Necromunda

AS ABOVE-SO BELOW

the ymir - squats In necromunda

By Brian L. Bird, based on original material by Bryan Ansell, Nigel Stillman,

Phil Tortorici, Rick Priestly, the Warhammer 40k Wiki, and the Yaktribe Necromunda Community.

The race known to outsiders as “Squats” faced near extinction at the mercy of a Tyranid hive fleet. This defining
moment forced them to make an exodus through warp space. Their retreat led them to a new system, where they
were isolated from the rest of the galaxy by warp storms. Each ancestor ship suffering from the harsh travel are
forced to spread out with each seeking refuge on a different planet.

With such a drastic change in to their society and galactic circumstance, their history entered its sixth age, the Age
of Sanctuary. During this time, their eldest living ancestors call on the members from all ships. Though each
group was on different worlds They emerged from their exodus with stronger ties, and have begun to let the
universe know their true name, the Ymir.

Background In this new Millennium, a new generation of Ymir

has emerged from behind the warp storms that
The fate of the Squats is well known within the separated them from the Imperium of Man. Hailing
Warhammer 40K community. Whether the product line from the Ymir System ships from each of the Eight
was not profitable or an injustice was done to the Clan Worlds, come the newly tempered and
concept of the “space dwarf”, only those inside Games revitalized Ymir.
Workshop know the truth. Either way, its history.
Some seek vengeance against xenos; others hope to
Unlike the revival Games Workshops has done in
claim ancestral rights. Though their intentions are
renaming them the Demiurg in text references, this
clouded in mystery, their return and growing
revitalization provides an account on where the Squats
presence in the Imperium is fact.
have been, and where they are going.

As Above - So Below
Ambition drives change, and one of the main ambitions
for this revitalization is the inclusion of all the current Fueled by the Necromunda Community
“space dwarf” miniature lines in one source. Each Edition, this Rules Addendum like the others
manufacturer is honored with their own Clan World, before it, envisions old material for the current
game era. These rules endeavor to bring the
and incorporation of their lines history into that of the macrocosm that is the Warhammer Universe
Ymir. (the Above) down into the microcosm of the
Underhive (the Below).
Ymir comes from Norse mythology, and references the
Previous: Sisters of Battle
primordial giant that Odin and his brothers slew and
used his body to create different aspects of the Next: Da Orks In The Underhive
universe. From the grubs that swarmed Ymirs carcass
Future: An exploration of the mid-levels of a
the dwarves were made. This myth of life from death
hive, that area I like to call The In Between.
parallels the intent of this document.
Society The Ymir Star System

Prior to the Age of Sanctuary, Ymir society was based The Squats were not expecting what they found as
they traveled through the warp storms they dubbed
on the social unit known as the stronghold. In the Ymir
the Twin Princes. Sorely unprepared to face another
system the concept of the stronghold has been extended age of isolation trapped behind warp storms an Age
to the global scale. The Eight ancestor ships that of Sanctuary was written into their history.
retreated from the Tyranids attack each fared differently
than the other. Forced through warp storms each ship Unique forces of the void and the warp caused
descended upon and began colonization of a Clanworld, extensive damage to both ship and crew. In quick
the Grymn however maintaining their continual response to their shared mechanical distress the
eldest living ancestor ordered all ships to find
vigilance over their fellow Ymirs safety decided to
sanctuary on a planet in the system. Together they
continue their life aboard ship and guard the system. would find strength, but first they had to survive
alone against whatever their new world presented.
Each Clanworld is ruled by a hereditary Clan Lord and
an aristocratic class made from living ancestors. If The results of their rate of speed and ships decay
anything on the Clanworld could be considered a reflect in where they put down their ships. Each
stronghold, it would be the ancestor ship that now planet and Clan bears the name of the ship that bore
them to the surface of their Clanworld.
serves as the Clanhold.
Shadowed by the cascade of two giant warp storms,
Long ago the stronghold could be compared to a city a dozen or more planetary and asteroid bodies orbit
state of early Terran cultures, now it is a mere echo in a white star.
time. Due to their joint exodus away from the Tyranids
they maintain a historical co-existence in the same star Clanworlds are presented in their order of orbit
system. around Ymir.

Clanholds can no longer join together in Leagues for

mutual defense; their isolation to a single Clanworld
makes this a daunting task. Instead they entrust their
safety to the Grymn who patrol their system and the
B’dass who assist in trade and other dealings between
Clans.

They have a League, if the name befits its structure. A

High Council consists of living ancestors of each
Clanhold. The High Council debated all matters which
affected the Ymir in the Age of Sanctuary. There is no
formal organization between any of the Clanworlds,
except the High Council which maintains constant
communications with each Clanworld. “The Twin Princes were our gatekeepers and our
wardens. Your material steel and stone are petty
and hold no sway over the Ymir.”
-Ana, Grymn Specialist
Forge World

Survival on a harsh craggy world with an unforgiving

atmosphere provided many challenges and foes.
Beneath the surface they found salvation, in an extreme
network of geothermal vents. Hard mineral and ore
deposits provided resources, subterranean living, and a
natural way to conceal their machinery and its
geothermal power source.

Forge Fathers are an ancient and cautious clan; with

their grasp of advanced technology, they are masters of
Science, space warfare, and artisans beyond compare.
Their massive Clanhold, proving its resilience to
damage fared better than other Ymir ships and has Brokkr Miners deal with an infestation.
retained much of its space born character.
Notable Living Ancestor: Rogan Rasphand
Their battle-suits, the destructive capability, rate of fire
and power of their solid-shot weaponry are a testament "Fire in the forge,
to their name.
fire in the heart"
Clan Skills: Combat / Ferocity / Muscle / Techno - Forge Father saying
Grymn Khurasan

Khurasan is mostly brush lands. An extensive

network of rivers and lakes break up this terrain.
With its most prominent geographical feature being
the horizon, Khurasan lacks for woodlands. Those
that do exist are either extremely dense or sparse
enough to form swamps.

Indigenous life is composed of small to large pack

mammals, with the largest being buffalo/mammoth
Grymn Guardians protect jettisoned Iris Vaults. type creature dubbed Bison Antiquus. Beneath the
Vigilant, resourceful and ingenious, the Grymn survive surface lie giant worms.
and operate from the sole surviving ship of this once
proud clan, which orbits a small planetoid. The last Short stocky pragmatic soldiers with a serious
ship to pass through the warp storms, they were witness attitude toward war; they prefer infantry fighting at
to something that shook their resolve. close quarters with sub-machine guns to make quite
sure the enemy is dead, getting valuable back-up
What was witnessed is not spoken of, and its truth has from the occasional light machine gun. The
been diluted over time. What is known is most Grymn Khurasan are exceptionally tough and stubborn and
believe that the disaster which befell the once honored are often seen wearing partial carapace armor.
Squat Empire was more than a Tyranid Hive Fleet.
Clan Skills: Ferocity / Muscle / Shooting / Stealth
Conflicting source of lore indicate that they were the
puppets of a greater and more sinister menace. It is a
belief that has emboldened their Clan to survive and
spread the truth of their near extinction.

Grymn maintain vigilance within the system and are

entrusted with the security of the Ymir secrets, in
impregnable vaults both technical and physical.
Khurasan Infantry caught in fog bank.

Clan Skills: Combat / Ferocity / Shooting / Techno

Notable Living Ancestor: Feres Shale Notable Living Ancestor: Hogan Thrain
Blacktree

Blacktree is one of the biggest planets in the system. Its

terrain is largely crowded with immense, thick forests.
The world also contains vast grassy plains, a few small
seas, and a stretch of mountain ranges in its southern
hemisphere.

Baselines to exotic to creatures inhabit the forests.

Scavengers secure an Underhive Chem Pit.
Most prominent among the wildlife is a large feline
resembling an old Terran sabretooth called a Tonca.
Several species of aviary predators and prey fill the
skies and plains.

Stoic stalkers of the wild, Blacktree survive on their

knowledge of wilderness survival and their skills in
stealth, and their skill with a slug thrower. They are
deeply in tune with nature and some of the toughest
beasts are their allies. Few can resist their call, and
fewer can survive their fury.
Notable Living Ancestor: Athanius Hammercliff
Clan Skills: Agility / Ferocity / Muscle / Stealth
dvarg Fenryll

The planet Dvärg is a core world of the system.

Its thin atmosphere and close proximity to the systems
sun make the surface practically uninhabitable –
freezing cold at night, scorching hot in the day.
The planet is not without life though, as the Dvärg
discovered to their peril, once they started to plumb the
rich mineral resources that abound the planets crust.

Tunnel Runners

Fenryll is a barren world of wind, dirt, and

mountains. It is a world of elemental chaos not of
the Ruinous Powers. Many curses are issued and
lost in its dust storms; such are the conditions of this
rock.

Chasms and cliffs striate themselves around its

Heavy gunners protect a Blockhouse. surface and it is within one such feature that the
Fenryll Clanhold finds purchase. As a bastion from
The Sydre, the Dvärg called them: millipede-like
the torrential windstorms it camouflage as the
creatures that infested the planet. Tough, armored hide
Fenryll have gutted the Clanhold and have extended
and perfectly adapted to night fighting. For this reason,
it into the rock of the world itself. Moving below
no Dvärg ever goes unarmed.
its surface the Fenryll face gigantic troglobites
Due to the hostile planetary environment, and constant referred to as “trogs” and Procyon Chiroptera or
threat of attack, the Dvärg make heavy use of “raccoon bats”.
Dáinnvagn, tracked, armored mining vehicles that
double up as transport for mined ore. Some Fenryll have shed their power armor and
halftracks they now shift to tunnel running and
Clan Skills: Combat / Ferocity / Stealth / Techno survival. Others maintain their augmented life and
scout the surface for mineral deposits that are
quickly revealed in the quickly eroding wind.

Clan Skills: Agility / Ferocity / Muscle / Stealth

Notable Living Ancestor: Danis Duqane

The Ymir believe that

all forges are one
forge.

Notable Living Ancestor: Bláinn Mjolnir

Olley's World Olley’s World is heavily forested and full of aviary,
and lupine wildlife. Most notable animal is a hybrid
Lineage of all Ymir clans can be traced back to those of wild boar and deer known as Strax. Members of
that inhabit Olley’s World. Long before the the clan are predominantly pathfinders and scouts.
appearance of the Emperor human colonists had
ventured to the galactic core. During the time of
mankind’s initial expansion beyond Earth's own
system, colonists began inhabiting mineral rich core
worlds. Over time, an abhuman race developed.

Evolving to suit their environment, humans became

tougher, more resilient and physically shorter thus
earning them the derogatory title of “Squats”. The
black sheep of the Ymir, the inhabitants of Olley’s
World are much more than they appear to be.
Right: Scrunt Pathfinder armed with a Net-caster.
These “scrunts” are directly descended from the initial
abhuman species. Oberth Olley, their living ancestor Clan Skills: Agility / Ferocity / Shooting / Stealth
and Clan Leader, has the blood and genetic heritage of
the ancient colonists fueling his muscles, pumping his Notable Living Ancestor: Oberth Olley (Left)
heart.
B'dass

is the farthest planet from Ymir; it is cold, desolate,

mountainous, and surprisingly forgiving. Beneath its harsh
exterior is a vast network of hot springs. The B’dass
Clanhold ruptured a mountain range when it landed and
channels energy from the springs into its systems to
surface terra domes. The Imperium of Man

The B’dass can be found all over the Ymir system, Very few Ymir are spread throughout the Imperium.
checking the quality of prospected ore, state of a Their remaining home worlds annexed outright, they
Clanworlds natural resources, or bolstering defenses of struggle at survival in estPistols settlements The
a Clan Hoard, they are in the business of developing a honored few, called Runts, have a life of service in
Clans wealth. They act as the Ymirs Guilders, and the Regiments of the Imperial Guard.
have become protective and imperious, in the defense
of Ymir holdings. Some are even called to form special units within the
ranks of the Adeptus Arbites. No matter their posting
All of these actions reveal their new purpose; to secure their endless hatred for xenos that lasts generations is
the future survival of the Ymir. Actions they welcome in the Imperium’s campaigns to destroy
graciously coordinate with their closest brethren, the Orks and Tyranids alike.
Grymn.
The B’dass and Grymn protect the Ymir from
themselves, outsiders, and extinction.
Clan Skills: Agility / Combat / Ferocity / Techno

Notable Living Ancestor: Morgan Black

Runt Arbites Combat Squad

Clan Skills: Combat / Ferocity / Muscle / Shooting

Statue of B’Dass Commissar Morgan Black.

Ymir clans hold to

one philosophy: unity.

Notable Living Ancestor: C-P Tennyson (above)

 Using Ymir in necromunda
Longbeard 130
A player may decide to play a squad of any of the
Eight Clans, or a mixture of clans instead of the typical The old and wise amongst the Ymir are known as
Longbeards. Though this status may not be
gang. A squad composed of Ymir could represent:
evidenced by a long beard, their ancestor status
grants them total respect from other Ymir.
 The efforts of the Grymn protecting
archaeotech M WS BS S T W I A Ld
 D’varg or Blacktree flushing out xenos 3 4 4 3 4 1 4 1 8
 A B’dass regiment visiting a Clanworld for
resources Initial experience: 60 + d6
Longbeards are veterans of many wars and have
Players wanting to play Ymir with the full spirit of a endured far more hardships than most Craftsmen
Necromunda gang should consider: (young Dwarfs) can even imagine. As leaders,
they are very powerful and exhibit a calm battle
 The tunnel fighting tenacity of the Fenryll. hardened demeanor that vitalizes many a younger
dwarf.
 A Runt Arbites squad.
Weapons: Longbeards are equipped with a
Ymir are purchased by spending 1,000 credits, as is Sentry tool. They may also be given equipment
the case with other gangs. chosen from the Hand to Hand, Pistols, Special
Weapons lists, and Grenades and Shotgun shells.

Important note Leadership: Ymir within 6” may use the

Longbeards Leadership when they take
When you as a player decide to play a clan
Leadership tests.
of Ymir, you must justify their presence in
the Underhive. Share your ideas and
concerns with your fellow players, their
assistance can be invaluable to ensure that
your shared excursions into the Underhive
are fair and enjoyable for all.

Ymir ships preparing to land in a hive.

 Warrior 70 Craftsman 35

Ymir Warriors are the gangers Longbeards need Craftsman are the Ymir equivalent of Juves.
to secure and work their territories as efficiently During and after the Age of Sanctuary they may
as possible. It also helps to have a few extra guns be called upon by their clan leaders to be
about. organized into squads ready to fight.
M WS BS S T W I A Ld M WS BS S T W I A Ld
3 3 3 3 4 1 3 1 7 3 2 2 3 4 1 3 1 6

Initial experience: 20 + d6 Initial experience: 2d6

Ymir Warrior come from all walks of Ymir society An Ymir Craftsman joining a squad must be trained,
and most are reluctant to talk about it. They are set in and an Ymir being hired by an gang is in for some
their ways and extremely determined. A ganger would back-breaking work.
be advised not to talk to them about their business or
he may be looking at the business end of a bolter, a Craftsman are generally young Squats and are not
fist, or a power axe! professional soldiers. They perform all of the
scummy jobs required to maintain Ymir territory-
They are supremely confident in the virtues and loading and pushing ore carts, cleaning equipment,
values of their clan, and are openly disparaging in the and the gunk out of the bottom of waste shafts.
accomplishments of younger Craftsmen.
Weapons: A Craftsman is equipped with a Sentry
Weapons: Warriors are equipped with a Sentry tool. tool. He may also be given equipment chosen from the
They may also be given equipment chosen from Hand to Hand section of the Weapons lists.
the Hand to Hand, Pistols and Special Weapons lists,
plus Grenades. Depending on the clan their armor
varies from Mesh to Carapace.
To reflect this evolution, each Clanworld (as
mentioned previously) has their own specific clan
Special rules skill types. These skill types must be tiered out at
gang creation to reflect those skill types available as
Steadfast advances.

Having nearly escaped genocide at the hands of the Example of a B'dass Skill Tier
Tyranids, or according to the whispers of the Grymn
another unseen perhaps Imperium based baleful force, Craftsman Agility / Combat
the Ymir are ever vigilant to prevent such a fate Warrior Agility / Combat / Techno
happening again. Longbeard Agility / Combat / Techno / Ferocity

When Pinned, Ymir test to escape pinning if a Friendly Advancement

model is within 4".
Ymir use the standard Advancement table in the
Clan skills Necromunda: Community Edition Rulebook.

Each Ymir Clanworld has an environment based both Maximum characteristics

in their long history and physically in each of their
respective planetary environments. During the Age of M WS BS S T W I A Ld
Sanctuary, they have established themselves as 3 7 6 4 5 3 5 3 10
something more than Slaggers, Miners, and
Prospectors.
scenario Ideas to them. The guild price is set when they become
outlaws and uses their gang rating at that time.
Scenarios for Ymir can be tailored per Clan as
suggested in each Clans entry above: Outlawed Ymir can buy off their outlaw status by
paying a guild price. This effectively cuts through
- Blacktree Scavengers attempt to secure a Chem pit any red tape to establish them as clean, upstanding
from a rival gang. inhabitants of a hive. The guild price levied against a
Ymir gang is the standard tenth (l0%) of their gang
- Fenryll gang encounters some beasts while exploring rating, rounding up to the nearest l0 creds.
a network of Tunnels.
For example, the outlawed Blacktree Hammercliff
A representation of the Ymir first landing in the wastes gang have a rating of 2,446, so the guild price to lose
their Outlaw status is (2,446/10=244.6), rounding up
- Grymn protecting dead locked Iris Vaults. to 245 credits.

The following scenarios from a time when the Ymir When an outlaw Ymir gang pays off its guild price it
were merely Miners can also be played: can now generate five new pieces of territory for the
gang on the normal Territory Table. The gang's
The Hit, Loot and Pillage (defender only), The landing site may be discarded or kept as one of the
Hunters, Caravan (defender only), Scavengers, Hit and five territories. They may now collect income from
Run (defender only), Ambush, Raid (attacker, if these new territories.
opponent has Mine Workings: defender, if owning
Mine Workings), and Rescue Mission. Runts in service to the Imperium are never
considered Outlanders.
Territory, OUTLANDER
INCOME, trading & Selling
STATUS, and Income
Ymir collect income from their territory(s), like any
Questions will be raised and attention garnered once other gang. If Outlawed it will need to pay off its
the Ymir make their presence known to the denizens guild price, then it will generate income normally.
of a hive or to the greater universe.
Trading & Selling are done as per the respective
Territory
Trading Posts section of the Necromunda
Community Edition Rulebooks.
Ymir start with one piece of territory generated on the
standard Territory Table. This becomes the Ymir’s Captured enemies
landing site on the edge of the hive. If the Territory
generated is Mine Workings, Holestead, Mineral Though they maintain some hatred towards xenos,
Outcrop, Spore Cave or Tunnels, they have landed in the Ymir are honorable and based on due to their
the Wastes and are considered Outlanders. experiences during the Age of Sanctuary, will never
sell captive fighters to Guilders as slaves.
Normally they cannot hold more than one territory at a
time, unless they have captured it. The Ymir can Captives who are ransomed forfeit their equipment
decide to move their site after any game, by annotating to the Ymir gang as payment.
it on their territory list at the end of the post battle
sequence.

OUTLANDER STATUS

Based on their landing site, Ymir might be considered

Outlanders, and all of the Outlaw rules will then apply
 Weapon list Special equipment

Basic Weapons Cost

Boltgun 35 During the Age of Sanctuary, the Ymir needed to
Autogun 20 adapt to their hostile surroundings. Over time they
Lasgun 25 developed tools and weapons to assist them in their
Shotgun 20 survival.
Crossbow 8 Sentry Tool
Pistols Cost
Stub Gun 10 Once called a Century tool, to commemorate a
Autopistol 15 century of survival, this multi-tool combines the
Laspistol 15 function of an axe, hammer, pry bar, hook, and a
Bolt Pistol 25 ram. Its current Terran equivalent would be that of a
Plasma Pistol 25 TNT Tool.
Hand to Hand Weapons Cost
2nd Knife 5 Two Handed – Injury
Chain 10
Bludgeon/Hammer 10 Range To Hit Str Dmg Save
Massive Axe 15 Hand to Hand Only User 1 As User
Explosives & Shells Cost
Manstopper Shotgun Shells 5
Hot Shot Shotgun Shells 5 Net Caster
Bolt Shells 15 Primarily used for hunting on the forested worlds of
Dum Dum Bullets 5 the Ymir System, the Net Caster is treated much in
Mining Charges 40 the same way as its Web Pistol cousin, except where
Frag Grenades 25 it deviates in size, range and modifiers to hit.
Krak Grenades 40
Special Weapons & Equipment Cost Two Handed – Knock Back – Out of Action
Flamer 40
Grenade Launcher 60 Range To Hit Str Dmg Save Ammo
Autoslugger 45 0-8 8-16 - - - Spec - 5+
Melta Gun 95
Chainsword 35
Sentry Tool 45 personal FAQ
Clip Harness 10
Filter Plugs 10 Why tiered skills?
Photo-contacts 10
Reintroducing an Abhuman species to Necromunda
Lobo-chip 20
is a daunting task. These new “squats” are no longer
Weapon Reload Half Weapon Cost
Miners and therefore do not fall into that initial
preconceived role.
With their inherent qualities of Nerves of Steel, and
Hatred, and the fact they only have a total of 4 skill
types allocated per Clanworld, I feel allows for some
customization to add further feel and background to
this long forgotten species.
Khurasan are 15mm, why include them?
Because someone made 15mm space dwarves!
player wanting to play Khurasan at regular scale can
feel free to sub any other miniatures as Khurasan.
Miniatures D'varg

It's unfortunate that the Squats were removed from Blackcat Bases
Warhammer 40k. My conversations with the authors blackhat.co.uk
and progenitors of the Squats via email and social
media have echoed this feeling of loss. A tremor was http://tinyurl.com/zotbnq2
felt in the Imperium when GW decided to end the Fenryll
Squats with such an impact that the term "squatted"
has been adopted for any redacting of rules. fenryll.com

Reintroducing the space dwarf to Necromunda dictates http://tinyurl.com/hw7rbof

identifying where to find space dwarf miniatures. Olley's World
Having a history for that line of miniatures is as
equally important. Olley's Armies
http://olleysarmies.co.uk/
The following websites are presented by Clanworld as
introduced earlier, with manufacturers link (check out http://tinyurl.com/ns6zq9n
their other minis), and a Tiny URL direct link to the
B'Dass
miniatures themselves.
Blackcat Bases
Forge World
blackcatbases.com
Mantic Games
http://tinyurl.com/pq39u7y
manticgames.com
Runts
http://tinyurl.com/hbm3f6r
C-P Models
Grymn
cpmodelsminiatures.co.uk
Hassle free Miniatures
http://tinyurl.com/za2hop5
hfminis.co.uk
http://tinyurl.com/q962xrv
Khurasan
Khurasan Miniatures
http://khurasanminiatures.tripod.com/
http://tinyurl.com/y9txcmn
Blacktree
Blacktree Miniatures
eoeorbis.com or oeorbis.uk
http://tinyurl.com/j8dqx6t