leninism, and their offshoots, the dictatorship of the proletariat takes form of the "vanguard party", consisting of the most "class-conscious" individuals. This party would be given near-absolute power over society and economy, so that transition towards socialism and eventually communism would proceed properly. As such, most communist states using the Marxist-Leninist model and its relatives have been dictatorships, headed either by charismatic despots (Lenin, Stalin, Mao Zedong, Pol Pot), or by the party oligarchy (modern China, late USSR). While other forms of communism exist that do not follow the vanguard party model, they are too lacking in influence to have ever been implemented on a national scale so we can't really say what they'd be like. It should also be noted that Marx and Engels themselves doubted the idea that a small revolutionary party could represent the will of the working class, an idea originally espoused by one of his other contemporaries (Blanqui, if you're curious).

===Issues===
One of the (many) major flaws in communist ideology is that its economic theories simply cannot be translated into the real world. For all the bullshit and genuine problems that happen in the free market (or the corporation-dominated form that exists today, at any rate), it still has the advantage of solving what economists call the ''economic calculation problem''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_calculation_problem .] To make a long story short, free markets work by allocating resources to where they are most needed and will produce the most value for people, and they are able to do this through ''price signals''.

Consider: Games Workshop wants money. You have money. So they make little [[Space Marines|metal figures]] that you want and so you buy them, and [[profit|they make money]]. Then they decide they want to make more money. So they try making a [[Manta|big honking model that costs a lot of money]], but you don't buy it because you're poor. By doing this [[Age of Sigmar|over]] and [[Primaris Marines|over]] again, GW eventually figures out what will and won't sell at what price, and you come to regard them as a money grubbing lawful evil because they're making a thing you want and charging you close to the highest price you're willing to pay to get it.

In a free market, nobody really needs to know what the whole economy looks like or how much steel the country will need in a given year; people only need to know how ''their own'' business works: what their customers want and what they'll pay for it. Under planned economies, by contrast, decisions are made by politicians and bureaucrats who have no understanding of how anything works and who pay no price for being wrong, leading to massive malinvestment and waste. Even nominally Communist governments were forced to implement some capitalist policies after learning this the hard way, though the degree to which they did so varied from country to country, with China being among the most capitalist and North Korea being the least.

Furthermore, Bakunin's predictions about the dictatorship of the proletariat turning into a dictatorship ''over'' the proletariat have proven to be consistently correct, with party bureaucracies quickly assuming the same exploitative practices that their capitalist precursors used and claiming the means of production for themselves rather than passing them onto the workers. Often, they actually made those practices worse and suppressed labor movements more aggressively than the capitalists they had overthrown.

Liberal philosophers like Karl Popper on the other hand took a more fundamental approach to their critique; Popper in particular had the major criticism that history doesn't run on predetermined rulesets and laws, like Marx thought, and that such a line of thinking, especially when paired with the promise of a socialist utopia, would ultimately just serve people like Lenin and Mao Zedong, who would abuse this ideology to create authoritarian nightmares that only serve themselves. Seeing how the Socialist dream always ended in stagnation, dictatorship and misery, he was ultimately proven to be right about a lot of things. Sociologists like Didier Eribon formulated another criticism on how Marxism views society; mainly that the working class, especially in our day and age, is not a uniform monolithic bloc that can be rallied to join a revolution or even a cause. While sharing common interests, how these interests manifest themselves in any individual can range wildly and also how the influence of social background often unconsciously makes people act against their own interests.

Even in an ideal universe where the bureaucracy running a centrally planned economy wasn't corrupt or inept, the technology to monitor and plan any sort of national economy has yet to be invented and what we have now can't keep track of everything well enough to make it work; the average economy is incredibly complex and not even the most advanced computers that currently exist can predict every possible variable that might affect how the economy functions (let alone predict the long term effects of a plan), so mistakes will inevitably occur and snowball with dangerous consequences. As a result, a centrally planned economy invariably destroys the countries in which it is attempted due to drop of quality in consumer products, and eventually, food sources. Countries like China use the international market to get around this, but this is only delaying the inevitable. It gets even worse when you factor in the further increased complexity demanded by globalization. Technological advancements in the future might be able to mitigate this issue or even solve it outright, but they may not happen for a very long time.

Other types of planned economies exist too, but they are much less common and tend to exist on smaller scales so we can't really tell how well they'd work on a national level, let alone an international one. They do seem to function surprisingly well on a regional/municipal scale though, especially those which are decentralized and use little to no top-down authority when making decisions. Only time will tell if they work on larger scales too, assuming that they are not forcibly ended by their rivals first.

The economic failures of Socialist countries can also be found in Communist ideology itself; if your state says that it's heaven on earth, then said state won't do a whole lot to potentially improve things it has apart from occasional repairs or inventing new things that aren't necessary for its own survival. The downfall of the USSR and its aftermath is a good example of this; WWII destroyed a lot of stuff in Russia, so the government increased funding for sectors essential to rebuilding the nation. Productivity remained high until the late 70s, when, paired with party cronyism, the job of rebuilding Russia was finished and productivity started to stagnate on a high level. The only sectors that saw regular innovation and new invention were the arms and nuclear weapons industry. So it came to be that the West ultimately shot waaaay past the USSR in terms of productivity and wealth and ultimately defeated it.

That being said, mixed economies combining elements of communism and capitalism (e.g. Keynesianism and the "Nordic Model") have consistently proven to be functional enough to not destroy countries, albeit these successes have much more to do with cultural factors than with any success of communist ideology, the latter of which has steadily been abandoned over the last few decades. As mentioned above, these mixed economies are typically viewed by socialists to be more closely related to capitalism than communism, and most of them believe that the welfare systems they depend on are likely to be privatized in the absence of a stronger shift away from a capitalist economy. Several of these economies have indeed been abandoning their socialist elements over time in favor of a more capitalistic system, due in no small part to economic stagnation and near-collapse due to socialist economic policies, although one could also point to major corporate and capitalist interests undermining said socialist policies as a cause of both of those. We're not in a position to say which of those explanations is more likely to be true, so we'll leave it at that.

Furthermore, Communist governments tend to move away from the tenets of Marx and Engels in an attempt to force their ideas to work in situations they were never intended to function in. Marx believed that the shift to socialism and then communism could '''only''' work in an advanced industrial capitalist society with an established working class and that any attempt to make it happen before that point was doomed to backfire (and as Venezuela has since shown us, even THAT prediction was clearly wrong), and one must also remember that while much of what he said was prescient, he had no idea how capitalism would develop past his own era.

Lenin got around this by claiming that he could "telescope" the capitalist and socialist revolutions into a single event with the aid of the aforementioned vanguard party and proposing an alliance with the Russian peasantry to compensate for the undeveloped presence of the working class. Even then, Lenin tentatively allowed a shift back to private ownership for the Kulaks just so the Soviet economy could get back on its feet, before Stalin purged them all as class enemies and triggered a widespread famine known as the Holodomor (which the vast majority of historians suspect was intentional on Stalin's part).

Mao Zedong took this to an even further extreme by forcing the revolution in the primarily agrarian China and then trying to kick-start industrialization with the "Great Leap Forward". It was a total failure for several different reasons, and Mao's hamfisted attempt to retain control of the Communist Party afterwards gave rise to the Cultural Revolution and all the bloodshed that came with it. Somewhat like Lenin, Mao's successor Deng Xiaoping ended up implementing capitalist policies (while leaving all the other oppressive elements intact) in response to the earlier economic crises. While it did salvage the economy, it also ended up producing a system that arguably combines the worst qualities of both capitalism and communism that survives only by constant pandering to nationalist sentiments.

Because of the legacy of the Cold War and everything mentioned above, mass famines among numerous communist countries, and widespread human rights abuses from the regimes of communist leaders, communism is about as "loved" as fascism; there's good reason why people occasionally put Stalin and Mao, and communism/socialism, on equal footing with [[Nazis|Hitler]] and Imperial Japan in terms of evilness. Even the forms of communism that originated independently of the Leninist traditions are generally poorly regarded at best due to guilt by association. This is ironic, given that Lenin (and later Stalin) spent a considerable period of time trying to wipe out the forms of communism that diverged from Leninism.

As an interesting closing note, some people claim that the rise of automation (robotic and algorithmic) has the potential to bring about a society that resembles what communism tried to achieve. Today, most farming is done either automatically, or by a single dude riding a combine and doing the job of hundreds of farmers in a single day, manufacturing has also similarly gone through a wave of automation which has seen many factories reduce the number of their workers from hundreds to mere dozens, and the recent bastion of human labor - the service sector - is slowly seeing the penetration of algorithms and in rare cases robots into the fold. What all this means is that humanity needs to do less and less work while the automated systems do it just as well if not better, these 'means of production' can be (in theory) easily nationalized and the usual problems of people slacking off due to everyone being paid equally is eliminated since both the neurosurgeon and waiter who are 'paid the same for their effort' are robots. Add to that the rise of 3D printing which may act as poor man's Star Trek replicators (eliminating the need to buy a smörgåsbord of stuff) and theoretically we could be on track towards "fully automated luxury gay space communism". However, none of these advances do anything about the economic calculation problem. They do not tell us how many robots to build or whether those robots should farm corn or assemble 3D-printed guns. More relevant from a communist perspective is the fact that these robots are still ''privately owned'' and so fail to address the core issue with capitalism in that the workers do not control the means of production and still have to sell their labor to live. All of this automation merely reduces the demand for human labor in some parts of the economy, pushing workers into whatever sectors of the economy are still hiring humans and leaving them destitute if they can't find anyone to sell their labor to. In fact, the original Luddite movement was a reaction to this very issue: it was composed of textile workers who had lost their jobs as a result of machinery eliminating the need for their skilled labor. (Contrary to popular belief, they didn't oppose technology itself so much as the fact that said technology was being used by employers to put weavers out of work and offered the ones that remained employed nothing in return but lower wages.) As always, only time will tell if automation can live up to its hype but historical precedent thus far is not promising.

=== Note ===
It also is notable that Communist is often used as a dismissive snarl in modern first world politics against the left wing, even when actual Stalinist-style communists (or "tankies" as other communists and socialists call them, a reference to the Soviets' sending in tanks to suppress the Hungarian Revolution of 1956) are a small minority on the fringes. There is also a distinction between Revolutionary Communists like the Bolsheviks and the Democratic Socialists such as the German SPD, which believe that the transition to socialism and then communism does not necessarily require an outright revolution and can be implemented through peaceful means. Ironically, it is the latter that more closely resembles classical Marxism. Democratic socialism in turn is not to be confused with social democracy, which is a form of liberal democracy whose capitalist economic system is paired with regulation and social welfare programs to mitigate the excesses of capitalism (with varying degrees of success as described above).

==Communism in Traditional Games==
In general there are three ways communism is used in fiction and board games:

1: '''Filthy Godless Red BASTARDS!''': Dangerous, faceless enemies, ripped straight from the wettest dreams of the Cold War-era American John Birch society. These communists are the enemy; a vast, brutal, godless horde determined to take over the world that our heroes must resist. Nowadays, this attitude is usually played for comedy, as in ''[[Paranoia]]'' where Friend Computer's glitched-out personality has made it a paranoid wreck obsessed with a largely-imaginary adversary (while creating some actual communists in the process). Others have played it seriously, especially in works produced during the Cold War (such as the 1984 film ''Red Dawn''). By the way, if you want an example of literal CommuNazis, the East German Stasi are a good place to start, although the Nazi part is mostly aesthetic and the Communist ideology is what was dominant (for CommuNazis as an ideology, Nazbols are basically that, combining far left economic policy and far right cultural party). Red Alert 1 is a /v/idya example, totally starting with a massive Tabun gas attack on the Polish city of Torun with ''children'' being discussed as dying the easiest.

2: '''Champions of the Proletariat''': The other side of the coin to what is listed above. These are either rebels against corrupt corporate overlords (frequently cyberpunk heroes) or a body of workers and soldiers fighting against fascist invaders (any game from the Russian perspective in WWII will count). Occasionally this show up in Medieval settings as anachronistic peasant revolts or other politically-radical types out to pull down the social parts of [[Medieval Stasis]]. Red Alert 3 has this a smidge between the lines, moreso in Uprising where they avenge innocent Russian citizens being frozen and crushed alive for fun by bloodthirsty Allied mercenaries.

3: '''GLORIOUS COMMUNISTS''': Somewhere between the other two and generally played for laughs. Communist regimes are oppressive and ponderous, but also able to do great things through sheer force of Industrial Might, Soviet Super Science, Stalinist Architecture and Will-Of-The-People and can be heroic just as easily as villainous. See Red Alert-II(more of it) and III(less of it), and to a lesser extent a few parts of the [[Imperium of Man]]. As close to real communism as you can get, comrade.

Communism has also provided us with the Russian army, which is an awesome gaming resource and reference, either in a drunken, drown-your-enemies-with-bodies-and-artillery sort of way (World War II), or a send-in-the-hardened-and-manly-Spetsnaz-and-tanks way (Cold War). It is a sacred law of [[/tg/]] alternate history [[/tg/'s homebrews|homebrew]] settings that there must be at least one communist faction and it must control at least 50% of the world's total landmass. Even [[Warmachine| Khador]] draws on the imagery of the Soviet armed forces, despite being more analogous to Tsarist/Imperialist Russia politically, aside from their Manifest Destiny "Why can't everyone else just roll over and let us conquer them?!" ideology that has... [[Nazi| other roots]].

Like all radical ideologies, communists are all over [[Shadowrun|the Sixth World]], mostly among the poor and disenfranchised who can't help looking up at the big fancy megacorp enclaves and wondering how ''that'' makes any kind of just sense. The Berlin Flux State was probably the biggest and most successful anarcho-communist enclave in-setting for a while, before it became such an embarrassment to the megacorps insisting they should be the only game in town that many of them (including the one run by the great dragon Lofwyr) had it dismantled somewhere around second or third edition.

People like to call the [[Tau]] communist. There's ''some'' truth to that, given they're a highly-collective society that generally values group achievement over personal accomplishment, but they're also a largely class-stratified society, with only the assurance that their leaders are theoretically cooperating for the [[Greater Good]] to keep them from being out-and-out feudalists with castes. This system is actually very similar to Italian and Spanish ''[[Nazi|fascism]]'', where the economy was split between several large trade-based corporations, where the workers and the bourgeoisie were supposed to talk out their issues together (under the benevolent guidance of the party elites of course) but this is not a perfect fit either.

There was also the [[Gretchin Revolutionary Committee]], a parody of the kinds of communist guerrillas of previous decades, who are armed grots out to demand equal treatment from their Ork masters with comical results. The Imperium, being a decentralized feudalistic empire, undoubtedly has many worlds that have communist governing bodies and economies, and maybe even a few where things worked out okay.

The [[Genestealer_Cult|genestealers]] of the rusted claw have a communistic vibe as they utterly reject wealth in all its forms to the point that they dont bathe or maintain their weaponry allowing it to rust. They willingly joined the [[Tyranid|tyranids]] in order to escape the dismal working conditions of the [[Adeptus_Mechanicus|mechanicus]] and are one of the few truly nihilistic cults as some of them know that their masters will kill them in the end.

In '''Pariah: Ravenor vs. Eisenhorn''', Alizebeth Bequin (The clone) was seen hunting for relics from a collector. There, she came across [[wat|an ancient children's toy in the shape of a rocket with the marking of C.C.C.P (aka '''оюз Советских Социалистических Республик''' (Soviet Union))]]. Although it was obvious that 40k sets in the far future of our real world, it none the less confirmed the existences of Soviet Russia and communism in the setting. Btw, neither Bequin nor the collector knew what CCCP meant, considered much of the ancient Terra history were lost in the far future, but at least they remembered ancient humans on Terra made their ''first step'' to space using chemical rockets.

[[Pathfinder Roleplaying Game|Golarion]] has got a semi-hemi-demi communist nation in-setting: Galt, land of insane, constant revolution where the only winners are the ''final blades''. It represents the "messy revolutionary" kind of communism rather than any of the three flavors above, though there's some obvious mixing with the principals of the French Revolution that was its more-direct inspiration.

The [[Harpers]] of Faerun are, among other things, semi-communists in outlook. They strongly favor removing power from single governments and shifting leadership to individual communities. This can make them heroic when unseating despots but significantly less so when assassinating anyone who tries to unite the city-states.

[[Khador]] in Warmachine takes the Glorious Soviet Russia identity and wears it like a badge, even though its actual government resembles Tzarist Russia.

''[[Star Trek]]'' is complicated. On the one hand, the Federation has essentially a communist economy and they have the humanist element down, but their advanced technology has created a post-scarcity economy, so it can be interpreted that the producers thought this would be a natural product of a society where everybody was self-sufficient. Conversely, their chief rivals, the Klingons and the Romulans, are transparent analogues of the USSR and Maoist China seen through the pre-détente eyes of an American lounge lizard. Similar post-scarcity communists are common in ''[[Eclipse Phase]]'', though with a much stronger anarchist bent. They are largely and uncomplicatedly perfect due to the game designers' raging stiffy for that kind of thing.

Any WWII or quasi-WWII game worth its salt will have a communist faction, including the classic ''[[Axis & Allies]]'' and the modern wargame ''[[Flames of War]]''. Additionally, many classic board games have attempted to tap into the forty-five year struggle for dominance between America and the communists. The most famous and best is probably ''[[Twilight Struggle]]''. [[TSR]] also released an RPG set during the Cold War called ''[[Top Secret]]'', though, like most non-''D&D'' TSR products, no one under thirty-five has ever heard of it.

{{BLAM|This article has been marked as containing treasonous capitalist road sentiments. Please report to your local commissariat for re-education through labor.}}

==Gallery==
<center><gallery>
File:AK-47.jpg|Glorious Soviet Industries could be used to produce huge numbers of reliable and effective things which are still in high demand after a half a century...
File:Lada 1200.jpg||...Their cars are not on that list.
File:Communism and the NTS Fallacy.png|(Not pictured: Ho Chi Minh, Fidel Castro and more)
File:Space marine commie.jpg| Do your duty comrade
File: Stalin space marine.jpg| This is how some people think World War II actually went
File: Space marine revolution.jpg| The cure for [[Chick Tracts]] ("something something worse than the disease")
</gallery></center>

==See Also==
* [[Imperium of Man]] as it too was based on a revolutionary progressive ideal that gave way to despotism, with the big question being if this was a natural consequence of the ideal or a complete perversion.
* Come to think of it, most failed utopian societies that /tg/ loves probably borrowed from the history of Soviet Russia in some way, especially from the revolutionary to Stalinist era.

[[category:Not related]]
[[Category:history]]