Hired Guns
Source: Necromunda Core Rulebook (2023)
The Imperium of Mankind is a dangerous place. Countless billions of wretched souls deal with the bleakness of their existence by cowering from the horrors of the galaxy, dedicating their lives to relentless toil and drudgery in the service of Him on Terra. Yet there are those who do not. Untold millions of brave or desperate souls take up arms, fighting for the fate of humanity in the Emperor’s glorious armies. Many others, in numbers beyond counting, take to a life of violence for their own amusement, violent souls drawn to violent work. Yet more come to their bloody work through desperation, simply hoping to put food in their bellies. Ruthless bounty hunters prowl the underhive, hoping to get rich from their bloody-handed trade. Lowlife scum eke out a meagre existence, hiring their services to uncaring gang leaders looking for some expendable muscle. Even those who would prefer not to raise arms in violence find themselves drawn into the endless cycle of gang warfare, their skills retained in service of the crew that runs their hab block.
The hives of Necromunda are meat grinders for humanity. There is always someone willing to sell their services to keep the mechanism turning.
Bounty Hunters, House Agents and Hive Scum
In Campaign play, gangs have the chance to recruit Hired Guns. These fall into three broad categories: Bounty Hunters, House Agents and Hive Scum, some of which will be named characters, better known as Dramatis Personae. Such fighters can be hired during the pre-battle sequence, thus securing their services for that one battle. They are not added to the gang roster, but a Fighter card will need to be filled out for them. They can be hired again for subsequent battles – as such, players might find it useful to keep an appropriate Fighter card, already filled in, for each Hired Gun model they have.
Hired Guns never gain Experience, they cannot purchase Advancements, and they do not suffer Lasting Injuries – if they go Out of Action, they simply play no further part in the battle.
In Skirmish battles, Hired Guns can be purchased in the same way as any other fighter.
In either mode of play, a Hired Gun increases the gang’s Rating in the same way as any other fighter.
Outlaw Hired Guns
For the most part, in spite of appearances, Bounty Hunters, House Agents, Hive Scum and Dramatis Personae are relatively upright citizens of the underhive who follow Lord Helmawr’s laws as best they can. Therefore, ordinary Hired Guns can only be hired by Law Abiding gangs; they cannot be hired by Outlaw gangs (the rules for Outlaw gangs can be found in Necromunda: The Book of Judgement).
This does not mean that Outlaw gangs cannot hire Hired Guns. Outlaw gangs may purchase the services of a Hired Gun as normal. If they do however, the fighter must be designated an ‘Outlaw’ and will gain the Outlaw special rule. Additionally, Outlaw gangs may hire any Dramatis Personae with the Outlaw special rule on their profile.
Law Abiding gangs cannot hire Dramatis Personae with the Outlaw rule on their profile and cannot designate a Hive Scum or a Bounty Hunter they have hired as an Outlaw.