Warhammer Underworlds: Direchasm Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Introduction
  • Objective of the Game
  • Before You Play
  • Warbands
• Fighter Cards
  • Inspire
• The Decks
  • Objective cards (pg 30)
  • Upgrade cards (pg 26)
  • Gambit cards (pg 25)
  • Restrictions
  • Additional Card Rules
• The Battlefield
  • Counting Distances
• Playing the Game
  • Game Sequence
  • 1. Reveal Your Warbands
  • 2. Place the Boards
  • 3. Place Feature and Lethal Hex Tokens
  • 4. Draw Cards
  • 5. Place the Fighters
• Action Phase
  • Move Action
  • Tokens and Counters
  • Attack Action
  • Line of Sight
  • Combat Sequence
  • Driven Back
  • Support
  • Damage
  • Attack Action Keywords
  • Charge Action
  • Guard Action
  • Spells
• Power Step
  • Gambit cards
  • Upgrade cards
  • Modifiers
  • Reactions
  • Scatter
• End Phase
  • Objective Card Types
• Play On
  • Rounds 2 and 3
  • Victory
• Glossary
• Game Boards
• Reference
  • Combat Sequence
  • Determining Success
  • Activation Options
  • Round Sequence

Introduction

Warhammer Underworlds is a game of strategy, fast-paced combat and devious ploys for two to four players. In this game, each player takes a warband and pits them against their rivals in search of glory on the hidden battlefields of the Mortal Realms. It is an easy game to pick up, but you'll quickly find that it has depth to reward dedicated and experienced players.

Objective of the Game

Your success in this game is measured in glory points, awarded for achieving objectives and vanquishing your foes. Whoever has the most glory points at the end of the game wins!

Terminology

If you come across a word in these rules and you're not sure what it means, you can refer to the Glossary (pg 36-38). When a word is in bold type, it is a keyword (pg 13).

Before You Play

This section explains the rules you need to understand and the components you need to gather before you play a game of Warhammer Underworlds.

Warbands

When you play a game of Warhammer Underworlds, you and your opponent each choose a warband. Each warband has its own distinct character and individual fighters, identified by their fighter cards (see below) and represented by their miniatures. You can both use the same warband if you each have a set of the miniatures.

If you are playing with one copy of the Core Set, simply decide between you who will use which warband.

The Core Set includes two warbands: Myari's Purifiers and the Dread Pageant. Myari's Purifiers consists of four fighters: Myari Lightcaller, Ailenn, the Mind's Edge, Bahannar and Senaela. The Dread Pageant consists of four fighters: Vasillac the Gifted, the Slaangor Slakeslash, Glissete and Hadzu. There are also expansions that let you add additional warbands to your games of Warhammer Underworlds.

Sometimes a rule refers to a warband. This means all of the fighters in that warband and all of the cards used by the player of that warband.

If a rule refers to a friendly fighter it means a fighter in your warband, whereas a fighter in the other warband is referred to as an enemy fighter. Each warband has a leader, who is identified by a crown symbol before their name on their fighter card.

Fighter Cards

A fighter's fighter card tells you their characteristics (how fast, how tough and how well-armoured or evasive they are), their Attack actions, and any other actions they have.

Understanding your fighter card

1. Picture of your fighter's miniature.

2. Your fighter's name. A fighter with a crown symbol before their name is your warband's leader, and a fighter with a wand symbol before their name is a wizard. A wizard will also have a number next to this symbol – this is their wizard level characteristic. Keywords that label a fighter (pg 13) may also be found here.

3. Your fighter's Attack action (or actions) with Range, Dice and Damage characteristics (pg 20).

4. Your fighter's Move characteristic.

5. Your fighter's Defence characteristic.

6. Your fighter's Wounds characteristic.

7. Additional abilities or Attack action rules may be found here. Attack action rules that have the same name as an Attack action on the fighter card only apply to that Attack action. You may also find italic text that tells you more about the fighter or the world they inhabit – such text has no effect in the game.

8. Your fighter's Inspire condition. When this condition is met, the fighter becomes Inspired (see below): flip the fighter card over, revealing the fighter's Inspired characteristics and actions. There is no Inspire condition on the reverse of the fighter card.

9. Your fighter's warband symbol.

Inspire

When the Inspire condition on a fighter's card is met, that fighter becomes Inspired immediately, with the following exceptions:

• If the condition is met during an activation (pg 19), the fighter becomes Inspired after that activation.
• Otherwise, if the condition is met during a superaction (pg 24), the fighter becomes Inspired after that superaction.
• Otherwise, if the condition is met during an action (pg 19), the fighter becomes Inspired after that action.

In any of the above cases, the fighter becomes Inspired before any reactions to that activation, superaction or action (pg 27).

A fighter keeps all their upgrades, tokens and counters when they become Inspired. Once a fighter becomes Inspired, they remain Inspired for the rest of the game, unless un-Inspired by a card. When a fighter is un-Inspired, flip their fighter card over so that the Inspired side is hidden. A fighter keeps all their upgrades, tokens and counters when they become un-Inspired.

The Decks

Each player also uses two decks of cards to play a game of Warhammer Underworlds: an objective deck made of 12 objective cards, and a power deck made of at least 20 cards, which are a mix of upgrade cards and gambit cards. The different types of cards are described below. You can choose which cards go into each deck, and this is an important and strategic part of the game. You cannot look at the cards in your opponent's decks.

For your first game, it is best for each player to use the pre-constructed decks that are included in the Core Set. There is an objective deck and a power deck for Myari's Purifiers and an objective deck and a power deck for the Dread Pageant. The Core Set also includes extra cards that can be used by either warband. Once you're familiar with the rules, you can experiment with customising your decks, allowing you to try different strategies in the game.

Each warband has its own warband symbol, printed on cards that only that warband can use. There is also a universal symbol, printed on cards that can be used by any warband.

Deck-building

Deck-building is a significant part of Warhammer Underworlds, but it's a bit challenging until you've played a few games and are familiar with how everything works! The Core Set includes a ready-built objective deck and power deck for each player, so you can ignore this section until you've played a few games. When you're building your own decks, you must follow these restrictions:

• The power deck must include at least 20 power cards. It can include any number of additional power cards. No more than half of the deck can be gambit cards.
• The objective deck must include exactly 12 objective cards. It cannot include more than 6 Surge objectives (pg 30).
• Neither deck can include more than one card with the same name: each card in the decks must be unique.
• You can only include cards that have the same warband symbol as your fighter cards or the universal symbol.

Objective cards (pg 30)

Objective cards give you ways to gain glory points. They have a glory point symbol in the top-left corner (1). Each objective card has a name (2) and one or more conditions (3). If you meet the conditions on the card, you gain the number of glory points shown at the bottom of the card (4). The symbol in the top-right corner (5) tells you which warbands can use the card (see above). If it is the universal symbol then any warband can use the card. If it is a warband symbol, only that warband can use the card. Some objective cards have a keyword as well as a name (6). These objective cards have additional rules on page 30.

Multiplayer variants

Some objective cards have one or more multiplayer variant symbols shown on them. These symbols are only used in multiplayer games (pg 33); ignore them and the text next to them in a two-player game.

Upgrade cards (pg 26)

Upgrade cards are used to improve your fighters. They have a cogwheels symbol in the top-left corner (1). Each upgrade card has a name (2) and an effect (3), which could be to boost one or more of a fighter's characteristics, for example. Some upgrade cards also have a keyword below their name. As with objective cards, the symbol in the top-right corner (4) tells you which warbands can use the card. Some upgrade cards also have restrictions (5; see below).

You will get a chance to play these cards in the power step that follows each of a player's activations (pg 25-26) and in the end phase at the end of each round (pg 30).

Gambit cards (pg 25)

Gambit cards have many uses. They are either ploys or spells. Spell cards have a spell symbol in the top-left corner (1). Ploy cards instead have a dagger symbol (2). Each gambit card has a name (3) and an effect (5), which is usually short-lived (it might be to allow a fighter to make an extra Move action, for example). Some gambit cards also have a keyword below their name (4). As with objective cards, the symbol in the top-right corner (6) tells you which warbands can include the card in their deck, and some gambit cards have restrictions in the same way as upgrade cards.

You will get a chance to play these cards in the power step that follows each of a player's activations (pg 25-26).

Restrictions

Upgrade and gambit cards may have restrictions: on an upgrade card these tell you which fighters can be upgraded with this card, while on a gambit card they indicate a fighter you must have on the battlefield if you wish to play that card. The restrictions can be one or more fighter names, or instead will list a crown symbol, a wand symbol, and/or one or more keywords, indicating respectively a leader, a wizard and/or a fighter with at least one of those keywords.

Additional Card Rules

Keywords

Some cards have keywords on them. These words are in bold type and are used in two ways: some of them are used to refer to a rule found in this booklet, in which case you can quickly find the relevant rule by checking the Glossary, and others are used to label that card so that other cards can interact with it (e.g. an upgrade card that has Hunter in the restrictions box can only be given to a fighter with the Hunter keyword).

'Cannot'

If two or more rules come into conflict, and one of them says 'cannot', that rule takes precedence (e.g. if a fighter has a rule that says they cannot be pushed, a card that lets you push a fighter does not work on that fighter).

'But my card says…'

Some cards allow you to do things that you wouldn't normally be allowed to do by the rules in this book. Whenever a card contradicts the rules in this book, the card takes precedence (even if the rule in the book says 'cannot').

Abilities

Rules found on a fighter card or power card are referred to as abilities.

The Battlefield

Games of Warhammer Underworlds use a battlefield made up of one game board per player. An example battlefield, made of two game boards, is divided into hexes, which are used to determine the position of objectives and fighters, and the distances between them. The diagram labels used on an example battlefield are:

• Starting hexes
• Blocked hexes
• Incomplete hexes
• Edge hexes
• Lethal hexes
• One player's territory
• Completed hexes/No one's territory

Incomplete hexes

The incomplete hexes at the edge of the battlefield are not part of the battlefield and not part of the game – fighters cannot move or be moved into them, cannot draw line of sight through them (pg 21), nothing can be placed (see below) in them, and so on. Incomplete hexes are not hexes.

Starting hexes

Some of the hexes contain a white Warhammer Underworlds symbol – these are used when placing your fighters, and are called starting hexes.

Blocked hexes

Some hexes have a thick white border. These are blocked hexes. Fighters cannot move into or through these hexes, or be placed in these hexes (see below), and these hexes block line of sight to what is beyond them (pg 21). If blocked hexes are adjacent to each other, some of the grid lines will be missing to help show that they are no-go areas.

Lethal hexes

Some hexes have a red border. These are lethal hexes. When a fighter moves, is placed (see below), pushed (pg 19) or driven back (pg 22) into a lethal hex the fighter is dealt 1 damage (pg 21). A fighter that is in a lethal hex can remain in it without being dealt further damage from that hex, and can move out of it (or be pushed out of it) without being dealt further damage from that hex. If a fighter is in a hex when it becomes lethal, they are not dealt damage from that hex.

Edge hexes

An outermost hex on the battlefield is an edge hex in addition to any other types (e.g. an edge hex that is a lethal hex is both lethal and an edge hex). If a hex is not adjacent to six hexes, it is an edge hex (remember that incomplete hexes are not hexes).

Occupied hexes

A hex that contains a fighter is an occupied hex in addition to any other types (e.g. a lethal hex that contains a fighter is both lethal and occupied). A single hex cannot contain more than one fighter.

Empty hexes

If a hex is not occupied or blocked, it is an empty hex in addition to any other types (e.g. a lethal hex that is not occupied is both lethal and empty).

Players' territory and no one's territory

A player's territory is made up of all the hexes on their game board. Hexes on other players' game boards are enemy territory. Any hexes that become completed by the placement of game boards are no one's territory.

Placing fighters and tokens

When a fighter, feature token (pg 18), lethal hex token (pg 18) or scatter token (pg 29) is put onto the battlefield, it is said to be placed. When placed, fighters, feature tokens, lethal hex tokens and scatter tokens must be positioned in a hex.

Counting Distances

A fighter is always considered to be within zero hexes of itself. When counting the distance between two hexes, count the shortest distance possible (which can be straight through blocked hexes). Two hexes that are next to each other are said to be within one hex of each other – these hexes are adjacent.

Playing the Game

Game Sequence

A game of Warhammer Underworlds is played in the following sequence:

Set Up

1. Reveal your warbands
2. Place the boards
3. Place feature and lethal hex tokens
4. Draw cards
5. Place the fighters

Round 1 – Action phase, then End phase

Round 2 – Action phase, then End phase

Round 3 – Action phase, then End phase

Victory

1. Reveal Your Warbands

Simultaneously, the players each reveal the warband they have chosen to use.

2. Place the Boards

The players roll off (see below). The player who wins picks a player. The player they pick will choose a game board first. This gives that player a disadvantage when the battlefield is set up, but the advantage when placing feature and lethal hex tokens (pg 18).

The player they pick chooses a game board from their collection and decides which side of that game board they will use. The other player then chooses a game board and a side in the same way, and then places the two game boards so that the chosen sides are face up, and so that there are at least three hexes that are completed by connecting the boards long edge against long edge, or two hexes that are completed by connecting the boards short edge against short edge.

Once the game boards are placed, you have what is called the battlefield.

Roll-offs

When the rules tell you to roll off, each player takes any combination of four attack or defence dice and rolls them. Then they compare the results:

• If one player rolls more critical successes than any other players, that player has won.
• Otherwise, if one player rolls more single-support symbols than any other players, that player has won.
• Otherwise, if one player rolls more double-support symbols than any other players, that player has won.
• If there is still no winner, start the roll-off again.

In a multiplayer game (pg 33-35), you may need to establish the loser of a roll-off. In this case, when you compare the results:

• The loser is the player who has rolled fewer critical successes than any other player. The other players win.
• If there is a tie, the tied player who has rolled fewer single-support symbols than any other tied player loses. The other players win.
• If there is still a tie, the tied player who has rolled fewer double-support symbols than any other tied player loses. The other players win.
• If there is still a tie, the tied players should roll off again. The other players win.

Re-rolls

When a rule tells you to re-roll a dice, roll it again immediately after making the relevant roll. If you are told to re-roll a dice roll that involved multiple dice, roll all of them again unless specified otherwise. Whatever the new result is, it replaces the old result, even if it is worse. Unless specifically stated otherwise, you cannot re-roll a re-rolled dice.

Dice

The keys below show the different symbols on each of the dice in Warhammer Underworlds. Most rules just show the symbol itself, but each symbol also has a name – these are useful when discussing your rolls with your opponent. This transcription refers to the two support faces shared by the attack and defence dice as the single-support symbol (a success once a fighter has one supporting fighter) and the double-support symbol (a success only once a fighter has two or more supporting fighters) – see Support (pg 22).

Attack dice: Critical success; Attack symbol – Smash; Attack symbol – Fury; single-support symbol; double-support symbol.

Defence dice: Critical success; Defence symbol – Block; Defence symbol – Dodge; single-support symbol; double-support symbol.

Magic dice: Critical success; Magic symbol – Channel; Magic symbol – Focus.

3. Place Feature and Lethal Hex Tokens

A two-player game uses the feature tokens numbered 1-5. (The tokens numbered 6-9 are used in games involving more players, as detailed on page 33.) Each feature token is double-sided, with numbers on one side. With the numbered side face up, it is referred to as an objective token. With the numbered side face down, it is referred to as a lethal hex token.

Shuffle the tokens with the numbered sides face down. The players take it in turns to place the tokens on the battlefield, starting with the player that chose the first game board. When a player does so, they must place the token face down (without looking at the other side) in any hex on the battlefield, with the following exceptions: they cannot place it in a starting hex, a blocked hex, a lethal hex or an edge hex (pg 14-15), or within two hexes of another token. The final token is placed following the same rules, except that it can be placed in an edge hex. If another token cannot be placed because of the above exceptions, it can be placed in an edge hex. Once all tokens have been placed, turn them over, revealing the numbered side.

Starting with the player that chose the first game board, each player may then choose to place one lethal hex token (not a feature token) in any hex on the battlefield, with the following exceptions: they cannot place it in or adjacent to a lethal hex, and they cannot place it in a blocked hex, a starting hex or a hex that contains an objective token. A hex which contains a lethal hex token is treated in every way as a lethal hex (pg 15).

Objective tokens indicate important areas of the battlefield that the warbands will fight to hold. A fighter (and their warband) is said to hold an objective if they are in the same hex as the objective token.

Sometimes a feature token is moved during the game: it cannot be moved into a blocked hex, a hex that contains another feature token or a hex that contains a lethal hex token.

Sometimes a feature token is flipped during the game. An objective token flipped in this manner will become a lethal hex token. Note that a fighter in that hex is not dealt damage when the token is flipped. If that token is flipped again, it becomes an objective token once more. Lethal hex tokens that are not feature tokens cannot be flipped.

4. Draw Cards

Each player shuffles their objective and power decks separately and places them face down next to the battlefield. Each player then draws three objective cards and five power cards. There will be opportunities for players to draw additional cards during a game.

Once a player has drawn their cards, they can use one 'do‑over'. To do so, they discard all of the objective cards they have drawn, or all of the power cards they have drawn, or all of the cards they have drawn. They then draw replacements for the cards they discarded. For example, if a player doesn't like two of their objective cards, they might discard all three objective cards and draw three new ones (keeping all of their power cards).

The player who chose the first game board is first to decide whether to use a do-over.

Draw

When a rule tells a player to draw a card, this means that they take the top card from the relevant deck. The cards a player has drawn but has not yet played are referred to as their hand, and are kept secret from their opponent. A player's hand can contain any number of power cards, but never more than three objective cards. If a player would draw a card, but the relevant deck is empty, they cannot draw a card – discarded cards are not shuffled back into the deck.

Discard

When a player discards a card, they place it face up in a pile next to that card's matching deck, so you will have an objective discard pile for your objective cards and a power discard pile for your power cards. Rules on cards in discard piles have no effect on the game, unless they specify otherwise. All players can look at the cards in any discard pile.

5. Place the Fighters

The players roll off again. The player who wins picks a player. That player places one of their fighters in an empty starting hex in their territory (pg 14-15). Then players take it in turns to place one fighter at a time in the same way, until all of the fighters in the warbands have been placed. If either player runs out of fighters to place, the other player continues placing fighters until all of the fighters have been placed.

A fighter on the battlefield is referred to as a surviving fighter.

Action Phase

You're now ready to battle! Each game is made up of three rounds, and each round is made up of an action phase and an end phase.

At the start of each action phase, the players roll off. This happens before anything else that happens at the start of an action phase. In the first round the player who finished placing all of the fighters in their warband first adds one to their roll. The player who wins picks which player is first to take an activation in that action phase.

Players take it in turns to take an activation. In their activation, a player makes an action, such as making a Move or Attack action with one of their fighters. After they have taken an activation there is a power step where both players can play power cards (pg 25-26), and then play passes to the other player to take their activation. When both players have taken four activations, the action phase is over, and the end phase begins.

Note that although most activations allow a fighter to make an action, activations and actions are different things!

Actions

You will use most of your activations to activate your fighters. When you activate a fighter they make an action. Doing so uses one of your four activations for the phase. All fighters can make the following actions:

• Move (see below)
• Attack (pg 20-21)
• Charge (pg 24)
• Guard (pg 24)

Other actions fighters can make may be found on fighter and upgrade cards.

You can also take activations to make player actions. These don't involve your fighters – instead, these actions allow a player to do something. Doing so uses one of your four activations for the phase. Players can make the following actions:

• Draw a power card.
• Discard an objective card and then draw an objective card.
• Pass (forfeit an activation).

It can be easy to lose track of how many activations you've taken in the heat of battle! This is why each player has four activation tokens. Each time you take an activation, turn one of the tokens over.

Move Action

When one of your fighters makes a Move action, you move them into an adjacent hex a number of times up to their Move characteristic. This is found on their fighter card. The move can be in any direction. You cannot move them into a hex that is blocked or occupied (pg 14-15). A fighter that makes a Move action cannot end their Move action in the hex they started the Move action in.

When a fighter completes a Move action, give that fighter a Move token (see below). A fighter with one or more Move tokens cannot make a Move or Charge action.

A fighter's position on the battlefield sometimes changes without them taking a Move action (e.g. when they are pushed, see below) – when this happens, do not give that fighter a Move token.

Push

When a rule tells you to push a fighter, push their miniature into an adjacent empty hex the number of times specified by the rule. Each push can be in any direction unless specified otherwise. A fighter that is pushed cannot end the push in the hex they started the push in.

Tokens and Counters

Some rules tell you to give a fighter a token. When you give a fighter a token, place the relevant token next to that fighter. That fighter is then said to have that token, and whenever that fighter's position on the battlefield changes, their tokens go with them.

Some rules instead tell you to use a counter – they will say to give it to a fighter or place it on a power card. The most common of these are wound counters. To give a fighter a counter, place it on their fighter card. That fighter is then said to have that counter. These rules may also name these counters – the names are simply used to label the counters in the same way as keywords (pg 13). The rules will explain how to use the counters, or what significance they have. The reverse of a wound counter can be used to represent any kind of counter.

Some rules tell you to remove a token or a counter. This means that you take that token from next to the fighter, or that counter from the card it is on. If the fighter or card has none of the relevant token or counter, you cannot remove it.

The tokens and counters you will use include the Move/Charge token, the Guard token, and generic counters.

Attack Action

Most fighters have at least one Attack action on their fighter card. Fighters can gain additional Attack actions when they are given an Attack action upgrade (pg 26), or in some cases when they are Inspired (pg 11). Fighters can even gain temporary Attack actions from some gambits (pg 25). A fighter must have a target that is within range and visible (see below) to be able to make an Attack action.

All Attack actions have the following information:

1. Name. Some Attack actions have the spell symbol by their name. This means they are spell Attack actions.

2. Range characteristic. A fighter making an Attack action can target a visible fighter (see below) within a number of hexes equal to the Attack action's Range characteristic (so a Range 1 Attack action can only target enemy fighters within 1 hex of the fighter making the Attack action). The distance to the target does not affect the Range characteristic (e.g. a Range 3 Attack action which targets an adjacent fighter is still a Range 3 Attack action). Some cards may refer to, for example, 'Range 3+ Attack actions': this means all Attack actions with a Range characteristic of the stated value and higher.

3. Dice characteristic. This characteristic is a number and a symbol. The number tells you how many attack dice to roll when making the Attack action. The more dice you roll for an Attack action, the greater your chance of success. The symbol tells you which symbol (Smash or Fury) you need to roll on the attack dice for a success. Spell Attack actions use magic dice instead, and have different symbols you need to roll for a success (Channel or Focus). Spell Attack actions may have a hyphen instead of a number – where this is the case, roll a number of magic dice equal to the fighter's wizard level (pg 11).

4. Damage characteristic. This tells you how much damage the attacking fighter deals to the target if the Attack action is successful.

5. Some Attack actions have additional rules text, which may refer to a number of common abilities, such as Cleave and Knockback (pg 23) or may include other rules that change how the Attack action works.

Line of Sight

Line of sight is used to determine which fighters are visible to each fighter. It is usually used when checking if one fighter can make an Attack action that targets another. Fighters have line of sight in all directions – it doesn't matter which way the miniature is facing.

To check if a fighter has line of sight to a hex, draw a straight imaginary line from the centre of the hex they are in to the centre of the hex in question. If that line goes through or touches any blocked hexes, or goes off the edge of the battlefield, the fighter does not have line of sight to that hex. Otherwise, they have line of sight to that hex, and anything in that hex is visible to that fighter. Fighters and occupied hexes do not block line of sight.

Combat Sequence

When you choose one of your fighters to make an Attack action, follow the sequence described here. This is called the combat sequence. Once the sequence is complete, that action has been resolved. A fighter making an Attack action is referred to as an attacker while that action is being resolved, and that fighter's player is referred to as the attacking player.

1. Declare Attack action: Pick an Attack action and a target. You can only pick one Attack action (which will be on the attacker's fighter card or on an upgrade that fighter has), and the target must be within the Attack action's Range and visible to the attacker. You cannot target a friendly fighter.

2. Attack roll: Roll a number of attack dice equal to the Attack action's Dice characteristic (or magic dice if the Attack action is a spell, see page 24).

3. Defence roll: The target's player rolls a number of defence dice equal to the target's Defence characteristic. The target's Defence characteristic also shows which symbol (Block or Dodge) is a success.

4. Determine success: Compare how many critical success symbols you both rolled:

   • If you rolled more than your opponent, this is called a 'critical hit'. The Attack action succeeds. Go to step 5.
   • If your opponent rolled more than you, this is called a 'miss'. The Attack action fails. Skip to step 8.
   • If you rolled the same number of critical success symbols (including if neither of you rolled any), compare how many successes you both rolled:
     • If you rolled more than your opponent, and you rolled at least one critical success symbol, this is called a 'critical hit'. The Attack action succeeds. Go to step 5.
     • If you rolled more than your opponent, but you did not roll any critical success symbols, this is called a 'hit'. The Attack action succeeds. Go to step 5.
     • If you rolled the same number as your opponent, and you rolled at least one success, this is called a 'draw'. The Attack action fails. Skip to step 7.
     • Otherwise, this is called a 'miss'. The Attack action fails. Skip to step 8.
   • If a spell Attack action succeeds, it is cast – see page 24.

5. Deal damage: The attacker deals damage to the target equal to the Damage characteristic of the Attack action (see page 23).

6. Check if the target is taken out of action: If the target has a number of wound counters that is equal to or greater than their Wounds characteristic, they are taken out of action (pg 23). If so, skip to step 8.

7. Drive back: The target can be driven back (pg 22). In some cases, the target may be trapped (pg 22).

8. End sequence: The Attack action ends.

Note that fighters do not gain a token for making an Attack action – a single fighter can make multiple Attack actions in the same round.

Outmanoeuvred

If, at the start of any of the steps 2-5, the target is no longer visible and/or within range, the Attack action fails – skip to step 8.

Driven Back

If the target of an Attack action can be driven back, the attacking player can choose to push the target one hex. This can be in any direction that takes the target further away from the attacker. If the attacking player chooses not to, the fighter is not driven back.

Trapped

If the target of a failed Attack action could be driven back, but there is no hex they could be pushed into (e.g. because those hexes are occupied, or because they are in an edge hex), the target is trapped. When a target is trapped, the Attack action succeeds instead of failing – it is a hit, and if it is a spell, it is cast. Return to step 5 of the combat sequence (Deal damage). Do not resolve step 7 (Drive back) a second time for this Attack action – instead, after step 6 (Check if the target is taken out of action), skip to step 8 (End sequence).

Support

In combat, fighters rarely have the luxury of facing their foe one-on-one. Each fighter's allies will try to help them and hinder their enemies, and in Warhammer Underworlds this is represented by support.

• The attacker receives support for each other friendly fighter that is adjacent to their target.
• The target receives support for each other friendly fighter that is adjacent to the attacker.
• A fighter who provides support in this way is said to be supporting.

If a fighter has one supporting fighter, rolls of the single-support symbol are successes in their attack or defence roll. If a fighter has two or more supporting fighters, rolls of the single-support symbol and the double-support symbol are successes in their attack or defence roll.

Note that although supporting fighters are counted as described above for spell Attack actions, the magic dice do not have single-support or double-support symbols. This means that, while rolls of the single-support and double-support symbols can be successes in the defence roll for the target of a spell Attack action, they cannot be rolled in the attack roll for an attacker making a spell Attack action.

Damage

When a fighter is dealt damage, take a number of wound counters equal to the amount of damage dealt (which will usually be the Damage characteristic of an Attack action that targeted them and succeeded) and give them to that fighter by placing them on that fighter's fighter card.

Sometimes you need to know who or what is considered to have dealt damage to a fighter:

• If an Attack action or an upgrade a fighter has deals damage, the fighter is said to have dealt that damage and, if relevant, to have taken that fighter out of action.
• If a gambit spell (pg 25) or backlash (pg 24) deals damage, the wizard that was casting the spell is said to have dealt that damage and, if relevant, to have taken that fighter out of action.
• If another card deals damage, the warband of the player who used that card is said to have dealt that damage and, if relevant, to have taken that fighter out of action.
• If a lethal hex deals damage, the lethal hex is said to have dealt that damage and, if relevant, to have taken that fighter out of action. This is true even when a fighter is pushed into a lethal hex during an Attack action.

Out of action

If a fighter has a number of wound counters equal to or greater than their Wounds characteristic, that fighter is taken out of action.

When a fighter is taken out of action, take them off the battlefield and clear all of their tokens from the battlefield. In addition, clear all counters from their fighter card and from their upgrades. Note that these tokens and counters are not said to have been removed (so, for example, the fighter is not healed – see below). Do not discard the fighter's upgrades.

A fighter that is out of action plays no further part in the game – they cannot be activated, they cannot become Inspired, they cannot make actions, you cannot use any abilities on their upgrades and so on.

When an enemy fighter is taken out of action, gain 1 glory point. If that enemy fighter had a Wounds characteristic of 6 or more, gain 1 additional glory point.

Heal

Some cards allow you to remove wound counters from a fighter. This is known as healing. If a card tells you to Heal (X), where X is a number, that means that you remove that number of wound counters from the fighter or fighters described by the card (if they do not have enough wound counters, simply remove all their wound counters). A fighter is only said to have been healed if at least one wound counter was removed from their fighter card.

Attack Action Keywords

Cleave

If an Attack action has the Cleave keyword, rolls of the Block symbol cannot be successes in the defence roll.

Ensnare

If an Attack action has the Ensnare keyword, rolls of the Dodge symbol cannot be successes in the defence roll.

Knockback

If an Attack action has the Knockback X keyword, where X is a number, when the Attack action is successful the attacking player can drive the target back a number of additional hexes up to X. This means that if an Attack action with Knockback 2 succeeds, the attacking player can drive the target back one hex for the successful Attack action (following the normal combat sequence), and up to two further hexes for the Knockback. The push must continue in the same direction. If the attacking player cannot push the target further in that direction, the target is not pushed any further. If an Attack action has two or more rules giving it Knockback, add the numbers together for a combined total (e.g. if an Attack action has two rules giving it Knockback 1, it has Knockback 2).

Note that the Trapped rule (see above) does not apply to Knockback, as Knockback only applies to Attack actions that succeeded.

Scything

If an Attack action has the Scything keyword, when that action is made it targets each enemy fighter adjacent to the attacker. If there is only one adjacent enemy fighter, the Attack action is resolved as if it didn't have this ability. Otherwise, the Attack action is resolved as a superaction (see below). The attacking player resolves the Attack action against each of the targets separately, in whatever order they choose. Because each Attack action is resolved separately, if there is a rule in effect that affects the next Attack action, it will only affect the first Attack action resolved in this way, not the whole superaction.

Charge Action

When your fighter makes a Charge action, first remove any Guard tokens that fighter has (see below). They then make a Move action, then an Attack action. You must follow all of the rules for Move and Attack actions (pg 19-20), with the exception that you give the fighter a Charge token (rather than a Move token) after the Move action. If any of the conditions for making those actions cannot be met, the fighter cannot make a Charge action. Once you have followed the rules for those actions, the Charge action is complete.

A fighter with one or more Charge tokens cannot be activated.

Guard Action

As an activation, a fighter may make a Guard action. When they do, give that fighter a Guard token: the Guard action is then complete.

A fighter with one or more Guard tokens is on Guard. A fighter who is on Guard counts both the Block and Dodge symbols as successes in their defence rolls. In addition, they cannot be driven back.

A fighter with one or more Guard tokens cannot make a Guard action.

Superactions

A Charge action is an example of a special kind of action known as a superaction. These actions combine two or more actions in one, and when you activate a fighter to make a superaction it only requires a single activation. Each action within a superaction follows the rules for an action of that type (so an Attack action within a Charge superaction follows the rules for Attack actions, and can, for example, be reacted to – see pages 27-28). When an Inspire condition (pg 11) is met during a superaction the fighter is not Inspired until after that superaction is resolved. Similarly, surge objective cards (pg 30) whose conditions are met during a superaction are scored after that superaction is resolved.

Spells

Spells in Warhammer Underworlds come in three forms:

1. As gambit cards, as described on page 25. Gambit spells can only be played when there is a friendly wizard on the battlefield – that is, a fighter with a wand symbol on their fighter card. Each time you play a gambit spell, you must choose a friendly wizard to attempt to cast it as described below.

2. On fighter cards and upgrade cards as actions or reactions that your fighter can make. A wizard with a spell action can attempt to cast it as described below.

3. On fighter cards and upgrade cards as Attack actions. Spell Attack actions can be used by a fighter in the same way as other Attack actions, though see below for details on how these spells are cast.

Casting spells

Spells have a casting value. This will be a number of Channel, Focus or critical success symbols. The casting value for a gambit spell will be denoted by, for example, Gambit Spell (Channel) or Gambit Spell (Focus Focus). The casting value for a spell action on a fighter card or upgrade card will be denoted by, for example, Spell Action (Channel).

When you attempt to cast the spell you must roll the magic dice – this is called the casting roll. The number of magic dice you roll is equal to the wizard level of the wizard casting the spell. If there are two or more critical successes in the casting roll, the wizard suffers backlash: they are dealt 1 damage (pg 21), as the magical forces they are channelling threaten to overwhelm them. If this damage takes the wizard out of action, the spell fails. If they survive, or if the wizard does not suffer backlash, count the number of successes in the casting roll. Dice that match the symbol(s) on the casting value and critical success symbols are successes. If you roll at least as many successes as the casting value, the spell has been cast: this means that you can resolve it. If you do not roll enough successes, the spell fails (and in the case of a gambit it is discarded).

Some spells require you to choose one or more fighters, cards, spells, objective tokens or hexes. If, when you would resolve the spell, you cannot (e.g. because there are no enemy fighters within a certain number of hexes) the spell fails. In addition, if a spell requires you to choose a fighter or fighters, the caster must have line of sight (pg 21) to the fighter or fighters you choose (the caster is considered to have line of sight to themselves). If they do not, they cannot attempt to cast that spell (and in the case of a gambit spell, you cannot play that card).

Unlike other spells, spell Attack actions do not have a casting value – a spell Attack action is cast if the Attack action succeeds, and otherwise it is not cast and it fails (see Attack actions on page 20 for more detail on using spell Attack actions). As with other spells, note that if you roll two or more critical successes when a wizard makes a spell Attack action, that wizard suffers backlash. If this damage takes the wizard out of action, the spell (and the Attack action) fails.

Power Step

The best-laid plans in Warhammer Underworlds rarely survive contact with the enemy. This section of the rules explains how gambit cards and upgrade cards can be used to disrupt your opponent's plans, or carry out your own.

After a player's activation, it is time for that player's power step. Players take it in turn to play a power card or pass (saying 'pass'), starting with the player whose power step it is. Any number of power cards can be played after any activation, but once both players pass in succession, the power step ends and the next activation can take place.

To play a power card, a player simply reveals the card from their hand they wish to play and follows the directions on the card if it is a gambit, or gives the upgrade to their chosen fighter if it is an upgrade card. A player can only play a power card if they can follow all of the directions on that card. For example, if a card instructs you to choose two friendly fighters, and you only have one surviving friendly fighter, you cannot play that card.

Some power cards describe an additional condition that must be met before they can be played (reactions are the most common of these, and are described on pages 27-28). A player can only play these power cards when that condition is met.

Note that the power step applies even after the final activation in an action phase – both players must pass before the end phase begins.

Example: Myari has just made a Move action that puts him adjacent to Glissete. With that activation finished, it is time for Myari's player's power step. Myari's player is the first to decide whether or not to play a power card. They reveal and play the Hunting Season card that makes each fighter a Hunter and a Quarry until the end of the round. Glissete's player is next to decide whether to play a power card or pass. They have a Lure of Slaanesh card in their hand, but they don't want to play it just yet, so they pass. It's Myari's player's turn again, and with no more gambits in their hand and no glory points for upgrades, they pass. Both players have passed in succession, so Myari's player's power step ends and it is Glissete's player's activation.

Gambit cards

Gambit cards are held in a player's hand until they are played. They are either ploys or spells.

When you play a ploy card, reveal it and follow the text on the card. Once you have done so, the card is said to be resolved, and you discard it. When you play a gambit spell card, you must choose a wizard to attempt to cast the spell and roll the magic dice as described earlier. If the spell is cast, follow the text on the card. Once you have done so, or if the spell fails, the card is said to be resolved, and you discard it.

Additional actions

Some gambit cards allow you to make additional actions with your fighters. These additional actions do not cost you an activation, and a fighter that makes an additional action in this way is not activated.

These cards either specify a particular action or actions (e.g. 'Reaction: Play this after you give a fighter an upgrade in an action phase. They can make a Move or Attack action.') or they allow a fighter to make an unspecified action (e.g. 'Choose a fighter. They can make an action.').

When a gambit specifies a particular action or actions, a fighter can make those actions even if the rules of the game would normally not allow it. For example, if a gambit says that a fighter can make a Move action, they can do so even if they have a Move token.

When a gambit allows a fighter to make an action, but does not specify which action, the fighter cannot make an action that would not normally be allowed by the rules of the game. For example, a fighter with a Move token could not make a Move or Charge action, as the rules forbid a fighter with a Move token from making a Move or Charge action.

Some gambit cards refer to the next event of some kind – the next activation, Attack action, or so on. Leave these gambit cards face up in front of you once you have played them. They will remain there until the end of the next activation, or until the end of the round, or until you apply their effects: whichever comes first. Once that point is reached, any remaining unresolved face-up gambit cards of this type are discarded with no effect.

Persist

Some gambit cards say that they persist – these cards have an ongoing effect. Leave these cards face up in front of you once you have played them. They are not discarded until they specify that they are, or another card specifies that they are. If a card that persists specifies more than one event that it persists until, it persists until the first of those (e.g. if a card said 'this persists until the next Attack action or the end of the round', it would persist until the first of these events occurs).

Upgrade cards

Upgrade cards are held in a player's hand until they are played. They are used to give permanent boosts to a player's fighters.

To play an upgrade card, a player reveals that card, then spends one of their unspent glory points by flipping it over to its spent side. Once they have done so, they declare which friendly fighter they are giving the upgrade to (following any restrictions, see page 13), and place it adjacent to that fighter's fighter card. The fighter has that upgrade for the rest of the game. A fighter can be given more than one upgrade. A fighter cannot be given an upgrade if they are not on the battlefield or are out of action (though they keep any upgrades they have when they are taken out of action).

If a fighter has an upgrade that includes a modifier, that modifier applies to that fighter (pg 27). If a fighter has an upgrade that includes an action, that fighter can make that action when activated (or when granted an action). If it includes a reaction, it will state when that reaction can be used. An upgrade that includes an Attack action is called an Attack action upgrade.

Sequencing

If a player has two or more abilities that would resolve at the same time (e.g. at the beginning of the action phase) they choose in which order they are resolved.

If two players have abilities that would resolve at the same time, they roll off (pg 17). The winner chooses who resolves an ability first, then the other player resolves an ability. They keep resolving abilities in the same order until all abilities they wish to resolve have been resolved.

Some abilities are optional (they use the word 'can') – a player can choose not to resolve such an ability, but if they do so they cannot resolve any further optional abilities at this time.

Note that there are different rules for reactions which players wish to use at the same time (pg 28).

Modifiers

Various effects in Warhammer Underworlds change the values printed on cards or the dice you roll. These are called modifiers.

Modifiers are cumulative, so if a single characteristic or roll has more than one modifier applied to it, apply them all. Apply modifiers that multiply or divide before modifiers that add or subtract (even if the modifiers that multiply or divide are on cards played after those with modifiers that add or subtract).

Modifying characteristics

When a modifier changes a characteristic, that characteristic is said to be the modified value. For example, a fighter with a Move characteristic of 3 is given the Heightened Reflexes upgrade. Heightened Reflexes gives that fighter +1 Move, so that fighter's Move characteristic is increased by 1, to 4. If they also had Savage Speed (+2 Move), their Move characteristic would be increased again to 6. In another example, a fighter with Savage Speed is affected by Sprint, which doubles their Move characteristic, you would double the Move characteristic printed on the fighter's fighter card, then add 2 for Savage Speed.

Dice and Defence modifiers may change the value or the type of the characteristic. For example, +1 Dice means that you would increase the number of an Attack action's Dice characteristic by 1 (and therefore roll an extra dice for that Attack action). On the other hand, a ploy that makes the next Attack action have a characteristic doesn't change the number of dice you roll, but means that rolls of a stated symbol (rather than the symbol on the Attack action) are successes for the attack roll of that Attack action (see below).

For example, if a fighter has an upgrade that sets their Move characteristic to 5 and a player plays a ploy that sets all Move characteristics to 1 for the next activation, the ploy takes precedence: that fighter's Move characteristic is 1 for the next activation, and then it reverts to 5 when the ploy is no longer in effect. If the upgrade was played after the ploy, the fighter's Move characteristic would be 5 (regardless of the ploy).

Modifiers and re-rolls

Dice roll modifiers also apply to any re-rolls of those dice (pg 17). For example, when rolling to see who chooses the first player to take an activation in the first round, the player who finished placing their fighters first adds one to their roll. If this roll is re-rolled, they add one to that re-roll (and any subsequent re-rolls) as well.

Setting characteristics

Some modifiers set a characteristic at a particular value, rather than modifying an existing value. For example, a card might set a fighter's Move characteristic at 1 for the next activation. Apply these modifiers before any others. If two of these modifiers affect the same characteristic or roll (e.g. a fighter's Move characteristic is set to 1 by one card and to 3 by another card), whichever of those rules came into effect last is the value used, for as long as that rule is in effect (or until another card is played that sets the value).

Innate symbols

Innate symbols can appear on fighter cards, on upgrade cards, and on gambit cards – for example, Innate (Smash) or Innate (Fury). These symbols are modifiers and are added to attack rolls, defence rolls and casting rolls. For example, if a fighter has Innate (Fury), when you make an attack roll for that fighter you add one Fury symbol to whatever else you have rolled.

Unlike other modifiers, these success symbols do not stack – no matter how many of these innate symbols a fighter has, you can only apply one to their roll. For example, if a fighter had Innate (Smash or Fury), you would choose to add either Smash or Fury to the attack roll when they make an Attack action, and if a fighter had Innate (Channel) from two or more sources, you would only add a single Channel to the casting roll when the fighter attempts to cast a spell. If you have to choose between two or more innate symbols, you must do so before making the roll.

Reactions

In some situations in a game of Warhammer Underworlds, you can use a reaction. You can use the reaction on a fighter card, an upgrade card (only one given to a surviving fighter, unless it specifies otherwise), or a gambit card in your hand when the situation described on the card matches what is happening in the game – it does not cost you an activation to do so, and you do not need to wait for the power step. Note that some reactions are spells – to use these you must still cast them as described on page 24.

Each reaction describes the situation in which it can be used. It might say, for example, 'after an attack roll', 'after an Attack action' or 'after a player plays a ploy'. When this situation arises you can use the reaction by declaring that you will do so and, in the case of a gambit, revealing the card from your hand. Then resolve the reaction as described on the card. This happens immediately. Once a reaction is resolved, if it was a gambit the card is discarded, and then play continues from the point where it was interrupted.

On hold

Sometimes, a player will be able to make a reaction during an action, gambit or other effect, before that action, gambit or effect is resolved. When this happens, the game is put on hold until the reaction has been resolved. Once it has been resolved, you then finish resolving the action, gambit or effect that was interrupted.

If the reaction has made this impossible (e.g. if a fighter's position has changed so that they are no longer in range to complete an Attack action), the action, gambit or effect ends without being resolved any further.

If a reaction happens during a fighter's action, that fighter is still considered to have made that action, even if you are unable to finish resolving that action. For example, if a reaction made during a Charge action prevents that action being resolved, the fighter making that Charge action still gets a Charge token.

Reaction opportunities

In some situations more than one reaction could be used at the same time – for example, after the drive back step during an Attack action. However, only one reaction can be played at each such reaction opportunity.

If both players wish to play a reaction at the same opportunity, the player whose activation is next takes precedence. If they play a reaction, the other player cannot play a reaction at that opportunity. If the player whose activation is next does not wish to play a reaction, the other player can play a reaction.

For example, if both players had a reaction that could be used after an Attack action, the player whose activation came next would decide whether or not to use their reaction. If they use it, the other player cannot use their reaction. If they decide not to use it, the other player can then decide whether or not to use their own reaction.

When there is no player whose activation would come next, because you have played the last activation in an action phase, the player whose activation would be next if there were a fifth activation takes precedence.

Reaction opportunities are very specific – there are many distinct opportunities to play a reaction even during a single Attack action (these will normally be after a particular step in the combat sequence, see page 21). This means that multiple reactions can be played during a single Attack action, as long as each is played at a different reaction opportunity.

Some reactions may have the same reaction opportunity even if their condition is different: for example, a reaction that can be played after an Attack action and a reaction that can be played after an Attack action that fails – in both cases the reaction opportunity is after an Attack action.

Some reactions are triggered after an activation. Note that the end of a fighter's or player's last action in an activation is simultaneous with the end of their activation, and the reaction opportunities are simultaneous. If a player uses a reaction after the last action made by an activated fighter or player in that activation, that activation ends at that point, and no further 'after an activation' reaction opportunities arise until after the next activation.

Reacting to a reaction

Some reactions can be used because a reaction opportunity arises when another reaction is resolved, before play continues. When this happens, rather than precedence going to the player whose activation would be next, precedence instead goes to the opponent of the last player to use a reaction.

For example, a player plays a reaction after an Attack action that allows one of their fighters to make a Move action. Both players have a reaction that can be used after a fighter makes a Move action, but the player who did not play the first reaction has precedence. If they decide not to use their reaction, the other player will be able to use theirs.

Example reactions:

• Fighter card reaction: Vasillac has a reaction ability. During his Attack action, after the deal damage step (which is only played if the Attack action succeeds), you can Heal (1) or deal 1 damage to Vasillac.
• Upgrade reaction: If you give Hadzu the Cruel Volley upgrade, it allows him to react to his first Range 3+ Attack action in a round with a second Range 3+ Attack action.
• Gambit reaction: Rush of Sensation is a ploy reaction that can be played after a friendly fighter has made an Attack action that takes an enemy fighter out of action. It lets that fighter make a Move action (even if that fighter has one or more Move and/or Charge tokens).

Scatter

Some cards or actions have the keyword Scatter X on them, where X is a number. Scatter is used to represent the sometimes random nature of spells or even fighters' movement! When you resolve a card or action with Scatter X you will create a random chain of adjacent hexes that determines how you resolve the card or action.

The card or action will tell you which hex to scatter from – this hex is called the 'origin hex'. To scatter from the origin hex, place the scatter token on the battlefield (you can choose how the tile is oriented and which hex you place it in), and then roll a number of attack dice equal to the Scatter number (so for Scatter 1 you would roll one dice, for Scatter 2 you would roll two dice, etc.). The symbols on the attack dice correspond to directions on the scatter token, so each of the dice rolled indicates a direction you can use to create the chain (see below). You cannot change the orientation of the scatter token once you have rolled the dice.

When the chain is complete, remove the scatter token from the battlefield. The card or action you are resolving will tell you how to use this chain, or what happens in the hexes through which the chain passes or in the end hex. If the chain would extend off the edge of the battlefield, it ends in the last hex it extends into. If the chain has not extended beyond the origin hex, no chain is created, which usually means the card or action will have no effect.

For example, if a card said 'Scatter 3 from this fighter's hex. Any fighter in the end hex is dealt 1 damage.' you would place the scatter token on the battlefield, choosing its orientation when doing so. You would then roll three attack dice, choose the order in which to use them and place them in a chain as indicated by the directions on the scatter token. The effect of the card would cause 1 damage on any fighter in the last hex in the chain (the end hex).

Creating the chain

1. Choose one of the dice you rolled and place it in the hex adjacent to the origin hex in the direction indicated by that dice. This is the first hex in the chain. Note that the scatter token's orientation is fixed – you cannot change it once you have rolled the dice.

2. Then choose another of the dice (if there is more than one) and place it in the hex adjacent to the previous hex in the chain in the direction indicated by that second dice. Note that the scatter token's orientation is still the same.

3. Repeat this process for any remaining dice. The chain may loop back into the same hex more than once, or even into the origin hex, but each hex in the chain will be adjacent to at least one other hex in the chain. The last hex that you place a dice in is the 'end hex' in the chain.

End Phase

Once both players have taken all of their activations and the last power step in an action phase has been played, the end phase begins.

In the end phase, you can score objective cards, upgrade your fighters, discard cards and replenish your hand. Take it in turns to run through the following sequence; the player who took the first activation in the action phase runs through this sequence first, then their opponent does so.

1. Check your objective cards, and if you have met the conditions on any of them you may score that objective card. To score an objective card, reveal that card and collect the number of glory points specified on that card. Place the card revealed this way face up in your scored objectives pile, adjacent to your objective card deck. Repeat this step for any further objective cards you wish to score.

2. You can discard any of your remaining objective cards.

3. You can play any upgrade cards, as described on page 26.

4. You can discard any of your remaining power cards.

5. If you have fewer than three objective cards in your hand, draw objective cards until you have three in your hand, or your objective deck is exhausted (whichever happens first).

6. If you have fewer than five power cards in your hand, draw power cards until you have five in your hand, or your power deck is exhausted (whichever happens first).

Note that players cannot use gambits in the end phase.

Once both players have followed this sequence, clear all Move, Charge and Guard tokens from the battlefield (these tokens are not said to have been removed). Flip your activation tokens over – a new round then begins.

Objective Card Types

Surge objective cards

Most objective cards are scored in the end phase as described above. However, some objective cards are scored 'immediately' after an event – for example after an action or gambit – as long as the conditions on the objective card are met. These objective cards are called surge objective cards, and have the surge keyword.

When the condition on a surge objective card is met, the player scores that card immediately, with the following exceptions:

• If the condition on a surge objective card is met during an activation, the player scores that card after that activation and any reactions to that activation.
• Otherwise, if the condition is met during a superaction, the player scores that card after that superaction and any reactions to that action.
• Otherwise, if the condition is met during an action, the player scores that card after that action and any reactions to that action.

When a player scores a surge objective card, that player immediately draws another objective card. Note that you cannot score any surge objective cards drawn this way until after a subsequent action, reaction or gambit – you cannot draw and immediately score a surge objective card, even if the conditions on the card have been met.

Hybrid objective cards

Some objective cards have two different conditions on them (separated by the word 'or'), either of which allow you to score the objective card. These objective cards are called hybrid objective cards, and have the hybrid keyword. When you satisfy either or both of the conditions on the objective card you can score that objective card. Hybrid objective cards may also be surge objective cards.

Dual objective cards

Some objective cards have two different conditions on them (separated by the word 'and'), both of which you must satisfy to score the objective card. These objective cards are called dual objective cards, and have the dual keyword. When you satisfy both of the conditions on the objective card you can score that objective card. Dual objective cards may also be surge objective cards.

Play On

Rounds 2 and 3

Round 2 works in the same way as round 1 – simply return to page 19 and play through another action phase and another end phase.

The action phase of round 3 works in the same way as rounds 1 and 2. However, when you get to the end phase of round 3, each player only plays the first step of the end phase, scoring any objective cards whose conditions have been met in the same way as in the other end phases. You do not discard cards, play upgrade cards or draw cards. The third round then ends, and then the game ends.

No Enemies in Sight

It may seem strange that if your fighters take the other warband entirely out of action, you don't automatically win the game (though odds are that you will do). This means that you cannot afford to take your eyes off the objective cards!

This also means that if a warband is taken entirely out of action in round 1 or 2, you still need to play the remaining phases so that neither player is prevented from scoring objective cards.

Victory

At the end of the game, whichever player has the highest number of glory points (whether they are spent or unspent) is the winner. If the players have the same number of points, but only one player has fighters on the battlefield, that player wins. If there are still fighters from both warbands on the battlefield, whoever is holding the highest number of objectives wins. If there is still a tie, the game is a draw.

Glossary

Ability: Any rule found on a fighter card or power card (including those that are explained in this book, such as Cleave).

Action (pg 19): Something a fighter can do when activated. There are common actions (like Charge or Guard) and actions on fighter and upgrade cards.

Action phase (pg 19): The first phase in each round, during which fighters are moved and attack one another, and players attempt to score objective cards. Each game has three action phases.

Activation (pg 19): A player's turn in the action phase, during which they can make an action with a fighter, draw a power card, discard and draw an objective card, or pass. Each player has four activations in each action phase.

Adjacent: A term used to describe two hexes that are next to each other. Things in adjacent hexes are adjacent to each other. A thing is never adjacent to itself. When a rule on a fighter or upgrade card refers to adjacent fighters, adjacency is established relative to that fighter, unless stated otherwise.

Attack action (pg 20): An action a fighter can make to attempt to damage one or more enemy fighters.

Attack action upgrade: An upgrade that includes one or more Attack actions.

Attack dice: Dice used to make Attack actions. Magic dice are not attack dice, even when used to make a spell Attack action.

Attack roll (pg 21): The dice roll made by a player when one of their fighters makes an Attack action. Step 2 in the combat sequence.

Attacker: A fighter making an Attack action.

Attacking player: A player whose fighter is making an Attack action.

Battlefield (pg 14): The area defined by the game boards placed at the start of each game. Incomplete hexes are not part of the battlefield.

Backlash (pg 24): Damage dealt to a wizard attempting to cast a spell when there are two or more critical successes in the casting roll.

Blocked hex (pg 14): A hex defined by a thick white border. Fighters cannot stand in, move through or draw line of sight through blocked hexes.

Cannot: A term used to establish rules priority. Where there is a conflict between two rules, if one of them says 'cannot', that rule takes precedence.

Cast (pg 24): A term used with regard to spells. A spell is cast when a casting roll equals or beats the casting value of the spell and the caster survives any backlash. Spell Attack actions are cast if the Attack action is successful.

Caster: A fighter who is casting a spell.

Casting roll: The dice roll made by a player when one of their wizards attempts to cast a spell.

Casting value: The value that a player must equal or beat to cast a spell.

Chain: The chain of hexes created when an ability Scatters.

Charge action (pg 24): A superaction that lets you make a Move action followed by an Attack action with a single fighter. A fighter that makes a Charge action is given a Charge token, instead of a Move token, after the Move action.

Charge token: A token that indicates that a fighter cannot be activated.

Check if the target is taken out of action (pg 21): Step 6 in the combat sequence.

Choose: A rules term relating to the selection of fighters. A fighter is only 'chosen' by a card if that card contains the word 'choose' and tells you to choose one or more fighters, and you choose that fighter. Similar words, such as 'pick', do not mean the same as 'choose'.

Cleave: An Attack action keyword. If an Attack action is noted as having Cleave, rolls of the Block symbol cannot be successes in the defence roll.

Combat sequence (pg 21): The sequence followed whenever a fighter makes an Attack action.

Completed hex: A hex on the battlefield that is created when two or more game boards are pushed together.

Counter (pg 20): Used by certain cards, and represented by the reverse side of wound counters. The card may name the counter.

Critical hit (pg 21): Scored when you roll one or more critical successes for an Attack action, and the Attack action is successful. Some Attack actions have an ability that takes effect if a critical hit is scored when making that Attack action. Where this is the case, the Attack action will specify this.

Critical success: A roll of the critical success symbol on any dice. A critical success is always a success. In an Attack action, if the attacking player rolls more critical successes than the target's player, the Attack action is successful. If the target's player rolls more critical successes than the attacking player, the Attack action fails.

Damage (characteristic) (pg 20): An Attack action characteristic. When an Attack action is successful, the target fighter is dealt that amount of damage.

Deal damage (pg 21): Step 5 in the combat sequence. If something deals damage to a fighter, give that fighter a number of wound counters equal to the damage dealt.

Deck: A set of cards used by a player. Each player has two decks – the power deck and the objective deck. These are individually shuffled at the start of the game and kept face down next to the battlefield. Cards are drawn from the top of the decks. When a deck is exhausted, a player cannot draw any more cards of that type.

Declare Attack action (pg 21): Step 1 in the combat sequence.

Defence (characteristic) (pg 11): A fighter characteristic, found on the fighter card and consisting of a number and a symbol. The number tells you how many dice to roll when they are the target of an Attack action, and the symbol (Block or Dodge) tells you what you need to roll for a success. A critical success is always a success.

Defence dice: Dice used to make defence rolls.

Defence roll (pg 21): The dice roll made by a player when one of their fighters is the target of an Attack action. Step 3 in the combat sequence.

Determine success (pg 21): Step 4 in the combat sequence.

Dice (characteristic) (pg 20): An Attack action characteristic, consisting of a number and a symbol. When a player makes an Attack action, they roll a number of dice equal to the number of that Attack action's Dice characteristic. The symbol (Smash, Fury or a spell symbol) tells you what you need to roll for a success. Spell Attack actions use magic dice instead, and have different symbols you need to roll for a success (Channel or Focus). A critical success is always a success.

Discard (pg 18): The act of putting a card face up into a discard pile.

Discard piles: The locations where discarded cards are placed. Each player has two discard piles – the power discard pile and the objective discard pile. These are kept adjacent to the corresponding decks. Cards are placed in the discard piles face up and have no effect on the game, unless they specify otherwise.

Do-over (pg 18): An opportunity for a player to discard and redraw cards. Players can use a do-over at the start of a game if they don't like their initial hand.

Draw: A term used to describe a player taking the top card from the relevant deck and adding it to their hand.

Drive back (pg 21): Step 7 in the combat sequence.

Driven back (pg 22): A push that may result from an Attack action. A fighter that is driven back is pushed one hex. This push must take them further away from the fighter driving them back.

Dual objective card (pg 30): An objective card that has two conditions, both of which must be met for it to be scored.

Edge hex (pg 15): An outermost hex on the battlefield.

Empty hex (pg 15): A hex that does not contain a fighter and is not blocked.

End hex: The last hex in the chain created when an ability Scatters.

End phase (pg 30): Each game has three end phases. In the first two end phases objective cards are scored, upgrades are played and cards are discarded and drawn. In the third end phase objective cards are scored and the game then ends.

End sequence (pg 21): Step 8 in the combat sequence.

Enemy fighter: A fighter in any opponent's warband.

Enemy player: An opponent.

Enemy territory: Any opponent's territory (the hexes on their game boards).

Enemy warband: An opponent's warband.

Ensnare: An Attack action keyword. If an Attack action is noted as having Ensnare, rolls of the Dodge symbol cannot be successes in the defence roll.

Fails (Attack action): A term denoting an Attack action that is unsuccessful. An Attack action that fails doesn't cause damage.

Feature token: A double-sided token, one side of which is numbered. With the numbered side face up, this is an objective token. With the other side face up, this is a lethal hex token. These tokens do not block movement or line of sight.

Fighter: A member of a warband. Each fighter is represented by a miniature and a fighter card. When a rule refers to 'a fighter' or 'fighters' without specifying 'friendly' or 'enemy', it refers to both.

Fighter action: An action taken by a fighter (as opposed to a player).

Friendly fighter: A fighter in your warband.

Gambit card (pg 13, 25): A type of power card. Gambit cards are either ploys or gambit spells. Most gambit cards are played in the power step, though some specify an additional condition that must be met before they can be played. Some gambit cards are reactions, and can be played as described by the condition on the card.

Gambit spell (pg 25): A gambit card that is a spell. Gambit spells can only be used when there is a friendly wizard on the battlefield. Each time you play a gambit spell, you must choose a friendly wizard to attempt to cast it.

Give: A rules term relating to tokens and counters. A fighter given a token or counter is said to have that token or counter.

Glory point: A token that represents a warband's success. In a two-player game, each time an enemy fighter is taken out of action, you score a glory point, or two if that fighter had a Wounds characteristic of 6 or more. In a three- or four-player game, each time your warband takes an enemy fighter out of action, you score a glory point. When you meet the conditions of an objective card, you score the number of glory points specified on the card. You can spend a glory point in the power step or the end phase to give an upgrade to one of your fighters – when you do so, flip the glory point over to show that it has been spent. At the end of the game, whoever has the most glory points (both spent and unspent) wins.

Guard action (pg 24): An action a fighter can make when activated. When they do so, give them a Guard token. A fighter with one or more Guard tokens cannot make a Guard action.

Guard token: A token indicating that a fighter is on Guard. Rolls of the Block and Dodge symbols are both successes for defence rolls for a fighter on Guard. In addition, they cannot be driven back. If a fighter with one or more Guard tokens makes a Charge action, remove their Guard token(s).

Hand: The objective cards and power cards a player has drawn but not yet played or scored. A hand should be held or placed so that other players cannot see what cards are in it. A hand cannot include more than three objective cards, but can include any number of power cards.

Heal (pg 23): A keyword. Some cards direct you to Heal (X) one or more fighters, where X is a number. Remove that number of wound counters from the fighter(s) affected. A fighter is only healed if you remove at least one wound counter from them.

Hex: A space on the battlefield, used to determine where fighters, obstacles and tokens are, and the distance between them. Incomplete hexes are not hexes.

Hybrid objective card (pg 30): An objective card that has two conditions, either of which can be met for it to be scored.

Incomplete hex (pg 14): A partial hex at the edge of the battlefield. Incomplete hexes are not part of the battlefield or the game.

Innate (pg 27): A symbol on a card that adds a success to a dice roll. Only one Innate symbol can apply to each dice roll.

Inspired (pg 11): The state of a fighter whose Inspire condition – found on their fighter card – has been met. When a fighter is Inspired their fighter card is turned over to reveal their Inspired characteristics. An Inspired fighter remains Inspired for the rest of the game.

Keyword (pg 13): A word in bold text that either refers to a rule in this book (e.g. Cleave) or labels a card (e.g. Hunter) for the purposes of interactions with other cards.

Knockback (pg 23): An Attack action keyword. The target of a successful Attack action noted as having Knockback X, where X is a number, can be driven back a number of additional hexes equal to X.

Leader: A type of fighter. A warband's leader is denoted by a crown symbol before their name.

Lethal hex (pg 15): A hex defined by a red border. When a fighter moves, is pushed, driven back or placed into a lethal hex the fighter is dealt 1 damage. A hex that contains one or more lethal hex tokens is considered to be a lethal hex in addition to any other type of hex that it is.

Lethal hex token: A token that, while in place, causes a hex to become a lethal hex. This token does not block movement or line of sight.

Line of sight (pg 21): A term used to define visibility. Line of sight is drawn from the centre of a fighter's hex to the centre of any other hex. If the line touches or goes through a blocked hex or goes off the edge of the battlefield, there is no line of sight. Otherwise, the fighter has line of sight to that hex.

Magic dice: Dice used to make casting rolls, and attack rolls for spell Attack actions.

Modifier (pg 27): An alteration of a characteristic or dice roll.

Move (characteristic): A fighter characteristic, found on the fighter card. The Move characteristic tells you how many hexes that fighter can move when they make a Move action.

Move action (pg 19): An action a fighter can make when activated. When they do so, they can move into an adjacent hex up to a number of times equal to their Move characteristic. They cannot move through other fighters or blocked hexes. A fighter that moves must move at least one hex, and cannot end their Move action in the hex they started the Move action in. Once a fighter has made a Move action, give them a Move token.

Move token: A token indicating that a fighter cannot make a Move or Charge action.

No one's territory: Any hexes completed by the placement of the game boards are no one's territory.

Objective card (pg 12, 30): A type of card. When the condition described on an objective card is met, the player can score that card. They gain the number of glory points indicated on the card.

Objective deck (pg 12): One of a player's two decks, made up of 12 unique objective cards.

Objective token (pg 18): A token placed on the battlefield. The number on the token identifies it for the purpose of scoring objective cards. This token does not block movement or line of sight.

Occupied hex (pg 15): A hex with a fighter in it.

Origin hex: The hex from which a chain is created when an ability Scatters. It is not part of the chain.

Out of action (pg 23): The state of a fighter who is not on the battlefield. If a fighter has a number of wound counters that is equal to or greater than their Wounds characteristic, they are taken out of action, and their model is taken off the battlefield.

Pass action: A player action in which they forfeit an activation.

Persists (pg 25): A keyword. Some gambit cards say that they persist – these cards have an ongoing effect. Leave these cards face up in front of you. They are not discarded until they or another card specifies that they are.

Place: A rules term. When placed, fighters, feature tokens, lethal hex tokens and scatter tokens must be positioned in a hex.

Player action: An action taken by a player (as opposed to by a fighter).

Ploy card (pg 25): A type of gambit card, identified by a dagger symbol.

Power card (pg 13): A type of card. Power cards can be upgrade cards or gambit cards.

Power deck (pg 12): One of a player's two decks, made up of 20 or more unique power cards, with no more than half being gambit cards.

Power step (pg 25): Part of the action phase. A power step follows each activation, and gives players the opportunity to play power cards.

Push (pg 19): A rules term. A pushed fighter is pushed the number of hexes specified by the rule, in any direction (unless specified otherwise).

Range (characteristic) (pg 20): An Attack action characteristic, which tells you how far that Attack action can reach in hexes.

Re-roll: A rules term. When a rule tells you to re-roll a dice, roll it again, immediately after making the relevant roll. If you are told to re-roll a dice roll that involved multiple dice, roll all of them again unless specified otherwise. Whatever the new result is, it replaces the old result, even if it is worse. Unless specifically stated otherwise, you cannot re-roll a re-rolled dice.

Reaction (pg 27): An ability, found on a fighter card, upgrade card or gambit card, that describes a condition that must be met for it to be used. When that condition is met, the ability can be used without costing that player an activation.

Remove (pg 20): A rules term relating to tokens and counters.

Roll-off (pg 17): A rules term. Roll-offs are used to randomly determine a player for various purposes.

Round: One third of a game. Each round includes an action phase and an end phase.

Scatter (pg 29): A keyword. When resolving Scatter, a player creates a random chain of adjacent hexes using the scatter token and applies the effect described by the card or action.

Scything (pg 23): An Attack action keyword. If an Attack action is noted as having Scything, when that Attack action is made it is made against each adjacent enemy fighter.

Spell (pg 24): A type of ability, found on gambit cards, fighter cards and upgrade cards. Spells must be cast by a wizard on the battlefield for them to be resolved.

Spell Attack action (pg 24): An Attack action that is also a spell. Only wizards can use these Attack actions.

Starting hex: A type of hex, identified by the Warhammer Underworlds symbol.

Success: A rules term. Various symbols on the dice are considered successes in attack rolls, defence rolls and casting rolls.

Succeeds (Attack action) (pg 21): A rules term. An Attack action that succeeds deals damage.

Superaction (pg 24): An action made up of two or more actions.

Support (pg 22): A rules term. Friendly fighters adjacent to enemy fighters who are either making an Attack action or are the target of a friendly fighter's Attack action provide support. A fighter with support has a greater chance of success.

Supporting fighter: A fighter who is providing support.

Surge objective card (pg 30): An objective card that has a condition that allows you to score it during the action phase.

Surviving: The state of a fighter who is on the battlefield.

Target: A rules term. A fighter that is the target of an Attack action is a target.

Territory: A division of the battlefield. A player's territory is made up of all the hexes on their game board. Hexes on other players' game boards are enemy territory. Any hexes that become completed by the placement of game boards are no one's territory.

Trapped (pg 22): A rules term. When a fighter could be driven back by the result of a failed Attack action, but there are no hexes they can be driven back into, they become trapped and the Attack action becomes successful.

Un-Inspired (pg 11): The state of a fighter whose Inspire condition – found on their fighter card – has not yet been met, or who has been un-Inspired by an ability.

Upgrade card (pg 13, 26): A type of power card. A player can play an upgrade card in the power step or end phase by spending a glory point and giving the upgrade card to an eligible fighter. The fighter has that upgrade for the rest of the game.

Visible (pg 21): A rules term. If a fighter has line of sight to a hex, everything in that hex is visible to that fighter.

Warband (pg 10): A specific set of fighters identified by a unique symbol on their fighter cards. Each warband has access to unique objective and power cards.

Wizard: A type of fighter. A wizard is denoted by a wand symbol before their name. The number next to a wizard's wand symbol on their fighter card is their wizard level characteristic, sometimes used to determine how many dice you roll when they attempt to cast a spell.

Wounds (characteristic): A fighter characteristic, found on the fighter card. The higher this number is, the more damage a fighter can be dealt before they are taken out of action.

Wound counter: A counter that represents the damage dealt to fighters. Note that some older cards refer to wound tokens. These are in every respect the same as wound counters.

Game Boards

The Direchasm Core Set includes four game boards, each printed with a hexagonal grid on one side: Hive of Sacrifice, Ambertrap Nest, Pool of Fangs and Menhirs of Binding.

Reference

Combat Sequence

1. Declare Attack action (choose an Attack action and a target)
2. Attack roll
3. Defence roll
4. Determine success (compare your successes to your opponent's):
   • If neither player has any successes, or the attacker has fewer successes, or the players have the same number of successes: the Attack action fails.
   • If the attacker has more successes: the Attack action succeeds. Go to step 5.
5. Deal damage
6. Check if the target is taken out of action
7. Drive back (if the Attack action failed but the target could be driven back): if the target is not trapped, the Attack action fails; if the target is trapped, the Attack action succeeds – go to step 5 (Deal damage) and then step 6 (Check if the target is taken out of action)
8. End sequence

Determining Success

Attack roll	Defence roll	Attack Action Result
No successes	Any	Miss
A success	No successes	Hit
A success	A success	Miss but drive back
A success	Two successes	Miss
Two successes	A success	Hit
Two successes	A critical success	Miss
A critical success	Two successes	Critical hit
A critical success	A critical success	Miss but drive back
A critical success	A critical success and a success	Miss
A critical success and a success	A critical success	Critical hit
A critical success and a success	A critical success and a success	Miss but drive back
A critical success and a success	Two critical successes	Miss
Two critical successes	A critical success	Critical hit

No successes = no dice matched the required symbol. A success = a die matched the required symbol. Critical success = a die showed the critical success symbol.

Activation Options

• Make a Move action with a fighter.
• Make a Charge action with a fighter.
• Make a Guard action with a fighter.
• Make an action printed on a fighter card or upgrade (such as an Attack action) with a fighter.
• Draw a power card.
• Discard an objective card and draw an objective card.
• Pass (forfeit an activation).

Round Sequence

Action phase

• Roll-off to determine player order
• Resolve any 'Start of the action phase' abilities
• Play the following sequence four times: first player's activation, first player's power step, second player's activation, second player's power step

End phase

First player, then second player do the following:

1. Score objective cards
2. Discard objective cards
3. Give fighters upgrades
4. Discard power cards
5. Draw objective cards
6. Draw power cards