Warhammer Underworlds Embergard

Is it possible to combine a wargame with a board game?

Warhammer Underworlds is just such a creation. It is a fast-paced skirmish game in which you fight with a small band of warriors, trying to earn as many glory points as possible. You get points for killing enemy warriors and completing objective cards.

The battle takes place on a map composed of hexes that you move around on. Unlike in typical wargames, you don’t have to measure inches and check if any part of your opponent’s body is sticking out from behind cover in order to attack them. Everything here is presented in a very simplified form so that you can get to your nefarious schemes as quickly as possible.

Cards + Dice

Mechanically, the game combines random dice rolls with card play. Both cards and dice combine and influence each other.

We use dice for both attack and defense. To hit an opponent, we must roll more successes than they do. The result we need depends on the statistics of our warriors and the situation on the battlefield, e.g., whether we are flanking or surrounding the enemy. The system works similarly for defense.

Critical hits on the dice can cause something extra, but it depends on the abilities of the warriors and who rolled more of them.

There are two types of cards. We have objectives, the conditions of which we can fulfill to earn glory points. There are also trick and upgrade cards. Trick cards allow us to cast powerful spells, ping enemies, move them, influence dice rolls, and perform various other interesting maneuvers. Upgrades strengthen our warriors by increasing their health, adding extra dice, or even special activation abilities.

The most important thing is that both cards and dice can be manipulated in several ways. Thanks to various plays, we can reroll dice and exchange cards for others. This is not a game where we blindly roll dice and hope for positive results. Our battles are diversified by objective cards from the deck we choose to play. They dictate how we should play and how to position our warriors.

The actions themselves are also very simple, because as a rule we will make a move, attack, or charge, which is a combination of movement and attack.

As you can see, it is a mechanically simple game, but that’s the point. It’s almost like beer and pretzels, but with a Warhammer flavor.

How not to get lost in this sea of plastic?

At the beginning of the game, each player chooses their own band of warriors. As a rule, it consists of 3 to 5 models, so as you can see, there won’t be tons of plastic on the table. Currently, there are almost 70 different bands, each with its own special abilities and mechanics. The choice is literally huge, and even if we don’t have any older models, we can count on Games Workshop to reprint them in this new edition.

Each warband also has its own Warscroll. It provides us with powerful one-time abilities and passive abilities that affect our actions.

This box contains:

Diesel punk rats commonly known as Zikkit’s Tunnelpack. This is a group of 5 skaven who like gas masks, explosions, death wheels, and the joy of seeing their companions die. Rittak deserves special attention, as he drives General Grievous’ vehicle and hits very hard with his drill. I also can’t forget Tik Tik, who bursts out laughing when he misses a bomb throw.

Emberwatch are typical armored stormcasts that hit harder at close range, but also have a ranged attack. They’re a bit like the Farstriders from the first edition. Although they don’t have a parrot, they make up for it with teleportation and an easy way to get inspired. Very beginner-friendly.

We will add one of the decks to our gang if we play in rivals mode. In the basic box, we have 4 decks to choose from. Each of them has its own theme, different goals, level of complexity, and mechanics.

Emberstone Sentinels. Keep treasure tokens, knock other fighters off them, and generally stand still and don’t move.

Countdown to Cataclysm. Get bonuses for dead comrades and empty treasure tokens. A good deck for dying rats.

Blazing Assault. An aggressive deck that relies mainly on attacking.

Pillage and Plunder. Flip treasure tokens and remember how many times you’ve done it. There must be some kind of counter for that, right?

If we want to play in the Nemesis format, we mix any two decks and try to maintain a balance in objectives and surges according to the established rules. Currently, we have 11 different decks to choose from.

As you can see, there are quite a few combinations, and that’s what I love about Warhammer Underworlds. Because I can play differently every time. If I feel like playing Orcs with big axes who charge forward and smash everything in their path, go ahead. If I want to, I can change their deck and have fun keeping treasures by playing more conservatively. This is the biggest advantage of this Warhammer game.

Graphics and components

Warhammer Underworlds miniatures are among the best available from Games Workshop. The models are beautiful, full of detail and unique dynamic poses. The cards in this new edition feature stock illustrations and do not have unique art. Maybe it lost some of its charm, but the most important thing is that it doesn’t interfere with the gameplay.

Gameplay time

The gameplay is very fast because a duel lasts 3 rounds, each consisting of only 4 activations. Our battles usually last 30-40 minutes of casual play, so it’s the perfect game to play after dinner, where we can play several times in a row.

Summary

Warhammer Underworlds is perfect for those who enjoy quick after-dinner battles where you roll dice, play cards, and just have fun. The clashes are dynamic, the actions available in the game are very simple, and everything is diversified by the various bands to choose from. It was the multitude of combinations I could create that drew me back to this game.

Unfortunately, this also leads to one of its drawbacks. Warhammer Underworlds is very addictive, and even though I already have several decks and 30 bands, I’m afraid I’ll keep buying new ones…

Of course, another downside is that if you’re unlucky with the dice, no matter what you do, you’re going to get beaten up. That’s why you have to be prepared for a bit of randomness and the fact that the dice god won’t always be on your side.

Final verdict: For me, Warhammer Underworlds is a constant battle between my passion for collecting things and the contents of my wallet. Who do you think will win this battle?

Pros

• Simple actions
• Dynamic clashes
• Fast gameplay
• Combination of cards and dice
• Diverse warbands
• Huge number of combinations to create
• Sensational miniatures

Cons

• Oh, that randomness
• No insert