Today’s article is part of the New Player Series and is directed at people first getting into the hobby, as well as others looking to engage more fully into it or shepherd a friend during their initial foray.

Our topic today? Starting small to manage the initial cost of Warhammer Underworlds.

I’ve said it before and it remains true: Warhammer Underworlds is the most cost-effective game that Games Workshop produces. You can play a huge variety of games with only a single purchase of the Embergard Core box, or even with just your favorite warband and a deck or two. This means you can get started for really cheap as far as miniatures games go.

That said, I’ve seen tons of people overcommit to start. They’ll be like ‘lol I bought 30 warbands, which one should I build first?’ I’d recommend against it for most people – even if you do end up wanting everything, you don’t know that yet. Online and in person, I have witnessed dozens of people buy in fully before playing many games (if any!) and flame out/move on from Underworlds within a month or two.

Let’s be real; getting into Warhammer of any flavor can be expensive, especially if you let the ‘building of an army’ spiral away from you, which for us looks like getting 15 warbands and all the decks at once. The ‘Cost of Entry’ as it might be called is a barrier that we can try to keep as low as possible. If you’re buying in fresh as a new player or advising somebody in your circle on how to get started, I have a few pointers that might help people get in easier with less pain and a higher likelihood of sticking around long term.

Start Small

Grab only the essentials for your first purchase. I’m going to list a few options here and I would select ONE of these as your entry point.

• The Embergard core box (best option)
• The Spitewood Expansion Box and a set of Underworlds dice from eBay
• 1-2 warbands of your choice (ideally second hand on eBay or from a local player) AND the cards/boards/tokens/dice from the Embergard core box (often sold separately on eBay). Check out the Best warbands for new players if this is your choice.

You could go for one of the following, though they’re not as efficient as the above:

• 1-2 warbands of your choice and a rivals deck or two of your choice (check out the Warband master list and Rivals deck master list for guidance) – note you will have to borrow tokens and share a board with another player
• A Grand Alliance 4-pack box and 1-2 rivals decks. This is the cheapest ‘per warband’ cost, but requires more research and potentially mismatched pairings in the deck department, and won’t give you boards, dice etc.

Fortunately, Underworlds is not tied to the ‘you have to play one faction forever’ problem that 40K, AoS and others run into. There’s no need to worry about what the most budget-friendly factions are. Some warbands are significantly more affordable than others based on how easy they are to find, however.

Second-Hand Market

Online marketplaces like eBay and dedicated Warhammer forums are swimming used miniatures at discounted prices. Check out the Underworlds buy and sell Facebook page with the search function (Titled Shadespire & Nightvault & Beastgrave Buy, Sell Trade) since it’s set to private, or if you have a local gaming community (check this directory to see if there are any near you), see if you can buy unwanted or extra stuff off of an existing player.

Printing and Proxies

While you’ll likely need the ‘real stuff’ to play in a competitive event, there’s no law against bringing ‘counts-as’ models for casual nights if your opponents are cool with it. Do you happen to have a few Seraphon models laying around and want to pretend they’re the Jaws of Itzl? Go ahead, try before you buy! Stormcast can be represented by Space Marines, and heck you can even use bottle caps or what have you if you’d like to go full PoorHammer.

Card images can be found online all over the place, and if you print out paper copies and sleeve them with opaque backings and a filler card like a Magic land or something, it can be a good way to test out a deck before you decide to commit. I wouldn’t suggest doing this long term, but if you’re tight on budget this is an option for you, and might help restrain your ‘blow $500 in a weekend and then have terrible regrets and quit the game’ impulse.

Focus on Painting

Building and painting miniatures is a rewarding hobby in itself, even if you don’t participate in the tabletop game itself. It’s cliche, but buy one thing, and don’t buy more until you’ve painted it. Maybe buy one thing, and don’t buy more until you’ve played with it 5 times. Savoring each component rather than splurging on the whole catalogue will help you enjoy yourself for longer and increase your odds of becoming a long-term player of the game.

Digital Alternatives

Explore digital wargaming platforms that utilize Underworlds rulesets, offering a lower-cost entry point. There exist multiple mods for Tabletop Simulator on Steam, as well as modules for the Vassal engine in both first and second edition flavors as well as a few custom rulesets. If you’re the type who always wants to play with the new shiny but can’t realistically afford it, you can scratch that itch by playing on the computer to test it out. If it really is your jam, you’ll be more confident committing to a purchase. Plus, it’s a great way to get more games in, meet cool people from around the world, and improve your skill too!

Wrap

I want to reiterate that Underworlds is the cheapest and best thing GW makes, and even if you go whole hog you’re potentially not as deep in the hole as somebody who buys 2000 points of Mechanicum or whatever. That said, you really do not need to buy everything to start. Honestly, you don’t. Pick up the Embergard core box and one other warband you really like and just play that for a few months. You’ll save money, be less overwhelmed, and once you have some experience under your belt, you’ll have a significantly easier time assessing what things you actually want and will enjoy using. Don’t let the FOMO get you! That’s actually a way to make you more likely to drop out of the game in the near term, which is the REAL ‘missing out’ if you ask me.

Whether you’re taking the above advice or just gonna Full Send that huge eBay lot, I hope you enjoy Spending your Glory (and the smallest amount of cash you can) in the Underworlds!