WARHAMMER UNDERWORLDS: SHADESPIRE

released Out nOW! two players

Publisher Games Workshop

Shadespire marks a first venture into the world of deck-building for Games Workshop – inspired, no doubt, by the success of titles like Dominion. It combines customising-your-hand-ofcards with the company’s miniatures, and a setting rooted in the Age Of Sigmar world.

Players control one of two opposing warbands (more can join in with expansion packs). In the box these are the sturdy, upstanding Stormcast Eternals and the none-more-metal Khorne Bloodbound. Each side must duke it out while also obtaining objectives in order to accumulate honour points. The side with the most at the end wins – even if all of their warriors have been slain!

The focus is on fast-paced play. Each side has only a handful of miniatures, and the three-turn limit means that every movement, attack or objective retrieval has to be carefully considered. The deck-building aspect, meanwhile, enables you to add character upgrades and ploys.

The miniatures are terrific, with different colours for each of the warbands. There’s always been an emphasis with Games Workshop products on painting your models, but these look great as they are. The game feels, perhaps, a little limited in scope, but expect that to change as the system is filled out with expansion packs. Will Salmon