Biker Gangs in Necromunda
Biker Gangs in Necromunda
Biker Gangs in Necromunda
Across human space, there seem to be few constants. Of these, one of the most
wide spread is the band of mounted warriors. Through all eras and technology levels,
these semi-legal and illegal groups ride. On flesh and blood or mechanical steeds,
they fight for survival, or make a living terrorizing any less powerful then themselves.
In the world of Necromunda, this is no exception, as gangs of bikers clash with the
other denizens of the underhive.
Important Note: This article assumes that the biker gang is predominately male. If
your gang is to be predominately female, then substitute the gender based terms as
you see fit, such as changing "Motorcycle Mamma" to "Boy Toy". This was done for
the sake of brevity, not to offend.
GANG MEMBERS
Type M BS WS S T W I A Ld
Lord 4 4 4 3 3 1 4 1 8
Weapons: The Lord may be armed with any number of weapons chosen
from the basic, hand to hand, pistol, special weapons or grenades lists.
Special Rules: The Lord may always test to avoid being pinned in place. Any
fighter within 6" of the Lord may use the LD characteristic of the Lord when
making leadership tests, providing that the Lord is not down or broken.
Type M BS WS S T W I A Ld
Wrench 4 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 7
Weapons: Wrenches may be armed with any number of weapons chosen
from the basic, hand to hand, pistol, special weapons, heavy weapons or
grenades lists.
Rider 4 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 7
Weapons: Riders may be armed with any number of weapons chosen from
the basic, hand to hand, pistol, or grenades lists.
Mammas often lack the resolve of gangers in the underhive, and often have
little combat experience before joining the gang. Many times they gain
strength by being near their "man" ,whom they may perceive as their
protector. As such, if they are far from their "man", they often panic and make
poor decisions.
Each Rider, Wrench and the Lord may have a Mamma ride or run with him. No more than half
you gang may be Mammas or Spuds.
Type M BS WS S T W I A Ld
Mamma 4 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 7
Special Rules: If at the start of the turn a Mamma is more than Initiative
distance away from her "man", she must pass a Leadership test or run
immediately towards him. The Mamma may not do anything else for that turn.
If the Mamma's man is taken down, roll a d6 against the following table:
Panic! The Mamma breaks and runs for the table edge. She will not recover until
1
the end of the battle.
2- Protect. The Mamma will stand over her fallen man and protect him. She can act
4 normally, but will not move out of Initiative range of the fallen ganger.
5 Stay Calm. The Mamma steadies her nerves and can continue as a normal model.
Fury! The Mamma is filed with rage as her man falls. She may move and shoot as
6
normal, but is affected by the rules for Frenzy for the rest of the battle.
If the Mamma's man is taken out of action, roll a d6 with the following results.
1-2 = Panic!, 3-4 = Stay Calm, 5-6 = Fury!
At the end of the game, if a Mamma's man is killed or retires due to injury, roll a d6:
1 Not Worth It. The Mamma retires from the gang, sick of all the fighting and dying.
Continue On. The Mamma stays with the gang as a Mamma for another rider. She
2-
may replace another Mamma if all remaining gangers already have one, or she may
4
retire if no available spots are open.
Vengeance Quest. The Mamma gains Hatred against the gang which killed (or
5-
forced retirement on) her man and takes up arms. She is now treated as a Rider in
6
the gang, but still chooses from skill categories as a Mamma.
Spud (25 credits):
Spuds are novice members of the gang, out to prove themselves. Until that
time they will never be given a bike to ride, and will go into battle either on
foot, or riding behind a rider or in a side car.
Type M BS WS S T W I A Ld
Spud 4 2 2 3 3 1 3 1 6
Weapons: Spuds may be armed with any number of weapons chosen from
the hand to hand, pistol, or grenades lists.
All Biker gang members, except Mammas and Spuds, start with the special new skill
"Biker". This skill allows the model to ride and fight from a bike with no penalties.
Any model without this skill attempting to operate a bike will suffer the following
penalties:
Any model in a biker gang which does not have the Biker skill may gain it instead of
rolling on the Advancement table. This must be decided before the dice are rolled. If
a member of a non-biker gang wishes to gain the Biker skill, he may choose it if he is
able to select any category (i.e., rolls 2 or 12 on the Advancement table).
A model must have the Biker skill before skills can be rolled on the Biker Skill Table,
even if the ganger is able to select any category.
Because of the added range a bike gives, a rider with a working bike (i.e., one that
did not go out of action) may work two territories instead of one. If forced to forage,
the rider rolls 2d6 instead of 1d6 as he is able to cover more ground.
Bikes require maintenance and upkeep, almost as much as a normal ganger. When
working out profit, or after foraging, every two bikes count as a gang member. If
you have an odd number of bikes, round up.
If a gang captures a bike, the Biker gang must be given at least one chance to
"rescue" it. As long as a captured bike is part of a gang's Stash, it is considered a
candidate to be "rescued", and the Rescue mission may be played if the biker gang
has the choice of scenarios. If the bike is given to a gang member it is assumed to
be under tighter lock and key, and cannot be rescued .
Bikes in a gang's stash may be valid targets for the scenario Loot and Pillage.
Replace one of the loot counters with a bike model.
51-60 Top Rider / Mamma 10-11 Random skill from any skills table
61-80 Champion / Mamma 12 Random skill from any skills table
Spud x x
Mamma x x x
Rider x x x
Wrench x x x x x
Lord x x x x x x
Jink: The rider is able to make small bounces and shifts as he rides, causing the bike to be
1
harder to hit. All enemy fire directed at the bike is at -1 to hit.
2 Jury Rig: The ganger may attempt to temporarily fix a downed bike using what can be
found in the immediate area (usually rubber bands and chewing gum). Roll a d6. 1- cannot
fix bike at all, 2-3 - cannot fix bike now, but may try again later, 4-6 the bike is usable for
the rest of the battle. Since the fix is just temporary, treat the bike as "down" at the end of
the battle, so the bike may still roll on the Bike Serious Damage table.
Dare Devil: The rider routinely pushes his bike to the limit, performing feats which would
3 cause lesser men to blanch, until he knows the absolute limits of his vehicle. This allows
the rider to reroll any jump or skid turn control roll.
Stunt Man: The biker is able to leap from and onto moving vehicles with ease. His
4 uncanny reflexes and ability to avoid injury means that he not suffer an injury when
mounting or dismounting a moving bike if he can pass an Initiative test.
Run Through: The rider has perfected the Hit and Run attack, and is a master at using his
5 bike as a weapon in close combat. A WS bonus of +1 is given to the rider for any close
combat he is in, provided he is mounted on his bike, and it is not stopped.
Master Mechanic: Wrenches only The Wrench has superior skills in repairing and
6 maintaining the gang's bikes. If the Wrench is not taken out of action at the end of the
game, he may be used to reroll one result on the Serious Damage table.
BIKER TERRITORIES
When creating a biker gang, you may roll any of your territories from the following
chart. A biker gang must roll at least one of their starting territories from this chart.
Special Rules: As these territories are often viewed as being borderline illegal, any
"grass out" rolls against the gang are modified by -1 for each of the Biker Territories
the gang controls.
If a Biker Territory is ever captured by a non-Biker gang, then that territory may only ever be
plundered, as the workers will refuse to associate with anyone who does not understand the
business.
D66
Income Territory
Result
13-16 20 Drug Contact: The gang has links to the illicit drug trade. For a share of
the profits, they offer whatever protection they can and direct would be
customers to their contact.
As long as the gang has this contact, one drug may be treated as common
during trading. Roll a d6 when this territory is taken. 1-3 = Spur, 4-5=
Kalma, 6= Slaught.
House of Ill Repute: Young men and women sell their favours to lonely
underhivers in particular need of their services. In exchange for the lion's
share of the profits, the house provides its employees with a clean and safe
working environment, a well balanced diet, and perhaps the best protected
2d6 x
31-36 lodgings in all the underhive.
10
A rider which works the territory may come across a particularly comely
employee. If the rider does not have a Mamma or Boy Toy, roll a d6 to see
if "sparks fly". On a 6, the employee will join the gang as the rider's
Mamma or Boy Toy.
Ratskin Contact: The gang leader has befriended the chief of a nearby
non-renegade Ratskin tribe. Trade with the Ratskins generates 15 credits.
Also, the gang may treat Blind Snake Pouches as common during trading
sessions.
61-63 15
If the gang also holds an Archeotech Horde, and agrees never to work it,
the Ratskin tribe will offer the services of a Ratskin scout. If the Horde is
worked or lost, the scout will leave. If the scout dies, he will not be
replaced for free.
Type M T W
Bike 6 5 2
Motorcycle: 50 credits
A Motorcycle is a two wheeled vehicle, suitable for a rider and up to one
passenger sitting behind the driver. Motorcycles can only cross "difficult"
terrain at combat speed or lower, and may not pass over "impassable" terrain
at any speed.
Trike: 60 credits
These three wheeled vehicles may carry up to two passengers, plus the driver.
These vehicles can handle "difficult" terrain at fast speed or slower, and may
cross "impassable" terrain at slow speed.
4-Wheel ATV: 70 credits
4 wheel All Terrain Vehicles may carry one driver and up to two passengers.
These vehicles can handle "difficult" terrain at any speed, and may cross
"impassable" terrain at fast speed or slower.
BIKE CUSTOMIZATION
Any bike may have any number of customizations as described below limited to one of each
customization per bike.
Overcharged 30
The bikes Move characteristic is increased by 1
Engine credits
Enhanced Damage taken from falls and jumps are calculated as if the distance 30
Suspension was half that actually fallen. credits
Heavy 30
The bikes Toughness characteristic is increased by 1.
Armour credits
Halogen Any hidden gangers within 12" and in a 90° arc from the front of the 10
Headlight bike are spotted on a d6 roll of 4+. credits
BIKE MOVEMENT
Bikes do not move as other models. Instead they have different "speed bands" based on their
base movement. Each of these speed bands offers the bike a different level of mobility, as
follows:
The number of turns states the number of turns the rider can safely make without
having to try a skid turn.
At the start of the battle, the bikes must either be stopped or at slow speed. Bikes
may accelerate two speed bands in the movement phase, or decelerate one. (e.g., a
bike going Slow may accelerate to Combat or Fast speed. A bike going at Combat
speed may decelerate to Slow, but not Stopped.)
TERRAIN
At the start of the battle, both parties should agree on which areas of the board
represent difficult terrain for the bikes. Most of the table should be "clear", but there
may be places where "difficult" or even "impassable" should be designated.
Excessively rough or steep terrain should be "difficult", where steep and rough
terrain should be "impassable". Of course, things like sheer walls or pools should be
un-navigable by any wheeled vehicle. If the bike enters terrain it cannot cross, it will
go out of control for the remainder of its movement and come to a halt. The rider
and any passengers must make an Initiative test to avoid falling off the bike.
SKID TURNS
A rider may attempt more 45° turns in his movement than is normally safe (as
described in the table above). For each additional 45° turn, the biker must make a
test on the Bike Control Table. Any results of the Control Roll will be applied to the
new (turned) direction of the bike.
A biker may attempt to jump a gap, or launch his bike off a building edge to a lower
level.
If jumping a gap, the biker may use up to half of his movement in the jump. Before
making the jump, roll a d6. On a result of a "1", the biker cannot find a suitable ramp
and will instead fall off the edge in a controlled manner to a lower level as described
below. Otherwise, the bike will fly over the gap and land on the other side. The bike
may take damage from the jump. Work the damage as if the bike was hit with a
blow of ST equal to half the distance jumped, rounding fractions up. Also, the rider
must roll on the Bike Control Table when it lands.
If falling in a controlled manner, the bike will land on the lower level a number of inches
away from the starting point equal to the height of the fall. The bike may take damage from
the fall. Work the damage as if the bike was hit with a blow of ST equal to the height of the
fall. The rider must also roll on the Bike Control Table when it lands. The height of the fall
counts towards the bikes movement allowance for the turn.
Initiative - d6 Result
-2 Out Of Control
-1 Rider Pinned
0+ Under Control
Modifiers:
Difficult Terrain -1
Impassable Terrain -2
A bike which goes out of control will continue at the maximum speed of its current
speed band. Roll a d6 for direction. On a 1-2, the bike turns 45° to the right, 3-4 the
bike continues straight ahead, and 5-6 the bike turns 45° to the left. The bike will
collide with any terrain or obstacles in its path. A bike will go out of control as a
result of a failed Control Roll, or if the rider of the bike goes down or dismounts. A
passenger of an out of control bike may take control. This takes the model's action,
and the bike comes under control at the end of the turn.
PINNED RIDERS
Riders which are hit but not wounded are pinned and cannot perform any other
actions aside from avoiding obstacles for the rest of the turn. The rider keeps his
head down, but is able to keep the bike headed in a straight line for the remainder of
his move. A rider (but not a passenger) may always test to avoid being pinned at the
beginning of his gang's turn. A pinned rider may attempt to avoid obstacles in his
path by making any number of 45° turns. However, the rider must first make an
Initiative test before making the turn, and may have to make a Control Roll if he has
completed the safe number of turns allowed for the bike's current speed band. As
this maneuver is purely instinctual, the direction of the turn will be random (roll a d6,
1-3 turn right, 4-6 turn left).
A rider or passenger may mount or dismount a bike without chance of injury if the
bike is moving 10" or less.
If the bike is moving faster then 10", the ganger will take a hit of ST 10 less than the
speed of the bike. For example, a passenger trying to jump off a bike moving at 13"
will take a ST 3 (or 13 - 10) hit. If unhurt, the ganger will be pinned.
If thrown from a bike, the ganger will be thrown 2" away from the bike in a random
direction. The ganger will suffer a hit as above, with the exception that he will always
be pinned, no matter how fast the bike was moving.
SHOOTING AT BIKES
When shooting at a rider mounted on a bike, there is the possibility that the bike will be hit.
When a shot hits, roll a further d6 to determine if it is the rider or the bike which may take
damage and consult the table below.
Rider or
Type Bike Hit
passenger Hit
Riders or passengers may fire a pistol, basic or special weapon during their gang's
shooting phase. At the end of the movement phase, a direction should be designated
for each ganger on a bike. The ganger may fire in a 90° arc of fire, centered on this
facing. Passengers may face in any direction, but riders may not face to shoot in the
back 90° of the bike. If no facing is specified, assume that the ganger is facing the
closes enemy model he can see at the start of the shooting phase.
Riders and passengers may find it difficult to fire from a speeding vehicle. If traveling
faster than 10", a -1 to hit modifier applies. If traveling faster than 20", the modifier
is -2 to hit.
A rider of a bike moving 10" or less can fight (and be fought) in Hand to Hand
combat as a normal model. If moving faster than 10", than one of the following
special attacks may be used:
A rider or passenger may only make one Hit and Run attack per game turn.
A ganger on foot may make a Hit and Run attack on a bike. The attacker
receives a +1 bonus to his WS for charging, but the biker will win all ties.
Also, the attacker must pass an Initiative test to avoid being hit by the
speeding bike as he attacks.
Dive Bomb
A rider or passenger may make a special Dive Bomb attack during their
movement phase by leaping from the speeding bike and landing on their
opponent. This is a very dangerous maneuver, which often leaves the attacker
in as bad a shape as the target. The attack is made in the movement phase at
a model within 2" of the movement path of the bike.
Each model has a single Attack Die, regardless of the number of attacks in his
profile. The attacker receives a +1 bonus to his WS for charging, and will win
all ties. Also, no parries may be used by either opponent.
If the attacker wins, the defender is hit with a single hit of ST equal to the ST
of the attacker's weapon, plus 1 for each inch of speed above 10" the bike
had. Since the attacker has fallen from a moving bike, he may take damage.
However, he has been able to break his fall on his victim, so only suffers a hit
of half the damage as normal.
If the defender wins, the attacker suffers two hits. The first is calculated as if
the attacker fell from his bike, and the second is a single hit from the
defender's weapon.
If the attack does not result in a model being taken out of action, the gangers
will fight normal hand to hand combats starting with the next game turn.
A ganger on foot may make a Dive Bomb attack on a bike. The attacker
receives a +1 bonus to his WS for charging, but the biker will still win all ties.
Also, the attacker must pass an Initiative test to avoid being hit by the
speeding bike as he leaps into battle. If the attacker wins, the biker is hauled
from the bike and suffers a single hit of ST equal to the attacker's weapon,
plus 1 for each inch of speed the bike had above 10".
COLLISIONS
When riding around in the crowded Underhive, bikes will run into something sooner
or later. This will potentially damage both the bike, and the object with which it
collided.
A bike moving at a speed of less than 10" will not cause, nor suffer any damage from
a collision. However, the rider or passengers must pass an Initiative test to avoid
being pinned in place (even slow speed collisions can shake people up).
If colliding with a movable or destructible object, the bike will deliver its hit, and
suffer a hit of ST equal to the Toughness of the object. If the collision destroys the
object, but does not take the bike down, the bike will continue through the
wreckage, but must make an immediate control roll. If the object is not destroyed, or
if the bike is taken down, the bike will stop, and the rider and passengers will suffer
a hit as if falling from the bike (at its speed chosen in the movement phase).
If colliding with an indestructible object, the bike takes a hit of it's ST 5 + 1 for each
full 5" of speed the bike has above 10 causing d4 wounds. The bike will stop, and
the rider and passengers will take damage as if falling from the bike (at its speed
chosen in the movement phase).
Any object with an Initiative characteristic (such as a ganger) may attempt to avoid
the collision by passing an Initiative test. If the test is passed, the model is moved
out of the path of the bike, and is not involved in any collisions.
DAMAGING BIKES
When a bike takes a hit, make a Strength vs. Toughness roll. If this would result in a
wounding hit, the bike may lose wounds. As not all parts of the bike are armoured
equally, (such as the tires), the bike has a special, variable saving throw. Roll a d3
and apply any saving throw modifiers and roll a d6. If the d3 roll equals or beats the
d6 roll, the bike has made its save and avoids a wound. If the d3 roll is less than the
d6 roll, the bike takes wounds as normal.
Bike Saving Throw Example:A bolt gun shell hits a bike, and rolls a "6" to wound.
The owner of the bike rolls a d3 and a d6. The result of the d3 is a "3", modified by
the saving throw modifier of the bolt gun (-1) to "2". The result of the d6 roll is "2".
Since the rolls are equal, the shell merely scraps a bit of paint off the bike, but does
not damage it. Had the d6 roll been higher, the bike would have suffered 1 wound.
If the armour roll fails, the bike takes the appropriate number or wounds. For each
wounding hit on the bike, the rider must make a Control Roll. If a bike loses is last
wound, roll a d6. On a 1, the bike "Sputters", but can continue on, assuming the
rider can make a Control Roll, but suffers from a "Sputter Hit", as below. On a 2-5,
the bike is out of commission, but may still be repaired or Jury Rigged. The rider
must make a Control Roll to bring the bike to a stop. The bike will decelerate to the
minimum speed of the next lowest speed band, and will continue to do so until
stopped. The rider may still steer the bike while it is coasting in this manner. On a 6,
the bike has had it for this fight, and everyone knows it. The bike will automatically
go out of control, and the rider must make an Initiative check or be thrown from the
bike. The bike will decelerate as above until it stops or collides with a solid object, at
which point it will be out of action.
Sputter Hits
Counts as moving one speed band faster when maneuvering (except when
stopped). For example, at Combat speed, the bike may only safely make one
45° turn, as if it were going Fast. If two Sputter Hits were taken, than it could
not safely make any turns, as if it were going Break Neck, etc.
If a bike loses its Slow speed band, it has had it for this fight and can not be
repaired until after the game. Consider the bike out of action.
At the end of the battle, any bike which is still suffering a Sputter Hit can be
fully repaired, and is available to work territories or forage.
Downed Bikes
A bike which goes down, but not out of action, may be repaired on the spot. A gang
member with the Biker Skill may attempt to fix the bike in the Recovery Phase if he is
in Base to Base contact with the bike. Roll a d6. On a 1, the bike is repaired, and
behaves as if it suffered a Sputter Hit. On a 2-5, the bike is still down. On a 6, the
bike is out of action.
At the end of the battle, roll a d6 for each downed bike. On a 1-3, the bike can be
fully repaired easily and is available to work territories or forage. On a 4-6, the bike
needs extensive repairs, or may be damaged beyond repair, and must roll on the
Bike Serious Damage Table. These bikes may not be used to work territories or
forage.
A moving bike which goes out of action will go out of control and decelerate until it
stops, or is stopped by a solid object. You may wish to leave it on the board as
cover, but otherwise it will play no further part in the battle.
At the end of the game, the bike must roll on the Bike Serious Damage Table, and
may not be used to work territories or forage.
Each bike which is taken out of action must roll on the following table after the
battle, in the Injuries portion of the Post Battle sequence.
11- Scrap Metal. The bike is totally wrecked, and will never run again. It may be sold for
16 scrap metal, and will produce a profit (not income) of 10 credits.
Multiple Problems. The bike has numerous problems. Roll a further d6 times on this
21
table, ignoring the Scrap Metal, Captured, Miracle Fix and Fully Repaired results.
Structural Damage. The bike has taken damage to the frame, and is not just a bit more
22
fragile. The Toughness characteristic of the bike is reduced by 1.
Engine Trouble. The engine has been hit hard, and cannot generate as much power. The
23
bikes base movement is reduced by 1.
Brake Failure. The bike's brakes fail intermittently. Each time the bike decelerates, roll
24
a d6. On the result of a `1', the bike cannot slow down.
Damaged Fuel Pump. The bike's fuel pump cannot always supply the engine with
25- enough fuel. When accelerating, roll a d6. On the result of a `1', the bike cannot
26 accelerate. If trying accelerate two speed bands, then on a result of a `1' or `2' it cannot
accelerate.
Steering Damage. Damage has occurred in the bikes steering column, making it
31 difficult to control around turns. When making a Control Roll due to turning, a modifier
of -1 is applied.
Suspension Damage. The bike's suspension is starting to fail, and does not absorb as
32 much energy after a jump or fall. When calculating damage from a jump or fall, add 1 to
the ST of the fall.
Ignition Trouble. The bike's ignition system is quite unreliable, and at time the bike will
34-
not start at all. Before each battle, roll a d6 for the bike. On a result of a `1', the bike
36
cannot be started in time for the battle.
41-
Fully Repaired. The bike is fully repaired and usable for the next battle.
56
Captured. The opposing gang has grabbed the bike before your gangers could. This
61-
may be ransomed back to you, or may be used in an exchange of captives. Your
63
opponent must give you at least one chance to attempt a rescue.
Survivor. The bike shows many battle scars and has taken heavy damage, but has
64- survived and is still running. The survivability of the bike increases the confidence of
65 anyone riding it. The rider and all passengers gain a +1 to their LD characteristic, up to a
maximum of 9.
Miracle Fix. When fixing the new problems, the mechanic notices something which
66 was overlooked the last time the bike was damaged. Not only is he able to fix the current
problems, but one existing problem with the bike is also fixed.
For bikes, you have a few choices. The old Space Marine Bikes and Space Marine
Attack Bikes are available from Games Workshop (UK) Mail Order, or, if you're lucky,
your local store may still have some in stock. The old Attack Bike is slightly different
from the regular bike, so this may give your gang a bit of variety. If you'd rather not
use Mail Order, the new Space Marine Bike and Space Marine Attack Bike are
available. These are slightly bigger than the old versions, and are designed to fit
power armoured Space Marine models snugly, so your gangers may seem a bit small
in them. Also available is the Ork Warbike, but again, your gangers may appear too
small for it.
For Trikes, you can use the old Squat bikes, again available from GWUK Mail Order.
The author is not familiar with any current releases would make a good trike without
conversion. Likewise, a 4-wheel ATV is tough to come by. The author has converted
a plastic Ork War Buggy with some success, though someone with more patience
can probably do a better job!
You will likely need two copies of your gangers, at least those that ride a bike. One
will be in a standing position (for the times when he must leave his trusty machine),
and the other will be in a riding position (for all the fun times!). Good riding positions
are available from GWUK Mail Order in the form of old Imperial Guard jet bike riders.
These come in two pieces, a torso and legs, and should be available separately. The
guardsmen are wearing helmets, and what can easily be painted as leather jackets,
and you should be able to find a similar model in a standing position. If you order a
bunch of legs, and have duplicates of your gang members, you can cut the models at
the torso and glue them to the legs. Voila! Instant rider. Some models which stand
with their feet wide apart, may be converted to a rider by cutting off the Slotta tab.
With a bit of bending, cutting, and gluing, you should be able to make a rider with
little trouble.