Escher

Provided below are the house rules we use for Escher gangs.

House Escher is one of six Houses of Hive Primus on the hive world Necromunda. Arrogant and heartless, the Escher have a reputation for cruelty and mercilessness, and are perhaps the most vicious House with a penchant for poisons.

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Almost all Escher are female, making them unique and perhaps the most strikingly different of the Houses of Necromunda. The few Escher males are physical derelicts; shrivelled and imbecilic, perhaps due to a genetic defect in the House bloodline, or the after effects of a plague which many believe was the same as that which decimated the population of House Aranthus several centuries ago and ultimately led to its downfall. Escher society has long since developed to compensate for their imbalanced population (which is no longer seen as a disadvantage).

House Escher and House Goliath are old enemies, and their mutual borders are the scene of frequent skirmishes. Escher's typical disdain for all males is particularly acute when it comes to Goliaths, who they dismiss as simple and brutish, and often refer to as "Meatnecks". House Orlock also borders Escher territory, with the House typically considering Escher as one of its two strongest allies.

Gang Composition

A Escher gang must follow these rules when it is founded, and when new fighters are added to the gang.

  • There must be one Leader (if the Leader is killed, see page 24 of Gang War).
  • There can be no more than two Champions, plus one for every full 10 Reputation the gang has.
  • The total number of Gangers in the gang must be equal to or higher than the total number of other fighters in the gang, not counting Hangers On or Hive Scum.
  • When a starting gang is founded up to one Ganger may carry a Special Weapon. During campaign play, additional Gangers will become eligible to carry Special Weapons as they gain advances.
  • A fighter may be equipped with a maximum of three weapons. Weapons with the Unweildy trait take up the space of two weapons.
  • A fighter does not start with Armor and the cost of Armor is not included in their profile.
  • A fighter allowed Armor may be equipped with no more than one kind of Armor.
  • A fighter allowed Grenades may be equipped with no more than two different kinds of Grenades.
  • A fighter allowed Wargear can carry any amount of Wargear.
  • A gang may hire as many Mercs as they can afford, while observing the total number of Gangers restriction described above.
  • A gang may hire a maximum of one Hangers-on for every full 5 points of Reputation the gang has.
  • A gang may hire up to five Hired Scum to fight in one battle.
  • A gang may hire up to one Bounty Hunter to fight in one battle (if certain criteria are met).

Fighters

A starting Escher gang is made up of the following fighters.

Escher Leader

Leader
150
M
WS
BS
 S 
 T 
W
I
A
5"
3+
3+
3
3
2
2+
3
Ld
Cl
Wil
Int
5+
6+
6+
6+
Save
-

Skill Access

Primary: Agility, Combat, Leadership

Secondary: Cunning, Ferocity

Starting: Escher Leaders start with 1 skill chosen from their Primary skill sets

Equipment

Access: No restrictions

Escher Champion

Champion
130
M
WS
BS
 S 
 T 
W
I
A
5"
3+
3+
3
3
2
2+
2
Ld
Cl
Wil
Int
6+
7+
6+
6+
Save
-

Skill Access

Primary: Agility, Combat

Secondary: Cunning, Ferocity, Leadership

Starting: Escher Champions start with 1 skill chosen from their Primary skill sets

Equipment

Access: No restrictions

Escher Juve

Juve
20
M
WS
BS
 S 
 T 
W
I
A
6"
4+
5+
2
3
1
2+
1
Ld
Cl
Wil
Int
8+
9+
8+
8+
Save
-

Skill Access

Primary: Agility

Secondary: Combat, Cunning

Equipment

Access: When starting a Juve only has access to Pistols, Close Combat Weapons, and Grenades. During campaign play a Juve with three or more advances has no Equipment restrictions.

Escher Ganger

Ganger
40
M
WS
BS
 S 
 T 
W
I
A
5"
4+
4+
3
3
1
3+
1
Ld
Cl
Wil
Int
7+
8+
7+
7+
Save
-

Skill Access

Primary: Agility, Combat

Secondary: Cunning, Ferocity

Equipment

Access: When starting a Ganger has access to Armor, Basic Weapons, Close Combat Weapons, Grenades, Pistols, and Wargear. During campaign play, a Ganger with at least one advance gains access to Special Weapons.

Escher Fumigator (0-1)
150 credits

If a gang has an Escher Fumigator who is not in Recovery or Captured, the gang's player gains a Gas Trap Tactics Card to use in the battle in addition to any other Tactics Cards available to them. If the Escher Fumigator takes part in the battle, this Tactics Card must be played on her.

Equipment List

When creating a new gang or buying Common equipment during a Post Battle Sequence, Escher may select from the following House Equipment list.

Armor

Fighting Harness
10
Common
Flak Armor
5
Common
Hazard Suit
10
Common
Mesh Armor
15
Common

Weapons (CCWs)

Blunt Weapon
10
Common
Chainsword
35
Common
Fighting Knife
15
Common
Flail
20
Common
Knife
5
Common
Power Sword
45
Common
Shock Sword
30
Common
Shockbaton
30
Common
Shockwhip
25
Common
Stiletto Knife
20
Common
Stiletto Sword
30
Common
Sword
20
Common

Weapons (Pistols)

Autopistol
10
Common
Bolt Pistol (Locke Pattern)
20
Common
Laspistol
5
Common
Needle Pistol
20
Common
Needle Pistol (Master Crafted)
45
Common
Plasma Pistol
50
Common
Stub Pistol
10
Common

Weapons (Basic)

Autogun
15
Common
Bolter (Locke Pattern)
40
Common
Lasgun
10
Common
Needle Rifle
40
Common
Shotgun [None]
30 + ammo
Common

Ammunition is purchased for this weapon separately.

Throwing Daggers
10
Common

Weapons (Specials)

Assault Rifle
45
Common
Chem-Thrower
130
Common
Combi (Bolter / Needler)
75
Common
Plasma Gun
100
Common
Sniper Rifle (Long-las)
60
Common
Sniper Rifle (Needler)
60
Common

Weapons (Heavies)

Heavy Stubber
135
Common

Grenades

Choke Gas Grenades
40
Common
Frag Grenades
30
Common
Archeotech: Plasma Grenades
50
Common

Ammunition

Acid shells (Shotgun)
10
Common
Dumdum rounds (Stub Pistol / Stub Rifle)
5
Common
Hotshot (Laspistol / Lasgun)
5
Common
Scatter shells (Shotgun)
10
Common
Solid shells (Shotgun)
10
Common

Attachments

Extended Clip (Autopistol / Autogun / Assault Rifle)
10
Common
Gunshroud (Pistols and Basic weapons)
20
Common
Hair Trigger (Ranged weapons)
5
Common
Infra-sight (Ranged weapons)
30
Common
Las-Projector (Ranged weapons)
25
Common
Targeter (Ranged weapons)
25
Common
Telescopic Sight (Ranged weapons)
10
Common

Bionics

Biobooster
35
Common
Bionic Actuators
30
Common
Bionic Arm
40
Common
Bionic Cogitator
60
Common
Bionic Eye
55
Common
Bionic Leg
60
Common
Bionic Upgrades
30
Common
Skullchip
30
Common

Wargear

Biostim
10
Common
Chem-Synth
15
Common
Extra Ammo
10
Common
Filter Plugs
5
Common
Frenzon stash
10
Common
Medicae Kit
25
Common
Meds stash
5
Common
Respirator
10
Common
Shades
5
Common
Skinblade
10
Common
Strip Kit
15
Common

Tactics Cards

In addition to neutral Tactics Cards, the following are exclusively available to gangs belonging to this House:

A New Strain

You may play this card when one of your gang's fighters has made an attack with a weapon that has the Gas trait.

Each time you roll to determine if a fighter hit by this attack is affected by the Gas trait, you may roll an extra dice and discard one of the dice before determining the result.

Counter-Charger

You may play this card to interrupt an enemy fighter's action when that fighter Engages one of your gang's fighters.

Pick one of your gang's Active and Readied fighters; that fighter gains the Counter-Charge skill for the remainder of this battle. They may use the skill immediately.

Gas Trap

You may play this card when you set up one of your gang's fighters onto the battlefield. Tuck this card under that fighter's card.

This fighter is equipped with a Gas Trap; see the gear list for details.

Not So Easy Is It?

You may play this card immediately after an enemy gang fails a Bottle test, targeting that gang.

The fighters of the targeted enemy gang must each make a Cool check now with a -1 modifier; fighters who fail their check flee the battlefield. This is in addition to the normal check made at the start of the next Action phase.

Put Them Down!

You may play this at the end of any Action phase.

Each of this gang's Active fighters may make a free Coup d' Grace action against a Seriously Injured enemy fighter within 3'' of themselves, if any.

Scrag

You may play this card when one of your gang's fighters would inflict a Flesh Wound on an enemy fighter in close combat.

This fighter instead inflicts D3+1 Flesh Wounds on the enemy fighter.

Side by Side

You may play this card to interrupt an enemy fighter's action when that enemy fighter moves into base contact with one of your gang's fighters.

Any of your gang's Active fighters who are within 6'' of the enemy fighter may be moved so that they are in base contact with that enemy fighter if it is possible for them to do so. The enemy fighter's action then resumes.

Siren Howls

You may play this card at the beginning of any round, before rolling for Priority.

For the remainder of this round, Escher Leader, Champion, Juve, and Ganger fighters, and any Hired Guns represented by an Escher model, gain +1 on all Cool checks (including Nerve tests). All other fighters take a -1 penalty on all Cool checks (including Nerve tests).

Stealthy Advance

You may play this card during the Deployment step of the Pre-Battle Sequence after fighters have been deployed normally, and before Infiltrating fighters have been set up.

Up to half of the fighters in your gang's crew (rounding up) may make a Standard Move immediately.

Three-Point Landing ( ≠ )

You may play this card when one of your gang's fighters falls.

The fighter lands safely and does not take a hit. The fighter is not Pinned, and if they have any actions to take they may take them.

Tunnel Runners ( Ω )

You may play this card at the start of any round.

For the duration of this round all of your gang's fighters may move through pitfalls and ductways as though they were clear terrain. They cannot end their turn on them.

Ultra-Violence

You may play this card at the beginning of a round.

For the duration of the round, all of your gang's fighters on the battlefield gain the Rain of Blows skill.

Campaign

No special House specific modifications to Campaign rules apply.