With the release of Harrowdeep Games Workshop established a new release schedule for Warhammer Underworlds that means we get 2 “Core box” releases a year, separated by 2 individual warband releases.
Each set of core box and further two warbands is referred to as a “season”, meaning we get two seasons a year, at least one of which will establish a new setting, and both of which will further the narrative of the game (sometimes accompanied by a book release).
So what can we expect from each new season?
Story development
Each seasons starter box comes with a new rulebook, the first few pages of which will establish the narrative of the season. These introduce new locations, characters, objects, and events to further expand the world of Underworlds, and Age of Sigmar.
We know the next season will be taking us to the Gnarlwood, a ominous series of caverns beneath the treacherous jungles of Ghur.
Rule changes
The rules for Underworlds are pretty static between seasons but they still give Games Workshop a chance to tweak and refine areas of the rules that are causing problems or confusion, as well as adding new rules to keep things fresh. Larger rule changes, such as the introduction of primacy or gloom, are more likely in a new setting, to make sure the game feels more tied to the setting it’s in.
Expect grasping roots or man eating plants to come into play in the Gnarlwood, where the terrain is alive and out to get anyone who wanders too far from the path.
New Models
Each season starts with a “core box” that features two warbands, and contains everything a new player needs to start their Underworlds collection. As well as these two warbands there will be two more released over the course of the season.
We’ve already shared a write up of what we know so far about the release, but the Gnarlwood box will contain a Darkoath warband the Gnarlspirit Pack, and a warband of Graveguard called the Sons of Velmorn. We speculate that there will also be a band of human explorers from the Cities of Sigmar based on some teaser art, which leaves one more warband still to be revealed.
New Cards
The Gnarlwood box introduces a new format for the release of cards that emphasizes the importance of the Rivals format. Every new warband comes with a full Rivals deck (12 objectives, 10 gambits, and 10 upgrades), and as of the Gnarlwood the core box will include two universal rivals decks to expand your Rivals options.
It remains to be seen if this change continues with the individual warbands, which in previous seasons have come with a set of universal cards that are not a Rivals deck themselves. This season they may come with full rivals decks, or no universal cards at all, with additional Rivals deck releases instead. Either way we can expect at least one Rivals deck release alongside the seasons last warband, if past seasons are anything to go by.
Championship Card Rotation
The “Championship” format uses a rotating card pool that only features the most recent seasons of cards. With the release of a new season the oldest season in the card pool will become illegal, leaving the past 3 seasons and the new one.
The Gnarlwood is the 3rd “half season” to be released meaning we still have the Direchasm season, from the old release schedule, in Championship. With the old release schedule this would be the point Direchasm leaves Championship, leaving a small card pool of only Harrowdeep/Nethermaze and the cards in the two Gnarlwood rivals decks in the format.
Don’t fret though. Warbands and their associated rivals decks never rotate, so you’ll still be able to play your favourite warband in many seasons time, and combine their cards with the current universal card pool to make a championship deck.
New Boards
As well as new models and cards each season comes with new boards. Each core box includes two double-sided boards, meaning four new options for players. Similar to cards there’s also a rotation of legal boards within the championship format, so each new season will cause the oldest seasons boards to rotate.
The boards can have a big impact on gameplay depending on the placement of starting hexes and the distribution of lethal, cover, and blocked hexes, so keep an eye out for new boards that particularly favour your favourite Warbands.
Did you enjoy this article? You could always tip the author with a coffee (or something stronger). If you want to pick up Harrowdeep or Nethermaze while you wait for the Gnarlroot release date then check out Element Games. They have great deals on warbands and a wide range of Warhammer and accessories. Finally, make sure you’re following us on Instagram to stay up to date and get involved in our community!
So another pay to play game, this is why i stopped playing magic, 30k, AOS, and games that REQUIRE you to pay more money each year to play the same game.