Necromunday: Can We Bash It? Warhammer Underworlds

Our final grand alliance brings arguably the widest range of legitimately useful models, thanks in no small part to the distinct ruinous powers and the numerous ways they show up in plastic . There’s something to love with just about every one of these warbands, with the three Skaven options and the older chunk of releases being the oddest ones out. The volume of relatively ordinary (and still living) humans is a nice change from the other alliances, with some spiffy daemon models worked in for good measure.

Ephilim's Pandaemonium. Credit: Keewa

Ephilim’s Pandaemonium

The full splendor of Tzeentch on display with this one! Five models clearly pulled from some of the always-excellent Nicky Grillet’s concept art. The three purely warp-fueled critters are the best “clip and play” chaos familiars in all of GW’s current range (shout out to Silver Tower’s sassy strutting fish) and I don’t think they need to read as purely Tzeentch depending on how you paint them. Beautiful sculpts bringing big warp energy to the table. I wish we had more models in this style.

We get a more classically Tzeentchian bird-like baddy casting a spell…with its feet? This will be the oddest one out of the set as it’s hard to imagine squeezing parts of this model in elsewhere aside from clipping off the spell effect.

Ephilim is the final model of the bunch, and has an ethereal presence unlike anything else in plastic right now. A great spell effect spiraling out of a very clippable hand, a demonic staff top, an interesting dagger-like feather object, and two additional spell-like tendrils floating off of and around the body. It also has four arms wrapped up in robes and jutting out from a slender torso. The head has an unsettling cubist-era-Picasso-as-sculpted-by-Tzeentch vibe. A killer model, but not the easiest to use. There’s a whole gang’s worth of psyker effects you could pull off of the one character, though the robes are draped on the model in a way that would be hard to repurpose.

7 out of 10 for a striking set of models, with the familiars and spell bits being standouts here. Ephilim’s in my top three models from all of Underworlds; just not the easiest to convert with.

Garrek's Reavers Credit: Alfredo Ramirez

Garrek’s Reavers

All five models may be overtly Khorne flavored, but they also fulfill a very specific niche with universally slick poses: Goliath juves. From all the way back in the OG Underworlds starter set, they were the group showing some of the dynamic possibilities of mono posed models (which you certainly weren’t getting from their rival Stormcast warband).

Garrek and his friends are clearly Khorne Bloodreavers, which can also be found as monopose options in the AoS first edition starter set squad as well as in a general release multipart plastic kit. I think we can agree the warband has aged as well or better than their peers, and I do find them to be the best of the bunch for my purposes.

Between the five models, you are getting five solid muscular bodies with some light leg armor and armored boots. This does line up reasonably well with the Goliath aesthetic. The Khorne iconography is not too prevalent, but does unfortunately crop up as some chest branding you would need to fill with putty. It’s up to you to decide if this is worth your time, but a little sanding along with a couple of Goliath shoulder pad bits could go a long way. I am sure there are some other uses out there, but I’m loath to spend much brainpower on these guys with so many tastier options out there in the wild world of Chaos models.

4 out of 10. The nice poses are doing all the heavy lifting with this reasonably generic group, but sometimes that’s all you need from a model when porting over the right bits.

Godsworn Hunt. Credit: SRM

Godsworn Hunt

This is a tough one for me. On one hand, the six models of 2019’s Godsworn Hunt warband helped seed multiple project ideas in my head that have finally begun to blossom this past year, and so I have gratitude for that. On the other hand, they have not aged well and were almost fully and instantly outclassed by the gorgeous full 2024 Darkoath lineup release if not by the Warcry Red Harvest box Darkoath Savagers warband back in 2021. That’s kind of the story here in a nutshell.

This was the first appearance of an actual group of models sporting the Conan-esque Darkoath aesthetic that has since, mercifully, replaced the Chaos Marauders of old in Age of Sigmar (though full points to that refresh in The Old World kicking all of the ass there is to kick). I would take the Darkoath Marauders or Savagers over our little warband every time, but that’s as much a credit to how beautiful and versatile those sets are as to anything else.

The warband consists of six models. One softly chaos-corrupted dog, which is a solid exotic beast option in addition to being a very good boy. Notable for being a nice larger size and a fair bit more fierce than any of the recent Cities of Sigmar pups. We’ve got two ranged combatants, with an archer as well as a javelin thrower. Solid as well, though a bit cartoonish in their proportions and sculpts.

Our two melee combatants are where it gets more interesting. Grundann Blood-Eye looks like a background character from an episode of the He-Man animated series, and I mean that in a bad way, The crown and head ornamentation is very silly to me, the axe is crude in a goofy way, and the pose is boring. Shond Head-Claimer, on the other hand, has a solid pose and one of the better greatsword bits out there. He’s much more workable as a close combat champion, and has a few bits worthy of repurposing elsewhere.

Theddra Skull-Scryer is the leader of the bunch, and she’s a mixed bag as well. There’s certainly some shamanistic flair going on, but I think the smaller frame of the model leads to the details looking a bit too chunky. The staff is good, the pose is solid, but I think there are more compelling options for Psykers elsewhere in Underworlds.

5 out of 10. I think I might be going a point too generous here, but there are still useful bits and a nice beast to be had.

Gorechosen of Dromm kitbash. Credit: Hive Market Minis

Gorechosen of Dromm

The top Khorne models in the game, and the only ones released since all the way back in Shadespire. We like Dromm! These are a nice little detour from your standard Khorne fare, with only the Realmgore Ritualist sharing in the general style thus far. Dromm himself is bringing plenty of priestly energy, and would make for a great leader or witch in your Helot Cult gang as well as potentially filling a number of roles in a more tribal Cawdor build. Solid axe and staff, great lightly armored body, and a uh…polarizing head bit. It’s cool, but you’re either going to love it or bin it right away.

Skullgrinder Herax is a nice offering, with a nice mask and solid body as well. He’s wielding a flaming hammer, which we do like, and has an empty hand on the other side. I think he’s your best bet for some Corpsgrinder Cult action, as a head swap and potential weapon swap would get you something unique and fluffy without too much work. This is a solid “all bits can work somewhere” model, and I’ve started to tinker with him for possible Goliath use.

The group is rounded out by The Gorehulk, our blood god beefcake. He’s a big boy, which we don’t often get, and that opens up a lot of applications. A great base for a Khorne-aligned Stimmer or even ‘Zerker, well suited for a Leader or Champ in a Corpsegrinder gang, and has plenty of potential for a Helot melee model. I personally chopped one up and used the torso for a Tzeentch-corrupted Van Saar Archeotek, so safe to say there are a number of potential uses.

7 out of 10. They’re really nice models with a number of potential uses, and they don’t flag “more blood for the blood god” in a detrimental way.

Khagra's Ravagers. Credit: Keewa

Khagra’s Ravagers

Khagra and friends harken back to our main issue with many of the Orruk warbands from Destruction, as these were more novel as sculpts when they first landed in 2021 and were a bit better than the 2020 easy-to-build Chaos Warrior refresh from the Start Collecting! with the Lord on Karkadrak and knights. Khagra and her two warriors are nice models, but they’re strictly worse to build with than the current and now sorta-kinda modular 2023 Chaos Warriors, which won’t run you much more to buy and bring in a whole slew of solid heads and weapons. The female head from Khagra herself is useful, but not something I’d consider getting the set for.

There is, however, a very nice model slid in here along with the warriors in the form of Zarshia Bittersoul. She’s a full-fledged chaos sorcerous with a great pose, staff, and magic effect in the left hand, and she’s not nearly as heavily armored as some of the other recent AoS S2D magic-wielding models. This makes her a great option for your Helot Cult Witch or even leader with a little head swap or 40k setting accessorizing. There are a number of other compelling witch options in Underworlds, but she might be the simplest to port over while also not flagging as serving one specific ruinous power.

5 out of 10. Solid warriors, but it comes down to Zarshia Bittersoul and her witchy ways on if this is a worthwhile pickup for your projects.

Magore's Fiends. Credit: SRM

Magore’s Fiends

You won't find many of these sets kicking around, as they've yet to be reissued for the current edition of Underworlds and were the original powerhouse warband all the way back in the initial Shadespire set of the game. I am confident in saying this is not a loss for kitbashing purposes.

The group is comprised of three aged Blood Warrior sculpts and a single Flesh Hound. The warriors flag much too heavily for fantasy and for Khorne, and you can pick up a larger set of them with the monopose Goreblade Warband collection or a multipart iteration with the full Blood Warriors AoS set. Flesh Hound 5-packs are also easy to come by on eBay, as they've been in many Khorne value boxes over the years.

I would pass on this one completely, as the $200 price tag makes it more of a collector's item than anything else at this point. If you're already sitting on one, your best bet is staying in the general Khorne family as Corpsegrinder fodder, but again, they're heavily grounded in the fantasy aesthetic of the mortal realms.

1 out of 10. Limited uses, expensive to get, and with a host of better and visually identical options at a much better value out there already.

Kevin’s rendition of Skabbik’s Plaguepack won best painted at the Goonhammer Open Underworlds event. Credit: Kevin

Skabbik’s Plaguepack

Well, they’re rats! Colossal upgrades over the AoS Plague Rats, which is their ideal use. The 41st millennium isn’t particularly inviting to Skaven, with no direct counterpart in the far future. Thus, any usefulness will be directly tied to how much you’re ready to bend the lore.

They’re heavily robbed which is nice. Three of the five humanoid rats have beautifully smoking censers, though they are very intertwined in the models and there are other easier options for something similar elsewhere in 40k and AoS. The sixth model of the pack is a giant rat clutching a chunk of warpstone, and little buddy here is your best bit to use elsewhere. It’s just not worth picking this up for kitbashing.

2 out of 10. Nice sculpts with nothing for us to really kitbash with.

Skittershank's Clawpack

Skittershank’s Clawpack

Our second group of rats. The models kick serious ass, with some excellent dynamic poses and neat details. Being a group of assassins this time, I do find there to be a better chance of trying to work some of the weapons in elsewhere or bending an idea to accommodate Skittershank at the very least, who’s partially shrouded under a cloak and could make for a fun Master Splinter of the 41st millennium.

I am again adverse to going too hard with Skaven when the setting doesn’t really touch on them, though this group is your best bet from the entire AoS range for building a few as mutants or a new strain of abhumans. Give them a serious look if that’s an idea you want to explore.

3 out of 10. Beautiful and dynamic models, but they are little rat men and women that would be challenging to turn into something else.

Spiteclaw’s Swarm. Credit: Rockfish

Spiteclaw’s Swarm

The original Shadespire Skaven warband. These predate the AoS Skaven refresh by several years, and it shows. The models are fine, but nothing I would bother revisiting. I would look into the slew of readily available Skaventide models, as those will also be a hell of a lot cheaper, and skip Spiteclaw entirely. The weapon hands are all good and fine for smaller muties, and that’s as far as I’m going to bother with these.

1 out of 10. They’re fine, but they’re aged rats completely outclassed by the very affordable Skaventide options.

The Dread Pageant. Credit: Keewa

The Dread Pageant

A solid collection of mortals from the Direchasm box showcasing the ornamentation and excess of the Slaanesh style. Two Blissbarb models, though one is sporting a melee weapon this time and they both come with very neat masks not found in the AoS archers box. It's a rather specific use case, but they would make compelling Slaaneshi Death Maidens if you find the androgynous one of the pair female enough for an Escher gang. Outside of this, you're getting some of the same classic “exotic” GW flair as the rest of the Blissbarb lineup, and you're better off looking into the Seekers and Archers kits for more options and a larger headcount.

There is a standard Slaangor in here with the same “naughty beastmen” vibe as the full Fiendbloods trio kit. I think there's room to make a slick pit fighter or mutated cult champion, but again, the full AoS kit will give you more models with more flexibility in building.

The star of the pageant is likely Vasillac the Gifted, as he is a completely unique sculpt in comparison to the rest of the Slaanesh mortals range. Less armored up than the Painbringers group and more on par with the very neat Lord of Pain, he's a great fit for an arena champion, a brat gladiator, or melee champ in any Slaanesh-aligned gang with some tweaking.

The spear allows for some easy melee weapon converting and the shield arm and be lopped off in favor of bringing a gun or second close combat weapon without too much trouble. I love the cloak, and you can de-ornament the armor a bit for a more 40k feel. With the Slaaneshi scarring, you're better off going elsewhere if you're not going to keep him in the Chaos family. A really lovely sculpt, and one I'm happy to have in my own pile of potential.

6 out of 10. You're going to have a hard time removing the Chaos aesthetic, but it's a solid collection of good looking models.

Eyes of the Nine

The Eyes of the Nine

A much more classic Tzeentch daemon lineup than Ephilim and friends, and the set is only worse for it. A monopose Tzaangor with a pair of Kairic Acolytes, a Blue Horror, and a set of Brimstone Horrors on a base. All of these have substantially more workable native AoS counterpart sets and can be found in greater numbers with the same monopose restrictions on the Warhammer Quest: Silver Tower enemies sprue still kicking around on eBay.

The leader of this band, Vortimis, is the one unique model of the bunch. He's about 35% Tzeentch bird boy at this point, which to me pushes him out of easy Cult Witch conversion territory, but would make a fine option for folks wanting to flash a little more “obviously a daemon” glitz in their rosters. I'm more on team body horror/wild mutation when I'm showing some signs of corruption on Necromunda, which is why Vortimis is a soft miss for me.

3 out of 10. The copy/paste nature of the majority of models when they're ports of multi pose plastics in AoS makes this a hard sell, while Vortimis is nice but a bit too on-the-beak Tzeentch Daemon for most uses.

Credit: Hive Market Minis

The Gnarlspirit Pack

If you’re looking for techno barbarians, we just found them. Four fantastic models striking a perfect balance between the Darkoath line of sculpts and Warcry’s Untamed Beasts. These are all golden in their own ways.

The large hammerer of the group is another of my all-time favorite Underworlds sculpts. I’ve used him already for a bulky underhive NPC, and picked up a second copy recently to work into my next gang’s leader. The armor is a great blend of metallic pieces, animal trophies, and leather bits that can easily read as pit fighter or nomad. The big hammer is an easy weapon head swap, and the actual scared head could work on any human-sized model.

The skull-helmeted shaman has a great basic pose (we love an open empty hand) and nice staff that could be topped with something besides an antler if you were so inclined. The helmet is rather unique, as GW is not so inclined to slap bones on top of human models as of late. It’s a standout bit for any purpose, and wouldn’t be out of place in a gang of neo-ratskins. Nice clock and loin cloth, though the fur-heavy Uggs aren’t my taste.

The spear wielding warrior has a distinctly “Predator” face-like helmet, and it’s admittedly awesome. The polearm over the shoulder pose is also slick, paired with a nice and simple backhand dagger. The torso armor is fairly light, which is also solid for an assassin build of some sort. An excellent model made up of excellent parts.

The Gnarlwood Crew. Credit: Fowler

Lastly, we have a dual wielding axeman, with fairly heavy armor and a punkish haircut. Fun combat-ready pose, and nice model made up of nice bits. This one has a few details that read more heavily as “Chaos” than the others, but they are ultimately minor and easy to shave off as needed. Super versatile armored warrior.

10 out of 10. I’d say this is the best “collection of bits” in any Underworlds set, and each model is excellent in its own right. Venators, bounty hunters, outcasts, nomads, ratskins, hive scum, cultists, you name it. All doable from or enhanced by this one kit.

The Wurmsprat. Credit: Games Workshop

The Wurmspat

You could make a strong argument for these three Nurgle mortals as the GOATs of Underworlds models, and they’re a treat to kitbash with as well. All three are striking, unique, and worthy of a good clean up. It’s also uncommon to get models on the heavier side of things, which help these stand out even more.

Fecula Flyblown leads the group, with worn and tattered robes draped over her bloated and curvy figure. She’s got a bit of a hunched back leading to a large metal shoulder plate on her left side and various trophies strung around her waist. She is clutching a staff roughly in the shape of a wooden scythe with both her normal human hand as well as a long demonic tentacle, while pointing forward with the other. She’s as good as you’re going to get for a mutie leader or plague witch base, and has a lot of applications if cleaned up a bit. Plus, there’s the…cat…thing. We like it!

Ghulgoch the Butcher is a beefcake of a Blightking, with a great pose brandishing his dual axes. You could clean him up for a multitude of melee purposes, from a Nurgle-corrupted Cawdor or Orlock champ to a potential Stimmer or even a Corpsegrinder who got into a bit too much of the fresh meat. The head is an easy swap, and that’s going to do the heavy lifting on recontextualizing Ghulgoch. If you’re pulling him away from Nurgle, a little putty followed by a little sanding can de-age the armor and get those pesky boils off. Very cool model.

My favorite of the bunch, however, is Sepsimus Plaguesworn, a fully armored Nurgle knight bringing some epic gothic energy. He does, however, come packed with a bug-like abdomen stinger in the trunk, so be prepared to deal with that one way or another. A nice spear in his right hand is wrapped with a tentacle as well, which works for any chaos-corrupted builds or can be swapped out without too much trouble. The left hand is holding some disembodied heads, so we like that as-is. It’s a striking model worthy of time and attention that could work as a corrupted bounty hunter or cleaned up for service on a higher level in the hive.

9 out of 10. Bursting with character across all three unique and memorable sculpts. This is the sort of warband that made a trip further down the FLGS aisle to the Underworlds section worthwhile, and showcases the full potential of exploring fun visual detours from major factions in a bite-sized model count game.

The Thricefold Discord. Credit: Keewa

Thricefold Discord

Starting off with some of those daemon models are the oddly aquatic Thricefold trio. These are great sculpts with a lot of character, which unfortunately limits them a bit for mortal repurposing.

The staff and topper on the tentacled demon is gorgeous and one I’ll be bringing over for my Slaanesh Helot Cult witch. The rest of this model? Not so much, with odd proportions and overtly demonic features. You could potentially hack off the torso to swap something else on top of the snake-like…stuff going on below, which I could again envision for a particularly “gifted” witch or leader.

The four-armed assassin is a dynamic piece, and the torso with all the arms is a great port over to any cult leader or champ with potential to do a lot of hand swapping for something unique. There’s also a nice chaos-worshipping Escher energy here. The head is neat and could be trimmed down a bit to shed the more ornate elements. The feet and legs are pure daemonette, and can not read as anything else. If you want to run it as one, great! If not, get ready to do some careful clipping. Also: it has a tail.

The big bud here is going to be tricky. It’s a very dense, detailed, beefy body, which we do like! Everything sticking out from it is strictly demonic. The big glaive is nice, but the head is more at home on a chaos spawn than anything else. The claw arm is classic Slaanesh, but the pauldron there enables an easier arm swap. We’re also stuck with hooves and a tail, and those will be harder to switch up or get rid of. Lastly, there are the ornate back fins with stringed up gems. These could be clipped off.

4 out of 10. I’m writing a lot on this set as I do find them to be striking and unique models. They might also be the hardest non-rats to convert into something else. Worth a look if you keep your expectations in check!

That’s all for Can We Bash It? Warhammer Underworlds Edition. Next time we till start our tour of Blood Bowl teams Have any questions or feedback? Drop us a note in the comments below or email us at contact@goonhammer.com. And don’t forget that you can support us on Patreon for backer rewards like early video content, Administratum access, an ad-free experience on our website and more.

Tags: necromunda | Necromunday | warhammer underworlds