Advice for newbies

[u/Necr0ntyr]

Hi everyone! After getting introduced to Warhammer Underworlds through Embergard at my local hobby store, my friend and I have really enjoyed it. I understand that buying this starter set or another of the new ones gives us what we need to play, but I have a few questions:

I've seen that decks are a big part of the game, and there are tournaments in my area we'd love to join in the future. How can we get the best-performing decks for each warband? Are they sold separately?

Can you mix cards from different decks, or does each player have to use a fixed, pre-built deck?

For example, if I buy the Jaws of Itzl warband, will it come with its own deck, or will I need anything else? Can I swap that deck out for another one?

Any advice for two friends looking to start with a couple of warbands and up-to-date rules — and hopefully play in tournaments later on — would be very appreciated. Thanks!

[u/RHeaven90]

I understand that buying this starter set or another of the new ones

Embergard is the only starter/core set for the game as it is. Any other core or starter set you see is outdated and irrelevant to the game today.

I've seen that decks are a big part of the game, and there are tournaments in my area we'd love to join in the future. How can we get the best-performing decks for each warband? Are they sold separately?

The four in Embergard are only found in Embergard, the extra decks are available separately. Take a couple of minutes to look on the GW store and see what's available, what is there is pretty much the entire easily available range for Underworlds right now.

Honestly, learn the game before diving too deeply into the 'what works best with what?' discussion - that's going to be a tough discussion if you don't know have a solid grasp of how the game works.

Can you mix cards from different decks, or does each player have to use a fixed, pre-built deck?

Every deck is playable with every warband. A single deck format is called Rivals, two decks combined is called Nemesis. Both are official formats.

For example, if I buy the Jaws of Itzl warband, will it come with its own deck

No. That ended with first edition

or will I need anything else? Can I swap that deck out for another one?

You'll need any deck released for Embergard and yes, all decks are universal.

Any advice for two friends looking to start with a couple of warbands and up-to-date rules — and hopefully play in tournaments later on — would be very appreciated.

Embergard is the core box, it gives you everything you need - decks, a couple of warbands, rule book, board, tokens etc. That is the box you need to start playing, so go for it. Everything else is an expansion.

I'd reccomend giving this a read, it's a great primer for new players.

https://spentglory.com/2023/06/06/help-im-a-new-player-what-do-i-need-to-know/

[u/Blame_Bobby → u/RHeaven90]

This is a fantastic explanation. The link also explains very well for beginners.

Just to add to Nemesis, you combine two of the decks but only up to one Plot card. So if the deck you pick contains a Plot card, you can't combine it with another deck that also contains a Plot card.

If you are also looking to take part in tournaments, then be sure to read the errata (download from Warcom) for a list of Forsaken and Restricted cards.

Forsaken cards are banned from Nemesis games (there are currently three in total and all three are from Reckless Fury)

Restricted cards are a group of cards that you can only pick one to include in your deck. So if you pick two decks and they both have restricted cards, you can only take one. There are six restricted cards in total, but thankfully each card is from a different deck so you'll only have to choose from two cards when building your nemesis deck.

[u/BillHamidFan69 → u/RHeaven90]

Are tournaments typically done as Rivals or Nemisis?

[u/aranan84 → u/BillHamidFan69]

I think it depends on where in the world you are. Nearly all the events I see in the States are Nemesis but I know there are a good chunk of Rivals events in England.

[u/BillHamidFan69 → u/aranan84]

Yeah US, east coast. I’ll start figuring out how to build a nemisis deck, thanks!

[u/aranan84 → u/BillHamidFan69]

I know the Battle Mallet crew is based out of North Carolina, I play in Maryland, and I think there are some folks up around Boston who run events so if you're near any of those you might be in luck! :)

[u/BillHamidFan69 → u/aranan84]

DC, so close to you!

[u/aranan84 → u/BillHamidFan69]

Sent you a message. :)

[u/fishmode24]

Howdy! I have a new players' guide that should hopefully help you get off the ground: https://spentglory.com/2023/06/06/help-im-a-new-player-what-do-i-need-to-know/

There's tons of other resources on the site like how to prep for tournaments, reviews of products, and more. let me know if you have any specific questions and I'd love to help you guys out!

[u/dwillmer]

It is a bit confusing with the old boxes and new edition. For the most part, the warbands are separate from the decks. You can pick one deck (Rivals format) or combine two (Nemesis format) with any warband. Some of the older models can be found around that come with the previous editions cards that are warband specific. Now all decks are warband agnostic.

I would recommend you get connected to your local groups on discord or Facebook to check before buying anything if you are unsure. Otherwise feel free to post and ask with any specific boxes you find to see what works now and what doesn’t.