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Using The Campaign

Source: Necromunda Core Rulebook (2023)

Power in the underhive is more than a gun in a ganger’s hand. It is reputation, it is coin, and the worth of the ground that you can call your own. For gangs that wish for more than bloodshed, that wish not just for infamy, but to rise from the ashes and ruins to something greater; for these, dominion over the soul and iron of the hive is everything. And for that end, they will fight bitter war without mercy.

The Dominion Campaign is based around gangs fighting battles for the control of Territory. Each battle in the campaign is fought for the control of a Territory, with the winner either gaining a new Territory, or holding onto one that they already have.

Territories are features of the underhive and the ash wastes that are worth something to the gangs, be that a set of old ruins that provide building materials or a safe haven, or a tech bazaar selling all manner of STC technology. There are a fixed number of Territories in a Dominion Campaign, based on the number of players.

Possession of a Territory grants a gang that holds it a benefit – called a Boon. Boons vary from income, to a special gang tactic that can be used in battle, to equipment, or even recruits for their gang. Gangs claim Territories by winning battles.

Additionally, all gangs possess a Settlement Territory which they cannot lose and which can never be staked on the outcome of a battle. This represents the gang’s Hideout.

The campaign ends after a fixed period of time, and at that point gangs are awarded Triumphs based on how many battles they have fought, how much Territory they have, how wealthy they are, their Reputation, and how many enemies they have taken down.

The Arbitrator

The Dominion Campaign requires one of the players to take on the role of an Arbitrator. It is the Arbitrator’s job to keep track of victories, offer guidance for the players and control any random events or elements. In the Dominion Campaign the Arbitrator’s responsibilities include:

  • Organising the players and making a list of all of the gangs involved in the campaign.
  • Keeping the players informed as to the progression of the campaign and keeping track of the control of Territories.
  • Deciding when each phase of the campaign begins and ends, as well as when the overall campaign starts and finishes.

The Gangs

Each player in a Dominion Campaign needs to have a gang. This can be any gang currently available fromany of the Necromunda supplements, or those published in White Dwarf magazine or on the Warhammer Community website.

Controlling Territories

Each Territory is a feature of key interest in the localised area of the underhive and wastes within which the gangs are fighting. A gang gains a Territory by winning a battle and holds onto it by winning future battles fought over its possession.

Pre- And Post-Battle Sequence

The Dominion Campaign uses all of the standard rules for the pre- and post-battle sequences presented earlier in this book, including the gaining and spending of XP.

Winning

Rather than a single winner, there are many Triumphs that a gang can achieve in a Dominion Campaign. At the end of the last campaign cycle, the Dominion Campaign is over. The Arbitrator then totals up each gang’s total enemies taken Out of Action, final Wealth, final Reputation, and the number of Territories held by each gang, and then awards Triumphs to players.