Should I start with a Box set, or piecemeal?

Hey yall!

Like a lot of folks, the holidays means gift money, and I’ve been eyeing necromunda for a long time. I think the skirmish style of game is cool, the rules got some neat depth and the idea that this is all (mostly) the expected level of violence on a hive world is so cool.

So, I’m really interested in getting started in it, but I’m curious as to what I should buy my first time around. I’d love to start an orlock gang, I think it’s aesthetic and lore is pretty neat, I love a good “meritocracy” social commentary. So, the options I’ve been eyeing are;

The Ash Wastes box. It’s got the two gangs, a rulebook and a bunch of sick terrain (which I really think I need) for 200 bones, and gives me a nice project to work on in the mean time before I save up enough to expand out into the other books and stuff. Ash wastes is also what got me interested in necromunda as a whole with all its cool vehicle rules, so that’s likely the setting I’ll be the most interested in…

On the other hand, I could just buy piecemeal for specifically for Underhive games. A gang box, the specialist box, House book and rulebook is about 200 bucks as well. I love the specialist box, honestly way more than the ATV’s…

Each has its downsides. If I get the Ashe wastes box, I’ll end up having to buy like 180 bucks of rules down the line, plus I’d really love the specialist box, and if I’m playing ash wastes, I’m totally getting a Rockgrinder too.

If I buy piecemeal, I’d be getting a lot of “unfun” purchases out of the way with the books, and have a solid basic gang for Underhive games. But, I’d be losing out on all the cool terrain (I only have the kill team Nachmund terrain rn. Which I assume is not enough for a full board. I’d probably end up expanding out into ash wastes and the nomads gang later anyways, which will be more than just getting them in the ash wastes box.

Veteran Necromundists, I’d love some advice. How did you start? What would you recommend me starting with? What are some pros and cons that I haven’t thought of? Thanks!