Glad to have you here, Scummers! This week, we’re ecstatic to finally bring you our take on the newest gang to hit the Underhive, the renegade Slave Ogryns. They’re a fresh take on a melee-centric gang, with amazing models on the horizon, and Merton hasn’t stopped talking about them for the past three weeks straight. So read on, as we break down the brand new beefiest boys in town!

Slave Ogryns, like the Corpse Grinders before them, are a primarily close-combat oriented gang. There’s no shenanigans with the Ogryns, like tricksy masks or infiltrating little men, only giants lumbering towards their enemy ready to crush them up in massive bear hugs! They’re not fast, and some of them aren’t even smart enough to know that they should fall over when they get shot, but they’re tougher than anything else anyone’s faced so far.

Strengths

They’re the Biggest: Every single model in the Slave Ogryn gang has Toughness 5! That’s essentially a 5+ on almost every common ganger-class weapon, from Lasguns to Bolters. Weight of fire can still prevail, but most shots are still going to be bouncing off of their thickened hides. Each Ogryn also boasts two or three Wounds, so there’s even an extra layer of blubber on their basic fighters before they’re going to have to worry about Injury rolls.

Every single model in the Slave Ogryn gang has Toughness 5! That’s essentially a 5+ on almost every common ganger-class weapon, from Lasguns to Bolters. Weight of fire can still prevail, but most shots are still going to be bouncing off of their thickened hides. Each Ogryn also boasts two or three Wounds, so there’s even an extra layer of blubber on their basic fighters before they’re going to have to worry about Injury rolls. They’re the Strongest: Same as Toughness, the gang also enjoys a universal Strength 5 on every model. Axes are cheap, but unlike other gangs the Ogryns are just as vicious ripping apart their foes with their bare hands. Expect Wound rolls to succeed on a 2+ or 3+ against most enemies, with some of their melee options reaching as high as Strength 9! Even the formerly nigh-invulnerable Sabotage objective is quick work for these guys. Strength also serves as the principal stat in determining how far a Grenade can be thrown, so stock up on Frags and Incendiary charges and start lobbing them from up to 15” away.

Same as Toughness, the gang also enjoys a universal Strength 5 on every model. Axes are cheap, but unlike other gangs the Ogryns are just as vicious ripping apart their foes with their bare hands. Expect Wound rolls to succeed on a 2+ or 3+ against most enemies, with some of their melee options reaching as high as Strength 9! Even the formerly nigh-invulnerable Sabotage objective is quick work for these guys. Strength also serves as the principal stat in determining how far a can be thrown, so stock up on Frags and Incendiary charges and start lobbing them from up to 15” away. Early Campaign Juggernauts: Until their opposition wises up and invests in some nastier firepower, Ogryns are going to have the edge based solely on size and survivability. True to form, their overall game-plan hinges on barrelling through and racking up an early credit and XP lead in the first Campaign Phase. Smaller crew-size scenarios with Random Selection are especially good for Ogryns, as it’s even more likely that the one or two enemy fighters with the tools to deal with them may be forced to sit the round out!

Until their opposition wises up and invests in some nastier firepower, Ogryns are going to have the edge based solely on size and survivability. True to form, their overall game-plan hinges on barrelling through and racking up an early credit and XP lead in the first Campaign Phase. Smaller crew-size scenarios with Random Selection are especially good for Ogryns, as it’s even more likely that the one or two enemy fighters with the tools to deal with them may be forced to sit the round out! Lobo-Slaves are Insane: Look, we were as skeptical as everyone else about the viability of an exclusively-melee fighter with Weapon Skill 4+ and a sluggish Movement 4”, even if they are unpinnable. Folks, we were wrong – these guys are terrifying. Sure, they don’t move very fast, and they don’t do a ton of damage when they get in, but they get in. As an opponent, you’ll be forced to split fire between pinning shots on the Overboss and Underbosses to keep the heavy hitters from charging in, all the while attempting to wound the Lobo-Slaves before they bumble in and start hugging. Corpse Grinders use their masks to mess with normal priority targeting, but Ogryns do it organically and it’s super rad.

Weaknesses

Heavy Weapon Restrictions: Ogryns are straight-up forbidden from ever equipping any weapon beyond the ones on their Gang Lists. No Trading Post, no Black Market, nada. There’s a couple solid options in there, but they’re not going to have any variety beyond that. Furthermore, all of their heavier-hitting weapons are Augmetic , and must be equipped at creation/recruitment or not at all. This can lead to situations where Ogryns find themselves equipped with weapons that are overkill early on, and then eventually outclassed as opposing gangs upgrade their own weaponry later. Ogryns do have access to a single gun, the Augmetic Storm-Welder , but we’ll get into it later why that thing barely counts! Thankfully, this restriction does not apply to Wargear. Slave Ogryns can visit the Post and Market to buy wargear in the same manner as everybody else.

Ogryns are straight-up forbidden from ever equipping any weapon beyond the ones on their Gang Lists. No Trading Post, no Black Market, nada. There’s a couple solid options in there, but they’re not going to have any variety beyond that. Furthermore, all of their heavier-hitting weapons are , and must be equipped at creation/recruitment or not at all. This can lead to situations where Ogryns find themselves equipped with weapons that are overkill early on, and then eventually outclassed as opposing gangs upgrade their own weaponry later. Ogryns do have access to a single gun, the Augmetic , but we’ll get into it later why that thing barely counts! Thankfully, this restriction does not apply to Wargear. Slave Ogryns can visit the Post and Market to buy wargear in the same manner as everybody else. Few Answers to Special Weapon Traits: The standard Ogryn answer to surviving any blow is invariably “More Toughness” or “More Wounds”. They’re particularly weak to special traits that bypass either of these, like Shock , Rad , or Blaze (though the latter two can be mitigated by Hazard Suits)! Web and Toxin / Gas will still allow them to lean on their Toughness to survive, but a failure against one of those attacks can be easily fatal. Seismic deserves mention as well, bringing low even the unshakable Lobo-Slaves.

The standard Ogryn answer to surviving any blow is invariably “More Toughness” or “More Wounds”. They’re particularly weak to special traits that bypass either of these, like , , or (though the latter two can be mitigated by Hazard Suits)! and / will still allow them to lean on their Toughness to survive, but a failure against one of those attacks can be easily fatal. deserves mention as well, bringing low even the unshakable Lobo-Slaves. Built for Sustained Combat, Not Sustained Campaigns: The longer a campaign goes on, the more enemy gangs will acquire nastier guns and all manner of of esoteric wargear. They’ll tailor their advancements, pick up skills, and develop all manner of vicious synergies on their crews. Meanwhile, Ogryns exist for close combat, and will eventually encounter diminishing returns when it comes to improving their abilities in that aspect.

The longer a campaign goes on, the more enemy gangs will acquire nastier guns and all manner of of esoteric wargear. They’ll tailor their advancements, pick up skills, and develop all manner of vicious synergies on their crews. Meanwhile, Ogryns exist for close combat, and will eventually encounter diminishing returns when it comes to improving their abilities in that aspect. Always On the Run: If you’re playing in an Law and Misrule campaign, Ogryns are always classified as Outlaws, with all of the Alliance and Hanger-On restrictions that come with it. Their individual Runaway rules make capturing them a profitable endeavor regardless of campaign style, but they’re essentially giant bags of credits for Law-Abiding gangs in this one.

Gang Composition

After all the craziness of the other House of Chains gang, it’s refreshing to go through a list with only four choices. Expect a far smaller roster compared to other gangs – these dudes are expensive!

Overboss (Leader)

Primary Skills: Brawn + Muscle + Leadership

Weapon Restrictions: Overboss Equipment List only. Augmetic weapons may only be equipped at creation or recruitment. Hand Weapons equipped normally.

Wargear Restrictions: None. (House List, Trading Post, Black market all valid)

The Big Boss himself, an Ogryn leader will politely tolerate a Corpse Grinder Butcher’s onslaught before ripping them in half in retaliation. This is the melee monster in a gang full of melee monsters, so you’re going to want to do everything you can to make sure he can get across the board and into combat as quickly as possible.

The Overboss is also the only fighter in the Slave Ogryn list capable of Group Activations, and will typically only be able to activate a single other fighter alongside him.

Recommended Equipment: Las Cutters, Arc Welders, Augmetic Fists, Light Carapace, Stimm-Slugs, Grapnel Launchers, Falsehoods

Underboss (Champion)

Primary Skills: Brawn + Muscle

Weapon Restrictions: Underboss Equipment List only. Augmetic weapons may only be equipped at creation or recruitment. Hand Weapons equipped normally.

Wargear Restrictions: None. (House List, Trading Post, Black market all valid)

Almost as deadly as the Overboss, only lacking one extra attack. They’re hardly any slouches, swinging just as hard with the same weapons, if maybe a little slower.

Underbosses tend to be slightly too smart for their own good, and spook slightly easier with a decidedly-average Cool stat of 7+. Be sure to keep them close to your Overboss after the gang fails their bottle check to stay in the game, which’ll happen more often not with tiny Ogryn crews!

Recommended Equipment: Arc Welders, Augmetic Fists, Light Carapace, Incendiary Charges, Stimm-Slugs, Grapnel Launchers, Falsehoods

Slave Ogryn (Ganger)

Primary Skills: None. Slave Ogryns can not gain skills, but can use Headbutt .

Weapon Restrictions: Slave Ogryn Equipment List only. Augmetic weapons may only be equipped at creation or recruitment. Hand Weapons equipped normally.

Wargear Restrictions: None. (House List, Trading Post, Black market all valid)

The same general stat-line as an Underboss, with less Wounds and Weapon Skill in exchange for a 20 credit discount. They can’t gain skills, but do come automatically with the Headbutt skill, for what it’s worth. If you absolutely need someone to bring a Storm-Welder, this guy’s the cheapest platform you’ll find, but outside of that you’re better served with fielding Lobo-Slaves for your Gang Fighter roster balance requirements.

Their special rule is Loyal, which doubles the effectiveness of Assists in close combat. There is undoubtedly a build to take advantage of this ability that we’re not seeing, but multi-model engagements are uncommon enough already, much less with a gang that’s going to be bringing the smallest crews in the game so far.

Recommended Equipment: Storm-Welders (if you insist), Axes, Grapnel Launchers

Lobo-Slave (Ganger)

Primary Skills: None. Lobo-Slaves have no skills and may never gain any.

Weapon Restrictions: Lobo-Slave Equipment List only. Augmetic weapons may only be equipped at creation or recruitment. Hand Weapons equipped normally.

Wargear Restrictions: None. (House List, Trading Post, Black market all valid)

Un-pinnable gangers? Sign us up! Lobo-Slaves aren’t the fastest or the most dangerous fighters in the Ogryn gang, but they represent an omnipresent threat that the opponent has to deal with at some point before they close the distance. Although they cost roughly the same amount of credits as two gangers from a regular House with a basic loadout, they’re easily packing more than double the survivability. Point them straight towards the opposition, and we’ll see who flinches first.

The flip side to their non-pinnability is that they’re also unable to use the Take Cover action. Depending on play-style, this may make it somewhat more awkward for them to maneuver behind the protection of lifesaving scatter terrain.

Recommended Equipment: Axes, Spud Jackers, Hazard Suits, Grapnel Launchers

Stand-Out Skills

Mobility and survival are going to be key when giving your Ogryns some new tricks, since pretty much all of their weapons are useless if you can’t make it across the board into combat. There’s no Nerves of Steel here, so hopefully you’re packing some Lobo-Slaves to keep the momentum going!

Naaargah! (Muscle): After taking two actions, pass a Toughness test to take a third action, becoming pinned afterwards.

Despite being worded in a manner that specifically prevents the user from moving and then charging, Naaargah(!) allows for an incredible amount of utility, acting as a sort half-Overseer that the user controls themselves. With Naaargah(!) if a fighter can make a successful charge with their first two actions and pass the Toughness check, they’ll have an extra action to use the Headbutt or Hurl skill as part of the same activation!

Fists of Steel (Muscle): Unarmed attacks swing with +2 Strength and deal 2 Damage.

Essentially a free Servo Claw in exchange for a skill slot. Can make even a disarmed Ogryn a threat to be reckoned with in combat, acts as a useful backup tool for fighters armed with Scarce weapons like the Las Cutter.

Walk it Off (Muscle): After making two Move actions, recover a Wound or remove a Flesh Wound after a successful Toughness check.

A powerful source of healing, but more useful as a second or third pick thanks to almost-necessary synergies with other Muscle skills. Combine with Naaargah(!) to be able to move twice and still be able to do anything else (like stand up, assuming your fighter was pinned at the same time they were wounded), or Iron Man, to prevent those Flesh Wounds from negatively impacting your Toughness rolls.

Bull Charge (Brawn): Attacks on a Charge gain +1 Strength and Knockback.

Obviously dependent on a fighter’s weapon selection, but Knockback is a key trait for offense and defense in the hands of the Ogryns. Extra Strength can allow a Brute Cleaver to hit that critical Strength 6 break-point, or for an Arc Welder to wound on a devastating Strength 8!

Commanding Presence (Leadership): Group Activations can include one additional fighter.

With a lesser Group Activation ability on the Overboss and zero capacity on the Underbosses, Ogryns can struggle to muster bursts of momentum before the enemy is able to activate and react. Since Lobo-Slaves are also explicitly forbidden from Group Activations, boosting that ability with this skill is essentially just for usage on your second Underboss or regular Slave Ogryns, but in the right situation it can be pretty damn effective.

Tactics Cards

We’re gonna go out on a limb here and assume that our large friends aren’t ever going to get a dedicated Tactics pack. That’s just fine, some of the existing cards are almost tailor-made for them! (All these and more, over at your handy reference to All Tactics Cards Ever.)

Desperate Effort: Pick one of your fighters and activate them as though they had a Ready marker. At the end of the action, they are Pinned.

It’s almost guaranteed that a Slave Ogryn gang is going to bringing a smaller crew than the opposition, and’ll run out of ready markers before them. Make your enemy afraid of getting too close of your guys with a surprise bonus activation and remember – you don’t have to worry about the Pinning side-effect if you use your activation to charge into them!

Veiled Threat: Choose a friendly fighter. For the remainder of the round, that fighter cannot be targeted by a ranged attack unless they are the only visible target.

Perfect for keeping your Bosses safe as they’re moving across the battlefield, works as a pseudo-Falsehood to force your opponent to waste his firepower on one of your useless chump gangers instead of on the real threat!

Forward Planning: At the start of the game, choose up to three fighters. These fighters may immediately make a free Move (Simple) action.

Start the game out on the right foot by cheating yourself over the starting line! Slide some guys into nearby cover if they happen to be in line of an opposing sniper you didn’t notice earlier, or just use this to move three of your fighters ever-so-slightly closer to the enemies that they’re just dying to meet.

Thundering Charge: When a fighter makes a Charge action, double the fighter’s Move instead of adding D3”.

Whether you’re looking to catapult a lagging fighter into combat with their friends or zoom your champion across the board as a choppy rocket to kick things off, a guaranteed charge range of 8” or 10” is always going to be powerful. Combine this card with a Stimm-Slug Stash for even more range!

Weapons and Wargear

We’re evaluating all of this stuff in a little vacuum, so melee weapons are going to be rated higher than usual because that’s all these dudes can take! If you need to bring things back into full perspective just knock a letter grade off of everything because it’s not a gun. Except the Storm Welder – that thing is not a gun, it is a death wish.

Augmetic Weapons

These weapons may only be purchased at character creation. Can an augmetic weapon be stripped off of a corpse and given to a new recruit? We’d say yes, but the answer is unclear.

Augmetic Fist/Paired Augmetic Fists: Augmetic Fists are the most impactful one-handed weapon that Ogryns have access to. At 40 credits, they’re a little expensive, but if you put them on your Overboss or Underbosses, then they’ll quickly shine as effective damage dealers. Paired Augmetic Fists come at a 10-credit discount, but they’re still pricey at 70 credits. However, any fighter with them will absolutely slay in combat. It might be best to wait until mid-campaign to pick up an Ogryn with Paired Fists as credits are very dear in the early stages. Rating: B+ for one, B for two

Augmetic Fists are the most impactful one-handed weapon that Ogryns have access to. At 40 credits, they’re a little expensive, but if you put them on your Overboss or Underbosses, then they’ll quickly shine as effective damage dealers. Paired Augmetic Fists come at a 10-credit discount, but they’re still pricey at 70 credits. However, any fighter with them will absolutely slay in combat. It might be best to wait until mid-campaign to pick up an Ogryn with Paired Fists as credits are very dear in the early stages. Arc Welder: The Arc Welder is absolutely overkill, but at 50 credits, it’s affordable overkill. Save it for a ‘Boss, but any Ogryn gang will benefit from at least one of these. In our play-groups, we’ve House Ruled that being in base contact with a fighter on fire has a chance to ignite other models as well, but chances are you won’t have to worry about that! Rating: A

The Arc Welder is absolutely overkill, but at 50 credits, it’s affordable overkill. Save it for a ‘Boss, but any Ogryn gang will benefit from at least one of these. In our play-groups, we’ve House Ruled that being in base contact with a fighter on fire has a chance to ignite other models as well, but chances are you won’t have to worry about that! Heavy Rock Cutter/Saw: Where the Arc Welder is affordable overkill, these weapons are extravagant overkill. While they’ll tear through anything, they’re far too expensive to be worth it. Stick to the not-Unwieldy Arc Welder for your melee-based overkill. Rating: D+/D

Where the Arc Welder is affordable overkill, these weapons are extravagant overkill. While they’ll tear through anything, they’re far too expensive to be worth it. Stick to the not-Unwieldy Arc Welder for your melee-based overkill. Las Cutter: Yes, it’s scarce with a 6+ ammo roll. We don’t care. It seems almost wrong to go for a fixed strength weapon considering inherent Ogryn beef, but it’s Strength 9! It’s +1 to hit in B2B, AP-3 and 2d to mulch the opposition, and it’s even Versatile . Allows move-move-fight at range with Naaargah!, no charge needed. Keep a cheap backup weapon if you’re concerned that fists won’t be enough for your second target, but this weapon will all but ensure a kill on the first. Rating: A+ Arbitrator’s Note: Going by straight Rules as Written (we know, we know) there is no interaction regarding melee weapons with Ammo values. A firepower dice is explicitly only necessary when using a weapon with the Sidearm trait. The book has no mention of using a firepower dice for any weapons without the Sidearm trait. We believe that, Rules as Intended (ugh, again, we know), a firepower dice must be rolled whenever using a Las Cutter. This isn’t a crazy rules gotcha, but Arbitrators still ought to be aware of the gap in the written rules here.

Yes, it’s scarce with a 6+ ammo roll. We don’t care. It seems almost wrong to go for a fixed strength weapon considering inherent Ogryn beef, but it’s Strength 9! It’s +1 to hit in B2B, AP-3 and 2d to mulch the opposition, and it’s even . Allows move-move-fight at range with Naaargah!, no charge needed. Keep a cheap backup weapon if you’re concerned that fists won’t be enough for your second target, but this weapon will a kill on the first.

The Storm-Welder: It’s the only gun! It’s on the sprue! It’s also pretty garbage. It’s rolling to hit on a gang with a BS that tops off at 5+. Rapid Fire 3 doesn’t matter if the only way you can trigger anything is off of an AT BEST 3+ from close range and aiming (if you get lucky on the Reckless crap). Shock is cool, Rapid Fire 3 is cool, but potentially exploding 21% of the time when you shoot it sucks. Also reckless, so positioning headaches apply. And “only” Strength 5. Merton spent the past two weeks trying to make this gun work. It’s a gamble, and not a good one, but don’t let us stop you from finding out for yourself! Rating: D-

Hand Weapons

Hand Weapons can be bought at any point during the campaign.

Your Own Damn Hands: Upside: free, and more effective than most folks since everyone’s S5. Combines naturally with Fists of Steel. Downside: no AP, won’t ever get the bonus attack from two melee/sidearm weapons. Rating: C+

Upside: free, and more effective than most folks since everyone’s S5. Combines naturally with Fists of Steel. Downside: no AP, won’t ever get the bonus attack from two melee/sidearm weapons. Axe: We at Necromunday love cheap weapons. The Axe is the Slave Ogryn’s cheapest option, and it is legitimately a good one. +1 Strength is an excellent trait, as the Ogryn will then hit that all-too-important Strength 6 inflection point, where they wound Toughness 3 characters on 2s. Grab a pair and give ‘em to your Lobo-Slaves to keep them cheap and happy. Rating: A

We at Necromunday love cheap weapons. The Axe is the Slave Ogryn’s cheapest option, and it is legitimately a good one. +1 Strength is an excellent trait, as the Ogryn will then hit that all-too-important Strength 6 inflection point, where they wound Toughness 3 characters on 2s. Grab a pair and give ‘em to your Lobo-Slaves to keep them cheap and happy. Brute Cleaver: Keeps the disarm of the axe but swaps out +1 Strength for +1 to hit, at double the price. More effective compared to a single axe, but going double axe for the same cost ends up being more effective most of the time: you’re 33% more likely to get to an armor save roll vs. a Toughness 3 character with two Axes instead of one Brute Cleaver. The Brute cleaver would still make an excellent secondary melee weapon for boss, though. Rating: B-

Keeps the disarm of the axe but swaps out +1 Strength for +1 to hit, at double the price. More effective compared to a single axe, but going double axe for the same cost ends up being more effective most of the time: you’re 33% more likely to get to an armor save roll vs. a Toughness 3 character with two Axes instead of one Brute Cleaver. The Brute cleaver would still make an excellent secondary melee weapon for boss, though. Maul: Lol no, these dudes already suck at blowing through armor. We wouldn’t even bother with a Maul for free, much less for as much as an Axe. Rating: F

Lol no, these dudes already suck at blowing through armor. We wouldn’t even bother with a Maul for free, much less for as much as an Axe. Two Handed Axe/Hammer: The -1 to hit chance is devastating, plus Unwieldy so you’ll never be able to recoup with an extra attack from a second weapon. Damage 2-3 is hefty, but with the accuracy penalties and zero AP it’s gonna be rare for anything to ever fully connect. Rating: D-/D-

Grenades

As a gang without access to guns other than the hilariously bad Storm-Welder, grenades suddenly become extremely important. Combine that with Ogryns’ naturally great strength, and most grenades are being hucked up to 15” away! That’s really good! It’s like the whole gang comes with Grenade Launchers!

(Quick Note: Frag Grenades and Incendiary Charges are only available in bosses’ equipment lists, and Lobo-Slaves cannot take grenades at all, unless they’re bought through the Trading Post or Black Market, or already in your gang’s Stash.)

Blasting Charges: The profile is extremely good for Blasting Charges, but the drawback is that they can only be thrown Strength x 2 inches. In normal gangs, that means that they’re only going 6” or 8”. But for Ogryns, these bad boys can fly up to 10” away, effectively mitigating their weakness. Rating: B+

The profile is extremely good for Blasting Charges, but the drawback is that they can only be thrown Strength x 2 inches. In normal gangs, that means that they’re only going 6” or 8”. But for Ogryns, these bad boys can fly up to 10” away, effectively mitigating their weakness. Demo Charges: They’re still single shot for 50 credits. Far too expensive for what they do. Rating: D

They’re still single shot for 50 credits. Far too expensive for what they do. Frag Grenades: Unfortunately Frags are thoroughly outshined by Demo Charges and Incendiary Charges. Take them only if you’re extremely hard up for credits, as the other options are far superior. Rating: C-

Unfortunately Frags are thoroughly outshined by Demo Charges and Incendiary Charges. Take them only if you’re extremely hard up for credits, as the other options are far superior. Incendiary Charges: Ever want to see Gregor Clegane toss a molotov cocktail? Now you can! Incendiary Charges are the bee’s knees in any gang that can take them, but when your whole gang can huck that 5” blast 15”, you’re feeling pretty dang good. Rating: A

Ever want to see Gregor Clegane toss a molotov cocktail? Now you can! Incendiary Charges are the bee’s knees in any gang that can take them, but when your whole gang can huck that 5” blast 15”, you’re feeling pretty dang good. Krak Grenades: Normally we rag on Krak Grenades pretty hard! In most gangs, they’re really bad! Don’t get too excited, though, as they’re still not very good even in the context of a Slave Ogryn gang. The 5+ Ballistic Skill really takes the wind out of their figurative sails. Rating: D+

Armor

It is a good idea to put armor on your very expensive large adult children. Note that only Slave Ogryns and Lobo-slaves can take Hazard Suits at gang creation.

Furnace Plates: They’re cheap, but they won’t do much. At 5 credits, though, who cares? Ogryns are going to be relying on their native high Toughness to survive attacks, so having a little armor is just icing on the cake.

They’re cheap, but they won’t do much. At 5 credits, though, who cares? Ogryns are going to be relying on their native high Toughness to survive attacks, so having a little armor is just icing on the cake. Hazard Suit: We cannot stress this enough: Hazard Suits are ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY on Lobo-slaves . Lobo-slaves can’t be pinned, but they can be set on fire, and when they’re aflame, they run around like idiots just like everyone else does. However, if your lobotomized shock troops are in Hazard Suits, then they’re immune to Blaze! That’s really important!

We cannot stress this enough: . Lobo-slaves can’t be pinned, but they can be set on fire, and when they’re aflame, they run around like idiots just like everyone else does. However, if your lobotomized shock troops are in Hazard Suits, then they’re immune to Blaze! That’s really important! Light Carapace: Carapace Armor is generally too expensive to see a lot of use. At 80 credits, it’s useful to protect your crazy expensive Overboss late in a campaign, but it’s too expensive to be deployed at gang creation.

Personal Equipment

These items are available for purchase at gang creation and during campaigns.

Armored Undersuit: Undersuits are day-one purchases for bosses, and day-two purchases for everyone else. An Ogryn with a 4+ in the front arc is a very scary thing.

Undersuits are day-one purchases for bosses, and day-two purchases for everyone else. An Ogryn with a 4+ in the front arc is a very scary thing. Bio-Booster: These things will assist your fighters in staying alive, and are definitely worth it. Maybe not at gang creation, but they’re an excellent addition in the mid-campaign.

These things will assist your fighters in staying alive, and are definitely worth it. Maybe not at gang creation, but they’re an excellent addition in the mid-campaign. Drop Rig: Drop rigs are usually used by snipers so they can climb the heights of the underhive without worrying about falling. Ogryns do not have snipers. You do the math.

Drop rigs are usually used by snipers so they can climb the heights of the underhive without worrying about falling. Ogryns do not have snipers. You do the math. Partial Servo-harness: This thing seems like it would be really, really good on a melee gang, but the penalty to movement is actually pretty bad. Could definitely be useful late in a campaign when one of your heavy hitters gets a movement upgrade.

This thing seems like it would be really, really good on a melee gang, but the penalty to movement is actually pretty bad. Could definitely be useful late in a campaign when one of your heavy hitters gets a movement upgrade. Stimm-Slug Stash: Day-one purchases for every ganger. You might as well think that all of your fighters are 25 credits more expensive because you have to buy Stimm-Slugs for every single one.

Day-one purchases for every ganger. You might as well think that all of your fighters are 25 credits more expensive because you to buy Stimm-Slugs for every single one. Suspensors: We truly believe that Games Workshop does not know what Suspensors do. Suspensors allow fighters armed with Unwieldy weapons to fire them as a Basic action rather than a Double action. Ogryns do not have access to Unwieldy guns. Buying Suspensors would be paying 40 credits to do nothing. Do not buy any.

Essential Trading Post Purchases

Grapnel Launcher: We’ll be blunt – You absolutely need to buy some of these . Grapnels supercharge Ogryn movement to 12” a round, and allow them to zip up to higher levels to deal with enemies who thought ladders would make them invincible, as well as granting general access to objectives tucked away in tricky areas or across open areas. Plus, it’s kinda like playing as Fat Spider-Man, which is always a hoot.

We’ll be blunt – . Grapnels supercharge Ogryn movement to 12” a round, and allow them to zip up to higher levels to deal with enemies who thought ladders would make them invincible, as well as granting general access to objectives tucked away in tricky areas or across open areas. Plus, it’s kinda like playing as Fat Spider-Man, which is always a hoot. Smoke Grenades: The only thing better than laughing as bullets glance off of your impenetrable bulk is making it so you don’t get shot in the first place. Smoke Grenades are even better for Ogryns than other gangs thanks to lack of guns, and that’s saying a lot because they’re already an essential tool!

The only thing better than laughing as bullets glance off of your impenetrable bulk is making it so you don’t get shot in the first place. Smoke Grenades are even better for Ogryns than other gangs thanks to lack of guns, and that’s saying a lot because they’re already an essential tool! Halo Device: At some point in a campaign, on a long enough timeline, you’re going to have the most outrageously over-geared behemoth of an Overboss, flanked by the same 100 to 140 credit Lobo-Slaves. Throw some good credits after bad and keep your big boss safe from Lasting Injuries, by hobbling some poor brain-dead mook instead!

At some point in a campaign, on a long enough timeline, you’re going to have the most outrageously over-geared behemoth of an Overboss, flanked by the same 100 to 140 credit Lobo-Slaves. Throw some good credits after bad and keep your big boss safe from Lasting Injuries, by hobbling some poor brain-dead mook instead! Lho Sticks: We’re not saying that these are actually an essential purchase for your Overboss, since Slave Ogryns and Underbosses already have a respectable 7+ Cool. We’re mostly just amused that this is the only other gang besides Goliaths where the fighters are actually dumb enough to fall for the ol’ “Smoking is cool” bit.

We’re not saying that these are actually an essential purchase for your Overboss, since Slave Ogryns and Underbosses already have a respectable 7+ Cool. We’re mostly just amused that this is the only other gang besides Goliaths where the fighters are actually dumb enough to fall for the ol’ “Smoking is cool” bit. Falsehood: Grants two full rounds of unmolested movement as the wearer is untargetable unless they make a ranged attack. Which he won’t, because you’re playing as Ogryns. Toss one on one of your ‘Bosses and they’ll saunter up to the enemy without a single scratch, but watch out for tricky enemies who counter with Template and Blast weapons.

Founding Gangs

This one’s going to be a bit tricky, since as of the time we’re writing this article we don’t know all of the weapons that’ll be in the upcoming kit, or even how many models are in each box. We’ll revisit this section in the future if it winds up being at all possible to make a basic box gang, but here’s some lists to get the rest of you enterprising kit-bashers started!

Fat Cawdor

If it’s got Blaze, we’re taking it! As many Arc Welders and Incendiary charges that we could squeeze into a 1k build, with a trio of Lobo-Slaves trundling towards the inferno ready to Stop ‘Em, Drop ‘Em, and Roll ‘Em. Remember that Wargear is freely swappable in the Post-Battle Phase, so if you’re willing to risk lobbing grenades around at a 6+ BS, your Lobos can easily take over Incendiary duty after your first game.

Overboss (Commanding Presence): Arc Welder, Stimm-Slugs, Undersuit, Plates [250] Underboss (Naaargah!): Arc Welder, Incendiary Charge, Undersuit, Plates [230] Underboss (Naaargah!): Arc Welder, Incendiary Charge, Undersuit, Plates [230] Lobo-Slave: Brute Cleaver, Hazard Suit [100] Lobo-Slave: Spud Jacker, Hazard Suit [95] Lobo-Slave: Axe (2x), Plates [95]

[Total: 1000 Credits]

Let’s Try a Storm-Welder!

Not strictly recommended, but let’s give it a shot! We’ve tried to beef up the ‘Bosses with as much killing power and survival tools as possible, since they’re going to be your main threats after the Storm-Welder inevitably either fizzles out or explodes. Try to keep them out of line of sight from your Welder if possible, as Reckless makes for a nasty surprise when you don’t position around it!

Overboss (Naaargah!): Las Cutter, Light Carapace, Stimm-Slugs, Axe (2x) [330] Underboss (Bull Charge): Arc Welder, Spud Jacker, Stim-Slugs, Undersuit, Plates [230] Slave Ogryn: Storm-Welder, Plates [170] Lobo-Slave: Spud Jacker (2x), Hazard Suit, Stimm-Slugs [135] Lobo-Slave: Spud Jacker (2x), Hazard Suit, Stimm-Slugs [135]

[Total: 1000 Credits]

Merton’s Boring Ogryns

Strikingly similar to the Storm-Welder list but a whole lot less fun. Demonstrably better at actually winning games, if that sort of thing interests you.



Overboss (Naaargah!): Las Cutter, Light Carapace, Stimm-Slugs, Axe (2x) [330] Underboss (Bull Charge): Arc Welder (2x), Stim-Slugs, Undersuit, Plates [265] Lobo-Slave: Spud Jacker (2x), Hazard Suit, Stimm-Slugs [135] Lobo-Slave: Spud Jacker (2x), Hazard Suit, Stimm-Slugs [135] Lobo-Slave: Spud Jacker (2x), Hazard Suit, Stimm-Slugs [135]

[Total: 1000 Credits]

Final Thoughts

We’ll be the first to admit, these guys looked like absolute trash on paper. Expensive fighters with expensive weapons, no guns and no hope of ever getting anything better in that department from the Trading Post and Black Market. Then, we played a few games with them and now see that oh man, we were very wrong.

You don’t have a ton of bodies but each one feels like you’re playing with a tubby Terminator. The Lobo-Slaves creep forward no matter what, and even if pinned the ‘Bosses are able to stand and move 5”. By the time your Ogryns make it across the board, maybe your opponent was able to take down one or two, and the rest’ll guaranteed have taken a ton of damage, but they’ll still be standing and then they’ll be charging. At that point, it’s all over. Nothing beats the bear hug!

In short, Slave Ogryns are fun. They’re fun to play, since they’re a melee gang that stands a chance at making it into close combat, and apparently they’re fun to fight, since unlike Corpse Grinders your opponent is allowed to freely shoot at them. If you’re looking for a gang that’s pretty straight-forward and relatively forgiving, give ‘em a shot!

That’s all, folks! Merton’s already busy plotting out more potential founding builds and future kitbashes for his own Ogryn gang, which he plans on taking to Nova in the late Summer. If you’ve got anything to add to his arsenal, or any questions at all about Ogryns or anything Necromunda, hit us up in the comments, on Facebook, or over at necromunday@goonhammer.com! We’ll see you there!