Embergard Review: Warbands and Rivals Decks
It's finally here! Warhammer Underworlds: Embergard a.k.a. Underworlds 2nd Edition is live! In this blog, we explore the two warbands (including fighter cards and warscrolls) and the four Rivals decks included in the Embergard Core Box.
Thank you to Games Workshop for sending us an advance copy to paint and review!
Our Rivals deck reviews consist of our recommendations of top cards you might want to see early in the game, along with some board recommendations.
Watch our unboxing video!
If you prefer this in audio format, check out our podcast episodes:
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Contents
The Emberwatch
The Emberwatch is a 3-fighter warband. Hailing from the Vanguard Chamber of the Stormcast Eternals, each is equipped with a melee and ranged attack. All three have a Health of 5, a Save of 1 Shield and a Move of 3. Ardorn (the leader) has a Bounty of 3, while Farasa and Yurik have a bounty of 2 each. They inspire whenever they begin an Core ability in enemy territory. They all get more dice on their attacks when inspired, and Ardorn and Farasa gain an additional save.
The Emberwatch's Warscroll contains their Inspire condition and four abilities. You have options for repositioning a fighter (Alone I Stand! & Vanguard Dash), increasing the range of 1 attack per game (Deadly Sentries), or inflicting 1 damage on a vulnerable fighter once per game (The Raptors of Sigmar).
Given the ability to maneuver and the inspire condition of being in enemy territory, this warband is considered a Strike archetype. We think it pairs well with both the Blazing Assault and Pillage & Plunder decks.
Zikkit's Tunnelpack
Zikkit's Tunnelpack is a 5-fighter warband with an array of fighter and attack profiles. One fighter can Inspire when another fighter is dealt damage or slain. Most of these Skaven have a Move of 4, except Rittak, who has a Move of 3 (uninspired). Most of the fighters Save on Dodges, again except Rittak, who saves on Shields. And the warband has decreasing Health and Bounty. Zikkit at 4 Health & 3 Bounty, Rittak at 4 Health & 2 Bounty, Nitch and Krittatok both at 3 Health and 1 Bounty, and finally Tik-tik at 2 Health and 0 Bounty. The warband's attack profiles and Save characteristics improve when they inspire.
- More-more Power! lets them remove Move and Charge tokens from a fighter and Use a Core ability with them, at the risk of having that fighter slain after the Action step.
- Skitter allows you to, once per game, Move a fighter (with no Move or Charge tokens).
- Warp-charged gives your fighters 3 weapon abilities to choose from (Cleave, Ensnare, and Brutal) at the risk of that fighter being inflicted 2 damage.
- Kaboom! is a Core ability that allows a friendly minion to effectively run and blow up, inflicting damage on nearby fighters (friendly and enemy).
Blazing Assault Rivals Deck
The first Strike Rivals deck in Embergard, this decks is very straightforward and focuses on attacking and slaying enemy fighters.
Top Objectives
- Branching Fate - Roll mixed results on 3 (or 2!) dice; easy enough to score, but super easy if you're the underdog
- Get Stuck In - Targeting a fighter in enemy territory is pretty easy in the first round of the game!
- Keep Choppin' - Attacking three times in a round is more likely if you have more fighters alive, which is more likely early in the game.
Top Ploys
- Determined Effort - Extra dice are always welcome, just make sure you time this right with Branching Fate.
- Sidestep - We think Embergard is more about positioning, so a free push is a welcome sight!
- Wings of War - although the game is designed to be engaging as early as possible, getting +2 to your Move lets you dive deep into enemy territory or move onto a feature token that was previously out of reach.
Top Upgrades
- Hidden Aid - Adding Flanked results for Attack and Save rolls is a nice option!
- Great Fortitude - It's easier to attack and slay your opponent if you're alive and +1 Health can make the difference
- Keen Eye - +1 Dice on attacks is better than a re-roll!
Boards?
We think you go wide (9s).
New Player Rating
Gold - straightforward gameplan and the deck meshes well within itself!
Emberstone Sentinels Rivals Deck
The first Take and Hold deck, this deck has one goal: have fighters on treasure tokens.
Top Objectives
- Aggressive Defender - Attacking from a Treasure token is easier early in the game!
- Iron Grasp - This will likely be 2 treasure tokens, but if you Delve, it could be 1!
- Supremacy - Holding 2 treasure tokens with a bounty total of 3 is pretty straightforward, and more likely early while you still have fighters alive!
Top Ploys
- Settle In - Guard tokens increase your Save chances and keep you from being Driven Back (off of treasure tokens)!
- Hold the Line! - Perfect to play in the power step before your opponent's last Action step in a round, as this keeps your fighters on the treasure tokens
- By the Numbers - The bulk of the power in a deck is in its Power cards (shocking!). So drawing more of them is always useful.
Honorable mention goes to Sidestep.
Top Upgrades
- Great Speed - A 0-cost upgrade is, by definition, going to be worth it. Even more so when you get better positioning power.
- Sharp Reflexes - An increased Save means better chances of staying alive, or at the very least, using the Stand Fast ability!
- Brute Momentum - Not being driven back means staying on treasure tokens!
Boards?
You want the side with the seal (not the side with Blocked hexes). Orientation is up to you!
New Player Rating?
Silver+ - This deck clearly wants your fighters to be on treasure tokens and includes the tools to do so, but it's more positioning-based than a Strike deck, so more difficult to play.
Pillage and Plunder Rivals Deck
This deck is Flex (Strike + Take and Hold), with a focus on flipping and standing on feature tokens (not just treasure tokens) while slaying the enemy warband.
Key Objectives
- Against the Odds - There is a very good chance that you have an odd-numbered treasure token either in your territory or in neutral territory.
- Claim the Prize - Delving is easy to do, and if your fighter ended on the treasure token in your Action step, you can Delve immediately afterwards. If you are the underdog, this Objective is borderline trivial.
- Share the Load - This deck wants fighters on feature tokens and the simplest way to get them there is through the Move ability.
Key Ploys
- Explosive Charges - +1 Move for more than one Action step is really good.
- Wary Delver - Guard tokens are useful for adding success to your save and preventing you from being Driven Back off the feature token you were holding.
- Trapped Cache - Free damage is great, and this card is easier to score early in the game.
Key Upgrades
- Swift Step - Better positioning options is better! Charge past a feature token, then push back onto it!
- Canny Sapper - A free reposition (free upgrade) is always useful. Charge into enemy territory, then come back -- or place yourself in enemy territory to Move onto another feature token!
- Impossibly Quick -This is extra defense, with no limit. Ardorn or Zikkit on 3 Save dice? Yes, please!
Countdown to Cataclysm Rivals Deck
The first Mastery deck, this deck is all about increasing your Cataclysm value and using the Cataclysm value effectively with Ploys and Upgrades.
Plot Card & Cataclysm Card
Plot card text
While using this Rivals deck, during the Muster Warbands step of 'Setting Up,' place a generic token on the 1st step on the countdown card included in this deck. This token is your Cataclysm tracker.You can advance your Cataclysm tracker 1 step the first time a friendly fighter is slain in each combat phase, and you can advance your Cataclysm tracker 1 step after the last power step in each battle round for each feature token that has no enemy fighters on it.
While your tracker is:
on the 1st to 5th step, your Cataclysm value is 1.on the 6th to 9th step, your Cataclysm value is 2.on the 10th to 13th step, your Cataclysm value is 3.on the final step, your Cataclysm value is 4.
Key Objectives
- Set Explosives - Holding two treasure tokens is easiest accomplished early in the game.
- Collateral Damage - If you don't score this during an Action step, you might score it after the last Power step (for advancing the tracker for unheld feature tokens).
- Shocking Assault - This card forces your opponent to choose between the target that has likely already used a Core ability and one that hasn't.
Key Ploys
- Growing Concerns - while it's likely that you won't be decreasing Move a lot, denying your opponent positioning and/or forcing them to expend more resources is a good thing
- Violent Blast - push any fighter, and you could push them into the stagger hex!
- Counter-charge - Reposition a fighter and provide extra success on a Save roll? Seems good to us!
Key Upgrades
- Bringer of Doom - Force your opponent to choose whether slaying a fighter is worth advancing your Cataclysem tracker (OR if you're playing the Tunnelpack, you can put this on Tik-tik and run him in to "blow up!").
- Burnt Out - We realize this takes one of your 12 Action steps, but drawing more of your deck (especially a Mastery deck) it extremely helpful.
- Desperate Rage - 2 Hammers for 3 Damage might actually be worth the inflicted damage!
