Orlock Legendary Names

Source: House of Iron

An Orlock ganger lives and dies by their reputation, their fighters following them not just because they are the toughest underhiver around, but because everyone knows it. Road Captains, leaders and champions spend their lives amassing legends about themselves, some by doing great deeds – with plenty of witnesses – others by letting their followers talk them up in drinking holes and wasteland dives. Whether a legend is true or not, all that matters is that it takes on a life of its own. Soon people start referring to the Orlock by their nickname, which in turn is a self-fulfilling prophecy, as they strive to live up to it no matter what.

Orlock Legendary Names are special names that can be given to an Orlock Leader or Champion, granting them additional benefits. For example, Orlock Gang Leader Rothgo Jax, could be given the Legendary Name ‘Iron Hard’, thus becoming Rothgo ‘Iron Hard’ Jax, and gaining the benefits of the Iron Hard name. Legendary names are not without their cost, however, as the flip side of being a legend is living up to your own hype. Each Legendary Name comes with a drawback, each of which is included as part of the Legendary Name’s special rules.

Using Legendary Names

Legendary Names are Advancements. They can be purchased for fighters using Experience points, and they can be given to characters when they are recruited:

• Any fighter can have up to two Legendary Names.
• Any fighter with the Gang Hierarchy (X) special rule can have up to three Legendary Names.

Legendary Names may be taken by fighters as follows:

• Legendary Names can be gained as an Advancement. A fighter may be given a random Legendary Name (from one of the three categories available) for 3 XP, or may choose a Legendary Name for a cost of 6 XP. In both cases, this Advancement increases the fighter’s value by 5 credits. If a fighter gains a random Legendary Name that they cannot use, simply roll again.
• Any fighter with the Gang Hierarchy (X) special rule may choose a Legendary Name when they are recruited, as well as choosing a skill (as described in their profile).

Unbelievable Escapes

Some fighters are just impossible to kill. The ganger has a reputation for surviving things no ordinary person should – shrugging off rounds to the chest, stepping out of the way of incoming fire like they were dodging a punch, or snapping off knives driven into their gut, before knocking the attacker on their backside.

1. Iron Hard

This fighter counts the first Serious Injury or Out of Action result they suffer during any battle as a Flesh Wound instead. However, if this fighter is taken Out of Action, their crew will automatically fail the next Bottle test it is required to make.

2. Bullet Dodger

Once per battle, when an enemy fighter makes a ranged attack that targets this fighter, you can force that enemy fighter to re-roll all successful to hit rolls made as part of that ranged attack. During this fighter’s next activation after this ability has been used, they can only make Move (Simple) actions.

3. Badzone Legend

This fighter can make a special 3+ save roll against any damage sustained as a result of any environmental hazard (i.e., damage not originating from an attack by another fighter). During this fighter’s next activation after this ability has been used, they cannot initiate or take part in Group Activations.

4. Promethium-proof Killer

This fighter ignores all of the effects of the Blaze trait. However, this fighter cannot benefit from or utilise the Leading by Example special rule.

5. Slippery Scummer

If the fighter is ever captured (see the Necromunda Rulebook), they can choose to have another fighter from their gang be captured in their place. If this ability is used and another fighter is taken captive in this way, then the gang cannot and will not attempt a Rescue of that fighter.

6. Blade Breaker

When this fighter is hit by an attack made by an enemy fighter using a weapon with either the Melee trait, the Versatile trait, or both, immediately roll a D6. On a roll of a natural 6, the hit automatically becomes a miss and the enemy fighter is immediately Disarmed (just as if they had been hit on a roll of 6 by a weapon with the Disarm trait).

Impressive Leadership

In the underhive, it takes a big personality to lead a gang, and an even bigger one to be remembered after you’re on your way to the corpse-starch factorum. Impressive leaders intimidate those around them, use their guns to make unforgettable statements and get extra creds just for turning up.

1. Bigman

When this fighter makes a Group Activation, they may include fighters within 6" rather than the usual 3". However, this fighter must reduce the benefit of any cover they are in by 1 (i.e., while in Full Cover, enemy fighters only suffer a -1 modifier to their hit rolls when targeting this fighter, rather than the usual -2).

2. Lucky

Once per battle, this fighter can change the result of any one dice they have rolled to a 6 (you may decide to use this ability after the dice have been rolled). However, in a battle that uses the Reinforcement rules, this fighter’s Fighter card must be placed in the Reinforcement deck.

3. Impressive Scars

As long as a friendly fighter has a line of sight to this fighter, the distance between that fighter and this fighter does not matter for the purposes of the Leading by Example special rule. However, this fighter must reduce the number of fighters they can include in a Group Activation by 1.

4. Too Pretty for Primus

If this fighter is still on the battlefield at the end of a battle, their gang adds 2D6x5 credits to their Stash. However, if a double is rolled, these credits are added to your opponent’s Stash instead.

5. Iron Stare

Enemy fighters wishing to target this fighter with a ranged attack must first pass a Cool check if this fighter has a line of sight to that enemy fighter. In addition, this fighter never counts as the closest fighter for the purposes of Target Priority.

6. Rock Steady

As long as this fighter is Standing and Active, or Standing and Engaged, you can roll two D6 for Bottle tests and apply the lowest result. However, if your gang fails its Bottle test, friendly fighters must reroll a successful Cool check to see if they flee the battlefield.

Improbable Beat-Downs

Every Orlock has a tale of the time they knocked some underhive killer for six – some of them are even true! Leaders with legendary reputations about their combat prowess are said to be able to kill a foe with a single punch or land a bullet between their enemy’s eyes from the other side of a dome!

1. One Punch

When making an unarmed attack (see the Necromunda Rulebook) this fighter may choose to roll a single Attack dice, irrespective of their Attacks characteristic or any other bonuses. If this attack hits, it is resolved at Strength 8 and Damage 2, and no Save roll can be made (with the exception of Field armour).

2. Bullet Lord

Once per battle, rather than rolling the Firepower dice, this fighter can choose the result of the dice roll to be a 3. However, after working out the effects of the attack, the fighter’s weapon counts as having failed an Ammo check.

3. Two-guns

When this fighter uses the Twin Guns Blazing rule, after working out the effect of their attacks, enemy fighters within 6" must make a Nerve test. However, during any round in which this fighter uses the Twin Gun Blazing rule they cannot make, or participate in, a Group Activation.

4. Chancer

Whenever this fighter hits an enemy fighter with an Improbable Shot, they gain D3 XP. When spending Experience on skill Advancements, this fighter cannot choose skills, and must always gain a randomly determined new skill instead.

5. Headshot

If this fighter takes an enemy fighter Out of Action with their first Shoot (Basic) action of the battle, they gain D3 XP. However, all missed ranged attacks made by the fighter count as Stray Shots.

6. One Shot

Once per battle this fighter can choose to automatically hit with a ranged weapon attack, provided the weapon does not have the Rapid Fire (X) trait or the Blast (X) trait. However, if this fighter can take a Shoot (Basic) action during their activation they must do so. Note that, when this fighter uses this ability, they must still roll the Firepower dice.