Necromunda: “Book of Desolation” brings Hive Secundus to life

Necromunda ventures into the dreaded Hive Secundus and the Book of Desolation is your roadmap and rules to get there.

Games Workshop has announced a new book for Necromunda. This is a companion/campaign book for Hive Secundus. You won’t want to venture into the depths without this book.

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“This book adds a wealth of new content for Necromunda focused on the Secundan Abyss. It follows on from the Necromunda: Hive Secundus box set – a standalone game set in the Underhells – and takes full multiplayer campaigns into the depths. There are four new gang lists, new Dramatis Personae like the fearsome Malstrain Alpha, and plenty of extras to spice up your games.”

Book of Desolation – What is in this book?

First of all, the rules for four new gangs will be found in the Book of Desolation. There is the new Malstrain Gang, the Malstrain Corrupted Gang, the Spyrer Hunting Party, and the Secundan Incursion Gang. As far as we know, the Malstrain Gang is designed exclusively for use in an Underhells campaign.

The Malstrain Corrupted Gang is formed when a limited number of Malstrain Fighters “infiltrate” other gangs. These play like variants of the existing gangs in Necromunda. The Secundan Incursion Gang is something similar, but you just swap out your gang leader for a Spyrer. The Spyrer Hunting Parties are usually only made up of three to four fighters – but they are all Spyrers. And don’t let their small numbers fool you…

The Book of Desolation also contains additional rules for Underhells campaigns. You can recruit various Dramatis Personae. There is Malstrain Alpha, Hermiatus the Second Son, and the new version of Lady Haera Helmawr. There are also two new Abyssal Ferrymen teams that you can add to your gang. House Van Saar also has access to a new specialist called the Tek-Hunter.

“All of this is encapsulated in the new Underhells campaign system – a dramatic narrative adventure in which players must break through the seemingly impenetrable wall of dust surrounding Hive Secundus, survive the arduous journey through the exclusion zone beyond, and plunder the ruins for fame, glory, and fortune (mostly wealth).”

If you’re planning on picking up a copy of Hive Secundus, do yourself a favor and pick up The Book of Desolation as well. Personally, I’m very curious to learn about the Malstrains in particular. I’m also curious to see what this means for the future of Necromunda. Will we soon see a Malstrain infestation spread to Hive Primus? This could have dire consequences…

Prepare your gang for their journey into the underworld. But be careful what you bring with you…

Adam is a writer, editor, native Texan, and now Tex-Pat. He covers all things tabletop gaming, including Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar, D&D, board games, and anything else involving dice, boards, cards, and a table. As a hobbyist, gamer, and collector of miniatures and games, Adams is currently obsessed with his Death and Chaos Armies for Age of Sigmar, his Blood Angels and Tyranids for 40k, a growing collection of Marvel: Crisis Protocol miniatures, and his ever-growing Arkham Horror: The Card Game Collection.

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