Hello, this is Makiwo G from MAG-HAMMER, selling Warhammer in Nagano Prefecture.
Although it coincided with our store relocation, I was finally able to play the new Underworlds in Golden Week 2025.
While some of the cards I had collected in the past became unusable, I was relieved that the miniatures could still be used as is.
And I was reassured that Underworlds is still as
・Easy to pick up
・Yet interesting
After playing, it seemed the general rules hadn't changed much, so in this article, I will introduce:
・What is Underworlds?
・Why it's recommended for beginners!
Please read until the end.
NEW May 22, 2025! We received Underworlds supplies from Games Workshop. ・Limited illustration fighter cards ・Limited plastic tokens ・Limited sleeves only available here All of these are limited edition items not available for general sale. Currently, we are giving these away to customers who purchase Underworlds products from our store. For details, please check the product pages on Shopify or Mercari Shops.
Introduction: What kind of game is Underworlds?
Underworlds is one way to play like 40K or AOS, and it is a product that is highly recommended for beginners to easily start Warhammer, as:
・One game ends in about 1-2 hours
・Requires only 3-7 miniatures
・You can play with two people by purchasing a product for about 15,000 yen
・It's easy to understand at first glance because you move fighters using squares
It's a product that's highly recommended for beginners to easily start Warhammer.
Personally, what I like most about Underworlds is its simplicity, as you can play with as few as 3 miniatures, meaning you can start playing quickly without preparing dozens of miniatures like in 40K or AOS.
Also, the official site provides simplified rules for playing the game and free data for using old miniatures, so if you're interested, check the Warhammer Community downloads (link below).
https://www.warhammer-community.com/en-gb/downloads/warhammer-underworlds/
This is a personal anecdote, but when I first started Warhammer, I thought, "I've probably painted about 1000 points by now?" However, when I calculated the points of the miniatures I had painted, it was less than 500 points.
At that time, I was almost disheartened, thinking, "Do I really need to make twice as much just to play?" (laughs)
Now, let's introduce the recommended points.
※※※From this point on, other games besides Underworlds will be used for comparison, but there is no intention to disparage the compared games※※※
One game takes about 1-2 hours to finish
In other games, you might use more than 50 miniatures, and when you first start, it can take 5 hours to finish a game due to having to look up rules.
With Underworlds, even if you're not used to it, one game ends in about 2 hours.
Also, as you play many times and get used to the performance of your fighters, a quick game can sometimes end in just over an hour.
"Want to play just one game of Underworlds?"
"Sure!"
The casual playability is what I personally love about Underworlds.
First recommended point:
Easy to start playing immediately
You only need to prepare 3-7 miniatures
In Underworlds, you can play with a minimum of 3 miniatures.
In other games, you might need at least 20 miniatures to play, so you can probably understand the ease of Underworlds at this point.
Also, the fact that you don't need many miniatures means less gear and less preparation time, which is also appealing!
I own miniatures for other Warhammer games, but I'm a super light user who plays about 2000 points once a month.
Recently, it's become hard to line up 60 miniatures once a month.
I even thought about things like,
"I need to remember each miniature's abilities and find a place to store them. Maybe I should get a tray and attach magnets to line up all 60 of them?"
So,
"Maybe I should get a different army where I only need to prepare about 5 miniatures?"
I sometimes think that.
However, I also feel like, "Am I going to spend more money when I only play once a month?"
Meanwhile, with Underworlds, you only need to prepare about 7 miniatures at most, and you're ready to go!
Being able to quickly play a game is a recommended point.
Second recommended point:
Underworlds requires few miniatures (3-7), meaning less preparation time.
You can play with two people by purchasing a starter for 15,000 yen
In other games, it costs a fair bit of money to get started, buying miniatures, books, and so on.
With Underworlds, simply buying a starter provides everything for two people to play:
・Miniatures
・Rulebook
・Game board
・Game cards
・Special dice
All you need to do is assemble the miniatures, and you can immediately enjoy the game (paints are sold separately).
It costs 15,000 yen for one set, but if you split it with a friend, it's 7,500 yen per person, shipping included.
That's about the price of a slightly expensive night out.
At that price, it's easy to ask a friend, "Want to try playing together if I pay half?" isn't it?
Third recommended point:
Low cost to get started.
Easy to understand at a glance as fighters move using squares
I mentioned earlier that "I haven't been able to play games much recently," which means "I'm bad at games."
For example,
・I thought I was safe from being shot, but I misjudged the distance and got shot.
・I forgot the reason why I placed a unit in a certain spot.
and so on.
Precisely positioning and moving armies to aim for victory
I have a strong admiration for this, but alas, I lack the experience and intellect to do it.
It often happens that one group is wiped out due to a mistake, leading to a disadvantage and then a loss, which I think is why I "find it difficult to line up a large number of miniatures."
In Underworlds, fighters are moved using the hex squares on the game board, making it easy to understand at a glance and reducing such mistakes. It's a game that even beginners can easily enjoy.
Fourth recommended point:
Easy for beginners to understand visually.
※Blood Bowl, which I recently started, also uses squares and is recommended, but it's only available in English, so translating it first poses a significant hurdle.
Summary
Underworlds is
・Game time is short, so you can play quickly
・Fewer miniatures to build = playable quickly & less chance of giving up halfway
・Low financial and time cost to start
・Easy for beginners to understand
making it a highly recommended product for anyone new to Warhammer.
I was like this myself, but when you thought about starting Warhammer,
Warhammer looks fun
Should I start?
But it's expensive, and can I stick with it?
Didn't you think that?
Underworlds addresses all of those concerns.
- A starter kit costs around 15,000 yen for two players.
- Fewer miniatures to prepare
- Simple rules
- And the game is fun
If you've seen Warhammer Weekly at a bookstore and are curious, start with Underworlds!
The starter kit includes miniatures and rival decks, as well as dice, a game board, and tokens, making it a complete set for two players.
If you're thinking of starting Underworlds, you can enjoy it just by buying the starter kit!
Currently, there's a non-commercial gift available.
If you purchase from the link below, you'll receive an email. Please reply if you'd like the gift.
※Currently offered at a special price of 7% off, including shipping, for 15,000 yen.
If you've become interested in Underworlds after reading this article, I'd be happy if you make a purchase at our store. See you in the next article!
