Gangs of New Waco Campaign Log

Gangs 

of 

New Waco

Necromunda Campaign 2011

Scourge and purge!

In the Gregoriam system of Pandaemus, the settled world of New Waco has developed well since it was first settled in the Old Crusade to reclaim the Mardannon Sector nearly five thousand years ago.  The world has a thriving industry, but the environment itself has been unforgiving.  In the midst of a famine that has rocked the world to its core, wars of heresy threaten to engulf the (basically) productive world in fire and madness.

Several street gangs have formed where once there were peaceful worshippers of the Emperor.  The Anointed Terran Force has been working to bring food to the masses, but recently the cult of the Redemption has made it's way to this frontier world.  Now, the divergent philosophies of these two Imperial cults have polarized the population even further, and violence seems to be the only conclusion either side has been driven to.

Behold the forbidding and arid landscape of New Waco.

Imperial forces are thin in this sector.  The Adeptus Arbites precinct here is undermanned, but has been performing riot control around the capital to keep out the worst of the looters and zealots.  To this end, mercenaries from off-world have been hired to help keep the peace amongst the population until this period of rebellion passes.

The real fear is how far the religious fanaticism will continue to change the surface of the planet's political worlds.  Between mercy and purgation, the souls of those on New Waco hang in the balance as a few well placed bands of warriors take up the battle in the name of freedom, or penance, or just plain credits.

Fighting Groups on New Waco

1. Adeptus Arbites - The beleaguered defenders of Imperial law on New Waco need a lot of support if they are to hold out.  Unfortunately, the situation has deteriorated to the point that firefights with supposedly allied Imperial forces are occurring with alarming regularity.  If the Arbites cannot forge order out of the anarchy, full scale rebellion may well break out.
2. House Semetov Pilgrims - The trading guild House Semetov regularly sends its warriors on pilgrimages to nearby worlds of religious importance, such as Vestesia or Vae Salubrious.  A group of these militant pilgrims have pledged their arms to restore order on an Imperial world they are visiting on the way to their holy destination - New Waco.
3. Band of Basterds - A team of mercenaries hired by the New Waco government to help quell the uprisings.  Not is all as it seems, as this group of rogues have their own agenda on this planet and a shadowy connection to the Inquisition itself.
4. Lumisi Interdiction Team - Responding to a plea from the planetary governor of New Waco, the Lumisi Imperial Guard raised a small regiment to help garrison the planet.  These teams have spread out among the cities of New Waco to add strength to the Arbites, but misunderstandings and strange occurrences have made the Lumisi less eager to help the inhabitants of the planet, and more eager to preserve themselves until help arrives.
5. Anointed Terran Fraternity - A remnant of the Frateris Militia of olden times, these religious zealots have a specific interpretation of the Imperial Creed that teaches that mercy for fellow humans is the best way to improve the spiritual state of man.  This puts them directly at odds with the Redemptionists, and the clashes between the two sects spur the populace at large to acts of extreme violence and terrorism.
6. The Red Redemption - The Redemption is alive and well on New Waco.  The cultists here are on a specific mission - convert the populace to their militant and unforgiving doctrine.  The sect leader on New Waco has already attained a large following, and his influence with the masses grows as the acts of violence continue.
7. New Waco Ratskins - Natives to the deserts around the cities, the Ratskin tribes have always been relegated to subhuman status by the civilized inhabitants of the planet.  However, as the focus of the cities turn inward and they weaken with infighting, more and more Ratskin tribes grow bold enough to sack smaller settlements.  Now, the tribes intend to carve out their own city from the carcass of the Imperials who shun and oppress them.
8. The Abu Dabis - There are more than Ratskin tribes in the vast deserts and canyons of New Waco.  Several tribes of Nomads live in the deep desert where the sand chokes all living things.  These nomads may have once been Imperial citizens, but long ago left the cities for a more natural existence among the wilds.  Like the Ratskins, they have long been oppressed by the general population of the planet in the cities, and sensing weakness, have brought their people out of the deserts to reclaim the world for their people.

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The campaign will be our standard round robin matchup.  Each player will play each other player once in each of two rounds.  Once the two rounds are completed, the highest Gang Ratings among the players will be declared the winners!

The campaign is over!

The Adeptus Arbites are victorious!
Band of Basterds takes 2nd Place!
Red Redemption takes 3rd Place!

---

The burned out ruin of the manufactorum was still smoking in the dusk of New Waco's twin suns.  Bodies were littered everywhere amidst the rubble.  Smoke still rose from the charred ground, the ash disturbed only by the heavy boots of enforcers.


Judge Fred prodded a corpse of a nomadic wastelander.  Not quite stiff...whoever put an end to this particular nomad was probably still nearby.  A few hours at the very most.  From the damage to the corpse, he'd put his money on Redemptionists.  There were few others who would leave everything a smoking, burned out ruin.  


A column of Rhino APCs marked with the seals of the Imperium and the Adeptus Arbites flashed by on the road towards the outlands.  They were full of arbitrators, and they were headed into the heart of nomad and lowtek territory.  Very soon, the long arm of Imperial law would fall on the dark reaches of New Waco.  No longer would this be a haven for heretics and malcontents. 


'Well, at least the ones we can find,' Judge Fred thought to himself.  There were still mercenaries popping up and causing trouble, and the number of system ships in orbit didn't help.


A dust storm brewed on the horizon, but it didn't matter.  Arbitrator Steinn called back on the vox, breaking the tense silence.


"All clear."


Judge Fred was now annoyed.  He'd wasted enough time here.  "Back on the rig!" he called out, ordering his squad to embark their own Rhino, which was further back from the building waiting for a status update. 


"Which way, Your Honor?" Arbitrator Morales asked from the control harness.  The squad was embarked and the ramp closed with lightning efficiency born of experience.


"Back with the column.  We follow the mercenaries."  The Judge opened the auspex panel, and brought forth a topographic image of the area of the wasteland where they were headed.  


"That's where we saw the energy signature," croaked Arbitrator Valance from under his Enforcer mask. "but it's gone for a while now, Your Honor.  Why are we going out there, if I may so inquire?"


Judge Fred looked around at his squad.  It was time to tell them about the real mission they were on, and that they wouldn't be joining the rest of the column in driving Ratskins and Nomads from the wastes around the cities.  He had another lead, on another case altogether.  A crime spree that perhaps spanned the sector.


"I still think there's a ship hiding out there.  We're going to find it."

Creeping Into the Forest of Shadows

It's been a few months since our last Warmachine campaign, but the fires are still warm in our warjacks.  Our new campaign, The Forest of Shadows has begun along with the New Year!  Check out the campaign page here!

Welcome back to the Iron Kingdoms, warcaster!  We're going to have a longer campaign this time, with some interesting scenario rules later on to boot.  We're going to see a lot more varied combat this time around, as we're a lot more versed in the rules.  So what's the skinny on the campaign itself?

First, this campaign is simpler in design than some that have come before it.  Our standard system is becoming that of Campaign Points and Influence (or CP*INF, for you nerds), rather than one or the other.  We seem to like this method best, so we'll be trying it out in a few different games starting with this one.  We'll still by trying new systems all the time, but I wanted to point out that this campaign presents that system as transparently as possible.  We'll get to see it in action this campaign, right as our scores change.

So who's this strange Baron Du Vantaine?  There's a few rumors the warcasters managed to hear on their journey to Llael, some of which ring of truth.  One thing in particular weighs on their minds, however.  In the last few years right before the invasion, the forest around the castle was already shunned and considered haunted.  It seems the Baron may have turned mad toward the end.  Strange things were seen all around, and it is said that the voice of the Baron calling out could be heard on the wind.

For miles around the forest, the land is desolate of human life.  Not even an occupying force to garrison the castle.  What could possibly lie there?  The warcasters all know one thing - whatever it is, it is a powerful weapon of war.

We're gonna have a blast in the next few months finding out what happens.  Though it hasn't quite caught on with everyone here just yet, Warmachine is a great game with an exciting world behind it.  There's lots of possibility with the narratives here, and I expect to see more armies spring up this coming year. Don't be afraid to look into it, as forces are relatively cheap in the gaming hobby and the pieces are large and spectacular.  Check out the Privateer Press Warmachine website for more, and see if you can find an army to make your bid for control of the Iron Kingdoms!

Gangs of New Waco Finals!

The results are in!  The Wargate's 2011 Necromunda campaign comes to a close with some interesting news - there's been an Imperial resurgence and the civil strife on New Waco is nearly eradicated!

Those of you who have seen the campaign log know what the gang ratings look like, but this campaign we've introduced a new mechanic to help determine victory on New Waco.  All players had Battlefield Influence calculated, a simple win percentage we use in a lot of our campaigns.  By popular demand, Influence is being used to help tally the score here, and now the results are in!

Joe Kool pilots the Adeptus Arbites (Enforcers) on a flawless trek to the top!

Although the Band of Basterds had a higher gang total, their Influence on New Waco waned, as did that of the Red Redemption.  Joe obviously did the best overall (losing a single Enforcer during the entire course of the campaign) and so is awarded 1st Place and the narrative belongs to the arbitrators!

No doubt there will be plenty of reform on New Waco.  Now that the Imperials are cracking down, things might get even more desperate for some of the wild types who call that dusty place home.  The Abu Dabis and the Ratskins might be the only ones relatively safe, due to their remote location from the settlements.  However, given the resources the arbitrators will soon bring to bear it is unlikely that they won't feel the squeeze of the mailed fist of the Emperor.

Necromunda season for 2012 will start October 1st!  Prepare your forces for an even more dangerous jaunt through the wilder parts of the Imperium!  We'll be adding more and more Necromunda material as we go, using a lot of official material as well as homebrew crunch.  There's plenty more to come, so don't be afraid to collect a small force this year.  

See you on Game Day!