Hi All,
For today’s rant we are focusing on the highs and lows of Warhammer Underworlds (WU). I think the system is intriguing, as it encapsulates so much that I love and hate about Games Workshop’s business practices. WU is also woth discussing as it is one of the few boxed games that was developed competently independently. Unlike Necromunda, Kill Team or even Blood Bowl, WU was not based on an older game and was free to develop without any overt player expectations. As such, I think it has developed into what GW would view as an ideal game.
WU products tend to have a limited run before rotating out of play. This constant churn, alongside the model/card format, makes it harder for re-casters or a secondary market to emerge (more on that later). It also helps reduce stocking levels and boosts inventory turnover. Power creep becomes more manageable as there is less of a difference between the supported teams (although older warbands can still compete and cause issues). The bands themselves are small and painting is not required making it easier to get into the game and easier to design and produce quickly. Furthermore the constant rotation of warbands “encourages” players to buy them all less they miss their chance.
As I type this out you can already see some of my thoughts. I should start by saying I bought into Underworlds for a few specific reasons:
- Try another avenue to get my wife into a Warhammer (or warhammer adjacent game)
- If above fails, try to find a game I could play with other family members
- Try out what looked like an interesting game
And to their credit GW has made a game that achieves 2/3 of the above (sadly not the first, although I have unreasonable hopes for our daughter/other unborn children). I do not play this event competitively or even that socially and thus I can’t comment on balance issues or the like.
My main issue with the game is how the constant churn not only makes it harder to jump into the game, (imagine if your 40k models couldn’t be used after 2 years) but also it makes it almost impossible to get older war bands. As someone who really likes the Skaven and undead units I would like to explore some of their options, but I am currently locked into only the most recent release (which might not balance well with my older bands). I would love to get the Sepulcheral Guard or Spiteclaw’s pack but for that I would need to go onto the secondary market (for which I could spend $70 on just the minis). This is frustrating as many of the models are sought after by Sigmar players as well, given how unique and beautiful they are. Don’t forget many of these units are also in Battletomes.
I know it is unreasonable to expect GW to offer every model they have ever made for sale. However, I would like them offer players the chance to get these old sets. I understand balance is a concern, but it has been 5 years since some of these releases. The high prices on the secondary market shows there is significant demand (or just low supply) and it is a little sad how many amazing models may never be seen again.
Thanks for enduring my little rant. I hope GW will re-release these old war bands (even without updated rules) for players to use. It’s such a travesty how creative these sculpts are and how limited the supplies were.
And remember, Frontline Gaming sells gaming products at a discount, every day in their webcart!
