Hex Ed: Spitewood Review

A special thanks goes to Games Workshop for providing us with an advance review copy of Spitewood.

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A Different Kind of Box

Spitewood is the first expansion set for Warhammer Underworlds rather than a new season. Instead of a full rulebook, it ships with lore and update notes. The changes are slim but impactful.

The new Waystone Hexes offer a reroll to fighters standing on them, while Aqua Gyhranis tokens turn end phases into glory-scoring opportunities if held in enemy territory. These mechanics shift incentives: aggro players have even more reasons to surge forward, and control players now must reckon with opponents grabbing points simply by standing in the right place.

Heralds of Kurnoth

The Heralds of Kurnoth are a three-fighter Karnathi warband, each with five wounds and strikingly dynamic sculpts. On first glance, their profiles are straightforward — melee, a bow, nothing outlandish — but their Inspire mechanic makes them uniquely positional. To Inspire, a fighter must begin the activation in friendly territory and land a successful attack.

Once inspired, their accuracy skyrockets. Suddenly, three-dice hammers and grievous effects become the norm. They also bring once-per-game abilities: Endless Hunt pulls a fighter back after striking, Twin-Shot lets the bow-stag attack again, and Herald’s Pride temporarily grants cleave and ensnare. Combined with the “swift sentinel” rule (flight and flanking immunity while at home), they feel like true guardians of the forest — powerful if positioned carefully, fragile if caught out with only a single defense die.

Blood of the Bull

By contrast, the Blood of the Bull embody Chaos Duardin might. A five-fighter warband, including a Hobgrot, they debut the Daemonforge Dice mechanic. Players start with one die and can gain more by delving tokens; spending them boosts attack or defense rolls.

Zuldrakka, the leader, inspires after using a Daemongorge die or when supported by Grisk the Hobgrot. Grisk isn’t just a mascot — his ability turns both swords and hammers into successes for nearby allies, pushing the warband’s accuracy into dangerous territory. Tokkor, scarred and armed with a flame hurler, punishes adjacent foes with grievous fire. When inspired, the warband grows tougher, with multiple fighters moving to two defense dice.

Aesthetically, they’re heavy, armored, and old-world — a thematic foil to the lithe Heralds. In play, they reward players who manage resources and positioning, turning delves into momentum and coordination into victory.

Deadly Synergy

The first rivals deck, Deadly Synergy, is built around the United mechanic: friend adjacent fighters (or a lone fighter) count as united, and enemies touching them are considered flanked.

Its objectives showcase this design. Got Your Back scores when an enemy misses against a united fighter — a satisfying way to profit from your opponent’s failure. Helping Hand follows when a united fighter lands an attack involving a flanked die, often chaining perfectly after Got Your Back. For end-phase glory, Beatdown asks you to pile three different fighters’ attacks onto one enemy, encouraging swarm play.

The ploys lean into adjacency tricks. Army of Two forces United status onto an isolated fighter, ensuring consistency. Out of Nowhere flips a die to flanked or surrounded at a key moment, setting up Helping Hand. Sidestep remains evergreen, providing the positional nudge that lets your cluster stay tight. And Brother in Arms steals the spotlight — allowing a smaller fighter to swing with an adjacent ally’s weapon profile, which can turn a “gribbly” into a powerhouse for one swing.

Upgrades keep the theme alive. Titan of Combat is indispensable, making its bearer permanently united. Battering Ram warps the rules by always counting your attack roll as having more crits for drive back and overrun. Duelist’s Footwork gives constant movement after attacking, reinforcing the deck’s emphasis on positioning. Deadly Synergy is undeniably aggro, but its scoring windows make it feel more about coordination and counter-punching than raw offense.

Hunting Grounds

The second rivals deck, Hunting Grounds, is about home-field advantage. Its objectives are all about defending your turf. Home Advantage scores when an enemy misses an attack against a fighter in your territory. You’ve Got No Business Here triggers when an enemy is attacked while flanked or surrounded at home. And This Is Our Turf closes out an end phase if you have more friendly fighters with move or charge tokens in your territory than your opponent.

Ploys like Deny the Invaders embody the theme, punishing opponents for pressing too far forward. The upgrades are modest but practical, bolstering the resilience of fighters who stay within your lines.

The playstyle is straightforward: hunker down, force opponents to come to you, and turn their aggression against them. It pairs naturally with fortress-style Nemesis decks, rewarding patience and tactical defense. If Deadly Synergy is about clustered aggression, Hunting Grounds is about drawing a line in the sand and daring anyone to cross.

Closing Thoughts

Spitewood does more than add two warbands. It brings new mechanics in Waystones and Aqua Ghyranis that encourage bold board play. It contrasts two very different design philosophies in the Heralds and the Blood of the Bull. And with Deadly Synergy and Hunting Grounds, it expands the Rivals deck design into adjacency and territory-control play.

Whether you prefer to swarm forward in unison or dig in and defend your turf, Spitewood offers fresh tools, striking models, and thematic gameplay.

Thanks again to Games Workshop for providing the review copy. And as always, thanks to our listeners for joining us on the Battle Mallet journey — balancing life, family, and games, with the road to NOVA Open never far from our minds. Be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share your thoughts on Spitewood, Aqua Ghyranis glory grabs, and your own best puns for the title.