Review: 40K goes full Mad Max in the new Necromunda: Ash Wastes set

On Saturday, Games Workshop’s latest hype train, a $299 boxed set called Necromunda: Ash WastesThe final turn on its way to retail release was reached by. It sold out almost immediately, meaning that eager fans’ best bet for securing a copy in the short term will be hitting up their local retailer and hoping for the best. It is a great set, packed with wonderful miniatures and new scenery. But while I’m thrilled about the quality of the kit itself, I’m even more excited for the opportunities it opens up for the Necromunda franchise as a whole. This is just the beginning of the Mad Max-ification of Warhammer 40,000, and I’m excited to see where it goes from here.

Necromunda Regular and irregular differ Warhammer 40,000It does so in many ways. One is that it has completely different rulesets. This means that individual models cannot be used across the two systems. However, they need different rulebooks to play them. But Necromunda New players have an advantage because of the low start-up cost. While you’ll need dozens of models to field an army in 40KTo get started, all you need is about 10 NecromundaIts focus on small-scale skirmishes makes it affordable. This makes it one the most affordable points to enter the Warhammer hobby.

Games Workshop

Naturally, this also creates the Ash WastesThis boxed set is even more impressive for the price. It turns out that you can get a lot of stuff for only $300. Two gangs with 10 each include four mounted soldiers and two four-wheeled cars. There’s a total number of 26 fighters. There’s also a double-sided map, a bunch of cards, dice, rulers, and the like. The real gem is the terrain.

The Games Workshop’s most complex and flexible gaming terrain set in a decade is this one. The “hab units” — essentially bomb-proof slum housing — have a modular design that allows you to create different shapes. Either you choose the traditional hexagonal footprint of a yurt, or go for something more creative. You can also use these units to create longer oval structures. They’re also easily stacked, meaning you can customize the density of your futuristic shanty town to suit your taste.

These boxes have the exact same detailing as previous Necromunda boxed set. These new pieces will fit in the existing collections of veteran players, and new players will have an easier time finding a place for them.

Photo: Charlie Hall/Polygon

Photo: Charlie Hall/Polygon

The best part is that almost all terrain can be fitted with friction. The walkways and some other components only require gravity to stay in place. This makes it possible to create unique environments for each game. It should also be fairly simple to add homemade accessories to the terrain later on: Just include a few hook-like clips that are roughly the right size to latch onto the terrain’s built-in grommets, and you’re good to go. It’s an absolute gift for the kitbashers, modders, and artists who have worked to make Necromunda one of the most fascinating subcultures within the modern 40K community.

However, it’s the ruleset that ships with Ash WastesThat will serve as the basis for Necromunda in the future. This 176-page, hardcover book contains a refined ruleset that GW worked tirelessly on since 2017. Everything you need to know about fighting on foot is included in the book, and it’s presented in a more updated and streamlined format than ever before. It also includes rules for fighting with vehicles — a first for the franchise that originally launched in the 1990s.

Photo: Charlie Hall/Polygon

The Vehicular Battles are completely different Necromunda From a tabletop game to a movie-style post-apocalyptic adventure, They’re most impactful in a new game type called a Rolling Roads battle. Played on a six-foot-by-four-foot table, both sides treat that table as a kind of treadmill by moving all of the terrain eight inches closer to the edge each round. Meanwhile, players take turns placing new terrain near the table’s leading edge. This creates a dynamic obstacle course where players will be colliding on a daily basis. This game goes beyond the basic kinetic action by adding rules that allow you to leap between vehicles, for head and side impacts and running troops over. It also allows for moving vehicles and pushing vehicles off of the road.

Photo: Charlie Hall/Polygon

Oddly enough Necromunda: Ash Wastes only comes with two vehicles, and they’re only made for one of the game’s two factions. This means that the lavish box set’s most exciting new game mode is absolutely off limits to those who have only purchased this set alone. Additional vehicles for the game’s other factions have yet to be released, and only a few have even been announced.

The bottom line is that if you were curious about getting into the Necromunda franchise, this is an excellent — albeit pricey — way to get started. But if you’re a die-hard fan who wants to add vehicular mayhem to an already existing campaign, I think you’re better off waiting for more vehicles to get released. If you’re already invested in the franchise, maybe wait and pick up the Ash WastesRulebook available for purchase a la carte. By that time, we’ll likely have at least a few more vehicles — like the massive Cargo-8 Ridgehauler — available for purchase. Or, better yet, cobble something together using the other spare bits you’ve got lying around your hobby space. No matter how involved you are in the set, Necromunda: Ash Wastesshould be an inspiration source and a great time at the table for many years to come.

Necromunda: Ash Wastes Games Workshop provided a retail copy for review. Vox Media does not have an affiliate partnership with Games Workshop. They do not have any influence on editorial content. Vox Media can earn commissions for products bought via affiliate links. Here are some links to help you find. additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.