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Look, I appreciate that Warhammer Underworlds isn't as sexy as 40K or Age of Sigmar. It doesn't let you command a plastic horde on sweeping battlefields, and its lore isn't so deep that mapping it would send someone insane. (The grimdark future's backstory is labyrinthine to say the least.) But it has a major advantage over its bigger brothers. This ace in the hole is demonstrated by the two new warbands I was able to get my hands on early – The Jaws of Itzl and Grandfather's Gardeners. It's also why I'll be keeping an eye out for cut-price box sets in this year's Black Friday Warhammer deals.
Simply put, Warhammer Underworlds offers a vertical slice of what a faction is all about. Take those pox-ridden Grandfather's Gardeners, for example. Despite the rather homely name, these demons of the plague-god Nurgle are utterly, inescapably disgusting… which is the army's whole shtick. You've got shambling zombies with rough, obsidian blades and various internal organs falling out as if their stomach is an overstuffed handbag. There's a gnarly wizard mixing poisons in a cauldron held up by what I can only describe as 'weird little guys.' (Followers of Nurgle love those.) Oh, and there are ticks and flies aplenty, including my favorite of the bunch – the brilliantly-named Squort. In this one pack, you're getting a crash-course on everything Plague Bearers are about.
The Jaws of Itzl do the same thing for the lizard-like Seraphon. This small, hardened band epitomizes what the army at large does best: Mesoamerican-inspired wargear, massive jaws that could give an alligator a run for its money, a penchant for hitting like a ton of (scaly) bricks, and all things dinosaur. If the warband included one of the smaller Skinks, it'd be the perfect encapsulation of the faction's most iconic elements.
Painting up both these groups has allowed me to mess about with armies that I wouldn't normally go near. Crucially, I can use the two warbands in games – something I couldn't do if I was to buy random models for Age of Sigmar. This is what appeals to me about Underworlds at large; its various groups act almost like a cliff-notes version of that setting, even though they take place in the same world. It lets me dabble in factions I'd normally avoid, and grow as a painter as a result. Those Seraphon? They were a good excuse to muck about with green-tinged metallics I've wanted to try for a while, not to mention improving my drybrushing technique. The Plague Bearers, on the other hand? I was able to experiment with more gross effects that come with being a walking sack of disease. It was a lot of fun.
This is also why I'm so keen on Kill Team, Warhammer 40K's skirmishing cousin. Its small groups are a good way to test the water of an army, and they're a lot less intimidating to finish than a full horde. However, Underworlds is even better in that regard by virtue of its warbands being so small.
Essentially, I'll be keeping an eye out for more of these this Black Friday – particularly with new multipacks on the way that combine old groups.
Want to get started with Underworlds yourself? Embergard, the new core set, is currently available for a good chunk less than normal.
Looking to save a little on your hobbies this November? Don't miss the upcoming Black Friday board game deals, or these Black Friday DnD deals.
