40K Retro: Shadow War:Armageddon Rules & Lore
Shadow War: Armageddon owes a lot to Necromunda & Codex: Armageddon – come see for yourself!
We’ve been talking about Shadow War: Armageddon all week and we’ve pointed to just how similar the rules are to Necromunda. So this time we figured, “Hey, let’s just show them the rules side by side – and then some!”
I decided to go way back in the BoLS vault to pull out the Necromunda books. As I was digging around I remembered another book that had a pretty big impact on my earlier days gaming – Codex: Armageddon. “Of Course!” I said to myself. Shadow War takes place on Armageddon. This is the book that basically laid out the Third War for Armageddon. I knew I had to included it in this video.
That’s why this is a Retro Showcase – to compare the new school to the old school and to see where those cross. The map image above was in the back of Codex: Armageddon and it’s displayed in the new Shadow War: Armageddon book as well. But the retro throw-backs don’t just stop there. Later in the Shadow War: Armageddon book we also get a look at the hive structure which looks VERY close to the one from Necromunda:
Even the Kill Team/Ganger construction rules are similar, although I found it’s quicker to create a Kill Team than a Gang. Why? Less options. Normally, I’ll about MOAR OPTIONS, but in this case I’m glad they truncated the list of things. The wargear and weapons list in the core book isn’t as “robust” as in the Necromunda books. I know some folks will feel like it’s watered down, but honestly, I think it’s better because it’s streamlined. You still have lots of options, but it’s a shorter and consolidated list. The format is also easier for list building. I mean, look at the PDFs from GW – Here are your Kill Team members with points and here is their armory.
Maybe it was just my young mind playing tricks on me, or maybe I’ve just had years of list building practice, but it feels like list building in SW:Armageddon is just easier. And that’s a good thing!
Also in the video I whip out the old injury table, some comparisons between campaigns, and I touch on some of the rules as well – it’s all in the video. I do want to mention that the Skills are different from Necromunda! I thought this was particularly interesting. If you wanted to and you had a copy of those rules you could, in theory, run an old gang in SW:Armageddon OR you could use the old level-up/campaign system for your Kill Teams! If you’ve never played Necromunda I can understand why that doesn’t sound like that big of a deal…But if you have, you’d probably understand why that would be pretty darn cool.
Basically, if you want to play a shorter league try Shadow War: Armageddon. If you want to play a longer campaign, then you can easily import Necromunda’s campaign system over. I do this all the time with old D&D modules and it works surprisingly well.
Shadow War: Armageddon is a lot of fun and it’s a great way to dip your toe into the Grim Dark. It’s a fun game for new and old players and the investment to get a Kill Team up and running is pretty reasonable. Once those rules hit the shelves I’m sure leagues are going to sprout-up all over the place. If you’re FLGS isn’t planning on one, you should definitely bug them about it! The game Officially Launches into stores this weekend!
Shadow War: Armageddon $130
Deadly skirmish combat in a war-torn hive world.
Armageddon is wracked with war. As hordes of ferocious Ork warriors surge across the planet, they are met in combat by the combined forces of the Imperium.
Across Hive Acheron, elite fighters creep through the twisting pipes and gantries of the hive to strike deep within enemy territory. They are assassins and saboteurs – the kill teams of Armageddon, battling over precious promethium in order to win the shadow war and decide the fate of the battle that has engulfed the planet.
Subscribe to our newsletter!Get Tabletop, RPG & Pop Culture news delivered directly to your inbox.By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.A standalone boxed game, Shadow War: Armageddon pits kill teams against each other in skirmish combat, with a detailed set of rules that are easy to pick up, yet deep enough to delight even the most seasoned wargamer. Containing an assortment of Citadel miniatures Shadow War: Armageddon brings the thrill of close-up and personal warfare to your gaming table, from single skirmishes to hard-fought campaigns that could decide the fate of Armageddon.
Scouts with Photo-Visors are going to cause folks a lot of trouble…
