The new edition of Warhammer Underworlds continues to evolve with exciting updates and refinements based on player feedback and tournament results.
The Winter 2024-2025 Rules Updates and changes to the Organised Play Formats have arrived, bringing some crucial tweaks to improve game balance, clarify rules, and keep the competitive scene fresh.
Rules Updates: Winter 2024-2025
The latest update to Warhammer Underworlds is laid out in a new, easy-to-use format that allows players to quickly update their cards with new rules. Changes to rules and warbands are version-controlled, and the digital rules files have been updated accordingly. This format makes it much simpler to follow updates, ensuring players can keep their game organized.
Core Rule Changes:
- Drive Back now only works for drawn combat if at least one success was rolled. This adjustment is designed to benefit warbands that need to hold key positions, such as treasure, rather than relying on a lucky roll to drive an enemy back.
Warband-Specific Changes
Several warbands have received changes based on community feedback and tournament data to ensure better balance in gameplay.
- Gorechosen of Dromm: Both Enrage and Final Frenzy have been toned down to prevent overpowered plays. Enrage now costs 8 Blood Tithe and can only target an opponent’s fighter, and Final Frenzy no longer fully heals a fighter—it will now only heal them to be vulnerable, and the fighter will be slain at the end of the battle round.
- The Grymwatch: In the Name of the King has been clarified to function during the Power Step, making it clearer when this ability is used.
- Kainan’s Reapers: Mortek Advance now clarifies that each move must end adjacent to another minion, rather than moving all together as a group.
- Morgok’s Crushas: Get a Move On, Ya Gitz! has had its language standardized to match other similar abilities, though the effect remains unchanged.
- Ylthari’s Guardians: The Inspire ability now specifically requires the card to be the top card of the Power Deck, and Surge abilities can now only be used once per battle round.
- Cyreni’s Razors: Hammertide has been adjusted to limit its area of effect for clarity.
- Daggok’s Stab-ladz: Daggok’s second weapon now has the melee Runemark, and Krulestab can only be used once per turn per fighter.
- The Farstriders: The first melee attack now hits on hammers, increasing its accuracy.
- Ironsoul’s Condemnors: Aetherically Charged Shield’s wording has been clarified, but there are no changes to the rules.
- The Sepulchral Guard: Bone Shrapnel now works only against melee attacks, which helps balance its power.
- The Skinnerkin: Abilities like Precise Fillet, More for the Pantry, and Calloused Hands now work once per battle round.
- Spiteclaw’s Swarm: The Lurking Skaven, The Hungering Skaven, and The Festering Skaven now have the Minion Runemark, enabling them to be raised by the Swarm ability.
- The Thricefold Discord: Evasive has been made less reliable, and Indolent no longer affects weapons from Upgrade cards. Eldritch Enmity is clarified and is no longer a Surge ability. Vile Temptations has been moved to the Power Step and now has fewer opportunities to trigger.
- Zarbag’s Gitz: Scurry can now only be used once per turn, and Spinnin’ now always inflicts damage when the Gitz are next to Snirk.
- Zondara’s Gravebreakers: Undying Love no longer has a Surge trigger and can now be used in the Power Step.
Changes to Decks
- Reckless Fury: Cards like Catch Weapon, Lost Legacy, and Over to You now feature Surge icons, though their effects remain unchanged.
Organised Play Balance:
- Nemesis Format Updates: The Nemesis format introduces a Forsaken and Restricted list, which helps to improve play balance by limiting certain overused or too-powerful cards.
- Cards like Utter Ignorance, Fury of Aqshy, Get It Done, and Bladecatcher have been placed on the Forsaken list, meaning they cannot be used in a Nemesis deck.
- Players can include no more than three cards from the Restricted list in their Nemesis deck.
- Note that the Forsaken restriction only applies to the Nemesis format, so these cards are still valid for Rivals play.
The Warhammer Underworlds design team will continue monitoring data from the organised play scene and make future adjustments as needed to maintain a balanced and enjoyable competitive environment.
Final Thoughts:
These updates help ensure that the Warhammer Underworlds community enjoys an ever-evolving and balanced competitive scene, while still allowing for fun and thematic deckbuilding. Whether you’re playing for fun or preparing for serious competition, these changes bring clarity, balance, and excitement to the game. Stay tuned for further updates and continue battling for dominance in Embergard!
And remember, Frontline Gaming sells gaming products at a discount, every day in their webcart!
