Hang 'Em High

The bangingest box of models GW put out in a while, there was never a question in my mind as to whether I'd get the Necromunda Hangers On. The question was 'when', and the answer was 'as soon as they were back in stock.'

They'd sold out locally and online before I could rally my purse strings, so there was a bit of a wait. Here they are, though, and just as much a joy to build and paint as they were to ogle obsessively from afar. 

It's a very modern kit, even if it has a joyously old-school aesthetic. Very few options in poses or equipment, and although the bits go together very seamlessly, you're going to have to work fairly hard to get alternative poses out of them. 

I had to try, though. A few head swaps, some very minor arm reposes or tweaks, and I've got my plastic hangers on for all the gangs to share. And here they are:

Dr. Minecamph, Rogue Doc

What makes the perfect doctor? Well, I don't know about you, but I'd be looking for all the following in bedside manner:

• Slightly too young
• Nervous
• Visible textbooks 
• Needle as long as your forearm
• Possible Nazi. 

This sub-house officer has a head from a WW2 Afrika Korps kit and a book-hand from a Redemptionist priest. It's really a left hand, but extra left hands on your surgeon just adds to the reassurance. Yes, he's holding it upside down. 

Rogue Docs are an excellent choice in the game. They let you potentially heal a dying ganger for less money than trying to find one at short notice, although they're still fairly unreliable. Cheap to hire, well worth forking out on if you have the Reputation, especially now they get a medi-skull to help them repair you during shoot-outs. 

'Red' Cregg Sleyoreck, Dome Runner

Gorgeous model! Love the pose, love the basing, highly badass. Sadly, almost totally useless in the actual game, even after they've upgraded the available gear to reflect the sniper rifle on the model. 

Dome Runners let you re-roll the contents of a loot crate. They're cheap to hire because that's an extremely fringe benefit, so this guy will probably see action more often as hired scum or even a bounty hunter. 

Omnispot-8, Hive Watcher

No conversion, here, just leaving off the printer from his waist. I liked the look better without it, you can see he's only half there. Makes for a good servitor, too, although the fluff says he isn't one, he's just highly modified for his work. Handy if you're playing against gangs who like infiltrators, because they have to set up further away from your models. Delaque Nachtguls will hate these. 

Like most Hangers On in the game, they don't usually actually turn up and fight. Why do you need models for them, then? Well, let's not get into the whole question of why we need to buy wardollies, it's really not important, but in certain scenarios, they might get randomly shunted to the front line. They're just as rubbish as you'd expect. 

Shutya Gunsoff, Ammojack

This burly cigar-chomper is another cracker who's really too good to waste as a back-line bullet caddy. Head swapped for an Afrika Korp pith helmet, she's rocking a bullet kilt, a massive hammer, a bolter and all the grenades. Very solid in game too, one of the few hangers-on who will actually pitch in and be worth a damn in a fight (on account of all that wicked gear). 

In fact, being that well-equipped is the main reason to employ one. Helping you reroll ammo checks is supposed to be the point, but the guns she brings cost more by themselves than she does in total. Great pick, especially in any shooty gang with fancy guns (Squats, Van Saar). 

Mucky Deez, Slopper

No ladle for this dinner lady. Milking a giant bug seemed much more fun, and I'd found a really good one in the postal bits box Bubonicus sent round last autumn. From the Durthu kit, I think? Some AoS wood elf bit, anyway. It's got a joint line along the back where it's supposed to be sitting on a tree or someone's shoulder or something, but I painted it like the big giant wound that you squeeze the tasty glands out of. Delish. 

Sloppers are dirt cheap and occasionally let you heal gangers up faster than usual, presumably because otherwise they have to stay back at base and eat the food. Great model, spurious benefit, probably best in large and poorly equipped gangs or ones who already have everything else they'd ever need. 

Will they ever get used? Necromunda has slipped down my games list this year after a two-year run at the top, but the answer is still a definite 'eventually'. Mostly I'm focussed on not buying any of the new stuff that's calling my name (Defilers, all the new plastic Custodes), but that's always going to be a tall order in a new edition year. Orks vs Guard? Is that what the summer is bringing us? Interesting...