Howdy, scummers! Welcome to another week of Necromunday coverage, where this week we’re taking a deep dive into House Van Saar! So jack in, boot up, and tip your hat to the other console cowboys as we discover what lies ahead!

House Van Saar is known for its technology. The master artisans of Van Saar create the most deadly, most beautiful, and most expensive weapons and tech manufactured on Necromunda. For that reason they are the wealthiest of all the Great Houses, but they carry a dark secret: The STC technology they use to create their technological wonders is flawed, and is slowly poisoning them all with radiation. By the time a Van Saar becomes an adult, they have been exposed to far more radiation than anyone else on Necromunda (on average, at least), and must spend their days in specially-made suits designed to keep them alive.

What that means on the tabletop is that Van Saar gangs are really good at the shooty, but not so much at the punchy. With fantastic models, unique weapons, and the best damn shooting phase in the Underhive, Van Saar were immediately one of the most popular choices for aspiring players. So gather ‘round, scummers, and try not to get too close to the irradiated tech as we take a close look at all things Van Saar!

Strengths

The Shooty Gang (Duh): This is what you’re here for, right? Van Saar are the undisputed masters of the gun, starting out with a 2+ Ballistic Skill on both their champions and leaders. Gangers are boosted as well, with a native 3+ BS, also higher than any other equivalent House. Van Saar have access to all manner of long-range sniper implements, nasty close-range pistols, and enough options for mid-range gunfighting as well. Simply put; if they can see you, they can kill you.

This is what you’re here for, right? Van Saar are the undisputed masters of the gun, starting out with a 2+ Ballistic Skill on both their champions and leaders. Gangers are boosted as well, with a native 3+ BS, also higher than any other equivalent House. Van Saar have access to all manner of long-range sniper implements, nasty close-range pistols, and enough options for mid-range gunfighting as well. Simply put; if they can see you, they can kill you. Unique Weapons: There’s a key for every lock, and the Van Saar armory excels at opening doors. Not just limited to the standard Lasgun and Laspistol, the Van Saar house list contains las-themed versions of all sorts of common and esoteric weaponry. Between these base models and the bevy of special tuning and ammunition that the lasweapons can be modified to fire, the gang can be assured that they have the perfect solution to every conundrum (provided that the solution involves shooting it).

There’s a key for every lock, and the Van Saar armory excels at opening doors. Not just limited to the standard Lasgun and Laspistol, the Van Saar house list contains las-themed versions of all sorts of common and esoteric weaponry. Between these base models and the bevy of special tuning and ammunition that the lasweapons can be modified to fire, the gang can be assured that they have the perfect solution to every conundrum (provided that the solution involves shooting it). Excellent Skills: When you’re starting off with a better Ballistic Skill compared to every other House in the Underhive, access to the Shooting set to improve your ranged abilities even further is just icing on the cake. Van Saar can double their movement and still make a key shot with pinpoint accuracy, select two distinct targets when firing dual pistols, and even shoot twice with the same weapon in lieu of moving. It’s the set to which every gang wishes they had access.

Weaknesses

Expensive Bodies and Gear: A Van Saar ganger with a Lasgun is demonstrably more effective than an Escher with the same weapon, but you’ll be paying 20 credits more for the privilege. Even if they are better equipped, these upcharges add up, leading to somewhat elite gangs with lower starting numbers than other houses. A few unlucky injuries early on in a campaign and a Van Saar gang can find itself playing borderline unwinnable scenarios as key members are stuck on the bench in Recovery.

A Van Saar ganger with a Lasgun is demonstrably more effective than an Escher with the same weapon, but you’ll be paying 20 credits more for the privilege. Even if they are better equipped, these upcharges add up, leading to somewhat elite gangs with lower starting numbers than other houses. A few unlucky injuries early on in a campaign and a Van Saar gang can find itself playing borderline unwinnable scenarios as key members are stuck on the bench in Recovery. Harsh Stat Trade-Offs: Yes, Van Saar have the best Ballistic Skill in the game. Yes, they have access to the Shooting Skillset. In exchange, they also have the same reduced Movement as Goliaths (a plodding 4”), and the worst Initiative in the game. Their low Initiative makes them the most likely to suffer from being Photon Flashed, trip clumsily over a railing when shot at in their little sniper holes on higher levels, and receive some parting blows whenever they attempt to break away from melee. A lower Movement is a heavy disadvantage on many objective-oriented scenarios, as the gang is subject to being outmaneuvered and possibly even flanked as they attempt to advance forward.

Yes, Van Saar have the best Ballistic Skill in the game. Yes, they have access to the Shooting Skillset. In exchange, they also have the same reduced Movement as Goliaths (a plodding 4”), and the worst Initiative in the game. Their low Initiative makes them the most likely to suffer from being Photon Flashed, trip clumsily over a railing when shot at in their little sniper holes on higher levels, and receive some parting blows whenever they attempt to break away from melee. A lower Movement is a heavy disadvantage on many objective-oriented scenarios, as the gang is subject to being outmaneuvered and possibly even flanked as they attempt to advance forward. Somewhat Claustrophobic: Even the deadliest Fast Shot Plasma Gun-toting champion backed up by an Overseer is helpless when faced with his mortal enemy – a Zone Mortalis battlefield where the tunnels zig and zag every ten inches. Many Van Saar players depend (sometimes a bit too ) heavily on their long-ranged snipers, sometimes to the exclusion of fighters who can actually be effective with strategies beyond Standing and Shooting. If you’re neglecting your close game, any opponent who knows how to properly set up terrain is going to be poised for a win before the first dice are rolled.

Even the deadliest Fast Shot Plasma Gun-toting champion backed up by an Overseer is helpless when faced with his mortal enemy – a Zone Mortalis battlefield where the tunnels zig and zag every ten inches. Many Van Saar players depend (sometimes a bit ) heavily on their long-ranged snipers, sometimes to the exclusion of fighters who can actually be effective with strategies beyond Standing and Shooting. If you’re neglecting your close game, any opponent who knows how to properly set up terrain is going to be poised for a win before the first dice are rolled. Smoke Grenades: The bane of Van Saar’s existence, 15 measly credits that can shut down a vital firing lane at the worst possible time, every time. You can mitigate them with Infra-Sights on some of your guns and Photo-Goggles on the others (no Infras on Rapidfire or Blast weapons, unfortunately), but both are a bit too expensive to buy for every single member of your crew, and are always way more expensive than the 15 damn credits for Smoke.

Stand-Out Skills

When we’re talking Van Saar, we can’t not focus on some of the invaluable abilities offered in the Shooting set, but be sure to check out Savant and Leadership as well to shore up some gaps in your capabilities. Remember, without access to Nerves of Steel or Spring Up, you’re just as vulnerable to being pinned as everybody else.

Fast Shot: Generally speaking, the only thing better than shooting is shooting twice, and Fast Shot turns a Shoot (Basic) into a Shoot (Simple) allowing a fighter to perform it more than once. While a Fast Shooter probably won’t do a lot of moving, they can unleash a withering hail of death at their opponents and singularly turn the tide of a battle. Combined with a Plasma or Grav Gun, things will quickly get bad for any enemies.

Hip Shooting: Van Saar aren’t any quicker than the ‘roided-out brutes of House Goliath, and they definitely need some help if they want to employ any weapons with a range of less than 24”. Hip Shooting allows for a double move and then a shooting action at -1 to hit. It’s perfect for getting a fighter with a Melta Gun into danger range, or getting a couple of Plasma Pistols to the exact right spot to turn an enemy into a rapidly cooling pile of ash.

Munitioneer: Let’s face it, the best weapons have the worst ammo checks. Having a Munitioneer nearby will effectively mitigate any bad ammo rolls, and any even keep a scarce weapon in the game for a bit longer.

Iron Will: With all of their expensive personnel, Van Saar are going to be hitting the table with less bodies than most of their opponents, and with that comes a greater vulnerability to untimely Bottle tests. Iron Will isn’t the same sort of immediate power boost as Fast Shot, but you can’t win at all if you flub a Bottle and are forced to run away!

Weapons and Wargear

Basic Weapons

Lasgun: The humble Lasgun is reliable, accurate, and Van Saar gangs get them at a 5-credit discount! They’re not going to do crazy amounts of damage, but they’ll pin that meat-crazed Butcher just like anything else will. Rating: B

Las Carbine: The first of the Van Saar-only laser analogs, the Las Carbine asks, what if Autogun, but laser? It is a very slightly more accurate version of an Autogun, but it costs a whole 5 credits more and is twice the price of the Lasgun. Unfortunately, the Lasgun is better at doing what it does and is half the price. If you really want Autogun rate of fire, go to the Trading Post and buy one that can use all of the cool ammo. Rating: C-

Suppression Laser: This unique weapon asks: what if Shotgun, but laser? Like the Las Carbine, the Suppression Laser is a laser version of a different weapon, but in this case it is 10 credits more than the humble Shotgun, but for no perceivable reason! It can’t even use any of the cool ammo that Shotguns can get! Just like the previous entry, if you want a Shotgun, go get one at the Trading Post. Rating: D

Pistols

Hand Flamer: We go over the poor Hand Flamer every time in these articles, and it’s always the same old story. But not this time! Because Van Saar juves come with an actually acceptable BS (4+), regular pistols and weapons are fine for them to use! So houserules or no, the Hand Flamer unfortunately has lesser value in the hands of a Van Saar gang. Rating: C-

Las Pistol: Just like the Lasgun, Van Saar fighters get these at a 5-credit discount. That’s great! Las Pistols are reliable, accurate, and cheap. What more could you want from a backup gun? Rating: B

Las Sub-Carbine: It’s a Plentiful Autopistol that, for reasons beyond explanation, costs 5 credits more than the standard Autopistol. Autopistols are okay at 10 credits, and they’re bad at 15. Rating: D

Plasma Pistol: Believe it or not, plasma weapons happen to be really good on fighters with native 2+ BS. Get one! Get two! Get three! (If you’re using all three yourself, however, kindly report to the nearest Inquisitor.) Rating: A+

Close Combat Weapons

‘Hystrar’-Pattern Energy Shield: The energy shield is truly a lackluster combat weapon, but it makes up for that in its defensive abilities. It provides a +1 armor bonus in the fighter’s front arc, and that bonus doubles in combat! Additionally, its attacks have knockback, potentially getting your fighter out of a dangerous combat situation. On a gang with fighters this expensive, having a bonus to armor on your more important characters is a huge boon. The only drawback is that this defensive ability comes at a very steep price point, and you probably won’t have more than one of these at start. Rating: B

Power Knife / Servo Claw / Shock Stave: We’re grouping these together because they’re all about the same price and are all reasonably good…in a different gang. Van Saar leaders and champions really need to be taking advantage of that native 2+ BS to be effective, and loading them up with moderately expensive combat weapons is not the recipe for success, no matter how good these options are in other gangs. If you want to use these admittedly good weapons, play a different gang. Rating: C-

Shock Baton: Unlike the weapons in the above entry, the Shock Baton sucks. Don’t buy one. Rating: D-

Special Weapons

Combi-Weapon (Lasgun/Melta): With the right combination of skills and equipment, a Lasgun/Melta Gun has a place: a well-armored, Hip-Shooting leader or champ. In a vacuum, though, it’s not that great. Rating: C

Combi-Weapon (Lasgun/Plasma Gun): Cheaper than buying a full Plasma Gun, and once it runs dry you can switch to the Lasgun without having to clear a jam, assuming the Unstable check didn’t happen to turn the wielder into a pile of ashes. Rating: C-

Flamer: The Flamer is the usual choice for the ganger that gets a special weapon category. Van Saar gangers have a 3+ BS, though, so why not spend fewer credits to get a plasma gun, which is better anyways? Rating: D

Grav Gun: The Grav Gun is great. It’s the only blast special weapon on the Van Saar house list, it bypasses wounds, and it drops the graviton pulse, which will slow down any fighters who try to move through it. Perfect for slowing down those combat monsters, especially now that Corpse Grinders are lurking about! This is the true best choice for a regular ganger with a special weapon. Rating: B+

Meltagun: It’s better here than in any other gang, but the short range, high price tag, and scarce ammo make the Melta Gun a middling choice at best. Rating: B-

Plasma Gun: We say it every time it’s available in a gang’s starting list, but the Plasma Gun rules, y’all. It especially rules in a gang where the leaders and champs start with a 2+ BS. Go grab one posthaste. Rating A+

Rad Gun: Y’all, we want the Rad Gun to be good. Radiation based-weapons are really cool and thematic for a Van Saar gang, but in reality, the Rad Gun is a half-strength Flamer with a special rule that does something only half the time. Back in Gang War III, Rad-Phage was a trait to be feared, but we think that GW went a bit overboard in reeling it in. In its current iteration, the Rad Gun is definitely not rad. Sorry. Rating: D

Heavy Weapons

Plasma Cannon: In its low power, the Plasma Cannon is just a long-range, unwieldy plasma gun with 1 more point of Strength. In max power, it drops a 3” template at Strength 8 and Damage 3, which is extremely gnarly. The catch is that it is unstable, so if you need to take an ammo check, then there’s a 50% that fighter is going out of action! It’s the ultimate “go big or go home weapon”. Either way, it’s not too expensive for a heavy weapon, has excellent range, and good accuracy. We’re not huge fans of expensive unwieldy weapons at Necromunday, but you could definitely do worse. Rating: B-

Multi-Melta: A Multi-Melta is exceedingly likely to kill any single thing it touches. Multiple things even, if your opponent is foolish enough to not space his crew out accordingly. In the hands of a champion it’ll probably be hitting on 2s, wounding on 2s, blasting through almost all armor, and does enough damage to potentially flesh wound a victim to death. However, and this is a big however, this weapon is an insatiable credits pit. For just the body and the gun you’re already looking at 245 credits. Did your targets decide to move out of line of sight? Suspensors are 60 credits. Did they throw a 15 credit Smoke Grenade? Infra-Sights won’t fit on the Rapid-fire Multi, so now you’re grabbing Photo-Goggles for another 35. The Multi-Melta is some serious overkill, yes, but is it probably a better idea to spread those 340 credits around to the rest of your gang instead? Absolutely. Rating: C

Rad Cannon: Necromunday is split on this one. Dan loves the 5” and 32” range blast in a gang that sorely lacks blasts, but Merton is extremely suspicious of the Strength of 2. You’ll have to decide for yourselves with this one, gangers. We’re rating it right down the middle. Rating: C+

Grenades

Smoke Grenades: Honestly, Van Saar don’t need smokes. They want firing lines wide open at all times, and smokes are just going to get in the way. If you’ve spec’d heavily into Photo-Goggles or Infra-Sights, though, you might want some as you can see right through the smoke! Smoke Grenades will do more to harm a Van Saar gang than help it, so you should probably avoid them. Rating: F

Rad Grenades: Cheaper, weaker Frags that have the potential to hand out flesh wounds. If you’re taking grenades in a Van Saar gang, take Gunk Bombs (more on that later), but if you’ve still got some creds left over, Rad Grenades are fine. Rating: C+

Frag Grenades: They exist in all gangs, and also here, too. They’re probably less useful in a Van Saar gang, but they’re not the worst choice. Rating: C-

Krak Grenades: Usually we use this space to rag on the terrible, awful Krak Grenade, but in the accurate hands of a 2+ BS champ or leader, they’re somewhat less terrible! What a surprise! Rating: D

Selected Wargear

Armored Bodyglove: This is the free Van Saar version of the Armored Undersuit. Everyone comes with one and they can be combined with other armor, and you should definitely be buying armor for your champs and leader. It also protects against Rad-Phage which theoretically could come up in a Van Saar mirror match, but realistically this particular trait will never matter.

Mesh Armor: Your Bodygloves will start your fighters off at a stackable 6+ save, meaning investing 15 credits into Mesh Armor will have your gangers strutting around with a very respectable 4+ save. Consider this a priority upgrade for your heavy hitters, as well as the rest of your rad-addled rabble when you have the spare change.

Infra-Sights and Photo-Goggles: The best way to beat a Van Saar gang is to take away their ability to shoot. Two of the best tools for that are Smoke Grenades and darkened hallways in a Zone Mortalis game, and both of these items will help you mitigate their effects and keep your gangers shooting.

Suspensors: Van Saar are the only gang that can take Suspensors at gang creation. If you’re taking an unwieldy weapon, you might want to think about grabbing some Suspensors. They’re pricey, but they will greatly improve the utility and effectiveness of your heavies. And if you’re already investing 240+ credits in a single fighter, what’s another 60?

Items to Target at the Trading Post

Gunk Bombs: Weapons with the Blaze trait are rare in a Van Saar gang, but slowing down those big and beefy Grinders and Goliaths by covering them in sticky goop will certainly help out. Grab some for your expendable fighters and watch your opponents try to get out of that mess!

Grenade Launcher: The most versatile weapon in the game does indeed have a home in a Van Saar gang. Grab one for a champ from the Trading Post and join the explosion party!

Hotshot Las Packs: Boosts the Strength of a Lasgun or Laspistol from 3 to 4, a critical break point that makes wounding everything just a little bit easier. There’s other options for Van Saar’s expanded Las selection as well, which you can find here.

Cameleoline Cloak: This is Van Saar we’re talking here. You’ve got a sniper. If he’s got a decent vantage point he’s not going to be moving around much anyway, so just give him one of these cloaks and he’ll be even tougher to knock out. As an added bonus, minus-to-hit means that there’s an increased chance he won’t even be pinned! Target a Fast Shot Champion or Leader and laugh your way to the bank.

Booby Traps: Van Saar opponents want to charge, charge, and charge some more. Or they want to get far closer than the aloof and standoffish Van Saar gang would enjoy. So why not invest in some cheap and effective ways to slow down your enemy? Frag and Melta traps are superb for this. When placed in a doorway or important bottleneck, they can be huge deterrent and help shape the battlefield to the Van Saar player’s advantage. Probably avoid Gas Traps, though, as they won’t pin their victims.

Tactics Cards

Van Saar have some great options for cards, and there’s a ton of universal gang tactics that play into their strengths as well as mitigate some of their weaknesses. Here’s a few that we’ve seen used to great effect, but be sure to check out All of the Cards, too!

Reaction Fire: The Shooting skill-set is undoubtedly powerful, but it does have one glaring weakness – It doesn’t include Overwatch! While usable only once per game, and depending on whether you draw the card in the first place, Reaction Fire’s ability to shut down any enemy in response to their activation is a potent threat. Combined with Van Saar’s superior Ballistic Skill and the fact that this card can be used on any fighter nominated instead of just your champion, and you’ve got a tactic card that will make your opponent think twice, even if you don’t have it in your hand.

The Shooting skill-set is undoubtedly powerful, but it does have one glaring weakness – It doesn’t include Overwatch! While usable only once per game, and depending on whether you draw the card in the first place, Reaction Fire’s ability to shut down any enemy in response to their activation is a potent threat. Combined with Van Saar’s superior Ballistic Skill and the fact that this card can be used on any fighter nominated instead of just your champion, and you’ve got a tactic card that will make your opponent think twice, Auto-Healer: If you’ve ever used a sniper, you know all too well the pain of seeing them become Seriously Injured thanks to a lucky shot in round one, and spending the rest of the game trying and failing to recover while cut off from the rest of their team. Skip all of that foolishness and cheat the dice with this automatic recovery, and you’ll be on your feet in no time.

If you’ve ever used a sniper, you know all too well the pain of seeing them become Seriously Injured thanks to a lucky shot in round one, and spending the rest of the game trying and failing to recover while cut off from the rest of their team. Skip all of that foolishness and cheat the dice with this automatic recovery, and you’ll be on your feet in no time. Fall Back: Even if you’re running at close range with some pistols, a protracted fight is not in Van Saar’s favor. Having a tool to extricate yourself without having to worry about pesky Reaction attacks will always be handy, especially since you’ll be in the perfect range to blast away at your previous assailants!

Brutes & Beasts

Arachni-Rig (House Brute)

When you’re dealing with a Brute that’s tied with Cawdor’s Stig-Shambler as the most expensive out of all of the houses, there’s bound to be a bit of sticker shock before you invest in one of these hulking suits. Thankfully, the Arachni-Rig is absolutely amazing in almost any of its configurations, and provided you’ve got the credits to spare you’ll be in (many) good hands! Right off the bat, you’re looking at a baseline behemoth with more Toughness and Movement than your regular champion, three wounds, and Light Carapace armor for a 4+ save (with the option to upgrade to Heavy for a 3+ in the front arc). This thing is tough as nails. It doesn’t have any way of mitigating pinning, but it’ll stand up after blows that would have reduced anything else to cinders, time and time again.

We were a bit down on the man-sized Las Carbine earlier, but it turns out that what it really needed was to be beefed up, doubled, and strapped to the back of one of these surprisingly-nimble suits. Twin-Linking allows the Rig to pump up its potential rate of fire (and provides a defense against permanent Rapid Fire jams) as it blasts away with up to nine Strength 4 shots. If you do decide to also toss on a Rad Gun and/or Plasma Gun, you’ll be able to shoot with one of these or twice with the same while stationary, thanks to a built-in version of Fast Shot that the Arachni-Rig also employs. Both of these weapons are considerably cheaper while Rig-mounted, but Plasma is not particularly recommended thanks to a far lower BS.

With all that, we would also like to offer an alternate usage for your Van Saar brute: just run him straight at the enemy! We’re serious here. Maybe you wait until your guns run dry, and maybe not just straight sprint (you can move and then shoot after all), but the Arachni-Rig is an incredibly tough weapons platform that’ll attract all sorts of enemy firepower and can weather the storm. With one of those babies inbound, the rest of your crew will be free to advance and reposition while the opponent is distracted by a far more pressing threat. It may seem like the comedy option, but being charged from up to 11” away by a Rig with 5 attacks at Strength 5 is no joke. Rating: A

Cyberachnid (House Exotic Beast)

On the flip side credit-wise is the humble Cyberachnid, the least expensive of all the House Pets. It’s not a monster, but it’s a lot more combat-capable than, say, a Cephalopod Spektor. The Cyberachnid grants Fearsome to both itself and its owner, making it a tempting acquisition for a more forward-oriented champion as an anti-charge tool. The ranged attack, a Strength 2 template, isn’t particularly likely to cause any actually webbing, but the guaranteed pinning will definitely cause trouble for your opponent. Melee is much the same, with a single Toxin attack making close combat while one of these things is lurking around a risky proposition.

Overall, the Cyberachnid isn’t too bad! They’re not going to be of much use to snipers, but any of your mid-field champions or leader can definitely benefit from the potential threat that these things present, and they’re priced reasonably enough that they’ll be affordable by mid–campaign, rather than far later on. Rating: B+

Founding Gangs

Do Van Saar Need FW Weapon Packs?

No, actually! The loadout in their 10-ganger plastic kit is good enough that you don’t need the Forge World weapons kits to make a competitive gang. And if you’re on a budget and can only spend money on just one of the weapons kits, then we suggest Van Saar Weapons Kit #1. The Plasma Cannon and Grav-Guns are excellent additions.

Out-of-the-Box 1000-Credit Van Saar Gang

This gang gets right at what Van Saar are good at: launching highly accurate and/or powerful ranged attacks from far away. It’s not super inventive or surprising, but we’re working with what the box gives us, and it will be easy for a newer player to get to terms with only having three weapon profiles to worry about. It’s tempting to load up a Van Saar leader with a Combi-Weapon, a shield, armor and a combat weapon, but then you’re looking at a starting leader worth more than 300 credits. And when your individual gangers each weigh in at 65 credits, it might be best to keep things cheap and effective.

Leader (Trick Shot): Plasma Gun, Mesh Armor, Bodyglove [245] Champion (Fast Shot): Plasma Gun, Mesh Armor, Bodyglove [230] Champion (Hip Shooting): Plasma Pistol (2x), Mesh Armor, Bodyglove [225] Ganger: Lasgun, Bodyglove [75] Ganger: Lasgun, Bodyglove [75] Ganger: Lasgun, Bodyglove [75] Ganger: Lasgun, Bodyglove [75]

Merton’s Midrange Pistoleers

Flipping the script, my offering for the week gets right at a tactic that Van Saar are less known for: launching highly accurate ranged attacks from very close up. I’m normally loathe to triple down on skills, but Hip Shooting is vital to this particular game-plan, allowing my typically lethargic rad-heads a modicum of speed as they try their damndest to get into their optimal distances. In theory, the close-range accuracy bonuses of the Meltagun and Pistols should mitigate the penalties from Hip Shooting, keeping your heavy hitters in the front firing true.

Same as Dan, a quartet of Lasgunners bring up the rear, with enough range to plink away at any enemies smart enough to avoid the danger zone. I’m not expecting my juve to do much beyond help stave off Bottling for an extra minute, but if a Seriously Injured enemy presents themself, she’ll know what to do.

Leader (Hip Shooting): Meltagun, Laspistol (2x), Mesh Armor, Bodyglove [290] Champion (Hip Shooting): Plasma Pistol, Laspistol, Mesh Armor, Bodyglove [180] Champion (Hip Shooting): Plasma Pistol, Laspistol, Mesh Armor, Bodyglove [180] Ganger: Lasgun, Bodyglove [75] Ganger: Lasgun, Bodyglove [75] Ganger: Lasgun, Bodyglove [75] Ganger: Lasgun, Bodyglove [75] Juve: Laspistol (2x), Bodyglove [45]

Final Thoughts

Van Saar are unique, stylish, and present an interesting and singular take on Necromunda. They may seem like they’re overpowered with their access to excellent shooting options and 2+ BS, but in reality they require a lot of finesse to succeed. Yes, they will destroy anyone in a “Shoot ‘Em Up” scenario with very little LoS-blocking terrain, and this has caused the gang to pick up an unfavorable stigma. In truth, they’re slow, clumsy, at a severe disadvantage in certain scenarios, and fold like a paper fan to any sort of melee.

As a Van Saar player, you’ll have to work to shape the battlefield, deploy cleverly, and keep those firing lanes open if you want to win games. You’ll also have to get out of your deployment zone at some point, so maybe try Hip Shooting, okay? Take out enemy gangers with Smoke Grenades as soon as possible, and play every dirty trick you can to keep your crew out of combat!

Thanks for reading, scummers! If you have any comments or questions feel free to sound off in the comments below or reach out to us at contact@goonhammer.com! In particular, if you’ve converted up your own Cyberachnid, we’d love to see it.



Join us next week when we reveal our true allegiance to the Four-Armed Emperor and cover Genestealer Cult Gangs! Get your purple foundation and hair trimmers ready, gang. You don’t want to miss this one!

Merton’s Community Corner

Hey, that Arachni-Rig you saw a minute ago? The Blue one, not the Two one! The fellow who put that beauty together has got a blog too, and you can find it over at NOT A COLLECTOR.

The rest of his gang is just as impressive, and he’s been documenting both his painting progress (with steps!) and conversion work as he goes. If you’re curious as to all of what goes into the start to finish of a gang like that, check it out!