Warhammer Underworlds - Beastgrave warbands

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Checkout my Warhammer Underworlds - Contents Page for more articles.

Season 3 of Warhammer Underworlds saw the game shift its setting to the Beastgrave, a living mountain in Ghur, the Realm of Beasts. This season introduced eight warbands to the Underworlds followed by a further two in a little expansion called Dreadfane. 

Rippa's Snarlfangs

Grand Alliance: Destruction (Gloomspite Gitz)

Number of fighters: 3

Access to magic: No wizard

Top Cards

  • Objectives:
    • Cruel Hunters
    • Leading the Charge
    • Loaded with Plunder
  • Gambits:
    • Furious Reprisal
    • Narrow Escape
    • Vindictive Attack
  • Upgrades:
    • Bonded
    • Boss Hat
    • Pack Leader

Play Style: Aggro

Rippa's Snarlfangs are classic fantasy warband of Goblin Wolf-riders. They are an elite-aggro warband with access to excellent faction cards. Even though each fighter outputs small quantities of damage, there extra reaction attacks ensure that you are rolling lots of dice, thereby increasing the reliability. To paint this unit, I used my How I paint Wolves guide and the flesh from my How I paint Moonclan Grots.



The Grymwatch 

Grand Alliance: Death (Flesh Eaters Court)

Number of fighters: 7

Access to magic: No wizard.

The Grymwatch are a Flesh Eaters Court warband. I really like the look of these ghouls and I hope they bring out more miniatures to refresh the Flesh Eaters Court range. I painted these with a flesh tone mixed with a little grey. The aim was to get a flesh tone that indicated a troglodyte existence. I used my How I Paint Flesh Eaters Court Ghouls guide.


The Wurmspat

Grand Alliance: Chaos (Maggotkin of Nurgle)

Number of Fighters: 3 (Total of 12 wounds)

Access to magic: One level 2 wizard.

Top Cards
  • Objectives:
    • Blessing Three
    • Rotbringers
    • Seeping Rot
  • Gambits:
    • Blessing of Rust
    • Nauseous Revulsion (Cycle)
    • Steady Advance 
  • Upgrades:
    • Hulking Physique
    • Unstoppable Tread
    • Virulent Blade
Playstyle: Aggro

The warband suffers from poor faction objectives, gambits and upgrades. While playable, expect an uphill struggle. The warband should aim to close with the enemy fighters add deal as much damage as possible. Dealing damage to three enemy fighters allows them to inspire. The warband has good accuracy and reasonable damage output but is slow and lacks defence. Upon inspiring the warband mostly improves to 2 Block (Shields), which is necessary for their survival and gains improved damage output.

When Age of Sigmar first started, I did not know if I would like the change from Warhammer Fantasy Battle. As such, I started collecting Nurgle Daemons reasoning, I could use them in 40k if I hated the Age of Sigmar. I ended up liking the game and so I added some Blightkings to bolster my daemons. This warband was a nice return to an army I had not visited in a while.



The Bladecoven

Grand Alliance: Daughters of Khaine

Number of fighters: 5

Access to magic: No wizards

The Bladecoven is a Daughters of Khaine warband. They are an Aggro warband but suffer from being too fragile. They really would benefit from having the Arenai's (see Gnarlwood) Acrobat ability. When painting the Bladecoven, I wanted to have a uniform look to the warband but with a variety of colour introduced through the shade on the hair. I was really pleased with this warband, especially when it appeared on the Warhammer Hobby Round-Up. I used my How I Paint Daughters of Khaine guide for this warband.


Hrothgorn's Mantrappers

Grand Alliance: Destruction (Ogor Mawtribes)

Number of fighters: 5

Access to magic: No wizard

Hrothgorn's Mantrappers are a Ogor Mawtribe's warband. Like Mollog, from season 2, this warband is centred around a 'big guy', in this case Hrothgorn, the Ogor Hunter. My last army for Warhammer Fantasy battle was the Ogor Kingdoms so this warband had a nice nostalgic appeal. I also love all the small character details on these miniatures. I use my How I Paint Gnoblar guide for this warband.


Morgok's Krushas

Grand Alliance: Destruction (Ironjawz)

Number of fighters: 3 (Total of 15 wounds)

Access to magic: No wizards

An elite aggro warband with high wounds and low defence along with average accuracy and damage output before inspiring. Upon inspiring the fighters all get faster and hit with greater accuracy and 'ardskull can dish out  greater damage. These Boyz all inspire upon gain 2 Waaargh! Counters. Waaargh! Counters are generated following an attack or as a result of one their gambit cards, making the warband easy to inspire. The strategy with this warband is simply close with the enemy fighters and smash them into a sticky paste.

Morgok's Krushas are the second Ironjaws warband in Warhammer Underworlds. They are an elite warband of three Orruk Brutes. I painted this warband in the same style as Ironskullz Boyz from season 1. The aim was to get across the Orruks no-nonsenses approach to armour and make it look like a piece of metal that had just been beaten into shape with little finesse. I used my How I Paint Orruk armour guide for these miniatures.


Skaeth's Wild Hunt

Grand Alliance: Order (Sylvaneth)

Number of fighters: 5 (Total of 15 wounds)

Access to magic: One level 1 wizard (inspires to level 2)

Top Cards

  • Objectives:
    • Run Down
    • Hunts End
    • Aspect of Kurnoth
  • Gambits:
    • Fleet of Foot
    • Hunt in Concert
    • Strike in Concert
  • Upgrades:
    • Kurnoth's Mark
    • Shield Slash
    • Hale Charm

Play Style: Aggro

Skaeth's Wild Hunt are a group of Kurnothi (an Aelven race crossed with fawns). The warband follows the ABC (Always Be Charging) approach to Warhammer Underworld. Its fighters are fast with high accuracy and can deal out reasonable damage but suffer from being somewhat fragile due to low defence and in most cases only 3 wounds. Inspiration comes from having a charge token in the End Phase. The trick with this warband is learning how to use your speed to charge without leaving fighters too exposed to counter attacks all the while scoring objective cards.

I used my How I Paint Kurnothi of the Wild Hunt for this warband.


Grashrak's Despoilers

Grand Alliance: Chaos

Number of fighters: 6 (Total of 16 wounds)

Access to magic: One level 1 wizard (Inspiring to level 2)


The Despoilers are a Beasts of Chaos warband. I wanted the beastmen in this warband to have a relatively dark appearance, using a range of different browns. I used my How I Paint Gor Flesh and Fur for this warband.


Released alongside Beastgrave, Dreadfane introduced two more warbands into the Underworlds. The first Ironsoul's Condemnors another Stormcast warband. This warband feels very much like Steelheart's Champions from Season 1. I used my How I Paint Stormcast Guide for this warband.



Lady Harrow's Mournflight

Grand Alliance: Death (Nighthaunt)

Number of fighters: 4 (Total of 12 wounds uninspired)

Access to magic: No wizards

Top Cards

  • Objectives:
    • Fleeting Memories 
    • Ghostly Torment 
    • Dominion of Death
  • Gambits:
    • Shared Agony
    • Call of the Grave
    • Dissipate
  • Upgrades:
    • Delibitating Aura
    • Hollow Hatred
    • Veil of Grief

Play Style: Flex (Hold and Aggro)

Lady Harrow's Mournflight are a group of Nighthaunt Myrmourn Banshees. All the fighters have Move 4 and have 2 Dodge. They inspire by moving through a hex occupied by an opponent's fighter. Upon inspiration the fighters all gain additional speed along with bonus to attacks, in some cases wounds and reactions. The warband should aim to spend the first round inspiring and scoring its seed glory via the decks surge objectives. In subsequent rounds it can become more aggressive. The main weakness of the warband is its fragile nature and lack of accuracy before inspiring. They also need two surviving fighters to score many of their 2 Glory End Phase objectives.

I used my How I Paint Nighthaunts guide for this warband. For more on this warband check out my Lady Harrow's article.


The next season, Direchasm, will delve deeper into the Beastgrave.

Check out my warbands from other seasons of Warhammer Underworlds:

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