Skabbik’s Plaguepack are the latest loathsome arrivals to the Wyrdhollow in Warhammer Underworlds. We’ve already seen what they can do – corrupting territory and taking names. But how do you stem their tide of filth? John from the Warhammer Design Studio is here to explain how to beat them.
So you want to keep corruption at bay? Not a bad idea in the grand scheme of things, honestly... In this article, we’ll cover a few simple points to help you keep the Great Plagues of the Clans Pestilens at arm’s length in your games of Warhammer Underworlds.
First up is the Plaguepack’s Inspire condition, which revolves around corrupting territories. It’s incredibly important – as with many Underworlds warbands – to keep the Plaguepack from Inspiring their fighters. Once Inspired, they gain not only damage, accuracy, and defence, but also a boost to their wounds characteristic! Yikes. In short, you need to keep the Plaguepack off objectives, and quarantined in their own territory.
The Plaguepack need two fighters in a territory to corrupt it for the entire next round, and they only need two Corrupted territories to Inspire their whole noxious pilgrimage. With six fighters in the warband, they’re basically guaranteed to have their own territory Corrupted at the end of the first action phase – so you need to fight tooth and nail to keep them out of your own game board and push them off any neutral middle hexes in the early game.
Even worse, Skritter, Rabidius Skench, Ichitt, and of course Skabbik himself, are befoulers. That means they can corrupt a territory all by themselves if they hop on an objective – so make sure to place your own objectives a safe distance from enemy territory. Maintain a close watch on these fighters at all times – you need to keep them off objectives no matter what, because if you don’t, you are in for a world of hurt in the following round!
Second are the fighters themselves, whose threat level and urgency will need to be carefully assessed before you make your attacks or target them with your cards. If you get this wrong, you will most certainly be punished for it.
Skabbik is like most leaders in Warhammer Underworlds – he hits hard, can take a punch or two, and has a few key cards – like the mobility-boosting Unctuous Citations or the easy Corruption from Manifestation of a Great Plague – that require his presence on the battlefield in order to be played. If you can kill him, or get him into a vulnerable state, do so at all costs – even if it means losing a fighter in the process.
Rabidius Skench is a fire-and-forget missile of a fighter. He hits hard but usually only once, as he will be taken down fairly shortly afterwards. He’s fast, strong, and a very heavy hitter, but luckily inaccurate when not Inspired. Keep an eye out for your opponent setting Skench up for supported attacks. If they are being cagey with him and have a handful of cards, they are almost certainly ready to boost his accuracy and damage with ploys like Expeditious Assistance, wind him up, and let him wreak havoc on your lines.
Itchitt is a fairly uninspiring fighter to look at, but watch out for his Book of Woe special action! It can potentially deal horrendous damage to every enemy fighter in the same territory – as his opponent, you’ll need to push him out of the same territory as your other fighters, or simply wallop him flat. His peers Poxlix and Rikkit are just bodies, but watch out if they earn any upgrades like Vile Fanaticism, as at that point they can pack a serious punch.
Finally, let’s talk about Skritter. If you’ve read the previous article, you’ll know that this little chap needs to be swatted as soon as he pops his ugly little head up! Directing too much aggression his way can be a distraction, however. You’ll want to invest the bare minimum to deal with him, and even then only if he is on an objective that is nearby – upgrades like The Lantern of Vengeance for Hexbane’s Hunters, or gambits like Bursting Power from the new Paths of Prophecy deck, are an excellent way to turn this rodent into collateral damage. Spend much more than that, and your action economy will be badly affected. The Plaguepack will not miss Skritter one bit, I assure you!
So with that you are as well-armed as any to take on the loathsome minions of the Great Horned Rat. Best of luck – but if you start to sniffle, then it might already be too late!
Thanks John! We’re already stocking up on rat poison and push cards. If Skabbik’s Plaguepack tickle your fancy, they’re coming to pre-order this very weekend!