DEVILS OF GUNK DEEP

The wilds, wastes and badzones of Necromunda are filled with legends and myths of every colour and kind
imaginable. Some of them are even true. Wander into any drinking hole in Hive Primus and crack open a
bottle of Wild Snake (or Second Best if you’re a little light on creds) and within moments some crusty-faced
local will be bending your ear with a tale or two. Maybe their little corner of the underhive was once the
site of a showdown between the notorious Carrion Queens and the equally nefarious Irontree Reavers,
or perhaps the legendary bounty hunter Kal Jericho drank at the very bar you’re sitting at now and they
got close enough to touch the hem of his duster. Whatever the yarn, you’d do well to listen carefully, for
hidden in every story is at least a grain of truth, and maybe even a lesson or two that might keep you alive
when you’re next out wandering the badzones looking for trouble…

DEVILS OF GUNK DEEP Maggotskin and her Ghost Worms said the voice
For cycles beyond counting the tribes of Gunk Deep offered revenge against the gangs who had hunted
had eked out an existence in the lowest levels of the her and her followers for sport. Twistfist himself had
underhive. Outcasts, wyrds, mutants and criminals, been told of a blessed land ripe for conquest, a place
their community was built upon a shared fear of where the Gunk Devils might prosper away from the
the hivers above; those who had hunted, caged or constant struggle of the badzones and the hell of
killed them, and then driven them down into this Gunk Deep. A place called Dust Falls.
forgotten badzone. Gunk Deep had once been a
hydro-exchange, its chambers a series of gigantic ***
tanks connected by pump lines and purification locks.
Now, its dripping, fungi-choked ruins were home to Hundreds of metres above and kilometres of twisting
five great mutie tribes. Foremost among these were tunnels away from Gunk Deep, word of unrest in the
the Gunk Devils, mutant workers who had escaped underhive reached Balthazar Van Zep and Mistress of
from the rogue factoria of Hive City and found some Coin Melerva. When the Great Darkness had fallen
measure of freedom in the ancient hive’s foundations. over Hive Primus, the two civic leaders had been swift
to maintain order in their settlement. Even as the
For the most part the tribes kept to themselves, Enforcers retreated uphive, closing the great seals to
preying only on travellers who trespassed upon their the Nexus behind them, the Narco Lord and the local
domain or waging war against the various creatures leader of the Mercator Gelt, were making plans for
that competed with them for food (or considered the defence of Dust Falls. Gangs such as the Irontree
them food). Twistfist, leader of Gunk Devils, spent his Reavers and the Sump Dogs were rightly proud of
time keeping the various tribes in line, thinking little their piece of the prosperous underhive settlement
of the world above, its peoples or its problems. and took little convincing from Balthazar and Melerva
to come to its defence. Melerva especially was
The day everything changed, Twistfist had a dream. generous with the guild’s coin, even if she recorded
In his dream he saw a wound across the sky, even every bribe paid and debt owed against a time when
though he had never in his life seen the brooding the crisis was over. By contrast, Balthazar favoured
toxic skies of his world. And in the dream the great threats of violence and intimidation to get his way,
tear spoke to him. He gathered the tribes to tell of until a small army of hive scum protected his narco
the dream, though when he did, he discovered that labs and other holdings within Dust Falls.
others too had seen the rift, and like him heard in it
whispered promises. Spleen of the Splinterspine tribe
claimed the voice promised him a place among the
guild families who had driven him out with fire, while
It was not long before battered and bloody survivors Though it had taken many cycles, the Gunk Devils
started to emerge from the Abyss – the large central and other tribes were now only metres below Dust
shaft Dust Falls was built around. These underhivers Falls. Twistfist’s scouts, mutants gifted with eyes on
told tales of hell in the levels below them. Cults, stalks or membranous wings that allowed them to
monsters and mutants running amok, whole glide among the shadowy heights of a dome, came
settlements torn down and fighting from Sump back with word of a great force of hivers gathered
City all the way up to Two Tunnels. That the upper around the pit in the centre of the settlement. An
hive had, on Lord Helmawr’s orders, abandoned the unreasonable rage took hold of Twistfist that they
underhive told Balthazar and Melerva everything they should deny the mutie tribes their promised land,
needed to know about the threat. Barricades were and he was ready to order an assault when the voice
erected around the Abyss, locals working on defences spoke to him.
both day and night cycle in the constant rain of fine
dust that gave the settlement its name. Each time a A gurgling whisper, the voice praised Twistfist’s
traveller climbed out of the pit they were met with strength and endurance, but told him that though
challenges and readied guns, though they brought the hivers were strong they underestimated his kind,
with them only more bad news; Sump City was gone, and he could take advantage of their pride. Pushing
Port Mad Dog besieged, Two Tunnels reduced to a down his rage, Twistfist listened to what the voice had
cannibal hellscape. With nowhere to go, Balthazar to say.
and Melerva rallied the defenders and waited for the
mutant armies to come. ***

*** Miska Two-blades and her Hive Wyches had been

among the gangs to retreat to Dust Falls after fleeing
Twistfist had never felt such power as he did when the settlement of Martyrs Grave ahead of the mutant
when the voice filled his hateful mind. Once, long ago attack. Now she found herself and her gang sisters
now it seemed, the Mongrel Fangs had been starving shoulder to shoulder with Goliaths, Orlocks, Cawdor
outcasts living in fear of the hivers above. Now it and even a few Delaque defending the settlement
was the hivers who feared them. The mutie tribes from crazed outlanders. From her vantage point on
had carved a bloody path from Gunk Deep across the thermal vent interchange, she could see down to
the twisting levels of the underhive. Settlements had where the fighters ringed the Abyss. She knew it was
been ransacked and consumed, hivers slaughtered not a great assignment, the vent interchange linked to
and even the heavily armed clan gangs driven before the Nexus above and was locked up tight, not likely to
them. Twistfist now carried a well-used but deadly see any action. But she had taken Melerva’s coin and
shotgun, taken from a hiver’s corpse. He marvelled at so would keep her word.
the simple brutality of the weapon, the sound it made
when it spoke, and even the robust construction that A commotion around the Abyss drew Miska’s
allowed him to use it to club enemies to bloody pulp attention and she raised an ancient mono-sight to her
when the rage took hold of him. His fighters were eye to see what was going on. Through the dirty lens
now likewise armed with recovered and refurbished and curtains of falling dust she saw tiny dark shapes
weapons, though most still carried bits of pipe, spilling out of the Abyss. These were met by gunfire,
broken bones, rocks or other makeshift weapons. though it seemed sporadic at first, like the defenders
Many, like Twistfist, also had natural weaponry, were not quite sure what they were shooting at.
ranging from sharpened claws, lashing tentacles Looking closer at the shapes, now tumbling over the
or even spines they could shoot from their bodies. edge of the pit in their thousands she at last saw
Twistfist’s own mutation was his vast size and almost what they were – rats.
melted features, like a mad gene-smith had fashioned
an Ogryn from wax but left it too long near a hot
furnace. He carried the shotgun one-handed, because
one of his fists had long ago fused into a ball of
bone and meat. Useless now for anything other than
crushing skulls.
Before the Escher gang leader could contemplate the defenders, while the wyrds of the Splinterspine
what this might mean, a thunderous boom sounded tribe had summoned a tide of rats to cover their main
from the nearest thermal vent. Raising her blades, assault. Despite their immediate advantage the voice
Miska saw the vent seal, long ago welded into place, warned Twistfist they would fail unless he followed
shudder. Another boom sounded and flakes of rust its instructions exactly, and cut down the leader of
fell like rain from the seal. Motioning to her sisters, Dust Falls. Calling his strongest mutants to his side,
the Hive Wyches readied their weapons. With a Twistfist’s gaze moved up past the lower levels of
third and final boom the seal broke, its bulk crashing the underhive settlement to the great structure just
down to reveal the largest mutant Miska had ever beneath its dome. And then he began to climb.
seen – a monster with one hand fused into a single
massive fist. ***

*** While Balthazar was closer to the action, Mistress of

Coin Melerva chose to monitor the battle from the
Balthazar watched the tide of rats spilling from the relative safety of the Guild Halls. An ancient structure,
Abyss, wondering what fresh hell was about to part inverted fortress tower, part Administratum
descend on Dust Falls. The creatures moved like a counting house, it hung just below the main dome
carpet among the defenders, nipping at exposed flesh of Dust Falls. Gantry walkways linked it to the rest of
or clambering up legs and arms before being cast the settlement, while hundreds of thick cables held it
back into the swarm. Here and there gangers shot in place. Melerva stood on the main balcony, looking
at the creatures, targeting the largest critters before down into the Abyss through a set of magna-lenses.
they could attack, but even so, their efforts seemed to Close at hand, the Dust Falls chapter of the Sump
have little effect. Dogs led by Daggit Hound kept watch. From her
vantage point she could see the mutants rampaging
Suddenly, a cry went up from somewhere near the through the tightly packed alleyways and streets of
ancient thermal vents above and behind the pit, the Haggle – Dust Falls’ infamous underhive market.
followed by the crack of autogun fire. Balthazar and Here and there she witnessed acts of singular bravery
many of the defenders looked around, trying to see or terrible misfortune – a Cawdor preacher running
what was happening beyond the constant rain of into a mob of attackers, a primed grenade in each
dust. Before the Narco Lord or any of the gangers hand, or a Goliath Forge Boss holding back a half
around the Abyss could react, misshapen forms dozen muties with the broken body of a seventh,
emerged from under the sea of rats; mutant fighters! the giant whirling the corpse around his head like
At once battle was joined and any thought of the a flail. On the ramp leading from the Haggle to the
thermal vents forgotten as the defenders fought hab blocks above, a hiver scum held her ground, auto
desperately for their lives. pistols in both hands, spent casings raining down
around her feet as she kept scores of mutants at bay.
***
Despite these individual victories though, Melerva
Twistfist hurled the last Escher from the thermal could tell the tide was shifting against the defenders.
vents, sending the luckless fighter tumbling ragdoll- Ever more mutants were spilling from the Abyss in
like down into the unfolding battle below. Three a seemingly endless tide, while with each passing
of the mutie tribes were emerging from the pit moment the hivers were being steadily pushed back.
now, overwhelming the defenders with sheer She knew she needed to bring in her reserves, gangs
weight of numbers, while his own Gunk Devils and guarding the upper levels against infiltrators, but
Maggotskin’s Ghost Worms were emerging from which were now needed in the levels below lest the
hidden pipes across the length of the settlement. Just whole settlement be overrun.
as the voice had promised, he had been able to batter
his way through the maze of pipes and climb past
Before she could give the order, Daggit turned to look At that moment, the Mistress of Coin emerged on
at something hurtling toward the balcony from the one of the upper balconies, a brutish shadow in the
edge of the dome. A second too late the Sump Dog doorway behind her. Balthazar knew that even if he
raised his bolt pistol, before he was smashed into the wanted to save her there was no time, but at least
ground by a gigantic mutant with a single bony fist. he could make her sacrifice meaningful. In that last
Melerva went for her own sidearm just as mutants moment, their eyes locked – criminal Narco Lord to
began smashing, climbing and crawling their way Merchant Guildmaster – and Balthazar pulled a small
through the Guild Hall’s windows. device from his coat. Years ago, during a refitting
of the Guild Hall, he had rigged its supports with a
*** hundred tiny charges, just in case Melerva and her
kind ever seriously threatened his operations. With
The voice in Twistfist’s brain was screaming now. It an almost reluctant expression, Balthazar pressed the
wanted him to kill the woman before him and he button on the device and a hundred small explosions
smashed his way across the Guild Hall chamber to rocked the structure. As the Guild Hall broke free
get to her. Sump Dogs fought blade to claw with the of the dome and began to fall, Balthazar thought
mutants, the latter literally ripping apart their foes Melerva tried to scream something across the space
with elongated talons, misshapen bladed appendages between them, but it was lost in the cacophony of
and wickedly curved fangs. tortured metal and tearing supports.

Melerva fired a burst of poisonous darts from her Twistfist barreled out onto the balcony just as the
needle pistol at the massive mutant, though the building began to fall. He reached for the woman, but
thing didn’t seem to even pause. With a devastating she chose to hurl herself out into the void rather than
haymaker its gnarled fist connected with the Mistress face him. Then all was crashing metal and pain.
of Coin… or would have if her displacer field hadn’t
kicked in a split second before it hit. With a flicker of The Guild Hall fell like a spear down through Dust
light, Melerva was teleported across the room and Falls toward the Abyss below. It sheared off levels and
out of the reach of the brute. Deciding this was a brought down nearby buildings. Scores of gangers
fight she couldn’t win, she wisely turned around and and hundreds of mutants were crushed in seconds,
fled toward the upper floors of the Guild Hall. before the thing finally collided with the mouth of
the Abyss. As it did it shattered into an avalanche of
Twistfist, unsure of why his enemy had suddenly scrap, driving the mutie tribes back into the darkness
vanished, screamed in rage, until the voice drew his below and sealing off the entrance to Dust Falls.
attention to the fleeing woman. Pushing through
the melee, casting aside both mutants and hivers, Broken, bleeding and dying, Twistfist lay under tonnes
he thundered off after his foe, the voice now all he of rubble and wreckage. Weakly he tried to move,
could hear. crying out in a croaking whisper to the voice to save
him. But for once it was silent.
Balthazar Van Zep had climbed the levels of Dust Falls
in a long fighting retreat. Mutants were still climbing
out of the Abyss seemingly without end, and he
knew it was only a matter of time before there would
be so many that nothing the defenders could do
would matter any more. Close now to the Guild Hall,
Balthazar was surprised to hear Melerva screaming
through his vox for aid. It seemed some murderous
mutant had infiltrated the Mercator stronghold and
was out for her blood. Mustering his scum, Balthazar
clambered up the stairs until his small army was level
with the hanging fortress.
 DESIGNER’S COMMENTARY: NEW OUTCAST ARCHETYPE
Presented below is a new Underhive Outcasts Archetype, the Mutant. This Archetype can be used alongside
the rules found in Necromunda: Book of the Outcast to create mutant gangs. In addition to this new
Archetype, you will find a collection of Outcast Mutations, allowing you to recreate the mutant gangs that
attacked Dust Falls during the Great Darkness. If the Arbitrator wishes, these new rules may be included in
their Necromunda campaigns as options for Underhive Outcasts gangs.

MUTANT
Mutants are misshapen outcasts who have fled a life of slavery or abuse to eke out an existence in the deepest
parts of the underhive. Mutants who rise to lead gangs of Outcasts are often the toughest of their kind,
‘blessed’ with a variety of advantageous and terrifying mutations.

A Mutant has access to the following skills:

Agility Brawn Combat Cunning Ferocity Leadership Savant Shooting

- Primary - - Secondary Primary -

In addition, Mutants can also choose Outcast Mutations in place of skills (see Outcast Mutations on page 7).
Furthermore, if the Leader of an Underhive Outcasts gang has the Mutant Archetype, then Outcast Mutations
will also be available to Underhive Outcasts Hive Scum in their gang.

MUTANT AFFILIATIONS
Mutants are trusted even less than most underhive scum, being somewhere below outlaws but slightly above
Chaos worshippers in the eyes of the Clan and Noble Houses. For this reason, an Underhive Outcasts Leader
that takes the Mutant Archetype can only have the Clanless Affiliation.
OUTCAST MUTATIONS
Exposure to the toxic depths of the underhive, or the radioactive badlands of the ash wastes,
often warps the bodies of those that call them home.

Outcast Mutations can be acquired in one of two ways:

• When adding an Underhive Outcasts Hive Scum to a gang led by a Mutant, they may have a
single Outcast Mutation purchased at the credit cost indicated on the table below. An Underhive
Outcasts Hive Scum may never have more than one Outcast Mutation.
• Underhive Outcasts Leaders and Underhive Outcasts Champions with the Mutant Archetype
treat Outcast Mutations as a Primary skill set, this means they can purchase them with XP and
can choose one for free when added to the Gang Roster.

OUTCAST MUTATIONS
D66 OUTCAST MUTATION CREDITS
11-13 Void Soul: The Mutant is immune to the effects of psychic powers – though the 15
arbitrator may still rule that indirect damage from psychic powers, like a telekinetically
thrown object, can still hurt them.
14-16 Eye Stalks: When the Mutant is in cover, ranged attacks against them suffer an 20
additional -1 penalty. In addition, their vision arc is increased to 180°.
21-23 Extra Appendages: The Mutant increases their Attacks characteristic by 1. In addition, 20
they may use up to three weapons with the Sidearm or Melee trait at the same time.
24-26 Horrific Appearance: This fighter gains the Fearsome skill. Furthermore, enemy 15
fighters that start their activation within 3" of the Mutant must make a Nerve test.
31-33 Massive Claws: The Mutant’s unarmed attacks are resolved at +1 Strength with an 10
Armour Penetration of -1 and the Rending trait.
34-36 Needle Spines: Melee attacks against the Mutant are made at -1 to hit. In addition, 15
once per battle, the Mutant may perform the Fire Spines (Basic) action:
Fire Spines (Basic): All other fighters, both friend and foe, within 3" of this fighter
suffer a S -, AP -, D1 hit with the Toxin trait.
41-43 Scaly Skin: The Mutant has a natural 4+ armour save, which cannot be improved 25
by armour.
44-46 Tentacles: The Mutant may re-roll failed Initiative tests to see if they fall from ledges 10
and other heights. In addition, their unarmed attacks gain the Parry trait.
51-53 Toxic Blood: When the Mutant suffers a Wound, immediately make an Initiative test 15
for all other fighters within 1". Those that fail this test suffer a S -, AP -, D1 hit with the
Toxin trait.
54-56 Two Heads: The Mutant does not suffer a penalty to hit when using the Twin Guns 10
Blazing rule. In addition, their vision arc is increased to 180°.
61-63 Vast Bulk: The Mutant increases their Wounds characteristic by 1. 10
64-66 Wing Membranes: The Mutant can leap distances up to their Movement characteristic 15
without making an Initiative test and never takes damage or becomes prone as a result
of falling.

MODELLING MUTATIONS
Mutations, and mutant gangs, will require players to convert their models to represent the wide and bizarre
range of options available. This can represent a fun hobby project in and of itself, as players delve into the
extensive range of Citadel models and components in the construction of their gang.
 OUT OF THE PIT
“Some things were never meant to see the light of Hive City.”

Cormund Silvertooth, Deep Hive Prospector, Dust Falls

In this scenario, one gang must make a fighting retreat from a numerically superior foe, giving them time for
their own reinforcements to arrive.

ATTACKER AND DEFENDER GANG TACTICS

In this scenario, one gang is the attacker and the This scenario uses the standard rules for gang tactics
other is the defender. If this scenario is being played as described in the Battlefield Set-up & Scenarios
as part of a campaign, then the gang that issued the section of the Necromunda Core Rulebook.
challenge is the attacker; otherwise, roll off with the
winner deciding whether they will attack or defend. ENDING THE BATTLE
The battle ends at the end of the ninth round, or if
BATTLE TYPE either gang has no fighters left on the battlefield at
This scenario is an Underhive battle; vehicles and the end of any round.
Wargear that grant the Mounted condition may not
be included in either gang’s starting crew. VICTORY
If the defender has at least one non-Seriously Injured
BATTLEFIELD fighter on the battlefield at the end of round nine,
This scenario uses the standard rules for setting up they are the winner. Otherwise, the attacker wins.
a battlefield, as described in the Battlefield Set-up &
Scenarios section of the Necromunda Core Rulebook. REWARDS
No terrain can be placed within 3" of the centre of CREDITS
the battlefield. The victorious gang adds 2D6x10 credits to
their Stash.
CREWS
This scenario uses the standard rules for choosing EXPERIENCE
a crew, as described in the Battlefield Set-up & Any Leader that is still on the battlefield at the end of
Scenarios section of the Necromunda Core Rulebook. the battle earns 1 XP.
The attacker uses the Custom Selection (10) method
to determine their crew, while the defender uses the REPUTATION
Random Selection (5) method. The victorious gang gains D3 Reputation.

DEPLOYMENT
The defender deploys all their fighters within 12"
of any battlefield edge, at least 3" away from each
other. The attacker then deploys their fighters within
6" of the centre of the battlefield.
RAINING DUST
Curtains of dust and detritus rain down across the BATTLE FOR DUST FALLS
battlefield, limiting visibility depending on where If players wish, they may use this scenario to
fighters find themselves. Each time a fighter makes represent the battle between Twistfist’s mutants
a ranged attack, before making the to hit roll, roll and the forces led by Balthazar Van Zep in the
2D6 and multiply the result by 3. If the target of their defence of Dust Falls. In order to do this, make
attack is further away in inches than the result of the the following changes:
dice, then the attack automatically misses.
• The defending gang can be represented by any
ENDLESS HORDES Clan House gang or Venator gang built using
The attackers have brought a large number of the standard gang creation rules.
fighters to the battle, hoping their enemies will run • The attacking gang is represented by an
out of bullets before their gang runs out of bodies. Outcast gang led by an Underhive Outcasts
Whenever an attacking fighter with the Gang Fighter Leader with the Mutant Archetype built using
(X) rule goes Out of Action, rather than rolling on the standard gang creation rules.
the Lasting Injury table, place them to one side. The
attacker may choose to return the fighter to play, by
placing them within 3" of the centre of the battlefield
at the start of the following round, before placing
Ready markers next to fighters.

Whenever a fighter is recycled in this way, make a

note, then at the end of the game any fighter recycled
one or more times must make a roll on the Lasting
Injury table.

HIRED SCUM
The defenders are heavily outnumbered but can count
on some local scum to come to their aid. At the start
of the End phase of rounds three, five and seven, D3
Hive Scum arrive as Reinforcements for the defender.