Chaos Helots Unbound
Chaos Unbound
In the wake of the Cicatrix Maledictum, the underhive seethes with new voices of heresy. Where once the Helot cults were fractured, fleeting gatherings of the desperate and deranged, now they swell with recruits drawn by visions, warp-born miracles, and the gnawing certainty that the Hive itself has been abandoned by the God-Emperor. Old sump-preachers have become war-leaders, hab-blocks have been emptied overnight, and the symbols of the Dark Gods spread like graffiti across rusted bulkheads. The cults are no longer a background threat—they are a force rising in strength and confidence, one that even the great Houses can no longer ignore.
Out of character, this update reflects the reality that Necromunda’s background has shifted since the game’s original Chaos Helot Cult rules were written. With the galaxy split by the Cicatrix Maledictum and Chaos ascendant across the Imperium, it makes sense for cult activity in the underhive to grow more organized and dangerous. The revised list is intended to better represent these stronger, bolder cults in gameplay terms, while still keeping them distinct from House gangs or Genestealer Cults.
The rules written here provide some additional options to both represent newer chaos cultist models, and to help give more options to players who want a pure chaos gang.
Gang Composition
Chaos Helot Cultists may no longer be equipped with special or heavy weapons unless they are a specialist, one Cultist may be upgraded to a specialist at gang creation.
Fewer Familiars
For some strange reason, Chaos Familiars seem to be less common amoung the Unbound Chaos Helot gangs.
Only 0-1 Chaos familiars can be taken by each champion or leader in the gang.
New Fighters
The following additions have been made to the Chaos Helot Gang List
Blessed Blade - a champion of the gang who is better able to go toe-to-toe in melee with the champions of other gangs
Iconarch - A support champion who can can support the rest of the cult or inhibit the cult's enemies with it's icon
Mutant - members of the cult who have been horribly mutated by the chaos forces they worship
Torment - the next most degenerate stage of the mutant, these brutes are some of the most terrifying things to encounter in the underhive
Blessed Blade
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld | Cl | Wil | Int |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5" | 3+ | 3+ | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3+ | 2 | 7+ | 6+ | 8+ | 8+ |
Special Rules: Gang Hierarchy (Champion), Inured to Insanity, Group Activation(Blessed Blade)
Special Rules
Inured to Insanity: The touch of Chaos has a lasting effect on a cultist's mind, rendering them immune to horrors that would drive others utterly mad. Blessed Blades can never become subject to the Insanity Condition.
Group Activation(Blessed Blade) When this fighter special rule is activated, their controlling player can choose to activate a number of additional Ready friendly Blessed Blade within 3" of this fighter as part of a 'Group Activation':
The controlling player must nominate all of the fighters who will be activated in this way before any of them is activated. Once all participants of the Group Activation have been nominated, the controlling player selects one and activates them as normal, fully resolving their activation before selecting and activating the next. Each fighter activates individually; groups do not activate simultaneously.
Skill Access
| Agility | Brawn | Combat | Cunning | Ferocity | Leadership | Savant | Shooting | Wyrd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | — | — | - |
Equipment
A Blessed Blade may purchase weapons and Wargear from the Blessed Blade equipment list:
During the course of a campaign, A Blessed Blade may be given additional weapons and Wargear purchased from this list, from the Trading Post and from the Black Market. A Blessed Blade may only be equipped with weapons chosen from this list, or from the Pistols, Close Combat Weapons, and Wargear sections of the Trading Post or the Black Market.
| Item | Credits | PISTOLS |
|---|---|
| Autopistol | 10 |
| Stub gun | 5 |
| CLOSE COMBAT WEAPONS | |
| Sword | 20 |
| Power Sword | 50 |
| Hex'iron Blade | 25 |
| Greatsword | 40 |
| GRENADES | |
| Smoke grenades | 15 |
| Photon Flash grenades | 15 |
| ARMOUR | |
| Hazard Suit | 10 |
| Flak Armour | 10 |
| Mesh Armour | 15 |
| PERSONAL EQUIPMENT | |
| Respirator | 15 |
| Bio-Booster | 35 |
| Armoured Undersuit | 25 |
| Stim-Slug Stash | 30 |
| Photo-Goggles | 35 |
| STATUS ITEMS: EXOTIC BEASTS | |
| Chaos Familiar | 75 |
Iconarch
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld | Cl | Wil | Int |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5" | 3+ | 4+ | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3+ | 1 | 6+ | 5+ | 7+ | 7+ |
Special Rules: Gang Hierarchy (Champion), Inured to Insanity, Icon of Chaos, Colours of Chaos
Special Rules
Inured to Insanity: The touch of Chaos has a lasting effect on a cultist's mind, rendering them immune to horrors that would drive others utterly mad. Blessed Blades can never become subject to the Insanity Condition.
Icon of Chaos Any fighters within 3'' of this model counts as being equipped with a Cult Icon. In addition this fighter may never get a bonus for being equipped with two weapons in melee or use weapons with the Unweildy special rule, and may equip one fewer weapon than usual.
When this fighter is activated the controlling player may choose one of the following two forms to take for the Icon:
Triumph: A demagogue within 3'' of the Iconarch increases the range of their Devotion special rule to 12''. In addition friendly fighters within 6'' of the Iconarch may roll twice to determine their charge distance and pick the highest. Terror: Enemy fighters wishing to target a fighter or location within 3'' of the Iconarch must first pass a willpower check to do so. On a failure they do not lose their action and may choose an alternative target. If the result of the willpower check was a double 1, the enemy fighter becomes insane and their activation immediately ends.
Colours of Chaos
The Iconarch waves the colours of chaos proudly, making them an easier target on the battlefield - a dangerous preposition for the carrier of a hated banner.
The Iconarch can never gain better than partial cover against shooting attacks. In addition any fighter who takes the Iconarch out of action earns D3x10 credits towards their gang and if they were taken out of action in melee than D3 additional XP.
Skill Access
| Agility | Brawn | Combat | Cunning | Ferocity | Leadership | Savant | Shooting | Wyrd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | Secondary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary | — | — | - |
Equipment
A Iconarch may purchase weapons and Wargear from the Iconarch equipment list:
During the course of a campaign, A Iconarch may be given additional weapons and Wargear purchased from this list, from the Trading Post and from the Black Market. A Iconarch may only be equipped with weapons chosen from this list, or from the Pistols, Close Combat Weapons, and Wargear sections of the Trading Post or the Black Market.
| Item | Credits | PISTOLS |
|---|---|
| Autopistol | 10 |
| Stub gun | 5 |
| CLOSE COMBAT WEAPONS | |
| Axe | 10 |
| Sword | 20 |
| Chainsword | 25 |
| Power Sword | 50 |
| Power Axe | 35 |
| GRENADES | |
| Smoke grenades | 15 |
| Photon Flash grenades | 15 |
| ARMOUR | |
| Hazard Suit | 10 |
| Flak Armour | 10 |
| Mesh Armour | 15 |
| PERSONAL EQUIPMENT | |
| Respirator | 15 |
| Bio-Booster | 35 |
| Armoured Undersuit | 25 |
| Stim-Slug Stash | 30 |
| Photo-Goggles | 35 |
| STATUS ITEMS: EXOTIC BEASTS | |
| Chaos Familiar | 75 |
Helot Mutant
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld | Cl | Wil | Int |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5" | 4+ | 4+ | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3+ | 1 | 10+ | 8+ | 8+ | 9+ |
Special Rules: Helot Mutant
Special Rules
Helot Mutant: When purchased the Helot Mutant makes one free roll on the Helot Mutant table.
Further rolls on the table my be purchased for 6 xp each. This is the only way that the Helot Mutant may spend xp. Whenever a Helot mutant gains a mutation in this way roll a 2d3, if the result is less than the number of mutations this fighter has, then the fighter is replaced with a Torment. The fighter is deleted and a new Torment is created, instead of the 2 random mutations a torment normally generates instead the Torment gains all the mutations the Helot Mutant previously had. If the gang already has two Torments then once the Torment is created the controlling player must choose one to remove from the gang.
Skill Access
A Helot Mutant may not gain skills in any way.
Equipment
A Helot Mutant may purchase weapons and Wargear from the Helot Mutant equipment list:
During the course of a campaign, A Helot Mutant may be given additional weapons and Wargear purchased from this list, from the Trading Post and from the Black Market. A Helot Mutant may only be equipped with weapons chosen from this list, or from the Close Combat Weapons and Wargear sections of the Trading Post or the Black Market.
| Item | Credits | PISTOLS |
|---|---|
| Autopistol | 10 |
| Stub gun | 5 |
| CLOSE COMBAT WEAPONS | |
| Axe | 10 |
| Sword | 20 |
| Flail | 20 |
| Fighting Knife | 20 |
| Maul | 10 |
| Chainsword | 25 |
| Two-handed Axe | 25 |
| Two-handed Hammer | 35 |
| ARMOUR | |
| Flak Armour | 10 |
| PERSONAL EQUIPMENT | |
| Respirator | 15 |
| Stim-Slug Stash | 30 |
Helot Mutation Table
| 2D6 | Mutation |
|---|---|
| 2-3 | Partial Wings: The fighter does not take damage or become pinned from falling and when climbing ignores 3'' of vertical height for each time this mutation is generated |
| 4-5 | Engorged Flesh: The fighter gains +1 to their Toughness characteristic each time this mutation is generated. |
| 6 | Inhuman Strength: The fighter gains +1 to their Strength characteristic each time this mutation is generated. |
| 7 | Additional Leg Joint: The fighter gains +1 to their Movement characteristic each time this mutation is generated. |
| 8 | Flesh to Metal: The fighter adds +1 to their Armour save for each time this mutation is generated. |
| 9-10 | Erupting Horns: This fighter gains +1 Attack on the charge for each time this mutation is generated |
| 11-12 | Barbed Skin: When this fighter comes into base to base contact with another model, the other model immediately suffers a S 3 Ap -1 D 1 hit. Each additional time this mutation is generated the AP and D characteristics improve by 1 |
Torment
| M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld | Cl | Wil | Int |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6" | 3+ | 6+ | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4+ | 3 | 10+ | 6+ | 8+ | 11+ |
Skills: Fearsome, Nerves of Steel
Special Rules: Torment
Equipment: Horrific appendage, Mesh Armour
Special Rules
Torment: When purchased the Torment makes two free rolls on the Helot Mutation table.
Further rolls on the table my be purchased for 6 xp each. This is the only way that the Torment may spend xp. Whenever a Helot mutant gains a mutation in this way roll a 2d6, if the result is less than the number of mutations this fighter has, then the fighter is replaced with a Chaos Spawn. The new chaos spawn generates it's stats as normal, and retains no mutations. If the gang already possesses a chaos spawn, then after rolling the stats the controlling player may choose which one to remove from the gang.
Skill Access
A Torment may not gain skills in any way.