Two new warbands are set to be released for the new edition of Warhammer Underworlds. In this review and unboxing, we take a closer look at the Grandfather’s Gardeners, a Mastery warband of Nurgle Daemons, as well as the Strike warband Jaws of Ixil from the reptilian Seraphon. Join us as we explore the new warband box format, its contents, and what might have been left out.
The new Warhammer Underworlds warbands and Rivals decks will be available for pre-order starting Saturday, 23 November 2024. The pre-order period lasts two weeks, with the official release date set for 6 December 2024.
A look the new warband boxes
With the new edition, introduced by the Embergard core box (see our review here), the release model for Warhammer Underworlds has also changed. Embergard is set to remain available as a core box, although it’s not entirely clear whether it will be for the entire edition or just a season, but at least for a year. In addition, individual warbands and Rivals decks will be released, alongside Grandfather’s Gardeners and The Jaws of Ixil, the decks “Wracks and Ruin” and “Reckless Fury” will also be available.
Unlike the old warband boxes, the new boxes now have the standardised landscape format, which is familiar from other Warhammer kits. Decks are no longer included, but instead, warband cards are provided in seven different languages (English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, and Chinese), as well as multilingual fighter cards. The omission of Rival decks and the multilingual cards helps Games Workshop to produce the boxes more cost-effectively, as they no longer need to be localised for each market.
Grandfather’s Gardeners review
Grandfather’s Gardeners are a Maggotkin of Nurgle warband, consisting of four characterful Plaguebearers and a small blightfly. The leader, Phlegmus Potbelly, comes on a 40mm base, the other daemons on 32mm bases, and the blightfly, Squort, is supplied with 25mm base. As is standard for previous Warhammer Underworlds warbands, the models are spread across two small sprues and are single-pose push-fit models that require no glue. The colour of the plastic is an olive green.
Patreon bonus content: Ultra high-res, uncompressed versions of these sprue images (and backsides of the sprues) can be downloaded here.
Grandfather’s Gardeners are classified as a Mastery warband. The Inspire condition is triggered when a friendly fighter becomes Vulnerable after an Action step. Additionally, uninspired fighters can only suffer a maximum of 2 damage per turn. As a special mechanic, the warband has a track of seven spaces, on which a marker is placed at the start of the game. After each turn, damage, or if you have more treasure tokens after a turn, you immediately move the marker one space forward. If you land on space 5, you may heal one fighter. Additionally, the damage of some weapons is based on the value of the space the marker is currently on.
Jaws of Ixil review
The Jaws of Ixil also come on two small sprues, with the plastic cast in a turquoise colour. The set includes four models: Kro-Jax, a Seraphon Sunblood on a 40mm base, two Saurus Warriors on 32mm bases, and Sautek’s Venomites, a small 25mm base featuring various snakes and critters. The leader, Kro-Jax, is a massive model whose design is heavily based on the previous Sunblood model, originally released as the special character Gor-Rax in Warhammer Fantasy. The other two Saurus Warriors are not significantly different from the current kit, with only So-Kar being posed in a slightly more dynamic stance.
Patreon bonus content: Ultra high-res, uncompressed versions of these sprue images (and backsides of the sprues) can be downloaded here.
As a Strike warband, the Jaws of Ixil play fairly straightforwardly. To Inspire, you must inflict damage on an enemy fighter during their Power or Action step. As an additional passive ability, you inflict 1 damage on the opponent if an enemy fighter’s attack against a Saurus fails and the dice roll contains a shield symbol.
How to get the new Warhammer Underworlds releases
The price of the new Warband boxes is identical to the old ones, the RRP is £27.50/35€. Keep in mind that they no longer come with a deck. The price of the separately available Rivals decks has also remained the same at £18.50/22.50 Euro. The Grand Alliance Warband Boxes, which reissue four old warbands each, are priced at a pleasing £61.50/€80.
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I hope you found this review helpful, feel free to leave a reaction or comment below, or post your questions here or discuss on our Discord channel.
7.5 Score
Pros
- Five characterful Nurgle sculpts
- Magnificent new Sunblood model
Cons
- Grandfather's Gardeners' mechanics are fluffy, but unreliable
- Saurus Warriors' designs are a bit bland
- Same price as before but less cards
Final Verdict
The new Warhammer Underworlds warband boxes no longer include decks, meaning players must no longer purchase warbands only to keep their card collection up-to-date. Consequently, players effectively receive less gaming material for the same price, amounting to a hidden price increase. Despite this, both warbands offer characterful models that make for enjoyable painting projects. The Grandfather's Gardeners stand out, with each Plaguebearer having its own little personality.
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