Exiled Dead

It’s time for Warhammer Underworlds Harrowdeep’s final warband!

Today I’m reviewing the Exiled Dead for Warhammer Underworlds Harrowdeep. First thing, thanks to Games Workshop for providing this to review for free. As always I aim to be honest, impartial and constructively critical. I’ve also done this as a more in-depth YouTube video which you can check out here:

---

Narrative

Deintalos leads the Exiled Dead in the Harrowdeep, performing his vile science experiments while hunting its depths for the secrets hidden within.

---

Miniatures

The Exiled Dead are a 7 fighter warband, putting them as a swarm/horde warband due to their size. They’ll be difficult to use easily but will have abilities to allow multiple chain activations.

The warband comes in light grey-coloured plastic which is a little of an odd choice. Otherwise they go together easily but are just fragile. My favourite miniatures is the leader, just his face is not great. Doesn’t feel like a vampire at all, however none of these models actually feel like Games Workshop miniatures, they look like something made by another company. The Exiled Dead don’t look bad, they just look…off.

---

Fighter Cards

Your leader is a level 2 wizard with a decent ranged 3 attack. He inspires when a minion kills someone which isn’t too bad. Danse Dynamic is his main action that lets all conductive fighters either all move or attack. It also replaces a fighter killed but closer to the enemy if you choose which is great. He excels at sitting back letting his conductive zombies do the work.

Inspiring gives him…his staff, oddly. It’s good but just mystifying he can only use it while inspired. His spell attack also gains cleave which is fine. Otherwise unchanged, meaning inspiring is just a nice bonus instead of a necessity.

Bault is 1 of your 4 conductive minions. They are all beasts so can’t have attack action upgrades and start inspired. Shocking grasp is…fine but Crackling Arcs is much better due to the stacking arcs rule. Move 2 hurts but not so bad when you spawn basically 2 hexes away.

Bault Inspired is 3 move with the Shocking Grasp attack that has overload. This is so confusing as it suck. Stagger is hard to get and Crackling Arcs is much better. Anyway, when you have a raise counter they uninspire.

Coyl has a big Orruk arm that is not suspiciously larger at all. Borrowed Limb is good making him the hardest…hitting conductive minion.

Inspired just has a slightly better Borrowed Limb, kinda.

Ione is the same as the others, even inspired. Not much to say.

VLASH THE STAMPEDED. Nothing else to add really.

Prentice Marcov is somehow your second-in-command with his little stank hand. He’s also a level 1 wizard. 2 dodge base with Puppeteer that lets him chain activate and resurrect Regulus. Also inspires when Regulus makes a successful attack.

Inspired Marvoc just goes to 2 damage. It’s alright.

Your best minion that is not conductive and starts inspired. Always movement 3 and a nice 2 damage attack. The uninspired side is less accurate but otherwise fine. Still a beast too.

After all this you basically have 2 groups in the warband. Your leader with his conductive minions and Marvoc with Regulus. You’re mainly going to be spamming Danse Dynamic but don’t forget Marvoc. It’s just so odd that your zombies are offensively better while uninspired. Just group around someone and pound away. Like in Shaun of the Dead your dirty-minded readers!

---

Faction Cards

First I’ll go over the faction cards with my okay to bad cards then my top picks.

Faction Objectives

Dynamic Chain is fine, just okay. Only downside is it forces you to bunch up but you’ll want to move your conductive minions in a group most of the time.

Forbidden Lore is hard to pull off when your leader is rarely going to be moving or charging.

Force Dynamic seems okay on paper but even with spammed Danse Dynamic you’ll be wanting to attack more than move once in position.

Meat Locker is just too slow to score reliably.

Mobile Resistors is fine like Dynamic Chain but is even more positionally limiting.

Faction Objectives Top Picks

Appalling End is easy glory.

Alternating Strikes should be easy to score thanks to Danse Dynamic.

Direct Strike is hard with only faction cards but great once universal cards are added.

Dread Puppetry is another easy surge, even if it requires Regulus to die first.

Stench of Dynamism is great for 2 glory, just load up on spells.

Strict Tutor compliments the latter.

The Dead Unbound is easy catch-up glory which you should always score.

Faction Gambits

Channelled Dynamism is fine but gambits do it better.

Corpselight Globe is alright but there are better accuracy cards.

Danse of Deintalos is just too hard to cast reliably.

Scorching Surge is outperformed by universal card.

Sudden Lurch is just a worse version of Counter-Charge.

Faction Gambits Top Picks

Dynamic Cage is great extra auto damage.

Necrotic Curse damages and staggers, even if it does hurt the caster. Great spell.

Reassert Control is a great way to inspire, such as Regulus.

Sparking Shuffle is a much needed push card.

Terrible Dynamism is great sudden resurrection to counter scything attacks that have killed multiple zombies.

Faction Upgrades

Convert’s Zeal would be better if restricted to minions.

Dynamic Enhancer just has too short a range.

Same thing for Dynamic Stabilizer (boo American wording) and also your minions are all 2 wounds.

Prison of Grief should be a channel.

Spark of Life is just not worth it, even with the +1 defence.

Unfaltering Guard is just a thematic but not really useful upgrade locked to Regulus.

Faction Upgrades Top Picks

Crackling Field is great punishment for attacking a conductive minion.

Powered Command is great sudden resurrection.

Dynamic Bolt is decent for Rivals.

Unfeeling Fortitude is perfect and works with Regulus too.

---

Universal Cards

Now I’ll go over the universal cards that come in this warband expansion.

Universal Objectives

Alright for 3/4 fighter warbands but not great overall unless you got the right board.

No Nice Things is harder than your realise for scoring with the (bad) mulligan change.

Dead Simple is not a simple as it seems, especially as the game progresses.

It’s a 3rd end phase objective worth 2 glory. No.

Inevitable End should be 2 glory for all those requirements.

Change of Priorities is only good for sole Illusion decks.

Blessed Fate is another 3rd end phase objective worth 2 glory. Noooooo.

Locked to Chaos, slightly okay for companions and bad for Slaanesh.

Universal Objectives Top Picks

Ever Downwards away from balance. The first part is okay but just move/charge with your leader and delve for 1 super easy glory.

Secrets Uncovered is actually pretty easy, just be careful in a Best of 3.

Universal Gambits

Abasoth’s Eruption has blown his load. Just sad it only works defensively basically.

Vaults Mysterium is nice wizard support but makes backlashes too risky.

Leeched Strength is just not as great as it seems and only works on range 1 attacks.

Phantom Theft is for some kind of theoretical Illusion upgrade meta.

Pierce the Darkness is alright but cleave is no longer the important keyword it used to be.

Just run Healing Potion.

Skittering Prize is a more balanced Restless Prize but it should have worked on feature tokens, not just objectives.

Death’s Dues is more Illusion tech which is not great.

If Cursed Shadows worked on even or all objectives then it would be better, the damage otherwise is not good.

Universal Gambits Top Picks

Dark Epiphany is crazy good draw power for digging through your deck.

Iara’s Summons is a nice Distraction.

Universal Upgrades

Shadow Coil is okay but just not too relaible in my eyes.

Penumbral Pendulum is alright for some kind of long range sniper fighter.

Illusory Strength should have at least worked on range 2 attack actions too.

Improbable Mace is just out-performed by other better attack action upgrades.

Blazing Icon is…fine but pretty useless.

Illusory Courage inspires for 1 turn if vulnerable. Not good.

Heave Ho is alright but not that reliable and Destruction-locked.

False Vigour is not as good as other melee upgrades.

Killing Frenzy should have just given grevious no matter what.

Universal Upgrades Top Picks

Living Missile is great for all beasts, especially ones from the Exiled Dead.

Vortex Staff is a great way to get single and double focus spells off reliably.

---

Warband Overview

The Exiled Dead work surprisingly well as a grinding-down aggro force despite their slow movement. Repeated move actions and attacks can be hard to deal with if your opponent doesn’t have scything attacks. The main downside is how the conductive kinda suck aggressively while inspired. Extra damage while staggered is pointless when you hit on 2 fury compared to 3-4 fury dice attacks at damage 1. Just gotta keep your leader safe and remember when to use Marcov and Regulus efficiently.

Pros:

• Thematic and fun zombie warband
• Some nice faction cards
• Danse Dynamic allows for impressive speed and aggro
• Nice resurrection mechanic that mitigates the low movement
• Well-balanced minons

Cons:

• Doesn’t look like a Games Workshop model kit
• Conductive minions are better offensively while un-inspired
• Universal cards are mostly bad
• Key universal cards for championship play so you have to buy this expansion

Overall I’d recommend this warband. What it loses in looks, it makes up for in rules. I would have liked a bigger Frankenstein zombie but it all works together well. Probably a little too strong, especially with the right universal cards, but the Exiled Dead feel solid and fun overall.

If you want to buy this warband you can do so via Games Workshop or my affiliate link at Element Games that will get you a 25% to 15% discount.

I also have a Patreon you can check out if you want to give me a little more support.

---

Closing Crit

That’s it for the last Harrowdeep warband, much better than Blackpowder’s Buccaneers. So until you’re swarmed by lighting zombies, remember rolling a crit could always save your life!