Necromunda: ‘Tribes of the Wasteland’ – More Questions Than Answers
Games Workshop knows what they are doing with the upcoming Tribes of the Wasteland. We’re getting more questions than answers.
We’ve got a new expansion book coming to Necromunda and it’s going to bring some juicy details — but we won’t know for sure what’s fact and what’s fiction. I mean, sure, technically, it’s all fiction…but you know what I mean. Tribes of the Wasteland will be exploring the “history” of the Ash Waste Nomads. But it’s going to be a bit of a trip to digest.
Warhammer Studio Team Member Owen: “In Tribes of the Wastelands we delve into the history and society of the deadly Ash Waste Nomads. As an enigmatic terror of the Outlands (just who or what is under those masks?), we wanted to present a variety of theories of their origins yet keep their true nature a mystery. To this end the background is presented as a collection of excerpts from the three most significant books written by Necromundans about these outland marauders: On the Subjekt of the Nomade, Apocrypha Necromundus Addendum IX and Tales Around the Gunk Tank.”
An Unsolved Ash Waste Mystery
So we’re getting three different “sources” for these books and lore. Each of these books will also be written by a different in-universe author and they will be set centuries apart. Ya know, just to muddy the waters even more. Personally, I’m looking forward to diving into this regardless of the “sources” only because it will give us SOMETHING to mull over.
I’ve had a few theories about them before. While I think they are likely less Ambull and more humans-in-insect disguise, they are still a mystery. We haven’t gotten a ton of lore about them and the tidbits we do have are lacking. At least with the new book we know there are multiple tribes of them. And that they appear to worship spirits of some sort.
Whatever the case, this book is going to give the loremasters fodders to argue about. One theory presented by the WarCom article suggests they could be “ancient outcasts from the hive cities or the remnants of the true people of Araneus Prime…”
I think that would quite the twist! It would also make a lot of sense considering how they live out in the wasteland. Think about the fact they’ve been out there for years and the Hive dwellers still don’t know much about them other than “they are dangerous!”
Clearly, there’s some parallels between the Ash Waste Nomads and the Fremen from Dune. I’m not going to go into all those details but you can draw your own conclusions there.
Those aren’t Crysknives…right?!
I think them being the original inhabitants of the planet before the Imperium would make sense. Or at least the early human colonists that settled there before the Hives and industry took over. It does make me wonder if they have a hope for a renewed Necromunda one day. Then again, what if they ARE just hivers that are running a massive hoax? Outcasts looking to survive in the harsh wastes have done other, crazier things!
I, for one, look forward to learning more about the Ash Waste Nomads and their tribes. Maybe they can explain where the Ratskin Renegades went.
Contradicting historical texts? In 40k?! No. You don’t say…
