Warhammer Underworlds: Wintermaw
Warhammer Underworlds Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Aim of the Game and Using This Rulebook
The aim of the game is to score Glory points, which are gained by scoring objectives and striking down foes. The player with the most Glory points at the end of the game wins! This rulebook explains how to play Warhammer Underworlds and it is divided into three sections:
- Getting Ready to Play: This section details the components in the box, how to set them up and provides an overview of the core concepts of the game.
- Core Rules: Playing the Game (pg 8): This section details how to play a game of Warhammer Underworlds as well as the rules that are used in every game.
- Expanded Rules (pg 15): This section details rules interactions that will not appear in every game of Warhammer Underworlds.
Designer's Note: Rules Bold Some terms are written in rules bold. This indicates that these are important terms used throughout Warhammer Underworlds. Each of these terms can be found in the index at the back of this rulebook for ease of reference.
A Player's Warband
Fighters are represented by Citadel Miniatures. Assemble the miniatures using the assembly guide in the Warhammer Underworlds box.
A player, a set of fighters, their fighter cards (pg 4), their warscroll (pg 4), and their chosen Rivals deck (pg 5) are collectively referred to as a warband.
Fighters in one player's warband are friendly fighters. Fighters in their opponent's warband are enemy fighters.
Tokens
Tokens are used to keep track of various things during the game. The rules will tell you when and how you need to use the tokens. For now, place the tokens below within easy reach of both players.
- Glory point tokens
- Turn tokens
- Damage tokens
- Raise tokens
- Generic tokens
- Move / Charge tokens
- Guard / Stagger tokens
- Feature tokens
Dice Symbols
Take the 5 Attack dice and the 3 Save dice from the box. These dice are commonly used in the combat sequence (pg 10). For now, place them in easy reach of both players.
Attack Dice
- Critical Attack
- Hammer
- Swords
- Flanked
- Surrounded
Save Dice
- Critical Save
- Shield
- Dodge
- Flanked
- Surrounded
The Warbands
The bold adventurers that delve into the subterranean depths of the Mortal Realms could be considered fearsome and foolish in equal measure, yet all are deadly warriors. This section details what makes up a warband, and explains the core concepts you'll need to use your warband in games of Warhammer Underworlds.
Warscroll Cards
Each warband has a unique warscroll. One side details the abilities (see below) that give the warband its unique character and playstyle, while the reverse allows you to easily identify each fighter.
A warscroll card shows the warband name, warband icon, fighter key, Inspire condition, warband abilities and a tracker.
Inspire
A fighter may become Inspired by achieving great deeds in the heat of battle. When a fighter meets the Inspire condition on their warscroll, turn their fighter card over to the golden Inspired side. Inspired fighters are more formidable and boast better characteristics.
Some warscrolls may have an Uninspire condition. When an Inspired fighter meets this condition, turn their fighter card over to the grey Uninspired side.
Fighter Cards
Each fighter is represented by a fighter card that shows their characteristics and runemarks (see below). Characteristics determine how fast, tough or accurate a fighter is, while runemarks are used to identify the abilities a fighter can use. Ensure both players have their fighter cards and warscroll in front of them.
A fighter card shows: Move characteristic, Save characteristic, Health characteristic, Bounty characteristic, Fighter name, Runemarks, and Weapons.
A weapon profile on a fighter card shows: 1. Range characteristic, 2. Dice symbol, 3. Dice characteristic, 4. Damage characteristic, 5. Weapon ability runemarks (pg 11).
Weapons
A fighter's weapons can be found at the bottom of their fighter card.
Weapons with the melee runemark are melee weapons. Attacks made with melee weapons are melee Attacks.
Weapons with the ranged runemark are ranged weapons. Attacks made with ranged weapons are ranged Attacks.
Rules for determining range and distance can be found on page 16.
The Rivals Decks
Before a game of Warhammer Underworlds, each player picks a 32-card Rivals deck consisting of 12 Objective cards (the gold cards), which dictate how they score Glory points, and 20 Power cards (the red cards), which give them access to powerful abilities to turn the battle in their favour.
A Power deck includes powerful Ploys and incredible Upgrades that augment each warband. Play the right card at the right moment, and watch your opponent's plans unravel before their very eyes!
An Objective deck is the primary means of scoring all-important Glory points. Each Objective card includes a condition, or conditions, that a warband must accomplish to defeat their rivals.
Abilities
Anything a player or a fighter can do is an ability – the most common are Core abilities (pg 9). Additional abilities are also found on warscrolls and Power cards.
Surge Abilities
Surge abilities, identified by the Surge symbol, can be played immediately before or immediately after an event specified by that Surge ability.
Designer's Note: Don't Rush! When resolving an ability, your opponent should be given an opportunity to use a relevant Surge ability, if they have any – a few seconds is usually enough!
Sequencing Abilities
If a player has two or more abilities that would be resolved at the same time, they choose the order in which they are resolved.
If two players have abilities that would be resolved at the same time, the player whose turn it is resolves their abilities first, then their opponent resolves their abilities afterwards.
Can I Use This Ability?
An ability can only be used if each instruction for that ability can be resolved.
Example: Nyle wants to Charge with Ardorn. However, Ardorn already Moved earlier in the same combat phase and has a Move token. This means that Ardorn cannot Charge and Nyle would need to pick a different fighter to Charge.
'Cannot'
If two or more abilities come into conflict and one of them says 'cannot', that ability takes precedence.
Example: Leigh wants to play a Ploy that would allow him to push one of Kelly's fighters. However, the fighter he wants to push is equipped with an Upgrade that says that fighter cannot be pushed. If Leigh played that card, he would have to pick one of Kelly's other fighters to push.
'But My Card Says...'
Abilities on a card may contradict the rulebook. In these instances, the ability on the card takes precedence – even if the rule in this rulebook says 'cannot'.
Example: Leila plays a Ploy that allows a friendly fighter to Move. The fighter they pick has a Charge token and cannot Move. However, Leila's Ploy takes precedence, so they can resolve the Move.
Runemarks
Runemarks are symbols that are associated with certain rules or abilities. Runemarks are typically found on fighter cards, warscrolls, weapons, Objective cards and Power cards. They are used to identify which abilities a fighter or a weapon can use – or, in the case of an Objective card, restrict which fighters can meet its conditions.
Example: Tik Tik is the only fighter in Zikkit's Tunnelpack with the Minion runemark on their fighter card. The 'Kaboom!' ability on the Zikkit's Tunnelpack warscroll has the same runemark, meaning only Tik Tik can use that ability.
Setting Up
1. Muster Warbands
Each player picks a warband and a Rivals deck. They reveal their choice and place the relevant components in front of them. Each player then separates their Rivals deck into an Objective deck (the gold cards) and a Power deck (the red cards), placing both face down.
Each player then places a generic token next to each warband ability on their warscroll that requires one, as specified by that ability.
Example: During the Muster Warbands step, Phil picks the Emberwatch. He prepares their warscroll, fighter cards, miniatures and a Rivals deck and places each in front of him. He also places 4 turn tokens (pg 2) nearby to keep track of how many turns he has taken in each battle round.
2. Draw Starting Hand
Each player shuffles their Objective deck and their Power deck separately, face down. Each player then draws 3 Objective cards and 5 Power cards – this is their starting hand. A player's cards are kept secret from their opponent and are referred to as their hand.
After each player has drawn their starting hand, they can use one redraw to try for a better starting hand.
How to Redraw
- First, the player places all of their Objective cards and/or all of their Power cards face down to one side.
- Then, they draw like-for-like replacements for the cards they placed to one side.
- Then, they shuffle the cards they placed to one side back into their appropriate decks.
Designer's Note: Do I Need to Use a Redraw? Whether to use a redraw can be a difficult decision to make, and a 'good' starting hand is quite subjective!
Read your cards carefully. If two or more Objective cards seem too difficult to score or you have drawn 3 or more Power cards that are Upgrades (pg 13), it may be advisable to redraw.
3. Determine Territories
The players roll off (see below). The winner picks a side of the game board to be the battlefield (pg 3) and which territory belongs to them. The other territory belongs to the other player.
Roll-offs
If a rule calls for a roll-off, each player rolls an Attack dice (pg 2) and they compare their result. If one player's result beats their opponent's, that player wins the roll-off. If the result is a draw, players roll off again.
- Critical Attack beats results of each other symbol.
- Swords beats results of Hammer, Surrounded and Flanked.
- Hammer beats results of Surrounded and Flanked.
- Surrounded beats results of Flanked.
4. Place Treasure Tokens
The player who did not pick their territory shuffles the feature tokens with the numbered side face down. Following the restrictions below, players then place their feature tokens as follows:
The player who did not pick their territory places 1 feature token numbered side down in an empty hex. Then, players alternate placing feature tokens numbered side down in empty hexes.
Restrictions
- Feature tokens cannot be placed in starting hexes, blocked hexes, stagger hexes, edge hexes or within 2 hexes of another feature token.
- If it is otherwise impossible to place a feature token, it can be placed in an edge hex.
- After 5 feature tokens have been placed, there must be a minimum of 1 feature token in each player's territory.
Once 5 feature tokens have been placed, flip them to reveal their numbered side. Feature tokens displaying their numbered side are treasure tokens.
5. Deploy Fighters
Starting with the player that placed the final feature token, the players take it in turns to place 1 fighter from their warband into an empty starting hex in friendly territory (pg 3). A fighter that is placed in a starting hex during 'Setting Up' is deployed.
If one player runs out of fighters to deploy, the other player continues deploying fighters until each fighter is deployed.
Once the 'Setting Up' sequence is complete, you're ready to jump into battle round 1 and play Warhammer Underworlds!
The Game Board
Take the game board and place it between the players. Each side of the game board represents a different battlefield and is divided into hexes.
Battlefields consist of starting hexes, edge hexes, blocked hexes, stagger hexes and empty hexes. The rules for hexes can be found on page 15.
Territories
During 'Setting Up' (pg 6), players determine their territories. The player's territories are two opposite sides of the battlefield as highlighted in red and blue on the board. A player's own territory is friendly territory and their opponent's territory is enemy territory.
The hexes that are not highlighted are neutral territory. The number of hexes that form neutral territory changes based on the orientation of the battlefield.
Core Rules: Playing the Game
A game of Warhammer Underworlds is played over 3 battle rounds, after which the victor is determined. Each battle round consists of a combat phase followed by an end phase.
Game Sequence
- Battle Round 1: Combat Phase, End Phase
- Battle Round 2: Combat Phase, End Phase
- Battle Round 3: Combat Phase, Final End Phase
- Determine the Victor
Combat Phase
In each combat phase, the players alternate taking turns to resolve abilities – such as moving their fighters and attacking their enemies – until the players have had 4 turns each.
Combat Phase Sequence
Player 1 Turn 1 → Player 2 Turn 1 → Player 1 Turn 2 → Player 2 Turn 2 → Player 1 Turn 3 → Player 2 Turn 3 → Player 1 Turn 4 → Player 2 Turn 4
Determine Who Takes First Turn
At the start of each battle round, the players roll off. The winner decides who will take the first turn in that combat phase. The other player draws 1 Power card and adds it to their hand. Additionally, in battle rounds 2 and 3, if the result of the roll-off is a tie, the underdog wins.
The Underdog If one player's slain friendly fighters have a greater combined Bounty characteristic than their opponent's, that player is the underdog. Otherwise, there is no underdog. Certain abilities can only be used if a player is the underdog.
Steps of a Turn
A player's turn has two steps: an Action step (see below) followed by a Power step (pg 13). After a Power step, the current turn ends and the next turn begins.
Turn Tokens It can be easy to lose track of how many turns you've taken! At the start of your turn, flip one of your turn tokens over.
Action Step
During an Action step, the player whose turn it is picks one Core ability (see below) and resolves it. An Action step ends after the chosen Core ability is resolved.
Core Abilities
Core abilities are common abilities that all fighters and players have access to. Core abilities cannot be used outside of an Action step. Some cards and warscrolls may grant access to additional Core abilities. Core abilities can be identified by the Core ability symbol.
Move
The fighter moves into position.
Pick a friendly fighter to use this ability. That fighter can enter an adjacent empty hex a number of times up to their Move characteristic. That fighter must end this ability in a different hex to the hex it began in. Then give that fighter a Move token. That fighter has Moved.
Attack
Seeking to fell their rivals, the fighter strikes out at the foe.
Pick a friendly fighter to use this ability. That fighter is the attacker. Pick 1 of the attacker's weapons. Then pick a visible enemy fighter within range of that weapon to be the target. Then resolve the combat sequence (pg 10). That fighter has Attacked.
Charge
With a mighty war cry, the fighter charges headlong into the fray.
Pick a friendly fighter with no Move or Charge tokens to use this ability. Remove that fighter's Guard tokens, if they have any. Then that fighter Moves. After that fighter has Moved, give that fighter a Charge token instead of a Move token. Then that fighter Attacks. After that fighter has Attacked, that fighter has Charged.
Guard
The fighter stands fast, holding their ground against all comers.
Pick a friendly fighter to use this ability. Give that fighter a Guard token.
Focus
Taking stock of the situation, the warband quickly changes tack.
You can discard any number of cards from your hand. Then draw a replacement card of the same type for each card you discarded. Then you can draw 1 additional Power card. You have Focused.
Visibility
To check if a hex is visible to a fighter, draw an imaginary straight line from the centre of the hex they are in to the centre of the hex in question. If that line passes through or touches one or more blocked hexes, that hex is not visible to that fighter. Otherwise, that hex and anything in that hex is visible to that fighter.
Fighters do not block visibility. Fighters are visible to themselves.
Charge Tokens A fighter with any Charge tokens cannot Move, Attack or Guard unless all friendly fighters have any Charge tokens.
Designer's Note: Can I Charge? Charge is a Core ability that requires a player to resolve the Move ability and the Attack ability back to back. A fighter can only Charge if they're able to resolve both abilities, one after the other. If, for whatever reason, a fighter cannot resolve either of those abilities during a Charge, they cannot Charge.
Combat Sequence
The combat sequence is used to determine whether or not an attack is successful, drawn or failed.
- Attacker's player picks a weapon ability: If the weapon picked has 1 or more Weapon abilities (pg 11), then the attacker's player can pick 1 Weapon ability to use during the Attack.
- Make Attack roll: The attacker's player rolls a number of Attack dice equal to the Dice characteristic (pg 4) of the weapon they picked.
- Make Save roll: The target's player rolls a number of Save dice equal to the target's Save characteristic.
- Determine success: Count the number of successes in the Attack roll and the Save roll (see below). If the Attack roll contains more successes, the Attack is successful (✓). If the results are tied, the Attack is drawn (–). If the Save roll contains more successes, the Attack fails (✗).
Counting Successes
Attack roll: Count results of Critical Attack. Then, count results that match the Dice symbol of the weapon you picked (Hammer or Swords). Then, if the target is Flanked and/or Surrounded, count results that match that Dice symbol.
Save roll: Count results of Critical Save. Then, count results that match the Dice symbol of the target's Save characteristic (Shield or Dodge). Then, if the attacker is Flanked and/or Surrounded, count results that match that Dice symbol.
Each symbol counted in this way is a success.
Attack Successful: Inflict an amount of damage (pg 12) on the target equal to the Damage characteristic of the weapon you picked. Then, check if the target is slain (pg 12). Then, if the target was not slain, they can be driven back (pg 12). Then, the combat sequence ends.
Drawn Attack: The Attack fails. Then the target can be driven back (pg 12). Then, the combat sequence ends.
Attack Failed: The Attack fails. Nothing happens and the combat sequence ends.
Additional Combat Sequence Abilities
Sometimes, a player may have access to additional abilities that they can choose to use during the combat sequence. The most common of these are Overrun and Stand Fast (pg 12). Each fighter has access to these abilities.
Stagger Tokens
You can re-roll 1 dice in an Attack roll if the target has any Stagger tokens.
Guard Tokens
Rolls of both Shield and Dodge are successes in a Save roll if the target has a Guard token. In addition, they cannot be driven back. A fighter with a Guard token cannot be given another Guard token.
Flanked and Surrounded
During a game of Warhammer Underworlds, friendly fighters aid their allies and hinder their foes by flanking and surrounding enemy fighters.
Flanked
Attack roll: Rolls of Flanked are successes in an Attack roll if the target is Flanked. A target is Flanked if there is 1 enemy fighter other than the attacker adjacent to them.
Save roll: Rolls of Flanked are successes in a Save roll if the attacker is Flanked. An attacker is Flanked if there is 1 enemy fighter other than the target adjacent to them.
Surrounded
Attack roll: Rolls of Flanked and Surrounded are successes in an Attack roll if the target is Surrounded. A target is Surrounded if there are 2 or more enemy fighters other than the attacker adjacent to them. A Surrounded target is also Flanked.
Save roll: Rolls of Flanked and Surrounded are successes in a Save roll if the attacker is Surrounded. An attacker is Surrounded if there are 2 or more enemy fighters other than the target adjacent to them. A Surrounded attacker is also Flanked.
Weapon Abilities
Some weapons have runemarks that give the attacker's player access to a Weapon ability that they can choose to use in step 1 of the combat sequence.
These runemarks are commonly found next to the weapon on a fighter card. Some Power cards will grant a weapon an additional runemark. If a weapon has more than one runemark, then the attacker's player can choose which Weapon ability to use. However, an attacker's player can only choose one Weapon ability to use until the Attack is resolved.
Critical Weapon Abilities
Some weapons have runemarks preceded by a Critical symbol. This is called a Critical Weapon ability. Critical Weapon abilities are chosen in the same way as other Weapon abilities and have the same effect, but that effect only triggers if the Attack roll contains 1 or more rolls of Critical Attack.
Example: During an Attack, Artemis picks a weapon that has the Critical Grievous (see below) runemarks. Then, they play a Surge Ploy that gives that weapon Cleave. In step 1 of the combat sequence that follows, Artemis can pick one Weapon ability, but they cannot pick both. Artemis chooses Cleave, meaning rolls of Shield cannot count as successes in the Save roll for that Attack.
Cleave — Rolls of Shield cannot count as successes in the Save roll.
Ensnare — Rolls of Dodge cannot count as successes in the Save roll.
Brutal — Rolls of Flanked and Surrounded cannot count as successes in the Save roll.
Grievous — That fighter's weapon has +1 Damage for that Attack.
Stagger — If the Attack was successful, give the target a Stagger token.
Grapple — If a target can be driven back, they can be pushed 1 hex instead.
Inflicting Damage
When a weapon or ability inflicts damage on a fighter, give that fighter a number of damage tokens (see right) equal to the Damage characteristic of the chosen weapon or the amount of damage specified by the ability. After that damage is inflicted on a fighter, check if that fighter is slain (see below).
Slain
If a fighter has a number of damage tokens equal to or greater than their Health characteristic, that fighter is slain. Immediately remove the slain fighter and their tokens from the battlefield, remove all tokens from their fighter card and each of their Upgrades, discard that fighter's Upgrades (pg 13), and then Uninspire that fighter (pg 4). Slain fighters cannot use abilities and cannot contribute towards scoring Objective cards unless specified otherwise. Finally, ignore slain fighters for all rules unless specified otherwise.
Bounty
When an enemy fighter is slain, gain a number of Glory points equal to the Bounty characteristic of the slain fighter.
Who Inflicted Damage?
Sometimes you'll need to know where damage has been inflicted from. Where damage is inflicted as part of an Attack, both the attacker and the weapon picked during that Attack inflicted the damage. If that damage would result in the target being slain, the target has been slain by the attacker and that weapon.
Where damage is inflicted by an ability other than an Attack, that ability inflicted the damage. If that damage would result in that fighter being slain, that fighter has been slain by that ability.
Drive Back
If the number of successes in an Attack roll is equal to or greater than the number of successes in the Save roll, and there are any successes in that Attack roll, the attacker's player can use the following ability:
Drive back: Push the target 1 hex away from the attacker. That fighter has been driven back.
Overrun
If an Attack roll contains more rolls of Critical Attack than the Save roll, after the target is driven back or slain, the attacker can use the following ability:
Overrun: Push the attacker 1 hex. That push must end in the hex the target was in.
Designer's Note: Are Drive Back and Overrun Weapon Abilities? Drive back and Overrun are not Weapon abilities, so they can be used in addition to a chosen Weapon ability.
Stand Fast
If the Save roll made for a target contained more rolls of Critical Save than the Attack roll, then the target can use the following ability:
Stand Fast: The attacker's weapon has -1 Damage for that Attack and the target cannot be driven back.
Push
When an ability tells you to push a fighter, push their miniature into an adjacent empty hex a number of times specified by the ability.
The direction of a push is up to the player that is pushing that fighter, unless specified otherwise.
A push must end in a different hex to the one it started in.
If a fighter would be pushed into an occupied or blocked hex (pg 15), nothing happens.
Designer's Note: Is a Push a Move? A push is not a Move. Do not give a fighter a Move token after they have been pushed.
Power Step
After a player's Action step, it is time for that player's Power step.
In a Power step, the players take it in turns to do one of the following, starting with the player whose Power step it is:
- Play a Power card from their hand
- Use an ability on their warscroll
- Use the Delve ability (see below)
- Pass (do nothing)
After both players pass in succession, the Power step ends and the next turn begins.
Playing a Power Card
Power cards come in two types: Ploys and Upgrades. Ploys are powerful abilities that are often resolved immediately or persist for a determined length of time (pg 17). Upgrades are given to friendly fighters to give them access to new, often permanent abilities or modify their characteristics.
A Power card shows: 1. Upgrade symbol, 2. Ploy symbol, 3. Card name, 4. Ability text, 5. Glory value, 6. Rivals deck symbol.
Playing Ploys
To play a Ploy, reveal it and immediately follow the ability text on that card. Then, discard that card. After a Ploy has been discarded, it has been resolved.
Surge Ploys Surge Ploys, identified by Surge symbols next to the card's name, are Surge abilities (pg 5) that can be played immediately before or immediately after an event specified by that Surge Ploy.
Playing Upgrades
To play an Upgrade, reveal it and equip a friendly fighter with that Upgrade by placing it next to their fighter card.
The total Glory value of a warband's equipped Upgrades cannot exceed the number of Glory points that warband currently has.
Delve
Delving allows a fighter to flip a feature token they are on. A warband can only use Delve once in each Power step.
Delve
The fighter discovers buried secrets – or hides them from their rivals.
Pick a friendly fighter on a feature token to use this ability. Flip the feature token that fighter is on, then give that fighter a Stagger token. That fighter has Delved.
When a fighter Delves, if that feature token is currently a treasure token, it becomes a cover token (pg 15) and vice versa.
Designer's Note: Is It a Treasure Token? A feature token is only a treasure token if its numbered side is face up – this is important to note if you have an Objective card that requires you to hold a treasure token!
End Phase
Once both players have taken four turns in a battle round, the end phase begins. In the end phase, both players run through the following sequence, starting with the player who took the first turn in the combat phase:
End Phase Sequence
- Score Objective cards: Check each Objective card in your hand. If you have met the conditions on an Objective card, you can score that card. To do so, reveal it and gain a number of Glory points equal to the Glory value on that card. Then, place those scored cards face-up next to your Objective deck. This is your scored Objective pile.
- Equip Upgrades: Play Upgrades (see above).
- Discard cards: You can discard any number of cards from your hand.
- Draw Objective cards: Draw Objective cards until you have 3 in your hand.
- Draw Power cards: Draw Power cards until you have 5 in your hand.
Once both players have followed this sequence, both players clear their Move, Charge, Guard and Stagger tokens from the battlefield and flip their turn tokens over.
The end phase is now over and a new battle round begins.
Surge Objective Cards
Unlike other Objective cards which are scored in the end phase, when the condition on a Surge Objective card is met, if a player has that Surge Objective card in their hand, they must score it immediately. Surge Objectives are identified by the Surge symbol.
After a player scores a Surge Objective card, that player immediately draws a replacement Objective card. If that replacement card is a Surge Objective, it cannot be scored before the start of the next turn.
Designer's Note: Running Out of Cards During a game, it's entirely possible for a player to run out of cards in one or both of their decks.
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 their deck.
Battle Rounds 2 and 3
Battle rounds 2 and 3 play the same way as battle round 1. However, in the final end phase of battle round 3, follow the rules below.
Final End Phase
In the final end phase, each player only plays steps 1 and 2 of the end phase sequence. After both players have run through these steps, the game ends.
Determine the Victor
The player with the most Glory points at the end of the game wins a major victory.
If players are tied on Glory points:
- If only one player has fighters remaining, they win a minor victory.
- Otherwise, the player whose warband holds the highest combined value of treasure tokens wins a minor victory.
- Otherwise, the players compare the combined Bounty characteristics of their remaining fighters. The player with the highest total wins a minor victory.
- Otherwise, the game is a draw.
Designer's Note: Death Is Not the End! It may seem strange, but you don't automatically win the game if every enemy fighter is slain. It is important that each battle round is played to its conclusion – this means that neither player can afford to ignore their Objective cards.
Expanded Rules
This section details expanded rules and interactions that may not appear in every game of Warhammer Underworlds or adds clarification to Core Rules where multiple rules, abilities or effects interact with them.
Heal
Some abilities allow you to heal a fighter. When an ability tells you to heal a fighter, remove 1 damage token from that fighter. When an undamaged fighter is healed (see below), nothing happens.
Hex Types
Games of Warhammer Underworlds take place on a battlefield consisting of hexes. Feature tokens and fighters are placed in hexes. A single hex cannot contain more than one fighter. Additionally, a hex can be an edge hex in addition to other hex types. The same is true of occupied and empty hexes.
Starting Hexes
Hexes that contain the Warhammer Underworlds symbol are starting hexes.
Edge Hexes
The outermost hexes around the edge of the battlefield are edge hexes.
Blocked Hexes
Hexes with a thick white border are blocked hexes. Fighters cannot move into or through blocked hexes and these hexes block visibility (pg 9).
Stagger Hexes
Hexes with a thick red border are stagger hexes. If a fighter enters or is placed in a stagger hex, give them a Stagger token.
Occupied Hexes
A hex that contains a fighter is an occupied hex.
Empty Hexes
If a hex is not occupied or blocked, it is an empty hex.
Feature Tokens
Feature tokens are double-sided tokens. One side is a treasure token and the other is a cover token.
Treasure Tokens
Treasure tokens represent sites of strategic importance. A fighter that is on a treasure token is holding that treasure token.
Cover Tokens
Cover tokens represent defensible points. Rolls of Surrounded count as successes in Save rolls for fighters on a cover token.
Common Runemarks
Flying: Fighters with the flying runemark can move through occupied hexes and are not affected by stagger hexes while using the Move ability.
Leader: Each warband has one fighter with the leader runemark. Some cards may refer to a warband's leader.
Damage Statuses
A fighter with 1 or more damage tokens is damaged. A damaged fighter is also vulnerable if 1 damage token would slay them. A fighter with no damage tokens is undamaged.
Inspire and Uninspire
If an Uninspired fighter is Uninspired, nothing happens. If an Inspired fighter is Inspired, nothing happens.
Raise
Some abilities allow fighters to be Raised. When this happens, the Raised fighter is placed in an empty hex specified by the ability. A Raised fighter is given a Raise token and has a Bounty characteristic of 0.
Plot Card
Some Rivals decks have a plot card. Plot cards introduce additional rules or mechanics unique to the game when a player uses that Rivals deck.
Rules Clarifications
Adjacent
Adjacent is a term used to describe 2 hexes, fighters or feature tokens that are next to each other. Things such as fighters or feature tokens in adjacent hexes are adjacent to each other. A thing is not adjacent to itself.
When an ability requires a player to determine adjacency between 2 or more things (such as fighters, tokens or hexes), adjacency cannot be determined from things not specified by that ability.
Example: An ability reads 'Pick 2 fighters. Push each fighter 1 hex so they are adjacent.' After the pushes, the fighters must be adjacent to each other as no other thing was specified on that card that those fighters could be adjacent to.
Range and Distance
When determining the distance between 2 hexes, always count the shortest distance possible (including blocked hexes).
- B is within 1 hex of A. B is 1 hex from A.
- C is within 2 hexes of A. C is 2 hexes from A.
- D is within 4 hexes of A. D is 4 hexes from A.
A fighter in hex A could only target a fighter in hex C if they have a Range 2+ weapon – unless they use the Charge ability. The same fighter would need a Move characteristic of 4 to reach hex D.
'Away From' and 'Closer To'
If a rule states that a fighter must Move or be pushed away from something (such as a fighter, token or hex), each hex that fighter enters as part of that Move or push must be further away from the thing it must Move or be pushed away from.
Example 1: Fighter A can drive back Fighter B. Fighter B can be driven back into all hexes marked with a check mark as they are all further away from the attacker.
Similarly, if a rule states that a fighter must Move or be pushed closer to something (such as a fighter, token or hex), each hex that fighter enters as part of that Move or push must be closer to the thing it must Move or be pushed closer to.
Example 2: Fighter B's player has played a Power card that allows them to push a friendly fighter 1 hex closer to an enemy fighter. They choose to push Fighter B closer to Fighter A. Fighter B can be pushed into the hexes marked with a check mark as they are all closer to Fighter A.
Persisting Abilities
The effects of most abilities are applied as soon as they are used, while other effects can persist.
- Some abilities will persist for a specified duration (e.g. 'until the end of the battle round').
- If an ability that persists specifies more than one event that it persists until, it persists until the first of those events occurs.
- Other abilities persist until the 'next' event (e.g. 'the next Action step'). The effects of such abilities only apply for that event.
- Abilities cannot persist past the end of a battle round unless specified otherwise (e.g. 'until the end of the game'). These effects persist until the last Power step of the current battle round has ended.
- Abilities found on warscroll cards and Plot cards persist for the duration of the game, unless specified otherwise.
When a Ploy with an ability that has a duration is played, it is resolved and discarded as usual (pg 13).
Playing Surge Abilities
If both players have Surge abilities that can be played at the same time, starting with the player whose turn it is, players take it in turns to play them, one at a time, until both players pass in succession. Then, resolve them as normal (pg 5).
Discarding and Card Piles
Discarded cards are placed face up in a pile next to their matching deck, creating an Objective discard pile and a Power discard pile. Players can freely look at the cards in their own and their opponent's discard piles during the game.
Modifiers
Modifiers change values or symbols found on cards. All modifiers are cumulative, so if a characteristic has more than one modifier applied to it, apply them all. Characteristics cannot be modified below 1 unless specified otherwise.
Numerical Modifiers
Numerical modifiers improve or worsen characteristics by a numerical value.
Example: A fighter with a Move characteristic of 3 on their fighter card equips an Upgrade that gives them +1 Move. That fighter's Move characteristic is now 4.
Set Modifiers
Set modifiers change a characteristic to a set value. Always apply these modifiers first.
If two or more abilities would set the same characteristic to different values, the most recent ability takes precedence for as long as that ability is in effect.
Example: An Upgrade sets a fighter's Move characteristic to 5. Then, their opponent plays a Ploy that sets all Move characteristics to 1 for the next Action step. The Ploy takes precedence and that fighter's Move characteristic is 1 until the Ploy is no longer in effect, after which it reverts to 5. If the Upgrade had been played after the Ploy, the fighter's Move characteristic would be set to 5 regardless of the Ploy.
Dice Symbol Modifiers
Some modifiers change the Dice symbol a player must roll in order for that roll to be considered a success in an Attack roll or Save roll.
Example: A Ploy sets the Dice symbol in the next Attack to Swords. During the next Attack, if a fighter's weapon would normally hit on Hammer, that weapon hits on Swords during the next Attack instead.
Re-rolls
When an ability tells a player to re-roll a dice, they roll it again immediately after making the relevant roll. The new result replaces the old roll, even if it is worse. Unless specifically stated otherwise, a player cannot re-roll a re-rolled dice.
Defining 'Any'
When the term 'any' is used, it is synonymous with 'one or more'.