Dramatis Dossier — Mad Dog Mono
Who is Mono?
Mad Dog Mono is a Hive Scum from Port Mad Dog who hires out his services as a mercenary whenever he’s not guarding the great Ash Gates. He was born into the Longshore clans — hard-lived, short-lived communities on Necromunda’s surface, where the distant spires of the Palatine Cluster Hives reminded him daily of his place at the very bottom of the world’s hierarchy.
His life changed the day he bought a strange one-eyed hood from a wandering Scavvy — an ancient Strato-Pilot helmet. Once he put it on, Mono discovered that its oculus-augur granted him uncanny reflexes and preternatural spatial awareness. Not long after, his talent for mayhem revealed itself when he carved through a bar full of mag-line dusters with his grab-hook.
From there, Mono built a reputation as a man for dirty work: taking down Three-toes Jack during the Rustfalls Uprising and running with the Sump City Sirens during their takeover of the Delta Zone Dust Wells. But no matter how far his mercenary work takes him, he always returns to Port Mad Dog — because, as the Longshore clans say, “blood is thicker than ash.”
Profile, Gear and Skills
Mad Dog Mono is one of the very first Dramatis Personae introduced in the modern edition of Necromunda. Released alongside two other Hired Guns, he immediately stood out thanks to his iconic helmet with a single round lens. His defining weapon, the grab hook, is just as unique — a Versatile melee weapon with the Disarm trait, unlike anything else in the system.
Mono also carries a stub gun. It’s a simple pistol, but with +2 to hit at close range it can be surprisingly dangerous. Combined with his Weapon Skill 3+, Mono becomes a cheap but reliable melee specialist. His statline is slightly better than that of a regular Hive Scum — WS 3+, Initiative 3+, Cool 7+.
Mono wears a Boiler Plate that grants a 5+ front save — very respectable for a fighter of his class. His respirator is another valuable piece of equipment; in the Ash Wastes it is practically essential, protecting him from slowdowns and incidental damage caused by sandstorms, toxic winds and dust clouds. In such conditions, a 5+ save and a respirator matter more than many players expect.
He also comes with two skills: Escape Artist and Dodge. Dodge gives him a 6+ roll to avoid hits, and when combined with his armour, Mono effectively gets two chances to shrug off dangerous blows. For 90 credits, this is a solid defensive toolkit.
The model is great, the profile is decent, and the character is full of personality — so why don’t we see him more often? The reason is simple: the current hiring rules. Spending 90 credits on a one-game mercenary rarely pays off. Most players prefer to invest that same amount into a ganger who stays permanently, gains XP, and consistently contributes to the campaign.
As a result, characters like Mad Dog Mono gather dust not because they’re weak, but because the economic side of the game makes them an inefficient investment. This is exactly why a more accessible hiring system for Dramatis Personae would be beneficial — Mono is the kind of fighter who deserves more table time.
If you want an even deeper dive into Mad Dog Mono, we highly recommend checking out this excellent video by Damon from Wellywood Wargaming. Damon breaks down Mono’s lore, gear and tabletop role with his trademark insight and humor — a perfect companion to our written analysis.
A New Take on Mad Dog Mono
The Issue: Low Impact
As we know, Mono is flavorful and visually striking, but in practice he rarely influences the outcome of a game. His stub gun and grab hook are interesting but not impactful enough to justify hiring him. In modern Necromunda, Hired Guns need something that sets them apart — a powerful rule, a standout ability, or meaningful utility.
Mono has potential, but his current rules don’t capitalize on it.
Proposal: Strengthen What Makes Him Unique
The grab hook is truly one-of-a-kind. Versatile + Disarm is a combination no other fighter has, and it should be the foundation of Mono’s identity.
Change: Replace “Escape Artist” With “Disarm”
The Disarm skill stacks with the Disarm trait on his weapon. In Necromunda, this means:
weapon Disarm triggers on 6+
weapon + skill Disarm triggers on 5+
Increasing the chance from 1/6 to 1/3 is a massive boost in reliability. Suddenly, Mono isn’t “a Scum with a cool helmet” — he becomes a specialized disarmer with a clear tactical purpose.
Mono supports Van Saar in hand-to-hand combat with an opponent wielding a deadly hammer. It's worth trying to disarm him.
New Role: Bodyguard and Close-Combat Control
Mono becomes an excellent bodyguard who, when paired with Group Activation, can strongly support your leader or champion in melee. Thanks to Versatile, his grab hook has a 2” reach, allowing him to stay safely behind your leader or champion while still striking first to attempt a disarm. If he succeeds, the enemy loses their weapon for the entire round and must fight with bare fists — and an unarmed opponent is significantly less lethal.
This not only gives your leader or champion a much higher chance of winning the fight, but even in the worst-case scenario it greatly increases their odds of surviving it, because bare fists simply cannot match the killing power of dedicated melee weapons.
We have prepared a new, updated card for this Dramatis containing the Disarm skill. I think this will make this hired gun much more interesting and more frequently used.
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Download it here: Mad Dog Mono - The Disarmer
Digital preview version of this card
A single small change gives Mono a new, specialized function. He is no longer just a cheap hire — he becomes a dedicated disarm specialist who can genuinely make a difference on the battlefield and finally offers a compelling reason to bring him into your gang.
