Necromunda Battle Report – Hunted in the Shadows (Delaque vs Spyrers, YYC Campaign)
/// RECOLLECTION ARCHIVE – VERA SKELD, DOME RUNNER – DATE: 112.998.M41 ///
It wasn’t true silence. Vera Skeld doubted she'd ever heard nothing. Even in the lowest levels, the hive had a heartbeat — the hum of dying generators, the flicker of lumen strips clinging to life.
And in this shattered dome, it still thumped faintly.
The accident that ruined this place? That was before Vera’s time. Her brother used to tell stories about life before the monsters came — stories about heroes. But she remembered no rescue. Just the screaming. And being glad when it stopped.
So why come back?
It gnawed at her like the bitter core of a lumen root. This wasn’t home. But it did provide — or it used to, before they arrived.
The Dark City Dogs had claimed this place, clearing rubble, searching the ruins — no one knew what for. As the gangers moved in the vermin pulled back from the noises of impending civilization.
That’s where Vera found her niche — hunting the local fauna, in the stacks and the dark places. So long as the meat was spiced, no one asked where it came from.
But today was wrong.
No chittering. No shrieking. Just the pulsing machine hum and the dim glow of failing emergency lights.
Vera should have left. She was about to. Gear packed. Line ready to drop.
Then came the sound. A fluttering swoop. Not wings. Something else.
The shadow passed over her.
That’s when she knew: the stories were true. The monsters had come back. She just hoped they weren’t here for her.
Pre-Battle Setup – Smash & Grab in the Collapsed Dome
It was the Takeover Phase of our YYC Dominion campaign. Elton’s Spyrers challenged me for my Collapsed Dome, which due to its synergy with my Whisper Merchant was one of my key territories, and I was not going to let it go without a fight.
“I warned Elton: if he was going for the Dome, I’m going to play hard.”
I warned Elton: if he was going for the Dome, I’m going to play hard. That’s exactly what he wanted. Spyrer players don’t dance — they hunt. So, I figured if we were doing this, I’d fight for the maximum possible return. I used Nanna’s Precognition ability to choose the mission and selected Smash & Grab, putting me on the attack with a serious payday on the line.
The Spyrer Crew
The Spyrer Hunting Party — deadly elite suits like the Yeld, Orrus, and Malcadon ready to stalk their prey across the underhive. These high-tech terrors are few in number but devastating on the battlefield.
Elton only had three models, but if you’ve ever faced Spyrers, you know that’s enough to ruin your week. His lineup:
Spyre Hunt Master with Web Incisors, Malcadon Toxin Whip, Mirror Shield and Bio Boosters.
Orrus with Power Fists and Bolt Launcher, Bio Boosters and a Caryatid Prime.
Yeld with Wings, Paired Yeld Missile Gauntlets, Bio Boosters and a Caryatid Prime.
The Dark City Dogs
The Dark City Dogs — a full-strength Delaque gang equipped for misdirection, psy-ops, and surgical strikes. From Anu the Master of Shadow to Squirm the wyrm, every operative has a role in the hive.
My roster was built for flexibility, but I knew I had to strike hard and fast:
Anu – Master of Shadow with Long Rifle, Infra-Sight, Gun Shroud, Autopistol, Hazard Suit, Armoured Undersuit, Ablative Overlay, a Cred Sniffer and incendiary grenades from my Promethium Cache.
Nanna – Psy-Gheist with Stub Gun, Dum-Dum Ammo, Gun Shroud Hazard Suit, Armoured Undersuit, Ablative Overlay, and Squirm, the Psychoteric Wyrm
Shamash – Nacht-Ghul with Serpent’s Fangs, Throwing Knives, Photon Flash Grenade, Hazard Suit, Armoured Undersuit, Ablative Overlay, and was slotted to arrive From the Shadows in Turn Two.
Inanna – Phantom with Infitrate, a Meltagun, Gunshroud, Laspistol, Gunshroud, Photo-goggles, Hazard Suit, Armoured Undersuit, Ablative Overlay, and Photon Flash Grenades.
Ereshkigal – Phantom with Psi-touched and Penumbral Mirror, Web Gauntlet, Stiletto Knife, Hazard Suit, Armoured Undersuit, and an Ablative Overlay.
Ea Marduk –Specialist with Infiltrate, Web Gun, Stub Gun, Hazard Suit, Armoured Undersuit, and an Ablative Overlay.
Delta – Shadow with Web Pistol and incendiary grenades from my Promethium Cache.
Echo – Shadow with Web Pistols and incendiary grenades from my Promethium Cache.
I’d considered flooding the board with Juves and trying to grab all five loot caskets before he could catch me, but in the end, I wanted to test my tricks — and see how far precision play could take me against a Spyrer kill squad.
“ I wanted to test my tricks — and see how far precision play could take me against a Spyrer kill squad. ”
The Battlefield
Deployment begins in the collapsed dome. The Delaque infiltrators press the flank while the Spyrers fan out to cover the loot caskets.
We played on a Zone Mortalis layout, that was filled with ruined corridors, shadowy junctions, and enough doors to make every corner a killbox, perfect for representing a Collapsed Dome. We ruled that the walls were “infinitely tall” for line-of-sight purposes, which meant infiltration had to be calculated carefully. We also made some rulings on some of the gangers printed on the tiles. Toxic Pools were fine to wade through but if you went prone in them, you were out of action. Collapsed Floors, ruled that initiative tests would be needed to avoid falling when knocked prone, and if you fell you were out Out of Action, but no additional injury rolls were needed.
And so the board was set. My infiltrators pressed up on my right flank, ready to spring the trap, while the Spyrers fanned out evenly across the board covering off the boxes. Elton was going to be targeting my Meltagun-armed Phantom, Inanna — she could take out any of his Hunting Party with a single shot if she made it close enough, while I planned to bring down his Yeld early and force Bottle Checks as fast as possible.
Turn One – The Trap is Sprung
I knew I had the initiative going into Turn One — a lucky roll of a 6 to Elton’s 5 — which meant I didn’t even need to burn my Deceit Gang Tactics card to secure priority. But I kept it in my back pocket, just in case.
The opening move was obvious: I Group Activated Ea Marduk and Inanna, with the Web Gun specialist moving first. Thanks to Infiltrate, I positioned him for a clean line of fire onto the Yeld. It only took one shot — and just like that, I had him webbed and seriously injured on the very first activation of the game.
That was huge.
One Web Gun. One shot. That was all it took.
I didn’t push the advantage too hard. Instead, I moved Inanna (my Meltagun Phantom) into a support position where she could threaten on Turn Two if needed, while keeping her out of any direct retaliation lanes. The key was to force Elton’s hand, not overcommit.
Elton responded with a solid play: his Orrus emerged from the central corridor hatch and opened fire with Bolt Gauntlets, using Gunfighter to target both Delta and Echo who stood precariously close to the edge of a yawning chasm in the dome floor. A failed Initiative roll could’ve sent them straight Out of Action. Against all odds, both shots missed, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
Echo shifted forward, eyes on the downed Yeld — but the Orrus wasn’t done yet.
Knowing that the Orrus had a second activation banked, I moved quickly, Echo, who was in the most precarious position, repositioned to threaten a charge on the downed Yeld next turn.
Expectedly, Elton then reactivated the Orrus, again using Gunfighter to target Ea Marduk and Delta. This time, he hit Delta, inflicting a Flesh Wound before using his second action to duck back into the corridor — safe from retaliation.
That forced my counterplay. I activated Delta, moving her to a position that cut off the Orrus’s fire lanes. If he wanted to shoot again, he’d have to push deeper into the board, exposing himself to my advancing centerline fighters.
The Seriously Injured Yeld activated next, attempting to crawl deeper into cover to complicate any Coup de Grâce attempts. To buy time, a Caryatid Prime charged Echo, tying her up. We both swung and missed — but the tactic worked. Echo would not be the one finishing of the Yeld.
Echo’s blade lashed out — but the Caryatid Prime tied her up just long enough for the Yeld to crawl another inch.
On the left flank, the Spyre Huntmaster began a slow, deliberate advance. His threat range was too large to ignore, and I had to stall my centerline push to avoid overextending. That favored Elton — it relieved some pressure on his Orrus and bought him breathing room.
The Yeld activated again, with the Caryatid Prime failed to do any damage with its attack on Echo, but my return strike seriously injured it. Unfortunately, since it happened during its own activation, I couldn’t immediately follow up with a Coup — not without spending another activation.
In the End Phase, the Spyrers passed their Bottle test. Worse, the Yeld rolled a Flesh Wound on recovery thanks to its suit’s Bio-Boosters.
It stayed pinned. Still in the fight. Still dangerous
“With Shamash still lurking in the shadows, it was time for the Hunters to become the Hunted.”
But the trap was working, I had three Loot Caskets within reach and the tempo was in my favour. With Shamash still lurking in the shadows, it was time for the Hunters to become the Hunted.
Turn Two – Bottle Pressure
Initiative was rolled and, again, it came up a 6 to 5 in my favour — Deceit stayed tucked away for now. I just had to make this count. The Spyrers were bleeding, but they don’t go down easy.
Shamash, my Nacht-Ghul, arrived from the shadows, materializing near the collapsed corridor, ready to punch straight through the weakened Yeld. My first activation was an easy choice: charge.
Shamash stepped from the shadows — one perfect strike away from silencing the Yeld for good.
But Elton wasn’t done.
He played Stop Dead, a Gang Tactics card that lets the target strike before the charge lands. The Yeld’s wings fired off a reaction strike — one hit connected and wounded, slipping through Shamash’s armor to deal a wound. It stung, but the Delaque assassin lived, clinging on with a single wound remaining.
Then it was time for Shamash to do what he does best.
Five attacks. Hitting on 2+. Strength 6.
Two missed. One failed to wound.
But two connected — and with the Serpent’s Fangs bypassing armor saves, that was enough. The Yeld went down, again.
This time, I didn’t hesitate. Shamash Coup de Grâce’d the Yeld, removing one of the most dangerous threats on the board.
But Spyrers don’t stay down, or at least sometimes, their suits don’t…
Elton immediately countered with Kill Frenzy, a card that let the Yeld stand up again —Flesh Wounds, back up to full toughness and already engaged with a somewhat perplexed Shamash.
He activated immediately, targeting the Nacht-Ghul, taking him down before performing a Coup de Grâce of its own. That hurt. Shamash was my best answer to the Orrus’s armor. Now he was gone.
Still, I had board control, and while momentum was slowing, it hadn’t shifted — not yet.
Before the Yeld could escape, I triggered another Group Activation with Inanna. The plan being that Ea Marduk’s Web Gun would put the Yield Down again and then Inanna could Move into Coup the downed fighter. Unfortunately, the Web Gun failed to wound — not ideal…
Instead, Inanna took aim, lining up a clean, short-range shot with her Meltagun, which hit, and this time… the Spyrer didn’t get up.
The reanimated Yeld was finally off the board for good.
That cleared my right flank and opened the door to start working on Loot Caskets. Elton’s Orrus double-moved to pressure the side, knowing that the Meltagun and Web Gun had both activated, and my Nacht-Ghul was no longer a threat.
In the center, the positional dance continued. The Spyre Hunt Master capitalized on a mispositioned Squirm, hitting the wyrm with his Web Incisors and advancing into a dangerous forward position.
Ereshkigal, my Psi-touched Phantom, stepped in next. Using the Penumbral Mirror, I tried to slingshot Nanna forward to use Spatial Psychosis on the Orrus — a key play to slow down the advancing behemoth. As a dark reflection of Nanna materialised, the second part of the Group activation needed her to Hit the Willpower check that would Pin the Orrus, preventing him from being able to move and shoot this round.
After multiple willpower upgrades meaning she only needed to hit a 6+ on two dice.
I failed the check, it didn’t land… but the threat was now clear. Elton had to assume I could hit from anywhere — and new firing angles were opening up.
“but the threat was now clear. Elton had to assume I could hit from anywhere”
Then came the unfortunately unencumbered Orrus. Taking advantage of my spent activations, he advanced into the chamber with Inanna, Ea Marduk, and Echo. Bolt Gauntlets ready.
He missed with one Gunfighter shot, but hit with the other, rolling high enough on the Ammo Die to land two hits — a Flesh Wound on my Web Gun Specialist and pinning the Meltagun.
It was a strong turn for the big man, and he was making his mark on the game.
My final gambit of the turn was a long shot — Anu’s incendiary grenades. I attempted to land one on the Hunt Master, threading it through a narrow corridor with just enough range to clip the target. Against all odds, it landed on target…
But it failed to wound and didn’t set him ablaze.
It was a clean miss. Still, it sent a message.
In the End Phase, Elton rolled his Bottle check — and once again, passed. Still, I was optimistic going into Turn Three.
Deceit was still in my back pocket, and my models were positioned to play aggressively in the next round. I’d been a bit too liberal with Group Activations this turn, burning my activation advantage. But I needed to strike before Elton could react.
I still had three Loot Caskets within reach, and the tempo was still in my favour, thought with the Orrus in the thick of things it was not yet clear who was hunting whom…
Turn Three – The Bottle Teeters
This turn opened with tension: I still had Deceit in my back pocket, but when the Initiative Roll came up tied — a 3 to 3 — the card was useless.
Since I’d had priority last turn, that tie broke in Elton’s favor, giving the Spyrers their first swing of the round. And they made it count.
The Orrus, still standing tall, opened fire. His first fist launching a hail of explosive bolts into the already prone Inanna and Ea Marduk blasting off the last of their ablative plating, but they avoided any more damage. The second gauntlet was pointed squarely at Echo, my young Shadow with her Web Pistol, this second volley was far deadlier — a critical injury on a Juve was not the worst, but it was another tool for bypassing the impressive Armour on the Orrus taken off the table.
Echo’s fight ended here — a critical injury that cost me one of my key assets.
I could not afford to be sparing with my activation at this stage, as the Orrus was free to activate a second time and my Armour was effectively nonexistent now, so I answered with a Group Activation: my Meltagun Phantom, Inanna, and Ea Marduk with his Web Gun. The plan was simple — Stand Up, Shoot, and Hope it was enough…
Inanna was aiming for a repeat of her shot on the Yeld from her Meltagun, and after standing up, it was just at short range, needing a 2+ to hit, she didn’t let me down 3+ to wound was also achieved, and then Elton rolled for his 6+ Field Save, and failed.
That would mean that not only would the Meltagun do all 3 wounds in a single shot, but at Short Range you bypass the Injury Roll and go directly to Out of Action.
“The Plan was simple, Stand up, Shoot, and Hope it was enough...”
But as we’ve established, Spyrers don’t go down easy.
The Caryatid Prime allows a reroll on the failed save, and Elton hit the 6+ he needed to shrug it off.
Ea Marduk was feeling the pressure as in all honesty, I was not 100% sure if he was going to be in range after he stood up from being prone, but lining it up, the template just caught the Orrus and I was in with a chance. I hit the 4+ to wound, and this time not even the Caryatid Prime could help him pass his field save, and the Orrus was Webbed and counted as Seriously Injured.
The Hunt Master was done playing games, charging the Psychoteric Wyrm, and easily dispatching it with one swing.
He then consolidated to within Reach range of Nanna, ready to strike again — but just far enough to Engage her but in such a way that he didn’t count as being engaged. It was one of those little interactions that you only catch mid-game, and it shaped the round.
As Nanna, my Psy-Gheist refused to be bullied, activating to cast Spatial Psychosis — pinning the Hunt Master and because she was not engaging him, she calmly walked six inches away, keeping the threat in line but refusing to break formation.
Nanna didn’t blink — pinning the Hunt Master with a cold stare and colder resolve.
This opened up, what I think was my favorite play of the match.
Ereshkigal — my Penumbral Mirror-wielding Phantom — moved into position. With a clean line of sight and a successful activation, she again cast Penumbral Mirror, bouncing herself through the wall and into the Chamber with the downed Orrus.
In an instant, she was clear of the threat of the Hunt Master and now anchored my core fighters on the left flank. It was a powerful reposition that turned the tide.
Meanwhile, Anu continued his steady movement, swinging wide to eventually reach one of the untouched Loot Caskets. Delta, my remaining Shadow, moved up in support of Nanna to cover a potential charge.
End Phase rolled around with Elton again passing his Bottle check. These Spyrers just refused to break.
But the momentum had shifted.
Then came the recovery rolls — and this is where the game ended. The Orrus, still webbed from earlier, rolled his Bio-Booster aided recovery roll, only for them to come up double skulls.
That was it.
Elton bottled out, and the Dark City Dogs held the field.
Aftermath – A Payoff in Blood and Caskets
All five Loot Caskets secured — a full sweep. With the help of my Cred Sniffer, my Master of Shadows, Anu squeezed even more value out of the mission haul, pushing my post-battle earnings over 210 credits. Add in my Whisper Merchant-fueled territories, and I walked away with a staggering 414 credits from a single game.
Unfortunately for Echo... well, the dice were cruel. A free Juve rolled from my Settlement meant there was no chance I was paying to send her to the doc. She served her purpose, and in the Underhive, replacements are cheaper than regrets.
The XP payout was strong too. Thanks to the Yeld's reanimation via Kill Frenzy, I got to put him down again — earning double the vengeance and a bit of extra experience for my trouble. More importantly, Shamash survived, and that's worth more than creds.
Shamash survived — and leveled up. With enough XP for an extra Attack, the Nacht-Ghul now strikes with 7 Strength 6 hits on 2+. He walked out of the shadows — and became a monster.
Tactically, Elton played a tight, unforgiving game. His Spyrer positioning forced me to grind for every inch of advantage. A few dice rolls the other way — one of those early Gunfighter shots hitting a Juve, or the Hunt Master had fully engaged Nanna to prevent the Spatial Psychosis Pinning — and the whole tempo would have shifted. Even the Injury Dice cooperated for me: especially when Ea Marduk survived with a Flesh Wound instead of being taken out of action.
If that had gone differently, Elton would’ve gotten his fourth kill — and leveled up his terror rating for an extra Hunter in future games.
But the gamble worked.
I went in heavy, bet big, and came out with credits, rep, and the Collapsed Dome still under my control. It was my first time facing a Spyrer hunting party — the elusive predators who’d been terrorizing the campaign from the shadows — and I didn’t just survive. I broke them.
This was the first week of the Takeover Phase, and I’d held the line against a challenge for one of my most valuable territories. With the Spyrers bloodied and the Dogs sitting atop the campaign standings for Gang Rating and Reputation, the power balance had shifted.
“So, it’s true, in the Underhive, the monsters are real — but sometimes, the shadows bite back.”
Next stop? The Needle Ways.
With the Choir of Ash still clinging to that last bastion of Delaque pride — and after the grudge match in Week 3 — I had the motive, the means, and now the credits to finally put an end to the feud. If I could beat Andrew again in Week 6 and take the Needle Ways, I’d consider the score settled for good.
/// RECOLLECTION ARCHIVE – VERA SKELD, DOME RUNNER – DATE: 112.998.M41 ///
Just keep moving. Don’t look back.
Her knees bled. Her palms were torn open from the desperate scramble through the rubble.
She didn’t feel it.
The only sound she heard was her pulse — staccato, frantic, unrelenting — as she tried to forget what she had seen. The monsters that came were real, but they paled into insignificance compared to the monsters that had already been here.
As her worn boots ate up the distance across the rubble strewn corridor, even that sound faded. That was the first time she heard it, nothing, not a sound.
Not silence. The absence of everything.
A void pressed in, thick and formless, filled with emptiness.
Behind her, something moved. Or perhaps it had always been there.
She didn’t scream. She didn’t run.
She just... stopped.
The hands were pale. The touch was gentle. That, more than anything, terrified her.
Turned by those deathly pale hands, she glimpsed again those reflections of places she shouldn’t go, of things she had never wanted to see.
They were not in the nothingness, they were outside of it, already around her.
As she heard the silence of the void for the first time, she wished the screaming had never stopped.
