Well folks, I’ve picked up the big honking box that is the Ash Wastes expansion for Necromunda, and I am very pleased. I can’t quite explain why, but I’m very pleased!
Given that I was into it at first, I don’t really remember what put me off getting it upon its release back in May this year. Possibly big box fatigue, as I was picking up the kill team boxes for a small fortune each at the time. After flip-flopping for most of September though, I am now the proud owner of the box, and I’m quite excited about it – I think it’s just the fact it’s new and shiny that’s making me so excited, if truth be told…
Now then. The point of this post is not to merely jump up and down in glee. I want to see how far I can get with this as a project, starting with the terrain. I’m not currently sure what I want to do about the gangs – Forge World are doing yet more resin upgrades for Ash Wastes-ifying the House gangs, but at £20 a go, that seems kinda expensive. The gangs don’t have zone mortalis bases though, so if I do another ten Orlocks, to some extent they will be specific to this setting.
That said, for years I’ve been considering a Genestealer Cults gang, and my models don’t have zone mortalis bases because they’re a part of my army…
Anyway. I want to start with the terrain, and see how far I can get. I’m intending to build then paint, so we shall see how that goes – especially as I don’t yet have a colour scheme decided on! I do like that kind of rust-red/brown that you see in some of the official artwork, but I have seen some done in a kind of olive drab, which looks good too. Yesterday, I was considering a kind of tan, which might be appropriate to blend in to the Wastes themselves, so who knows!
I am very excited to start building though, as I’m looking forward to seeing how these hab block things look in the flesh!
I feel like it might need a bit of planning, though, to build this stuff. I am fairly sure that I’d want to get at least another hab, perhaps more of the walkways as well, though those things are expensive. I won’t be rushing to get some, especially as I have so much on the go right now! I have some of the sector fronteris terrain that could go in this environment quite well, and I’ve seen folks who have adapted the Octarius Ork shanty town terrain to work as well, which could be worth looking into. Of course, I have plenty of crates and containers to make a storage/ammo dump area, as well, so it should definitely be possible to fill the board!
Getting this box has definitely reignited some hobby love for me, after I had begun to wane a little. Having so many different projects going on did get to me in the end, I think, and I had begun to cast around for more in a weird bid to stay focused! I don’t want to completely abandon my plans for getting more Sisters and more Necrons painted by the end of the year, but I think codifying it into specific units that I want to paint was a bit like the kiss of death for me! So I will try to stay vague, in the hope that I will indeed get more stuff finished. Though I’m definitely going to finish the Raider soon, if nothing else!!
Anyway. Ash Wastes is technically old news now, as we’ve already had more new releases for the game in the shape of the new campaign book, alongside the Goliath vehicles. It’s got me wondering if we’re in for anything more for Necromunda as we approach Christmas. Escher bikes most likely, hopefully alongside a reprint of their tactics cards, as well. And Forge World have some Escher stuff to put out, as well.
However, I wonder if we’ll see more for the Ash Wastes, in the same way that we had the gang stronghold and the market as “expansions” to the zone mortalis stuff? That market kinda came out of nowhere, so I’m excited to see what’s next, anyway!
In the meantime, though, stay tuned for Ash Wastes – and more!
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