Barrel Talks - Orrukmager
In case you were wondering what the Orlocks look like in the 3rd millennium.
Black Oak County -- Sinner Rock 2024, photo: Ulrich Hoelzel
What happens when a hard rock frontman, marketing wizard, and miniature maniac sits down for a drink by the barrel?
You get one hell of a story — and a gang to match.
In this episode of Barrel Talks, we meet Niels — craft beer marketer, hard rock musician, and kitbash addict. He talks about rogue Ambots, gang building, and why Genestealer Cults are both the coolest and most cursed gang in Necromunda.
Check his instagram for more great photos and miniatures: https://www.instagram.com/orrukmager/
Who are you as a player and a creator
I’m Niels, a graphic designer and musician in my mid 30s.
I spend my week as head of marketing at a successful craft brewery in west Denmark, and on the weekends I mostly tour with my hard rock band, Black Oak County.
I have been playing Necromunda for about 2-3 years by now, and love all aspects of it!
How long have you been painting miniatures?
I started painting warhammer minis shortly before the pandemic hit. I always remember wanting the 3rd edition Tyranids ever since I saw them on the toy store shelves as a kid, but my parents thought I wasn’t up for the commitment. Believe I’ve been painting since 2019/2020.
What made you choose this system in particular?
I always wanted to dive into 40K, but found the amount of rules incredibly overwhelming. I started collecting Orks, then went onto Death Guard, but never played a single game. Necromunda, though incredibly complex, seemed way more fun, fast paced, and simple. It fit perfectly into my love from kit bashing that I got from collecting orks, and the narrative that I got from playing D&D etc.
Is Necromunda your favorite game system, or are there others you enjoy and come back to often?
Definitely my favorite! There’s no game like it!
Necromunda - what does it mean to you
What do you enjoy the most about creating gangs — writing their background stories, painting, conversions, or playing?
I mostly enjoy the kitbash process. I love a lot of the house gangs, but kitbashing is where this game truly shines for me. There’s no limit or restriction, and you can make almost any creation fit into some sort of list. I often come up with an overall concept for a model or gang, and take it from there. And it feels great to take a new concept/gang onto the tabletop!
Do you have a favorite gang you keep coming back to or one you’ve had the most victories with?
Been playing a lot of different stuff, but I keep returning to my Genestealer Cult gang. I love the esthetic, the lore and the possibilities within the gang. But I also hate they get no love from GW. PLEASE, a 5” Move and 2 Wounds for my champions is all i’m asking!
Which gang is your all-time favorite and why? Do you play multiple gangs regularly, or do you have plans for new ones you'd like to add to your collection?
I generally enjoy playing my most recent gang, which at the moment is my Outcast Gang, M4L-Evolene’s Servants. I’m currently converting a Goliath Incursion Gang, led by an Orrus Spyrer armed to the teeth.
Outcast Gang, M4L-Evolene’s Servants
You recently showcased a gang you made for the CoriusCon convention. What inspired you to create this specific gang? Tell us more about it. Does it have a background story, a theme, or a narrative hook?
I had this idea for an Outcast Gang, with a Leader modelled from an Ambot. My idea was to have this construction robot having survived a raid by a gang of the Underhive, but having suffered greatly in the process. The attack fried its circuits, and as the raiders took off with the Ambot’s arm, it started a vicious quest for its missing part. The gangers are all cybernetic enhanced inhabitants of the Hive, which M4L-Evolence has managed to hack into and plant a virus, making them obedient to its every need. Weapons wise, I ran with a Las-Cutter, to symbolize the makeshift whip made up from broken wires and conductors.
What’s your favorite piece of equipment or weapon in Necromunda? Something you always try to include in your gang?
That’s hard! I guess the most important piece of gear to me is the Mesh Armor. Can’t tell how many times that has saved a ganger of mine! Other than that, the Grapnel Launcher is a favorite of mine.
Do you have a favorite tactic card — one that often turns the tide of battle or that you always include in your deck?
I mostly don’t play them, and try to avoid them. I find it hard to keep track of a gang, once the Skills and Wargear starts to roll in. I find them lacking in general, having played gangs such as Genestealer Cult and Outcasts. The House-decks are far more fletched out.
In your opinion, which rules in Necromunda are broken or just don’t work as they should?
Sadly, i think the amount of options and supplement books, FAQ’s, Errata’s and White Dward entries just suffocate the game, as wordings can be different from book to book, and I find having to argue for your rules against your opponents quite often. If I could point out a single broken rule, I’d pick out the the casting of Psychic powers. Some say you can’t cast through solid terrain, some doesn’t mention anything, while the measuring rules state you can’t measure through solid terrain. This is something I wish was clarified.
Is there anything in the game that you feel is way too powerful and breaks the balance? In short — what do you think is the most OP thing in Necromunda? (It could be a gang, weapon, piece of gear, tactic card, etc.)
Necromunda is an unbalanced game, but I think the most important thing is just to not be an asshole. Have fun! Don’t spam Concussion weapons, Photon Flash Grenades, Flamers or Grenades, etc. - if I was to point one thing out, I’d say it would be Blaze. Though easily countered with a Hazard Suit, it’s not fun to have half your gang running mindlessly around, hoping for that 4-6+ save at the end of their activation.
If you could change one thing about Necromunda — what would it be?
It’s an enormous amount of work, but I’d update the books. Make sure no rules are causing confusion between books, include the FAQ and errata’s into the books, and make them available online with a code like the 40K books, allowing you to have the physical and digital copy available: so should any update occur, they’re right there and available in the app.
Tell us about a weird, funny or crazy in-game moment you still remember to this day.
Playing Co.rius’s container board and falling 60+ inches from the top, only to roll a 1 and not suffer any damage at the bottom the tower still lives rent free in my mind.
What kind of music do you listen to when painting or playing? Do you have any favorite tracks that really set the mood?
I don’t really listen to music while playing. We have a gaming club, and once 3-4 tables are going, everything else just becomes white noise.
And now for the part every creator has to face — making their own card for the Minowar deck.
Give it a name and rules.
Thanks for having me! 🫶