We are having a starter session for Warhammer Underworlds for those who are tempted and may of never tried or just want a refresher this Thursday, February 9th at the club. So what is it? … put simply a tactical board game with miniatures that plays like a cross over of Warhammer and Magic the Gathering. Why would you want to try this odd little game however… well here are a few reasons that I feel it is one of the greatest games Games Workshop have created (one that I don’t play anywhere near enough of myself).
The Models
The models in the Underworld sets contain some of the best models GW has ever produced. Each warband all fits to a theme yet every model is its own little character with special moves all of its own that matches the model at hand. The warbands are also of differing sizes with some being three huge models and others up to 7 weak but quick fighters. Just look at some of the warbands below:
The Cost
Now we know being a wargamer can be expensive. We are prepared for this and for this reason when we get into a game we want to ensure that the game is right for us before going all in on the game. Luckily if someone else has one of the starter sets then to jump in costs as little as £20 9depending on where you get your set from and which range it is). The most currently at Games Workshop is £26. This gets you your warband and all the cards you need to get going with that set. For £40 you can get the starter set which has all the dice, boards, token’s and two warbands. This is all you need to play for two people which I think is very fair. Now don’t get me wrong, it is one of those games that once you start buying for you cant stop.. but that’s a choice.
Game Modes
Warhammer Underworlds has a selection of game modes so everyone at any ability can enjoy the game. There’s Rivals where you just pick a warband and play with the pre-built deck of cards which comes in the set. There’s Nemesis which allows you to create a deck mixed from other decks to try and outwit your opponent (essentially competitive play). This uses cards within a specific date range, a bit like Magic the Gathering. Finally there’s Relic which allows you to use any cards you wish to build a deck. At the club we will be paying Rivals to make it easy for all to get into.
Gameplay
So here’s the great thing about about Underworlds is its easy and quick to play. You both take turns as players so your always in the game. There’s a set number of turns a round and a set number of rounds per game which means a game lasts around 30 minutes. This means you can get loads of games in a night, or if there’s a few of you swap opponent’s. The nature of the game which gives you objectives to score points off which can be changed depending on what’s going on means that a game can go in any direction. You can even win a game after you’ve lost all of your warband if you’ve played it well and scored highly.
So if any of this has tempted you then give it a go this week then pop up on the usual facebook post that you want to join in and away we go. You don’t need anything, there is more than enough sets to give you a trial game. I hope to play a lot more often going forwards myself and maybe have a regular Underworlds night at the club.
Dice and Bolter 