Bring Back Oldmunda: The Undisputed Best Version of Necromunda

When Necromunda first hit the scene in 1995, it wasn’t just another boxed game from Games Workshop—it was the game. The underhive was a living, breathing world where gangs fought for survival, juves grew into legends (or died trying), and every skirmish left lasting scars on both the miniatures and the players.

For me, Necromunda was a massive part of my childhood. After school in Pukekohe, Andrew, Manoj, Michael, Nick, Ivan, and I would throw down in the underhive, rolling sustained fire dice and hoping our gangers didn’t end up in the doc’s chair (or worse, in the corpse piles). On weekends, we’d take our campaigns to the South Auckland Miniature Wargames Club, where the fights got bigger, the stakes got higher, and the terrain setups were even more elaborate.

Fast forward to today, and here on Gozo, I’ve mostly been playing WW2 wargames with the local group. But then something happened—Darren joined the group. He originally came from D&D, but when he mentioned he used to play Oldmunda and still had his box set and old rosters (who knows where those gangs ended up though), I knew exactly what that meant.

It’s time to bring back the old ways.

Now, don’t get me wrong—I love Newmunda. I’ve got most of the new box sets, and some of its mechanics are genuinely fantastic. You can’t beat the alternative activation system, which keeps the action fast and reactive. But even with all the flashy new models and expanded campaign systems, there’s something missing. Oldmunda had a raw, stripped-down brutality that Newmunda, for all its polish, just doesn’t quite capture.

And that’s why it’s time to bring back the classic.

1. The Terrain Was—and Still Is—Better

The original Necromunda box set was revolutionary for its time. Instead of a static board or a handful of generic ruins, it gave us something truly unique:

• Cardstock buildings that were actually functional. They didn’t just look cool; they encouraged movement, cover, and high-risk plays.
• Plastic bulkheads that snapped together. They were sturdy, modular, and let you build towering hive cities without the need for custom terrain-building skills.
• A perfect balance of verticality and openness. Some areas were tightly packed, others were wide and exposed. Every table felt different.

That’s why I have multiple copies of the base game and two Outlanders sets—because you can never have too many bulkheads, and future-proofing my terrain setup is the smartest gaming decision I’ve ever made.

Newmunda largely ditched this in favor of Zone Mortalis, a system that feels claustrophobic and same-y. Sure, it has its place, but it strips out one of the best parts of Oldmunda: fighting across a multi-level battlefield where line of sight, movement, and cover actually matter.

2. Oldmunda’s Simplicity is Its Strength

The beauty of Oldmunda was in its brutal elegance:

• One core rulebook and one expansion. That’s it. No mountains of supplements, no endless FAQs.
• Skill tables that were actually fun. Every advancement felt meaningful, and rolling for new skills between games was one of the best parts of the campaign.
• A streamlined campaign system. Gang income, injuries, and experience were all easy to track on a simple sheet of paper.

By comparison, Newmunda suffers from serious rules bloat. Want to play a single gang properly? You’ll need at least:

1. The core rulebook.
2. Gangs of the Underhive (if you’re using older books).
3. Your gang’s specific House of X book.
4. The most recent campaign book if you want the current rules for downtime, trading, and scenarios.

That’s a lot of paperwork for what should be a beer-and-pretzels skirmish game.

3. Alternative Activation is Great, But I Miss Sustained Fire Dice

I’ll give Newmunda credit for one thing: alternative activation was a game-changer.

In Oldmunda, turn structure was a bit too similar to Warhammer 40K 2nd Edition, with full-player turns that could feel sluggish. Newmunda’s activation system fixes that by making the action more interactive and dynamic. It’s one of the best mechanics of the new edition, hands down.

But what does Newmunda not have?

Sustained Fire Dice.

Those weird, chunky dice were a core part of the Oldmunda experience. Rolling them for heavy bolters, plasma guns, and auto-weapons added a level of tension that regular dice just can’t replicate. Will your heavy stubber unleash a hail of bullets… or jam at the worst possible moment? It was chaotic, unpredictable, and absolutely essential to the feel of the game.

4. Ratskins, Scavvies, and the Gangs GW Forgot

In Oldmunda, the house gangs were just the beginning. The Outlanders expansion introduced some of the most unique factions GW has ever made:

• Ratskin Renegades – The original inhabitants of the underhive, with a playstyle built around movement and resilience.
• Scavvies – Mutant filth-lords with plague zombies, massive numbers, and unpredictable scrap weapons.
• Pit Slaves – Escaped laborers with chainsaw arms and drill fists. What’s not to love?
• Redemptionists – Fire-and-brimstone lunatics with flamers and executioner masks.

Newmunda has some of these gangs, but it’s not the same. They’re either missing entirely or relegated to second-class status with half-baked rules.

5. Oldmunda Has Storytelling Baked into the Mechanics

One of the greatest strengths of Oldmunda was how its mechanics naturally led to stories that stuck with you forever.

• The juve who miraculously survived a shootout, got an insane stat increase, and became a gang legend.
• The ganger who botched a charge, fell off a walkway, and was never seen again.
• The leader who got captured by Scavvies and had to be rescued in a desperate mission.

These weren’t just game results—they were campaign-defining moments that shaped our gangs over weeks and months.

Newmunda tries to replicate this with its expanded campaign system, but the sheer weight of rules and extra books gets in the way of that raw, emergent storytelling.

Final Verdict: Oldmunda is Making a Comeback

For years, Newmunda dominated the conversation. But now, with Darren in Gozo dusting off his old boxset and me digging through the pile of shame for old gangs, I know it’s time—Oldmunda is coming back.

• The terrain is better.
• The rules are simpler and more brutal.
• The gangs are more unique and flavorful.
• The gameplay naturally creates stories.
• The sustained fire dice were an experience in themselves.

If your gaming group is drowning in Newmunda’s book-keeping, expansions, and rules bloat, do yourself a favor—go back to the classic version. It’s fast, it’s raw, and it’s the real underhive experience.

And if anyone tells you it’s insane to own multiple base sets and Outlanders? Tell them they clearly don’t understand Necromunda.

Long live the underhive. Long live Oldmunda.