Silent but deadly?
Welcome to the card pack product review of the Silent Menace universal deck pack. This is another card pack for Warhammer Underworlds, containing new universal cards based on the Silent People in the Direchasm. As always thanks to Games Workshop for providing these to review for free. Still, I always aim to be impartial and honest. With that all out-of-the-way, back to the article at hand.
As an aside, if you prefer video format, I’ve done a YouTube version of the review which you can watch below:
The Silent Menace deck pack is a universal card pack containing 32 universal cards designed to be played as a single deck but also still usable within your normal decks for Warhammer Underworlds. It is interesting, almost a kind of pack-based gift. 32 cards is quite small but I’m all for more universal card packs outside of warband releases.
It also comes in another oddly huge card sleeve like the Essential Card Pack. Nothing good or bad, just that it’s surprisingly big and difficult to open without ruining it.
Universal Cards
Now we come to the part of the review where I go over the universal cards which come within this card expansion.
Universal Objectives
Brutal Attrition is an odd objective. Score 1 glory for having the same or greater number of enemy fighters out of action compared to your surviving friendly fighters. Basically only usable in elite 3 fighter warbands but still a tough ask for 1 glory.
Forbidding Strike is good but only for the bold. This is a Surge and Dual objective which grants you 2 glory for killing an enemy fighter during your first activation AND that enemy was holding an objective. You basically can’t score this round 1 and can only score it 2 more times with rounds 2 and 3 respectively. It is 2 glory but it takes so much setup and luck to score.
Impending Doom is another situational Surge objective. 1 glory for having an enemy fighter adjacent to 2 or more friendly fighters. Good for Zarbag’s Gitz and Thorns of the Briar Queen but otherwise it is a very situational take.
Killing Strike is easier than Forbidding Strike but is still really difficult to score. It is 1 Surge glory for taking an enemy fighter out of action during your first activation of the round. You only have 3 opportunities to score this and Strong Start is back in the game, just go with Strong Start.
Martial Adept is alright but is a lot of work for 1 glory. This Hybrid objective can be scored via either a friendly fighter with 2 or more attack action upgrades or have 3 or more general upgrades. Good for Combo decks but otherwise pass.
Stinging Strike is another difficult objective. I love and hate it at the same time. Score this Surge for succeeding with a range 3+ attack action if it was your first activation of that round. Actually quite easy to score but once again you only have 3 opportunities to score this. I could see Thundrik’s Profiteers running this and maybe even the Storm of Celestus yet that’s about it.
Universal Objectives – Top Picks
Advancing Swarm is great and easy end phase glory. Gain 1 for having 3 or more friendly fighters with charge tokens. Simple but reliable.
Cold-Blooded Killers is nice universal end phase aggro glory. 1 glory for having 2 or more enemy fighters out of action.
Demolish the Opposition actually has a lot legs to it. This Hybrid objective grants you 3 glory for either having no enemy fighters in their own territory or there is no more than 1 surviving enemy fighter. It is a 3rd end phase objective but that first scoring condition is actually really strong for defensive players holding their own against offensive aggro players.
Orchestrated Kill is another Surge objective which gives you 1 glory when you take out an enemy fighter while having 1 or more supporting fighters. This is actually pretty easy to setup, especially with warbands like Zarbag’s Gitz and Drepur’s Wraithcreepers. Rewards you for doing what you wanted to do anyway.
Promise of Destruction is a little odd but I like it. 1 glory if there are 1 or more persisting gambits in play. You can score this or your opponent can help score it for you. Arguable situational but it is basically 1 glory your opponent can’t really stop you scoring.
Untouchable Swarm is amazing for 4 fighter warbands, especially durable ones. Each surviving fighter needs charge tokens along with no friendly fighters out of action. All for 2 sweet glory. The name is weird because swarm warbands can’t score this and 4 fighters aren’t really a swarm either but I love it still. Untouchable Swarm is also a Dual objective too.
Universal Gambits
Spiritcomb heals a fighter for 1 or 2 instead if they have 3 or more upgrades. It’s nice but just go with Healing Potion instead.
I like Strength of the Swarm but once again it is very situational. +1 dice for attacking with a supporting fighter and +1 damage if you have 2 or more supporting fighters. I can see Zarbag’s Gitz getting a lot of use out this but still takes setup to work well.
Universal Gambits – Top Picks
Acidic Strike is more upgrade removal. After a successful attack action, react to remove one of the target’s upgrades. Pretty damn good and deals with opponents trying to play it safe with the stacking of upgrades.
Oh Hidden Sting, you amazing card you. Play this reaction after a successful range 1 attack action. Deal 1 damage to the target if you rolled one or more CRIT AYYYYY! Surprise damage based on crits, that’s what I’m talking about!
Hypnotic Buzz is a shortrange Distraction. You can only use this against an enemy fighter within 2 hexes of a friendly one but this makes it pretty balanced. Extra pushes are always loved.
Maddening Drone is really interesting. Choose an enemy fighter, their controller either gives them a move token or they are un-inspired and cannot be inspired but then inspire after the end of the round when the card’s effect ends. Absolutely devastating in round 3 but locking out a fighter from inspiring or being inspired for a round can allow you to do crazy things like against Mollog.
Membranous Wings is Spectral Wings but only during a charge action. So much +2 move now in Direchasm. Everyone has gotta go fast.
Swarming Advance is more balanced push tech. Choose a friendly fighter in enemy territory then push up to 2 friendly fighters 1 hex so they are closer to the target. Yeah you can do sneaky objective grabbing with this but the fact you can only play this while there is a friendly fighter in enemy territory means you won’t get much use out of it early on in the game unless your speed and positioning is on point.
Swarming Strike makes you count as having +1 supporting fighter when attacking. Generally very good and helps synergise with many of the cards in the Silent Menace pack.
Symbiote’s Call is amazing for hold objective players and you’ll see why. Pick a feature token within 1 hex of a friendly fighter, flip it or push that fighter onto the objective. The Sidestep effect is great but it allows hold objective players to tech into anti-flip tech that synergises with generally holding objectives. Feed the Beastgrave players will like this too but hold objective players need this much more.
Universal Upgrades
Collector lets you play an upgrade for free on this fighter when they take an enemy fighter out of action at any range. It’s alright and fun but we have so much glory generation now that upgrade equipping is never really a problem.
Extruded Snare is range 3, 3 fury and 1 damage. If this attack action succeeds you give the target a move token and then discard this upgrade. It’s alright but not something I see particularly necessary.
Regenerative Cycle is some strange healing. As a reaction, discard X number of power cards to heal this fighter by the same amount. I don’t think that trade is ever worth it but you could do something crazy and heal Mollog by like 5 wounds.
Savage Soldier is balanced. If this fighter has 2+ upgrades they get +1 dice to range 1 attack actions, if they have 4+ then they also get Cleave and Ensnare. It’s nice for the +1 range 1 attack action dice but you may never see the 4+ option unless going super Voltron mode.
Swift Soldier is another stacking upgrade. If this fighter has 2+ upgrades then they get +1 move, if they have 4+ upgrades then they get +2 move as well. While movement +3 would be amazing, Savage Speed works earlier and is more consistent. Even if you want to be as swift as a coursing river.
Universal Upgrades – Top Picks
Augmented Limbs makes the fighter a Quarry and gives +1 dice to their range 1 attack actions. So gooood and that range 1 restriction, while crazy on Morgok’s Krushas, is a good restriction.
Chitin Scimitar is range 1, 3 fury and 2 damage with Cleave. Not only that but if you roll no successes, you can re-roll a single dice! Super accurate and packing Cleave, amazing.
Chitin Spear is range 2, 2 smash and 2 damage with the same re-roll effect as Chitin Scimitar. Once again just very accurate with impressive range too.
Silent Armour is a Silent Relic which allows you to make a reaction to remove all adjacent guard tokens after this fighter’s move action. You mainly take if for its bonus effect of granting +1 wounds for having 2 or more Silent Relics. Actually pretty good for aggro players as there’s so much free Guard currently but more likely to be seen in players going full turtle mode.
Silent Ring is another Silent Relic and is kinda busted. After this fighter’s activation, draw 1 card if you have 3 or less power cards. You also get +1 dice to range 1 attack actions if you have 2 or more Silent Relics. It’s, uh, very strong. Free card draw and even an attack dice buff too.
Silent Menace Pack Overview
The Silent Menace universal cards are basically a big buff to aggro. While I do like the card pack, it has about as many cards that are eh compared to the good cards included within. Although it’s interesting to see a card pack tied to the narrative of the season, is this something we will see going forwards with Warhammer Underworlds?
Pros:
- Another nice universal card pack for Warhammer Underworlds
- Thematic and links up with the narrative
- Great aggro support
Cons:
- A lot more cards that are misses compared to hits
- Very aggro focused, almost too aggro focussed
- Cost is not good compared to previous card packs
Overall the Silent Menace deck is an interesting card pack. Not essential but offers some interesting tools, namely for aggro, along with some very strong Silent Relics. Its main downside is being a little too aggro-focused but Direchasm is currently THE aggro season for Warhammer Underworlds.
So, would I recommend buying the Silent Menace universal deck? Kinda? If you don’t mind the price, then yes, it is a good buy. After all, I’m totally for more singular card pack releases for Warhammer Underworlds. However I totally get not wanting to buy this over the cost. The Essential Card pack and Leader Pack were £12.50 for 60 cards, Power Unbound was £15 for 60 cards. £12 for 32 cards just doesn’t feel right. £8 to £10 would have been great. Outside of the price, the Silent Menace universal deck offers some nice new aggro tech along with some strong universal cards in general. I especially like how they tie a lot of the cards to the narrative of the Silent People.
If you want to buy the Silent Menace universal deck you can get them via the direct link to Games Workshop here or via my affiliate link to Element Games here which will net you a minimum 15% discount (20% during pre-order week) while helping to support my content, all at no additional cost to you.
Closing Crit
That’s pretty much it for this card pack review. Hopefully we see more universal card drops like this (although not at the current price). So until next time, become the Silent Menace you’ve always wanted to be but don’t forgot to roll some crits along the way!
Can You Roll A Crit? 
One thought on “Silent Menace Universal Deck”