An Expansion, a Stuck Record and A Eulogy - My slightly Melancholy review of Hrothgorn's Mantrappers

No, not that type of mantrapper

It’s that time again, one of the best things about playing Underworlds is the thrill of tearing open (metaphorically speaking, we all know we get our new-card-fix online these days) the new packs and checking out the new cards.

It’s like having an extra 6-7 Christmases every year. 

Hrothgornornornron’s Mantrappers have just been previewed, with the oddly named Wurmspat shambling close behind. For the Gitz, this is the shot in the arm they (and particularly I) needed after the FAR list dropped earlier in the month. 

I’ve been a bit melancholy about their chances of late (a state of mind not helped by a certain helicopter crash in Los Angeles earlier in the week), but enthusiasm has ramped back up on the back of these previews. 

Despite some concerns about Power Creep becoming Power Jog, I’m intrigued by the progression of themes that Beastgrave is coming out with – Combo looks like a legitimate thing, which will interest combat-focussed warbands; Lost Pages and Poisons continue to be interesting, while the Ur-Grub stuff seems REALLY cool. The Mantrappers expansion seems to have a lot of goodies for Control, Aggro, Flex and Objective warbands.

It seems like the balance could be tipping back a little towards aggro, but you don’t come to me for reviews on the whole set. I’ll leave that to folk who care about warbands with fewer than nine fighters (weirdoes…). I’m here sat like a goblin over a dumpster, sifting through the detritus to find a few shiny (or chicken) nuggets. And there is some juicy chicken in here…

Unexpected Cunning

I can’t believe they printed this card.

Though fringe playable in Magic: The Gathering, I can only make strong recommendations to play this card if you’re playing Warhammer Underworlds. If you can acquire at least one glory across a phase, you’re basically guaranteed to score Unexpected Cunning. I’m really not sure what’s Unexpected about it. 

Ironically there would have been a time when this might not have been an instant pick, back when* John Rees’ Skaven, Michael Carlin’s Steelhearts or Michael Carlin’s Relics (Spotting a pattern?) were sitting on mountains of cards; but nowadays, the idea of not playing three power cards in a round seems unlikely. 

*This is before my time, based on what I’ve heard. It may not be an accurate assessment of the metagame. Your mileage may vary. May contain gluten. Always obtain consent before adding vegetables.

EDIT: That's a Mantrappers symbol, Rowan. Wrong day to be wearing new glasses.  It's still a silly card, but I guess this is their Harness the Storm

Buried Instinct

Don't think, just put it in your deck!

I’m sounding a bit like a stuck record, but I can’t believe they printed this card.

What’s Rebound? This is the new defensive hotness, and it is nuts. One of the worst things about the Guard action is that sometimes you won't know whether it's a waste of an action. Now that Keep Them Guessing is banned, and Change of Tactics is in mothballs, the value of a guard action is almost solely determined by whether or not your opponent decides to attack the chosen fighter (there's fringe benefit as a deterrent.. but not a heap). Ploys that add Guard tokens have been seen before, but you still had the dilemma of which fighter to guard. Worry no longer. All of the downsides of Guard have been removed.

While the value of guard increases for each attack the Guarded fighter receives, it's a significant buff even vs a single attack: The odds of a two hammer attack beating a two dodge defence is reduced by a third (47% to 32%) when this is played, same as Rebound. Unlike the Wholesomest Card of the Year 2017-20 (yes, I’m going to keep making this joke), however, it keeps working for the rest of the round. Don’t forget that Guard will mean your plucky fighter standing on an objective can’t be driven back either!  

Rippa’s Snarlfangs are almost as sad as the time Rippa said that they were going to the park, but actually got them neutered. In contrast, Lady Harrow’s Mournflight are happier than that time they met Brad Pitt at the departure lounge, and Widow Caitha got a selfie*.

*Gitz are more to the Mournflight end of the spectrum, though not quite at the same level, as Mournflight can score an objective off the enemy going on guard!

Cryptic Companion

"Is that you Pennywise?"

I’m sounding a bit like a stuck record, but I can’t believe they printed this card.  

It’s a strictly better version of Formless Key. That shuffling sound you can hear is all Grymwatch, Goats, Skeletons, Thorns and Gitz players rifling through their decks, trying to find an upgrade card to remove. 

We playing it. 

Becoming a Quarry is slowly becoming a legitimate negative, and there may come a time when a critical mass is achieved and Quarry cards are too risky to play, but for now it’s still worth it. 

Aggressive Strategy

Like a massively easy Combination Strike

I’m sounding a bit like a stuck record, but I can’t believe they printed this card.  

There are so many good (too good?) surge cards in the game right now I can’t think of too many decks that wouldn’t be able to find a spot for this. I imagine if you play a third end phase objective (as you should practically treat this as oen), this could be clunky, but otherwise, two passive glory for doing things you’d do anyway is pretty dang good. 

Are surge cards becoming a problem? Are the devs softening us up to drop the cap? This seems like a ludicrous card, and all the more ludicrous that Grymwatch can now take two. I imagine this will go the way of Temporary Victory and be restricted in a month or two, but I really hope this rollercoaster can level out soon, as the game appears to be ‘spot and play the broken card’ at the moment. 

Blindside

Bonekrakka and Gobbaluk are trying out for the Beastgrave Ravens as we speak...

I’m sounding a bit like a stuck record, but The Blindside (Starring Sandra Bullock), is an excellent movie. 

Blindside the ploy (Starring Prog Da Netter) is really handy for us Gitz. As I have mentioned before, adding a support turns a Sword attack into a hammer, and a Dodge defence stat into a Shield. Normally, setting up defensive supports is a tricky business. No longer. Just play the card and reap the rewards.  

As with things like free dental care, life insurance, and free dresses, Gitz benefit more than most. Setting up Scurries for Rounds 2 and 3 is now really easy, and Snirk, who has I mentioned in earlier articles might be in the throes of an existential crisis, gets a new lease on life – He can be pulled into support range and then Spin to Win in the next activation:  attacking a Git within 2 hexes of Snirk is now asking for a facial massage with a 300kg ball of steel.

Team Effort

There is no "Dibbz" in Team

One of the problems with Mad Scurry, is that if you’ve got fewer than 5 fighters, or four and an inspired Snirk, you can’t score it. There’s no worse feeling (well, okay, there are plenty) than drawing Mad Scurry in the second end phase, knowing there’s no way the remnants of your team can score it.

Team Effort is basically the reverse. In round one, this is a challenging score (though thanks to the magic of Scurry, entirely doable), which gets progressively easier with time.  I’m glad it’s only one glory though, as it would be rather oppressive in 3-4 model warbands at 2 glory. I’m unsure whether we’ll have spots to include it in our 12, but it is certainly worth considering.

Uncontested

This is a really interesting card. I think either of the Sylvaneth decks will probably love this card, as both can do a lot of work destroying objectives (I still think this should have been the Beastmen’s schtick). Add Abasoth’s Unmaking, Lethal Snares, Earthing Stone and Mischievous Spirits and you’ve got a deck. All in all, I think this is a fairly niche card, and one that possibly depends a little too much on what your opponent is doing, but worth a look. The question you'll need to answer is, 'is standing on two objectives and ensuring your opponent stands on none, easier than standing on three (Supremacy).  Combines nicely with Infested though. 

Amberbone Spear

 If a Gargant's fist only does two damage, exactly how hot is Drizgit's brand?!

As expected, we get another Amberbone weapon. Historically, the spears have been some of the best weapons in the previous series, due to the extra range. Having a built-in, one shot Tome of Offerings (Page of Offerings perhaps..?) is a very strong ability.  This will see play. 

For us Gitz, Amberbone Spear covers another weakness, which is our lack of Range 2 attacks. Being adjacent to someone unfriendly is something that Snirk alone enjoys (Drizgit doesn’t like it but he tolerates it), so being able to make solid, accurate attacks is a decided benefit.  Another benefit is that being an attack action, it’s almost a strict upgrade for the bow-boys, and can make a real swing in the latter stages of the game.  I’d been experimenting with Amberbone Hammer of late, partly because I was expecting to switch to Spear, and I’ve found the extra glory to be really, really, handy. If you can, find room for this.

Those are all the cards I think could be playable for the Gitz in the Mantrappers expansion. Now, as many of you might have noticed, an NBA basketball sub-theme runs through this blog, so, if you’ll permit me, I’ve got a small eulogy to Kobe and Gianna Bryant. 

Growing up I was a massive basketball fan, as many people were who happened to be young and impressionable while Michael Jordan was doing Michael Jordan things. I however, was a Shaq fan, first and foremost. I still have a small doll I made in primary school from dark blue hessian, complete with a white #32 Orlando Magic jersey.  I was devastated when Shaq left for the Lakers. Because I couldn’t stay mad at the big Diesel Kobe became someone I hated almost immediately. His sexual assault trial didn’t help matters. I lost interest in basketball somewhere around the early 2000s, but I did however note with some irritation that Kobe and Shaq seemed to win an awful lot.  I picked up an interest in basketball about 5 years ago, but my dislike for Kobe didn’t return. In fact, I became something of a fan, devouring all of his highlights on YouTube (even though for some reason I always end up supporting the Blazers in the 2000 Western Conference game 7 – if you haven’t seen that match, watch https://youtu.be/6nyd7XmASaA to get some context). In hindsight, his later achievements, especially winning two titles with Pau Gasol and a bunch of spare parts players are particularly impressive

I noted his staunch support for the WNBA, and his enthusiasm for motivating the younger players – I’d been following the progress of Giannis Antetokounmpo since Kobe challenged him to become MVP, which he duly did that very season. I may or may not have cried watching Dear Basketball.

I am not afraid to say that I did cry when I found out that not only had he been killed, but his daughter had also died.  Gianna was thirteen years old. 

I have two daughters myself, and the bond between us is indescribable. The fierce instinct to protect them from any and all harm,  the intense pride that comes with absolutely anything they do, the crazy feeling of being adored by this small amazing person, the unshakeable belief that you’re raising someone who can be absolutely anything they wish to be… it’s like nothing else on Earth.

The loss of a child is something no parent should expereince. It must be world-shattering. My half-brother died as a 10 month old baby. My father is still affected to this day, some 45 years later.

I can only imagine what those last few seconds must have been like for Kobe and Gianna; and I don’t like the images my imagination conjures. I only pray that the accident occurred quickly, and they had little time for fear to take over. 

One of the greatest ironies in life is that whenever anyone passes, we tend to say things about them that we wouldn’t say if they were alive. I challenge all of my small readership to help to change that tendency. Say what your loved ones mean to you more often. Call a friend, call a family member, call someone at work, tell them how they inspire you, what you love about them, because you never know when might be the last chance you have to say it.

Thanks (as ever, I'd love any feedback you have etc)

RIP Mamba. RIP Mambita.