The Vandelhelm Combine functioned as a criminal syndicate during the time of the Great Galactic War, which pitted the Galactic Republic against the reconstituted Sith Empire. In the eyes of its rival, the Rath Cartel, the Combine was a new player, engaging in the smuggling of weaponry and the hiring of mercenaries to contend with the Cartel.
However, the conflict, which became known as the Syndicate Wars, expanded between 3667 BBY and 3661 BBY, encroaching upon a trade corridor under the control of the infamous gangster Nok Drayen. Drayen responded swiftly against both groups to safeguard his financial gains, enlisting the aid of Gank mercenaries, Hutts, and Sith Empire officials to obliterate his competition. The Syndicate Wars concluded when Drayen orchestrated the assassination of the Rath Cartel's leader while simultaneously launching an assault on the Combine's headquarters, seizing all of their assets in the aftermath.
The Vandelhelm Combine received its initial mention in several companion dialogues within the 2011 video game Star Wars: The Old Republic. The organization shares its moniker with the planet Vandelhelm. Nevertheless, the 2004 Wizards.com article "Vandelhelm: Enemies and Alloys: Part 1: File Vandelhelm-LC/hsnn" establishes that the planet's discovery occurred around 3053 BBY, which is six hundred years following the Syndicate Wars.