RIGHT YOU LOUSY LOT! Back here again are we? Couldn't adjust to the comforts of the safe zones and so you were sent right back to the Badzones? Couldn't hack it with the “civilised” folk eh? Well good! We need all the help we can get out here, so grab your kit, we’ve got monsters and men to kill, the law to uphold and maybe we’ll scrape enough credits together for a bottle of Second Best while we’re at it.

Why choose Badzone Enforcers?

If the idea of a ragtag bunch of Underhive Law Keepers (no not them) fighting against mutants, monsters, bad ‘uns, and even the Hive itself excites you, then this is the gang for you. The Badzone Enforcers are Necromunda’s equivalent of rough justice in the Wild West and I'm so here for it.

What makes them different / How have they changed?

Why not Palanites?

The Badzone Enforcers have kept the same profiles, skill access, etc. that they shared before the update and now that makes them unique. This might not come across as all that exciting but they are really fun to play still and definitely fulfil that lower-tech niche that some people prefer. Following that the Badzoners have lost their free Armoured Undersuits but have taken a discount in return. Not all of them get enough of a discount to cover the Undersuit fully which is a shame, but cheaper models mean you can tailor them to your liking or potentially squeeze another model in a starting list. After all, you can always buy the armour later on in the campaign like most other gangs. Mostly the Badzone Enforcers are a narrative choice over the Palanites, and the “Rule of Cool” overrides all else.

In Dominion campaigns the Badzone Enforcers get a Unique territory, the Precinct-Fortress. This territory is your “home base” and so cannot be lost, just like the Settlement most gangs get, and it also guarantees you have a minimum of 1 rep. At the end of every cycle this territory generates d6x10 credits and if you have taken at least 4 enemy fighters out of action in the cycle you gain an additional 2d6x10 credits as they use it as leverage to squeeze the local populace for all they can get. I love this: not only is it thematic, but because the Badzone Enforcers are cut off from the rest of the Hive, most of the time, they need to take what they can get and spend more credits on equipment etc. If you manage to achieve your 4 OoAs a cycle then you're generating, on average, 100-110 credits a cycle. The Shock Stave, a staple of my lists previously due to their 2” versatile reach and shock, has unfortunately suffered in this update and has been scrubbed from existence. No longer can you get these wonderful weapons in the Badzone list, nor can you find them in the Palanite section, they are simply gone. Pour one out for the fallen.

Just before we talk about the specifics of the Badzone Enforcers I want to point out something I think most people have missed: on page 95 of Bastions of Law the Badzone Enforcers get an intro page that reads “A Badzone Enforcer gang may not benefit from the Prefecture rules [...] In all other respects, including generating gang tactics, they are considered to be a Palanite Enforcer Gang.” To me, this reads like they can take anything that is allowed for Palanite Enforcers, for example the new Haunts, Sanctioner Pattern Automata, Rangers, and the Taurus Venator vehicle. This rule specifically excludes the Prefecture Rules which I think corroborates my reasoning, but as always check with your arbitrator before committing to anything.

Fighters

Badzone Enforcer Captain - 100 Credits

Starting with the fact that the Captain is now 25 credits cheaper than it was, the price of the Armoured Undersuit they have lost, the Badzone Captain has a fairly basic stat line for most things, Movement 5”, WS 3, BS4, S/T3, 2 Wounds, 4+ Initiative and 2 attacks. But their mental stats are amazing, 4+ Leadership, 6+ Cool, 5+ Willpower and 6+ Intelligence. If you fail your bottle check, don't worry, your leader can sort that with a 12" bubble where you are unlikely to run from the field.

I can hear you say “But 3O, the Palanite Captain got WS and BS 3+ and to that I say “DAMN IT *insert name here* WE ARE IN THE BADZONES! You can't expect us to get everything given to us, can you?”

For Skill access we get Brawn, Shooting and Palanite Drill as Primary and Ferocity and Leadership as Secondary. This Statline allows you to build your leader in any way you like, do you want a fast shooting Boltgun Leader? A melee Leader wielding a Shield and a Greatsword (from the trading post, don't get too excited) with Bulging Biceps you can. It's a bit of a shame the Badzone captain didn't take the Palanite Captain upgrades with them, and gain an extra wound and BS 3+ along with their WS, but it is what it is.

Badzone Enforcer Sergeant - 70 Credits

Another discount on the previous iteration, this time of 15 credits, the Sergeant is Movement 5”, WS 4, BS4, S/T3, 2 Wounds, 4+ Initiative and only 1 Attack, which is a bit of a let down, I hoped that they would get the 2nd Attack that the Subjugators got in the Palenite list, but no dice unfortunately. For mental stats we get 5+ Leadership, 6+ Cool, 6+ Willpower and  7+ Intelligence. Again, decent mental stats to keep you in the game and an overall average stat line lets you adapt to the campaign as you go through.

For skills in Primary we have Cunning, Shooting and Palanite Drill, with Brawn, Ferocity and Leadership as secondary. The Palenites no longer get Cunning so it's nice to see the Badzoners keep that skill tree, unfortunately you cant take the Sniper Rifle on the Sergeant anymore, which seems like an odd choice, no more Overwatching sniper.

Patrolmen - 40 Credits

The bog-standard profile but now at a cool 40 credits, the Patrolmen get Movement 5”, WS and BS 4+, S/T3, 1 Wound, 4+ Initiative and 1 Attack is fairly standard Ganger profile and its very similar to the Palenite Patrolman so it is to be expected. For mental stats they get 7s across the board which again isn't bad by any means, just not good either. The slight negative to Patrolmen is if you give them Enforcer Shotguns, Enforcer Boltguns or Concussion Carbines, those weapons gain the scarce trait. This isn't too bad as they all also have a 4+ ammo roll but it's important to know. If you are looking towards the Trading Post for equipment, just be aware that unless the Patrolman is a Specialist they are restricted to Basic, Pistols and Close Combat weapons, but once they gain specialist they are unrestricted.

Enlisted Scum - 30 Credits

Now officially the Juve option for the Badzones, for 30 credits you get the same stat line as a Patrolman but with 8s across the board for mental stats. The upshot to this is that your Badzoners don't care if these guys get shot. Thanks to the Expendable Conscripts rule, they are not included with the Gang Hierarchy or Group activations rules, nor do they count towards the ratio of Hierarchy : Gangers. But if they are seriously injured, they don't cause your enforcers to take a nerve test; your other Enlisted Scum do however so maybe keep them separated. They can't access the Trading Post for weapons but can buy equipment.

Finally, if you manage to get these Scummers to 3 advancements you can promote them to Patrolmen and this might actually be worth doing if you manage it. Usually when you promote a model, there is a big discrepancy between the stats and the “off the shelf” version, but in this case it's just some mental stats that really the patrolmen aren't going to need as much so go for it if you can. As a rule, I have always found it difficult to justify the Enlisted Scum because they didn't get the Gang fighter (X) rule and so don't count towards gang composition and, unlike hive scum, can't take you over your starting gang limit. This is still the case and so I still can't justify why you would take Enlisted over Patrolmen most of the time, even more so now there's only 10 credits difference.

Ranged

Enforcer Bolters - 50 Credits

A Bolter with a 4+ ammo save, what's not to love? This is a weapon that is well worth using, even with your gangers getting scarce on theirs, with the 4+ ammo you are still likely to keep the fire flowing down range more consistently than the standard version.

Enforcer Shotguns - 60 Credits

Basically, combat shotguns but worse. I love shotguns, and I don't dislike this version, but the issue is you can't take the special ammo you can for the combat shotgun and it gains scarce when used by your Patrolmen. Personally I would hold out game 1 and buy a Combat Shotgun from the trading post if you are thinking of playing with shotguns.

Concussion Carbine - 30 Credits

The Concussion Carbine initially doesn't seem overly powerful: with a Strength 3, 3” blast, it isn't a guaranteed kill, the spice here is in the Concussion, Knockback and Seismic traits.

When you hit something with Concussion, you drop the initiative of the target by 2, which is amazing in combination with Flash and Magnacles (more on them later). You also get a consistent ammo roll of 4+, even if it is scarce on your patrolmen (so if you do go out of ammo then you're out for the rest of that game), and a nice blip of AP-1 if you do manage to wound.

I have a lot of love for this weapon and like to bring one in most lists, the only real downside to me is the Scarce trait, if you give it to a Patrolman, and its range, it has a 9” short and 18” long range (with the short giving +1 to hit) and although that isn’t the end of the world. I would like a little more range, but for 30 credits I think it is still worth it.

Heavy Concussion Ram - 70 Credits

Almost identical to the Concussion Carbine, however, it has Strength 4, a short range of 15” and long of 30” with the same +1 to hit in short range. The downer for this is its 70 credits, more than doubling the Carbines cost. If you have the boards where range is going to be an issue and/or you want the concussion to do more than control your opponent's movements (stop them from coming close to ledges / in conjunction with Flash and Magnacles) then the S4 is a welcome upgrade. If you plan on taking the Badzone Enforcers out into the Wastes or on the Sump Sea then this weapon is a must have, all concussion weapons are great at rolling vehicles but because of the added range this is my go to choice.

Subjugator Pattern Grenade Launcher - 50 Credits

Now the SPGL is a lovely piece of kit, starting at 50 credits (15 credit discount on the standard Grenade Launcher) with Frag and Stun rounds it adds to your control play style, unfortunately the Stun rounds don't get the blast trait, this decreases your chance of hitting quite a bit when you are natively only hitting on 4s, but it is still another tool in the belt for those control players and the ammo roll for stun is again 4+ making it easier to reload if needed.

Now RAW this weapon doesn't get access to the extra weapon types the Palanite version does which is a real shame and for a very long time I didn't notice this “oversight” (It is definitely deliberate, but I want the Flash ammo so bad).

Sniper Rifle - 35 Credits

The Sniper Rifle is basically what the long rifle wants to be. They share the exact same profile right up until the weapon traits, where the Sniper Rifle gains the Rending rule, this means that on a 6 you add +1 damage for only 5 credits extra. I often pair this with the overwatch skill and keep my opponent from lining up those big heavy weapons or scary melee threats, before looking into the shooting tree for those “procs on 6’s” for those thematic “if I roll a 6 your guys head will explode” moments. It's a shame the Sergeants can no longer take this weapon, as it was a staple in how I played before the update.

Web Gun - 125 Credits 

The dreaded Web Gun, It's so incredibly thematic to have capture based enforcers running about arresting people using Web weapons. I'm not sure I can say anything about Web that hasn't already been said: it's a great weapon that will pay for itself, potentially very quickly, especially if you have a Fighter with “Restraint Protocols” to automatically capture anyone they CdG. This weapon was so good and thematic that the Palanites paid attention and added it to their list as well.

Heavy Stubber - 130 Credits 

Because sometimes you need some rapid fire heavy weapons in your life. The Heavy Stubber is a great weapon for taking out toughness 3 models and again, for controlling large areas of the board. If you play on boards that are quite open and have a good line of sight, you can deny your opponent large areas of ground and (again) consistent 4+ ammo keeps you firing all game long.

SLHG Pattern Assault Ram - 90 Credits 

I used to struggle to justify this weapon, but having played a lot more games with it I have found it to be a great choice. My issue used to be that you couldn't shoot and fight at the same time, so you are paying 90 credits to not get the full benefit all the time, but I have changed my mind now. The way to use the SLHG is to walk forward, lobbing Frag Granades and keeping people’s heads down while you get close enough to charge forward and do the proper damage with the 2” Versatile, S+2, AP-1 and Damage 2 goodness.

Autoguns - 15 Credits

Nothing overly exciting about the Autogun, except it allows you to put a cheap weapon onto your Gangers at creation. The issue a lot of people found with Enforcers is how expensive they were to run, but the reduced cost on the models and access to cheap guns like this allows you to get more models on the tabletop and that's incredibly helpful.

Close Combat

Power Knife - 25 Credits

Strength +1 with AP-2, Damage 1 with Backstab and Power? Yes please.

A lovely piece of equipment for 25 credits, this can mess a guy up without help but if you manage to get the drop on someone and hit them from the side or back, you are potentially getting 2 damage on this bad boy.

Power Maul - 30 Credits

Strength +2, AP-1 and Damage 1 with Power for 30 credits, it's hard to get too excited about this when the power knife is cheaper and has more potential output. Really it depends on if you are expecting to be up against toughness 4 models like Goliath or Squats (or Ogryns), because there is not much added benefit to hitting at Strength 5 over Strength 4 most of the time and you lose the extra AP and backstab for it.

Shock Baton - 30 Credits

A melee weapon for 30 credits, it's competing with the Power Maul so let's see how it does. It has Strength user, no AP, damage 1 but shock and parry. Shock is great and Parry can be super helpful at times, but it's over shadowed to me by the power maul (and by extension the Power Knife).

Vigilance Assault Shield - 40 Credits

Another odd weapon, on paper, 40 credits is a lot to pay for a Strength user, no AP, damage 1 weapon with Knockback, but the draw for me is in the Shield rule. This weapon gives you a +1 to your save against incoming ranged attacks and a +2 to your save against all melee attacks and that stacks up. With the armoured undersuit and any Armour you happen to be equipped with, a 2+ save is incredibly easy to achieve. It's worth noting that the Vigilance Shield can only be given to the Leader and Champions of a gang -  a shame, but we have to give the Palenites something, right?

Equipment

Armoured Undersuits - 25 Credits

No longer free with all your Enforcer models, for 25 credits it provides a 6+ armour save or a +1 to any armour they have. Although I'm usually one for giving armour only to Champions and my Leader, it's a nice bonus to know nearly all your guys have something to help keep them alive and when stacked with other armours like Mesh or the ones listed below, it's incredibly easy to get your entire gang on a 4+ save.

Magnacles - FREE!

Magnacles are so much fun to play with, the basic premise for them is to charge an opponent and force them to do an Initiative check. If they fail, then they are unable to make any shooting attacks, can only fight back in melee at -2 to hit, and can't make any actions except Break Bonds (double). Break Bonds requires the model to do a strength check, and if they fail then they are stuck for another round. Against gangs with low initiative like Squats this can be punishing, but against gangs like Escher, it puts you in harm's way: if they succeed their Initiative check, then they get to make their reaction attacks against you (and you have sacrificed your attacks to try and mag them), so be careful. Oh and yet again, these are free on all Enforcer models (not looking at you Enlisted). If you want to make this more efficient then you pair it with Concussion weapons and/or flash to reduce their Initiative.

Technically in Bastions of Law they haven't been FAQ’d to allow you to Magnacle on the charge, but as the Book of Judgement had the FAQ that allowed it and the wording hasn't changed at all, I would say it stands, but as always check with your Arbitrator.

Hardened flak - 30 Credits

Hardened Flak is one of the Enforcer unique armours, this one gives you a 6+ save with a 5+ save against template weapons, that's flame and blast templates, but also decreases any AP by 1 to a minimum of 1 (grumble grumble should be to a minimum of 0), that means that your AP-2 becomes AP-1 but AP-1 cannot be modified. 

The level of dislike I have for Hardened Flak (and its up-armoured version you will see soon) is higher than the Spire. If it was to a minimum of 0 it would be super helpful and I would recommend it to the moon, but because it stops at AP-1 it's basically useless. How many weapons have AP-2? Not many, and if you go much higher then that you get into “I don't have an armour save anyway” so it's pointless.

Layered flak - 20 Credits

Another Enforcer-only armour type, this time rather than the reduction in AP, you gain a 5+ save as standard and 4+ against Templates. Again, with the undersuit, that becomes 4+ and 3+ against templates also for 20 credits (across the board). Of the two I prefer this version, as it's not often you come across AP-2 or higher and when you do it's usually already too late. I'd rather get the chance to save more regularly and consistently.

Hardened layered flak - 50 Credits

A combination of them both, Hardened layered flak armour is a 5+ and 4+ against templates but also decreases AP by one to a minimum of AP-1. No! Stop! Just get a Layered flak and Undersuit and save yourself the disappointment. Just to add insult to injury, the Hardened Layered Flak is also 15 credits more expensive than the Palanite cost. Straight into the bin with you!

Stimm-Slug Stash - 25 Credits

A once per battle boost, the Stimm-Slug Stash is a staple of melee gangs, giving +2 to Strength, Toughness and Movement. You can be hitting at s6 at toughness 5 and a 7” move for a turn when it matters. At 30 credits it's handy to have on your list and not have to worry about getting it off the trading post.

Bio-Booster - 35 Credits

Just to add to the Enforcers already tanky aesthetic, why not bring a Bio-Booster? The Bio-Booster allows you to roll 1 less injury die when you are reduced to 0 wounds, unless the damage was already damage 1, in which case roll 2 and take your favourite. This reduces the chances of you being outright killed and or seriously injured massively and although you are unlikely to take one in your starting list, it's a good investment for the future. 

Hacked Cyber Mastiff - 100 credits

100 creds for an Exotic Beast that might go insane and eat your own face off? I'm not keen, why couldn't we have had access to the Hardcase Cyber Mastiff instead for 130 credits? The Hacked Mastiff is unfortunately just way too much of a risk to justify bringing onto the field as it's as much a danger to you as it is to them.

Palanite Drill 

With the same Skills as the Palanite Enforcers, this may look familiar if you have read that guide already.

• Got your Six - The countercharging skill, Once per round, if this fighter is standing and active, if you can see a model and it declares a charge against a friendly fighter, before they begin you get to interrupt and make a Shoot action against that target, potentially pinning them and stopping them from charging. Great against most melee gangs, but just remember you need to be able to see them before they charge, if they are hiding round a corner then you're out of luck.

• Helmawr’s Justice - One of the updated Skills, now when this fighter performs a Coup de Grace action they earn an additional 1 XP. Not a skill I would generally pick on purpose, mostly because there are better skills about and it would take 9 of these actions to pay for itself, but if it was a random roll I wouldn't be upset. It's kinda nice to know that you could get 6 XP from CdG’ing a champion and turning up to the battle.

• Non-Verbal Communication - Any Friendly fighter in line of sight of this model can use this fighter's Cool characteristic for the purpose of nerve tests. With the mental stats being as good as they are on Enforcers this is easily looked over, but if you are taking a lot of Juves in your list then having a “Big Brother” keeping them on the board and fighting on can be incredibly helpful.

• Restraint Protocol - Instead of making a Coup de Grace action you can make a Restrain (simple) action, this action lets you take a fighter out of action but instead of rolling on the lasting injury table they are automatically captured as if you rolled a 55/56 within 1”. It is also worded to make sure you can do this action as part of a charge as well and that is super helpful. This is a really thematic skill that can shape campaigns as well as potentially bringing in a lot of credits if you can capture people of note like leaders or champions.

• Team Work - Increase your Group Activation(X) by 1, if the fighter doesn't have a Group Activation usually it gains Group Activation 1. If you are running a control list that's heavy Concussion, Flash and Web, this is a skill that will be super useful to you. Slap it on either Sergeant and give them GA(2) and you can concuss with the leader/champ, Flash with a Ganger/Juve then charge in with another Ganger/Juve to Magnacle while they can barely fight back.

• Threat Response - Similar to “Got your six”, if a model within 6” gets charged, and you have a ready marker and are standing and active, you can activate and perform a Charge action. This activation interrupts the enemy fighters activation, being performed after their movement but before they attack. This is arguably the the best skill in the bunch: you don't have to see the target before the charge, just after they have finished moving, because the enemy fighter will be trying to get into engagement range you will get assistance (+1 to hit) and they would get interference (-1 to hit) on their return attacks, it’s a double whammy!

Starting Lists

Badzone Rodeo 2: Concussion Boogaloo

Back by Popular Demand, the Badzone Rodeo 2: Concussion Boogaloo is a control list, if you like the idea of a less lethal approach to Enforcers, then this is the way to go.

This list relies on the combination of Concussion and Flash before charging in with Magnacles to stick your opponent in place, letting you focus on the objective and putting the boots into whoever the big threat is in your opponents list.

Captain with Fast Shot, Concussion Carbine, Power Maul, Layered Flak and Armoured Undersuit - 205 Credits

Use the Carbine and Fast Shot to concuss as many people as possible so your Patrolmen can Flash and Mag them before they even know what's going on. Use the Group Activation (2) to blitz a group of opponents of their activations and Magnicle the biggest threat. The Power Maul is there as a back up, if they get too close you can use your WS 3+ to put the hurt on anyone who thinks they can throw down.

Sergeant with Hip Shooting, Web Gun, Layered Flak and Armoured Undersuit - 240 Credits

Generally I'm not keen on Web guns, they are a bit on the strong side, but if any gang should be using them it's the Enforcers. Being able to double move your Sergeant and then drop a strength 5 template is superb. If you have anyone around, you can use your other fighters to charge in and take them out once they are webbed as well.

Sergeant with Team Work, Heavy Concussion Ram, Layered Flak Armour and Armoured Undersuit - 185 Credits

Move forward with your Patrolmen in tow and basically do the same as the Captain; Concuss, Flash then Magnacle the biggest threat. The skill Team Work lets you group activate 2 gangers rather than 1 so you can blitz when the time is right.

Patrolman Specialist with Sniper Rifle  - 75 Credits

You would think that you would want to keep the Sniper Rifle up high and with a good line of sight, all while being as far away as you can so you can get the +1 at long range to hit… but you don't need to. I would have this model follow the Sergeant with Web Gun and keep them out of trouble, if you have a nasty heavy weapon zoning you out of an area, or a melee threat looming, you can use the sniper to tag them, get them pinned so your web gun can run in and do the work they need to do. Once they have a bit of XP, I would look into the Shooting skills to make the most of them. Marksman and Precision Shot make 6’s seriously dangerous, and if you are in abundance of XP then add trick shot at the end to negate cover by 1. I would be looking at Marksman first so you don't have to worry about target priority and then either 6’s to hit or wound both double the damage.

2 x Patrolman with Autogun and Photon Flash Grenades - 70 credits total.

One goes with the Captain, the other with the Concussion Ram Sergeant and uses those Flash Grenades to remove the activations of groups or scary models that have been hit by the concussion weapons. The Autogun is for those times where the Photon Flash either isn't needed or has run out so you can continue being useful.

2 x Patrolman with Shock Batons and Stub Guns - 75 Credits

Same as above, one goes with the Captain and the other with the Sergeant. After their bosses have concussed and flashed, you send these guys in to Magnacle the biggest threats then use the Baton to bring the hurt. If everything goes well your target should be hitting back on 6’s so they are unlikely to hit you back, even if they do manage to roll a 6 you can use the Shock Baton’s Parry trait to make them re roll one successful hit. 

Gunslingers of the Underhive

So I'm not usually a big fan of Plasma weapons, and especially not “spamming” them, but I was listening to Johnny Cash and Big Iron came on, and this idea was born.

This list is a close quarters fighting gang that likes to get up close and personal while keeping the Wild West aesthetic of Gunslingers in the Underhive

Captain with Crushing Blow, Plasma Pistol, Vigilant Assault Shield, Layered Flak Armour and Armoured Undersuit - 235 Credits

The Captain has a 3+ WS and 4+ BS so getting them into melee seems like a smart idea, following the “Big Iron on his hip” line that sparked the list, what's bigger than a Plasma Pistol? In the short range you're getting a +2 to your hit roll with the low setting, which gives you that 2+ to hit and 4’s in melee, or 3’s if you want to risk Overcharging (1 in 12 chance of going out of action). Now for melee the Shield isn't the most exciting weapon with 1 Damage, Strength user and no AP, but with crushing blow you can nominate one of your dice to hit at +1 Strength and Damage, suddenly making it Strength 4 and Damage 2 without needing to charge (unlike Bull charge) while also having the Knockback effect. Knockback is great with the Plasma Pistol because if you get charged and can survive the attacks coming in, which you are likely to do with the amount of armour this fighter is wearing, you can then knock them back as your retaliation and then shoot them at short range on your next turn.

Finally the Layered Flak, Undersuit and the Shield give you a 3+ armour from the front against ranged attacks and a 2+ against templates and melee attacks (again from the front), this means you are likely to take a shot to the face and get right back up and walk it off.

Sergeant with Evade, Plasma Pistol, Vigilant Assault Shield, Layered Flak Armour and Armoured Undersuit - 205 Credits

Very similar to the Captain but with 4+ for both WS and BS, you get the same incredible armour save but with the added bonus of being -1 to be hit in short range if you are in the open, or -2 for weapons in their long range. So not only are you hard to hit, but they do manage to hit you, you are likely going to laugh it off and keep walking towards them.

Sergeant with Gunfighter, 2x Plasma Pistol, Layered Flak Armour and Armoured Undersuit - 215 Credits

The real Gunslinger in the list. Duel Plasma Pistols is a tad over the top, but I couldn't resist. This fighter is hitting on a 4+ unless you can get within 6” of your target, where you get your short range bonus making it 2+, but when it hits, it’s going to do damage at Strength 5, AP-1 and Damage 2 on low or Strength 7, AP-2, Damaged 3 when overcharged. Gunfighter means you can fire both pistols at the same time without getting the “twin guns blazing” rule taking effect (-1 to hit), but I would still consider shooting one at a time incase they roll an ammo check, as they do  have the Scarce trait. If you’re going up against a big mamma jamma that needs to be reduced to a smoking pile of superheated plasma and viscera, you can always choose to use both.

Specialist with Sniper Rifle - 75 Credits

Simple and effective, the Specialist with Sniper Rifle is a good choice for any list as it is Strength 4 with Rending for only 35 credits.

2x Patrolman with Autogun - 55 Credits each

Bog standard, use the Autoguns to keep your opponent pinned and if you can get to short range (8”) for the +2 to hit the all the better. I would consider getting an upgrade later on down the line for either a Trading Post weapon or a Enforcer Bolter but they are predominantly there to keep heads down so your big hitters can get into effective range.

Patrolman with 2x Stub Guns - 50 Credits

How could I not? You need a fighter with dual Stub Guns in a list like this, the best part is in short range you're hitting on 2+, and although you aren't hitting hard, you will be consistent.

Enlisted Hive Scum with Sawn-off Shotgun - 45 Credits

Im a fan of the Sawn-off, getting Scattershot is a great weapon trait, at Strength 3 and with a +2 to hit if you’re within 4” (a huge risk, I know), even without any AP you have the potential to do some serious damage just because of how many potential shots you can get on a fighter. As a bonus, you don't need to worry about the 6+ ammo roll because you can just take the reload action and automatically pass thanks to the Plentiful trait. Not to mention that it's obviously another thematic weapon for the western inspired list.

Enlisted Hive Scum with 2 Handed Hammer - 65 Credits

The 2 Handed hammer is more for the fun of it than any particularly strategic plan. The Hammer makes the Enlisted hit on 5+ in melee, as its -1 to hit, but if it does hit it will be hitting at Strength 4 with Damage 3 and Knockback so there is a chance they don't get to hit you back straight away.

The Enlisted are in this list as meat shields, they aren't very high priority until they get really close but your opponent needs to do a cool check if they want to shoot the Captain or Sergeant behind them all while the Enforcers don't give a hoot if the enlisted Scum gets taken out of action, stepping over their bloody remains to get the job done without a second thought. If you want them to be effective you can get them to charge in after another model for the assist bonus (+1 to hit for every other friendly model in melee range).

There is also a variant of this list I am very keen on playing, it uses the Malstrain corruption mechanic.

Rather than the Patrolmen, we have taken Brood Scum, they have slightly worse mental stats but they are 10 credits cheaper and fill that Ganger:Hierarchy ratio you need. I have kept a pair of Enlisted but given them Blasting charges to throw at the enemy from close range… Very close range. I have also made the Captain a Psyker to use that 6+ Willpower and given them Overcharge from the universal powers list, if your group plays with them it's a good way of making a shot from your plasma pistol take out anything it comes across, but it's not without risk, Overcharge improves the weapons Strength by 2 and the Damage by 1 but makes the weapon gain the unstable trait. When the fighter in front of you absolutely must die as soon as possible regardless of the risk, then use overcharge and fire on maximal. Because the maximal profile already has unstable its no loss/no more risk but will be Strength 9, Ap-2 and Damage 4 with a 1 in 12 chance of taking yourself out in the process. Is it worth it? That's up to you to decide.

Campaign Progression 

Hangers-On

As you go through a campaign you will want to get some additional bonuses and the Hangers-on are a great way of doing this. Now I have already mentioned that the Fixer is a superb addition to the Enforcer list as they can get expensive quickly and an extra D3x10 credits each game is a welcome addition. 

There are also your usual picks like the Rogue Doc: a free doc trip can be clutch if one of your guys gets a boltgun to the temple at some point but I like looking towards some of the more unused ones.

Ammo Jack - 50 Credits

Ok so this one isn't too far out of left field, but I would be doing you a disservice if I didn't mention that re-rolling an ammo roll of 1 when your Bolters reload on a 4+ is kinda good. Now if you have the rep for it, you could get to the point where you are reloading on a 4+ and re-rolling on a 1-3 as well. That's kinda spicy, especially when your gangers gain scarce on their Enforcer Bolters, Enforcer Shotguns and Concussion Carbines.

Whisper Merchant - 60 credits

What are we Delaque? Maybe… a Whisper Merchant may count the result of a single D6 roll as a 6 when taking the following actions: Determine Scenario, Choose Crews (when random crew size applies), Receive Rewards (including rewards from Territories), and Seek Rare or Illegal equipment. This could be huge, picking the scenario best suited to you could win you the game, getting 60 credits for one game pays for itself, making sure you have more models on the board then your opponent can also be a game changer. I really like this Hanger on and it feels super thematic, like an agent of the nobility working with the Enforcers.

But more exciting than the Hangers-On above, you can take the new Haunts!

Haunts - 85 Credits

Haunts are the new Hangers-on exclusively available to the Enforcers, they are Sanctioned Psykers used to help the enforcers deal with Wyrd threats in the underhive. I love the idea of Badzoners using this hanger-on because they will potentially be facing more Unsanctioned Wyrds that are fleeing the more settled areas of the hive.

The Haunts get a couple of different special rules, Starting with “Part of the Crew,” this rule basically allows this model to be picked for each game, just the same as any champion or ganger, but this fighter cannot gain any XP or advancements and if they take any lasting injury that changes their fighter card (even the positive ones like Horrid Scars or Bitter Enmity) then they leave the gang and you will have to re hire them for full price again. Next they get “Sanctioned Psyker”: this rule is fairly straight forward, you can reroll a single WP test per game, either to avoid Perils of the Warp or to attempt another shot at getting the power off at key times in the battle. Finally they get “Hexagramic Dampers”: if your Haunt suffers from Perils of the Warp (double 1 or double 6 when making WP checks), instead of rolling on the lasting injury table they just go out cold, this negates a lot of the risk involved with bringing a Wyrd in your list as you don't want them to go insane and cause damage to your own Fighters or worse…

Psyrender 

The Psyrender is all about causing chaos and breaking your opponents mind. They gain a “Fearful Aura” which is exactly the same as the fearsome skill that they already have and this is completely pointless. I will just put it in the pile of “useless psychic powers GW have dished out” like Overcharge on the Awakened Ogryn.

The Psyrender gets Mind Control, Terrify and Hallucinations as their Wyrd powers,

• Mind Control - a Basic action that can be a continuous effect (free to keep up but you need to pass a WP check every round, or you can use an activation for a +2 to your roll), you can pick a fighter within 9” and in line of sight , that fighter then immediately takes a Shoot (basic) action, even if they have already activated this turn, and targeting a fighter from your chosen fighters gang. If you are playing against a gang that has a powerful shooting platform, like a Plasma cannon Van Saar, and can get close enough you can force them to nuke their own fighters.

• Terrify - a Double action, pick a fighter within 18” and in line of sight, that fighter needs to take a Nerve test at -3 or become Subject to the Broken Condition. A good way to neutralise an enemy for at least 1 turn, possibly longer if they have poor Cool.

• Hallucinations - my favourite of the 3. As a basic action, choose a fighter within 12” (not in line of sight, just within 12”), this fighter immediately becomes subject to the Insane Condition. Simple, easy and efficient.

Bone Crusher

The Bone Crusher likes to crush their foes with Psychic might. The Bone Crusher gets the “Fists of Fury” rule, this rule means that when you make unarmoured attacks you can increase the Strength and Damage of your strikes by 1, this effectively makes your unarmed attacks Strength 4 and Damage 2 but you still give your target +1 to their armour save and lets be honest, Melee is the last place you want to be in, the Bonecrusher has a WS of 5+ and is only Toughness and Strength 3, so it isn't exactly going to be doing much at the best of times anyway.

Bone Crusher has 3 wyrd powers, Crush, Force Field and Force Blast.

• Crush - pick a target  or obstacle within 12” and in line of sight, make a hit roll using this fighter's BS (5+). If it's an obstacle then it is destroyed and taken off the board, if the target is a fighter then they need to roll an armour save, if the save is PASSED then you can roll an injury dice and immediately apply the result to the fighter, regardless of how many wounds it has left as they are entombed inside their own armour. This would be a superb way of getting rid of enemy champions that have been invested in enough to stack armour saves, if it wasn't for the terrible BS of 5+. It's REALLY situational and unlikely to be pulled off anyway so im not keen.

• Force Field - a basic action that can also be continuous: whilst the power is active, every fighter within 3” of the Bone Crusher gets a +1 to their armour saves, and if they don't have any armour then they get a 6+ save. The best of the 3 in my opinion, the Enforcers are already capable of stacking armour saves, and this only adds to that.

• Force Blast - take a basic action to push every enemy fighter within 3” d3+1 inches directly away from the Haunt. This is great if you are on a gantry and want to push people off it, and what's best is it doesn't affect friendly models so you can do it with impunity. Just note that the fighters you push do get to do their initiative check to stay on the platform but pinned, but if they get pushed into a wall or object then they also become pinned and take a hit with the Strength equal to the number of inches rolled (minimum of 2, max of 4). Another situational power, but if you are using the Bone Crusher to protect a group moving forward or they happen to find themselves in a spot of bother, it's a handy backup to have.

The Haunts are an odd bunch, Wyrd you might say, they are fairly weak in terms of output and also can't take a hit very well. Basically I have found that you need to skulk about with the Haunts and pick your moments, because of this the Psyrender is better to me as it can use Hallucinations without needing Line of Sight but the Bonecrusher really comes across as a wet blanket compared to how the model looks and is described in the book. Personally if it was a cheap brute or specialist fighter I would be more keen as you could increase the stats and choose skills that would build them up into a force. Unfortunately that isn't the case, so you are stuck with a fighter that has only one use really: hide and cause issues for as long as you can before they get shot.

Brutes

Jotun Ogryn (COPGRYN!) - 210 Credits Base

You knew it was coming. Why not get a Copgryn to loyally protect the smalls in their “squad”? I recommend Ogryn every chance I get, because this is my website and I can do what I want! They are great at pushing forward and applying pressure, while taking pressure off your Enforcers as your opponent has to decide what's the bigger threat, the Enforcer with a Boltgun or the slab of angry muscle running full pelt towards them. I prefer to take one with a Augmetic fist, Spudjacker and Furnace plates for 205 credits to keep it cheap and cheerful.

Outland Beastmaster - 100 credits Base

I love the idea of an Enforcer out in the Badzones for too long, missing their K9 unit and training up their own beasties. For 100 credits plus pets, it can be an expensive choice, but one I can see being valuable as you go through a campaign. Do you take Rats and charge them in so your Patrolmen can get into combat? Maybe Ripperjacks for when fighting on Sector Mechanicus boards so you can attack any level? Or do you go for Milisaurs and have them infiltrate in and unleash terror on the back lines? The choice is yours.

Sanctioner Pattern Automata - 205 Credits Base

The Sanctioner is a decent Brute that is versatile and worth having even without any of the upgrades available to them. The Sanctioner has a Movement of 5” (the same as the majority of the gang), WS and BS 4+, Strength 4, Toughness 5, 3 Wounds and 2 Attacks making it a decent all round fighter that can soak up small arms fire fairly efficiently.

The Sanctioner has a couple of decent special rules, starting with “Automated Repair Systems”: during the recovery step of the end phase, do not roll for recovery, the Sanctioner automatically recovers as if they rolled a Flesh Wound. This keeps them in the game a lot longer than they otherwise would be, especially if you can get assistance to them so they don't even take the Flesh Wound, like Chumbawamba, you aint ever gonna keep me down.

The second special rule they have is “Mobile Bulwark:” if a friendly model is obscured at all by the Sanctioner, they gain full cover, which is great for pushing the Sanctioner forward and adds extra protection to those behind them.

We have looked at the rules, now let's look at the equipment. As standard the Sanctioner is equipped with Light Carapace Armour, a Pacifier Assault Claw (Strength user, AP-1, Damage 2 with Pulverise), Heavy Shock Baton (S+1, Damage 2 with Concussion, Parry and Shock) and the Grenade Launcher Array with Photon Flash (6”-18”, blast 5” Flash with an ammo roll of 5+). You can replace the Claw and/or the Baton with a Concussion Cannon for +80 credits which has a ranged profile of 9”-18” with +1 to hit on short range, Strength 4, AP-1, Damage 2, Blast 3” with Concussion, Knockback and Seismic with a 4+ ammo roll, a Mancatcher for +100 credits that has a melee profile of Strength user, AP-1 Damage 1 with Entangle, or a ranged profile that is identical to a Web Gun, or the SLHG “Sledge Hammer” for +40 credits, which is the same as the Subjugator version. You can also buy different ammo choices for the Grenade Array, Choke Gas +35, Stun rounds +25, Smoke +15 and Scare Gas +45 as well as all this, you can upgrade your Sanctioners armour to Heavy Carapace (3+ armour in the front arc and 4+ everywhere else but -1 movement) for +20 credits.

Finally for the options, we have the Skill access. The Sanctioner starts with the Palanite Drill skill “Got your Six”. This skill lets you take a shot at an enemy fighter that is attempting to charge a friendly fighter within its line of sight, before they make the charge, potentially stopping them from making it into combat. On top of that, they have access to Ferocity skills as Primary and Agility and Combat as Secondary. I would be B-lining for Nerves of Steel ASAP so that they can stay standing up to provide cover for the rest of your gang and keep charging forward to applying pressure.

For loadout, I like to run mine with the Heavy Shock Baton, SLHG “Sledge Hammer”, Grenade Launcher Array with Smoke, all in for 260 credits. It's pricey, sure, but you get access to a Strength 6, Versatile 2” melee weapon and a Strength 5 melee weapon with parry and shock as well as 4 ammo types over 2 ranged weapons to choose from. This keeps you capable of taking on any opponent and having the right tool for the job.

Final Thoughts

The Badzone Enforcers are still really fun to play, now they have access to the Sanctioner and the Haunts etc., they have a lot more build options and it's a lovely change. The loss of free undersuits is a bit of a shame, but on Patrolmen I rarely gave them armour to begin with anyway so it's not a huge loss, unlike the Shock Stave which saddens me every time I go to make a list.

Now that the Palanites have their own toys the Badzoners feel very different, and it's nice to have them be their own thing fully now. The Badzone Enforcers were one of my favourite gangs in the past, I liked the limitations in weapons but the combinations of skills made it viable and fun to build and play, with the update they do play a little differently but all said and done they are still wonderful. If you like the Palanite Enforcers,but want a bit of a change, feel like the Palanites are a bit overwhelming, or just really like the idea of rugged law keepers in the underhive, then this is the gang for you.

Fin

Hopefully this has been helpful to any of you budding deputies wanting to explore the Badzones to spread Helmawr’s Justice and make a killing while there.

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