A common situation new players find themselves in (as well as some returning players who have been out of the game for a while) involves what to do with older warbands they’ve gotten second hand. Maybe you found an old box laying around, or you got something on a great deal from eBay or a garage sale etc. It’s not any of the newest season’s stuff, so that can leave people scratching their heads, asking the questions of “hey, I just picked up this old warband, are the cards legal, and is there anything I need in order to be able to play? Also, what new products should I try to match them up with in order to be more competitive?” These are very common questions that I hope to be able to help with here. So let’s dive into the third in a series of articles: “Can I Use This Old Warband? A Beginner’s Guide to the Beastgrave Season”
You can find my other seasonal overviews here:
Shadespire (Season 1)
Nightvault (Season 2)
Direchasm (Season 4)
Harrowdeep (Season 5)
Nethermaze (Season 6)
Gnarlwood (Season 7)
Wyrdhollow (Season 8)
Deathgorge (Season 9) and Wintermaw (Season 10)
Overview:
Everything from Beastgrave (Season 3) is able to be played in the current game of Warhammer Underworlds. The only cards you’ll be able to use are the newer cards from Embergard, which have been released in the new edition of the game. All of the cards and boards from this season have been left behind as editions changed, so all you’ll need to hold on to are the minis themselves.
Most of the Beastgrave warbands are in the “other warbands”/”legends” category in that they aren’t valid for competitive play and have to use generic warscrolls, but they’re still totally fine for learning the game and getting some casual games in. Ironsoul’s Condemnors are in the thirteen that have been carried forward into Embergard with free digital releases and are valid for competitive play, and a few more (The Grymwatch and Morgok’s Krushas) are newly re-released in the Grand Alliance boxes and are also valid for competitive play.
Grashrak’s Despoilers
The Despoilers are a 6 fighter warband that could either play as a ‘suicide strike’ or a flex/hold depending on which generic warscroll you choose. Draknar has pretty solid stats now and will do a lot of work for you, but it’s worth noting that a lot of the ‘legends’/Grand Alliance warbands are now somewhat genericized. As a result, you have some more flexibility in how you want to play them, but I can’t give a specific recommendation on what rivals decks work best. Thematically, these goats like to Pillage as well as Plunder so that’s always an option!
Skaeth’s Wild Hunt
The Wild Hunt are a 5 fighter warband used to live and die by the ABCs of Warhammer Underworlds: Always Be Charging. The leader, Skaeth, is a beatstick of a model and you have access to a pretty good variety of tools in their warband, but it’s worth noting that a lot of the ‘legends’/Grand Alliance warbands are now somewhat genericized. As a result, you have some more flexibility in how you want to play them, but I can’t give a specific recommendation on what rivals decks work best. They feel like a Blazing Assault candidate to me.
The Grymwatch
The Grymwatch were (Aaahh!!!) real monsters when they came out, and now that they’re officially ‘modern’ in the Grand Alliance Death box, they have a ‘Take and Hold’ playstyle that can do quite well in the right hands. They’re a 7 fighter warband with the capacity to bring slain fighters back so long as the leader stays alive, and they inspire if you manage to keep the enemy out of your territory or slay them. The inspire not only is on a bounty basis rather than all or-none, which makes it more reliable, but you also can inspire at will with the “In The Name of the King” ability should you so choose. While uninspired their accuracy is generally poor, once inspired they’re not bad. This means that usually you’re going to want to play a defensive plan at least to open the game. You’ll also choose one of three delusions each round (once each), and careful choice of when to use each of these will be one of the biggest learning points for the warband. Your leader, Duke Crackmarrow, is a decent fighter and a lot of your damage is going to flow through him or his trusty sidekick Gristlewel (who is unfortunately quite likely to miss when uninspired). Keep the Duke alive and you’ll do just fine.
Their warscroll abilities are interesting – you’ll choose one of three Delusions each round, and can only take each once per game. Defenders of the Realm lets you reroll 1 die in saves for fighters in your territory. The Royal Hunt allows you to get +1 attack dice against wounded fighters. To The Walls lets you use Crackmarrow’s In the Name of the King ability twice that round. Generally, I would suggest using To The Walls first – for one because Crackmarrow will likely still be alive to use it, and you can inspire two fighters or resurrect two fighters quite quickly (doing two of each if you’re the underdog). Either that or Defenders of the Realm are good early game candidates as the latter helps you stay on your feet a touch longer, and might help you hold tokens. The Royal Hunt seems like it’s best for the end game when you’re more likelyt to have damaged enemies running around to take advantage of the ability.
Rivals decks to pair with this warband currently are probably Emberstone Sentinels, Pillane & Plunder, and Countdown to Cataclysm. You’ll want to be playing some version of Take and Hold or Flex in most situations, as they don’t have the Strike toolset to keep up. Here’s a video of Graham taking the warband to the World Championships of Warhammer, and his Nemesis pairing was Countdown to Cataclysm x Pillage and Plunder. Wrack & Ruin could possibly be helpful to leverage The Royal Hunt, but otherwise isn’t a great fit. Edge of the Knife, however, is nearly perfect – you have six Tempered fighters who can be raised anywhere on the board, so scoring Objectives with EotK is much easier for them than most other warbands.
Rippa’s Snarlfangs
Rippa and friends have been updated with the Spitewood release and you can read my full review here.
Rippa’s Snarlfangs are generally what’s considered “elite aggro” – small model count, but each fighter is a threat. With a three fighter warband and good speed I’d lean towards Strike, possibly with Reckless Fury since you have three strong fighters who would like to charge more.
Hrothgorn’s Mantrappers
Hrothgorn’s Mantrappers are a 5 fighter warband (it should be 6 if you count the trap! It’s a model, after all, but no longer a part of the game) and an evolution of the “Big Boy” concept. Most of the work will be done by Hrothgorn himself, though his Sabercat Thrafnir is a great complement to the aggro.
The Wurmspat
The Wurmspat have been updated for Spitewood and my full review can be read here.
The Wurmspat are a three fighter warband. The fighters themselves are pretty potent – One is quite accurate, once has range 2 and one has range 3. They also won the world championships, so go ham.
Morgok’s Krushas
Morgok’s Krushas are a 3 fighter warband that fits squarely into the Elite Aggro archetype, rightfully pegged as Strike in the Embergard Edition. In full honesty, this warband looks incredibly good to me! They have a unique warscroll and great fighter cards available in the Grand Alliance Destruction box. Their warband mechanic involves Waaagh! tokens, and each fighter gains them by taking or dealing attacks, which don’t even need to hit! Each fighter can also spend 3 of them to inspire, and they all gain some good potency when they do so. You’ll have great defense, damage, accuracy, or all three, so go ham. These Boyz want to be throwing dice and encouraging the opponent to do the same, because who doesn’t like a good scrap?
That’s not to mention the warscroll comes with a beautiful suite of abilities. “Shut it, Pipsqueak” lets you spend some Waagh to potentially block a ploy card from your opponent – counterspell will always be good. Save it for the right moment and you can potentially get a 75% chance to tell your opponent their ploy is worthless and ruin their gameplan. Ded’Ard allows you to spend Waagh tokens to either put yourself on guard (before the drive-back) and/or stagger the enemy when they hit you, allowing for more attacks and better reliability for their huge damage potential. Get A Move On, Ya Gitz lets Morgok push the others 1-3 hexes for the cost of a charge token – great for getting Charged out, getting into position for more attacks, and being just where you want to be, potentially quite powerful in rounds 2-3.
Rivals Deck pairings that will work best with them are really any Strike deck, but ESPECIALLY Reckless Fury. You could season with Countdown to Cataclysm or Pillage & Plunder for taste, but they look full-bore Strike to me and a lot of fun while you’re doing it. Here’s a review I wrote of the warband more in-depth, including a discussion of a Rivals Clash where I brought them with Pillage & Plunder. They also play quite nicely with Realmstone Raiders as they’re big boys who want to smash melee attacks, one of which can even do so at range 2. Here’s a deck guide for RF/RS if you like to smash things
Morgwaeth’s Blade Coven
Morgwaeth’s Blade coven is a 5 fighter warband with a diverse array of threats, but are unfortunately too fragile to go toe to toe against most opponents in a straight fight so your success will be matchup dependent. It’s worth noting that a lot of the ‘legends’/Grand Alliance warbands are now somewhat genericized. As a result, you have some more flexibility in how you want to play them, but I can’t give a specific recommendation on what rivals decks work best. The leader has a good profile with a range 2 attack, so lean into her to make things work for you. That, and the snake archer model make it worth it anyway. Pillage & Plunder will let you get some use out of your fragile elves before they meet their untimely end.
Ironsoul’s Condemnors
Note that this warband has been updated in the thirteen that have been carried forward into Embergard with free digital releases!
Ironsoul’s Condemnors are a 3 fighter warband that are slow, tough, and hit like a bag of bricks. The warband inspires each fighter individually if they roll a crit on either attack or defense, and two of them go to 2 shields on defense when they do so. The warband has been given the “Flex” archetype, likely in part because they have the ability not to be driven back or pushed when they have no move or charge tokens on two of their fighters, so you could occupy tokens and be very hard to shift. That said, the warband is relatively accurate on attack, has some great damage output, and features one of the meanest models in the game in Brodus Blightbane. That, and the two Shield bearing models can once a game reach out an extra hex on their attacks, which can be perfect when charged out to hit somebody who they thought was safe.
Their Warscroll abilities are relatively useful without being too complicated, and any of them could be game changers. The first, Punishing Blow, lets Brodus (the one with the big hammer) get extra attack dice equal to the round number once per game to ensure you land that big hit reliably, especially later in the game. If he’s inspired in round 2 or 3, you can splatter whatever you please. Aetherically Charged Shield allows you to once per game turn off weapon abilities against your two shield aetherics – this can drop cleave and lower their accuracy, or more importantly shut off grievous to stay alive regardless, or block a warband-specific runemark and foil a gameplan. Aetherically Charged Maul lets those same shield friends once per game add 1 to the range of an attack, so you can hit something your opponent thought was safe, or keep swinging while you stay on a treasure token.
Rivals deck pairings you could consider with this warband include Blazing Assault or Reckless Fury – I would lean towards playing them as an invading aggro Strike unless a great Flex deck comes along. They also could pair with Emberstone Sentinels so they can be mixing it up in enemy territory while holding for some big glory scores and improved durability. Try to get some rerolls to allow for quicker inspires, and start dispensing the God-King’s Justice with impunity. Realmstone Raiders has play as well with incredibly accurate attacks with a side serving of flex/anti-push to help them hold stuff for some of the 2-glory end phases.
Lady Harrow’s Mournflight
The Mournflight is a 4 fighter warband with decent stats. It’s worth noting that a lot of the ‘legends’/Grand Alliance warbands are now somewhat genericized. As a result, you have some more flexibility in how you want to play them, but I can’t give a specific recommendation on what rivals decks work best. Dark Magesty warscroll and a strike deck feels like it has legs.
Wrap
Ultimately, any and all season 3 warbands are playable in the Rivals or Nemesis formats if you pick up a universal rivals deck. You absolutely can play with those old toys you’ve just acquired, and in some cases still do pretty well with them. You’re likely safe to toss the ‘extra’ cards that come with them. Until next time, I hope you enjoy spending that glory!
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