The End Phase

Source: Necromunda Core Rulebook (2023)

After all models have been activated, the Action phase ends and play moves on to the End phase. The End phase has four steps:

1. Bottle Checks: If a player has at least one Prone and Seriously Injured or Out of Action fighter, or at least one Wrecked vehicle, they will have to make a Bottle check for their gang.
2. Fleeing the Battlefield: If either gang has failed a Bottle check, that gang’s controlling player makes a Cool test for each of their models that is still on the battlefield. Any models that fail will flee the battlefield.
3. Recover & Restart: Starting with the player that holds Priority, both players make Recovery tests for any Prone and Seriously Injured fighters and/or Restart tests for any Stationary and Stalled vehicles belonging to their gang.
4. Rally Tests: Starting with the player that holds Priority, both players make Cool tests for Broken models belonging to their gang to see if they can Rally.

note

Remove Temporary Effects

Smoke: Roll a D6 per smoke cloud: on a 1-4 it is removed.
Graviton Pulse: Remove any Graviton Pulse blasts.
Toxic Sludge: Roll a 2+ for each Prone fighter that is at least partially in a pool of toxic sludge, or go Out of Action.

1. Bottle Checks

At the start of the End phase, a player will be required to make a Bottle check for their gang if one or more of their fighters are currently either Prone and Seriously Injured or Out of Action, or if one or more of their vehicles is currently Wrecked. If both players are required to make a Bottle check, the player that holds Priority should go first.

To make a Bottle check for their gang, the controlling player rolls a D6 and adds to the result the total number of fighters belonging to their gang that are currently Prone and Seriously Injured or Out of Action and the total number of vehicles belonging to their gang that are currently Wrecked. If the final result is higher than the total number of models in its starting crew (the number of models that were present at the start of the battle, see Choosing Crews), the Bottle check is failed and the gang has ‘bottled out’. If the scenario uses Reinforcements, instead of comparing to the number of models in its starting crew, compare the total to the number of models that were eligible to take part in the battle.

Note that once a gang has bottled out, there is no need to make any further Bottle check for it. It is considered to have bottled out for the remainder of the battle.

House Rule (A&A)

• Reinforcements count towards bottle tests.
• A voluntary fail automatically loses the match.

2. Fleeing The Battlefield

Once a gang has bottled out, both fighters and vehicles alike may begin to flee the battlefield. During this step of the End phase, starting with the gang that holds Priority if both gangs have bottled out, the controlling player makes a Cool test for each of their models that is currently on the battlefield:

• If the test is passed, the model holds its nerve and remains on the battlefield.
• If the test is failed, the model chooses discretion over valour and it (or in the case of a vehicle, its crew) flees the battlefield.

What happens to a model when it flees the battlefield will depend firstly upon whether it is a fighter or a vehicle and, secondly, upon its current Secondary Status:

1. Should a fighter flee the battlefield whilst their Secondary Status is Active, Engaged or Pinned, they are simply removed from play with no ill effect.
2. Should a fighter flee the battlefield whilst their Secondary Status is Seriously Injured, they are removed from play and set to one side. During the Wrap-up, test to see if they succumb to their injuries.
3. Should a vehicle flee the battlefield, the crew will abandon the vehicle and flee the battlefield, returning later to collect their vehicle. Change the vehicle’s Status to Stationary and Wrecked but do not roll on the Lasting Damage table.

Voluntarily Fleeing The Battlefield

In the tense gang combat of Necromunda, it is often wise for a gang to quit a fight while they are still ahead. This is especially true in ambushes, and when smaller crews find themselves taking on larger and more dangerous ones! Once at least one of a gang’s starting crew is Prone and Seriously Injured, taken Out of Action or are Wrecked, a gang’s controlling player can choose to automatically fail any Bottle check the gang is required to make.

Once a gang has bottled out (either voluntarily or by failing a Bottle check), the controlling player can declare that the gang will flee the battlefield at the start of any Action phase. Any Standing and Active or Prone and Pinned fighters, and all vehicles, immediately flee the battlefield as described above. Engaged fighters must attempt to break away from combat – make an Initiative test for each. If the test is passed, they flee the battlefield. If the test is failed, they become Prone and Seriously Injured. Once the gang that has declared that it will flee has only Prone and Seriously Injured fighters remaining on the battlefield, the battle ends. Roll to see if Prone and Seriously Injured fighters succumb to their injuries in the Wrap-up as usual.

Gang Hierarchy

Some models, most notably Leaders and Champions, have a special rule called ‘Gang Hierarchy (X)’ listed on their profile. In all such cases, the ‘X’ in brackets will be replaced by the model’s rank (‘Leader’ or ‘Champion’):

Gang Hierarchy (X): During a battle, once this model’s gang has failed a Bottle check, during any End phase in which this model passes its Cool test and does not flee the battlefield, any friendly models that are within 12" (if this model is a Leader) or 6" (if this model is a Champion) of this model will automatically pass their Cool test and will not flee the battlefield.

3. Recover & Restart

Starting with the player that holds Priority, both players make Recovery tests for any Prone and Seriously Injured fighters belonging to their gang to see if they recover sufficiently to return to the fight. Similarly, both players make Restart tests for any Stationary and Stalled vehicles belonging to their gang to see if they can be restarted and become Mobile once again.

Recovery Tests

For each member of their gang that is Prone and Seriously Injured and still on the battlefield, the controlling player makes a Recovery test by rolling an Injury dice:

• If the result is Out of Action, the fighter is removed from play.
• If the result is Seriously Injured, the fighter suffers a Flesh Wound and remains as they are – Prone and Seriously Injured.
• If the result is a Flesh Wound, the fighter suffers a Flesh Wound and becomes Prone and Pinned.

Assistance: When making a Recovery test for a Prone and Seriously Injured fighter, one Standing and Active friendly fighter that is within 1" can offer assistance. If they do so, roll one extra Injury dice then pick one of the Injury dice to resolve and discard the other. In addition, a fighter that is being assisted does not suffer a Flesh Wound regardless of the result of the Injury dice.

A fighter can only assist one Recovery test per End phase.

Multiple Injury Dice: It may happen that, due to assistance, items of Wargear, Tactics cards or skills that, when making a Recovery test, several Injury dice are rolled. Regardless of how many are rolled, one Injury dice is picked and resolved – the others are discarded, as described previously.

Restart Tests

For each vehicle belonging to their gang that is currently Stationary and Stalled, the controlling player makes a Restart test. To make a Restart test, make a Handling test for the vehicle, applying a +1 modifier unless the vehicle has only 1 HP remaining:

1. If the Handling test is passed, the vehicle immediately Restarts, changing its Status from Stationary and Stalled to Mobile.
2. If the Handling test is failed, the vehicle refuses to Restart and it remains Stationary and Stalled.

Wounded Drivers

Finally during this step, if any vehicles in a player’s gang have suffered a Driver Wounded damage effect, a D6 is rolled for that driver, as described in Crew Damage Table: Drive Wounded.

4. Rally Tests

During the final step of the End phase, players may attempt to Rally any Broken models belonging to their gang, starting with the gang that holds Priority if both gangs contain Broken models.

To Rally a Broken model, make a Cool test for them, applying a +1 modifier to the result for each friendly model within 3" of them that is not Broken and is not Prone and Seriously Injured:

• If the test is passed, the model is no longer Broken.
• If the test is failed, the model remains Broken and may attempt to Rally again in the next End phase.

Flooded Passage (Special Terrain Feature)

At the end of each End phase, roll 2+ for each Seriously Injured fighter in the Flood Water or they are taken Out of Action (their injuries are too great to keep their head above water).

Badzone Environments

If using Badzone Environments, roll to see if the current is discarded. If discarded, generate a new Event.

note

Leading by Example is not affected by any status or condition (Broken, Seriously Injured, Blaze etc.)