You came for the thrill of the hunt. You picked the wrong Underworlds player to hunt.
Welcome to my review of the new Warhammer Underworlds Beastgrave game mode found within the November 2019 issue of White Dwarf. How’d I get this early you may ask? Why I’m a long-time White Dwarf subscriber! Today I’ll be going over the details of this new way to play.
Narrative
Deep within the Beastgrave lurks a monstrous spirit. It haunts the depths of the living stone catacombs seeking to revel in the purity of the hunt. It’s ethereal form is a mixture of teeth and claws with mad red eyes, known as the Apex. Due to its ghostly nature it can never truly sate its hunger for murder and must do so via possessing warriors it deems worthy.
Long ago the Apex used to be a shaman of great power who donned the skinned pelts of dead animals. Doing so under the light of the Beast-Moon. Combined with his magic he transformed into the slain beast and proceeded to divulge himself in animalistic hunting. He took various animal forms from mighty bear to gigantic snake and avian Rok bird.
At the peek of his power the Apex sought to crush the Silent People upon the Beastgrave yet their combined might was too much for him to handle. In desperation he donned multiple hides of slain beasts. Under the power of the Beast-Moon his form swelled and twisted until it tore itself apart from the surge of muscle and claw. While his physical form had died his spirit lived on and fled deep into the Beastgrave. Since then it stalks its depths, seeking to possess the strongest of creatures to live out its desire of revenge.
The Apex seeks the perfect warrior for ultimate power. Its hopes were beginning to wane but as the call of the Beastgrave spreads ever further across the realms, more and more powerful potential hosts are drawn ever nearer…
The Game
Games of the Apex Predator follow normal rules for Warhammer Underworlds. You can either play in a standard 2 player game or multiplayer featuring 2 to 4 players. Unlike Arena Mortis there is no single fighter, you still use your warbands and normal decks. The only thing you do need in addition is the Ur-Predator upgrade.
This is an upgrade that isn’t included in any player’s power deck. An equipped fighter gains +1 move and damage to attack actions but cannot use attack action upgrades.
How to equip the Ur-Predator
At the start of the game no fighter gets the Ur-Predator. Instead whenever a fighter takes another fighter out of action with an attack action only you immediately give them the Ur-Predator upgrade for free. However if a fighter equipped with the Ur-Predator is taken out of action by another enemy fighter’s attack action then said fighter immediately gains the upgrade. Survival of the fittest!
If a fighter with the Ur-Predator upgrade is taken out action by any other means (gambit or lethal hex for example) then the upgrade is removed until another fighter proves themselves worthy.
Also a fighter will lose the Ur-Predator upgrade at the end of the round if it failed to make an attack action. The Apex does not appreciate cowards!
Victory
The player with a surviving fighter that has the Ur-Predator upgrade at the end of the game wins. Simples. If no one has it then it defaults to traditional win conditions.
Recommended Warbands
You can play with any warband really but there are obviously a few that excel in games of Apex Predator:
• Mollogs Mob: He’s Mollog. Just have a back-up plan if he dies. APEX STALASQUIG.
• Thundrik’s Profiteers: The Ur-Predator boosts all attack actions by +1 damage. Ur-Predator Thundrik inspired anyone?
• Magore’s Fiends: They’re tough and fast, Magore inspired with the Ur-Predator is truly a beast. Or go with the traditional Riptooth.
• Rippa’s Snarlfangs: A beast within a beast riding a beast. Live up to the beast within you!
• Zarbag’s Gitz: Ur-Predator Drizgit! Ur-Predator Squigs if you’re truly the best though.
Overall I’d recommend the Apex Predator. It’s a fun little game mode that calls to all the aggro players within us. Embrace the aggro. If you want to get the full rules for the Apex Predator you can find it in the November 2019 issue of White Dwarf. The November White Dwarf also comes with an in-depth battle report between Warhammer Underworlds developers Dave Sanders and John Bracken as well as a tactica for Grashrak’s Despoilers and Skaeth’s Wild Hunt by Dave too. It’s packed with Underworlds cotent!
You can buy it direct from Games Workshop for mobile devices here. You can instead order the physical copy here which also has the benefit of coming with the Ur-Predator upgrade card!
That’s it for now. Check back soon, it’s going to be a big week. Remember that to be the true Apex you have to be able to roll crits!
Can You Roll A Crit? 