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It's actually all starting to make sense now. Whether the new starter is a new season or not is only really relevant for tournament card rotation.

What seems likely is that is the Q2 core forms part of the current season and is the "two extra warbands" - coupled with the fact that the core boxes jumped in price while the warbands didn't, it seems like the extra core box is a way to sell two warbands and two new boards at a higher price. I'd imagine we won't get a board expansion this time around.

I'm 50/50 on the card pack at the moment. I don't really deck build, I keep a deck assembled for each warband, the earlier ones based of some I found online (with some tweaks), and now just using the Rivals decks. If the Rivals decks are decent enough (by which I mostly mean: fun and showing off the warband core mechanics) then there will be no need for tweaks so I don't really need any new cards... but then I have bought everything else released so far (except scenery and sleeves) so I'm not sure about pulling the cord on giving up having *everything*. Especially if I ever wanted to cash out.

deano2099 wrote:
It's actually all starting to make sense now. Whether the new starter is a new season or not is only really relevant for tournament card rotation.

What seems likely is that is the Q2 core forms part of the current season and is the "two extra warbands" - coupled with the fact that the core boxes jumped in price while the warbands didn't, it seems like the extra core box is a way to sell two warbands and two new boards at a higher price. I'd imagine we won't get a board expansion this time around.

I had originally wondered that myself, but GW explicitly said otherwise when they revealed the roadmap. Here's the exact unedited (other than bolding the relevant bits) quote from the community post:

Warhammer Community wrote:Longtime Warhammer Underworlds players may notice that this is a little different from previous seasons. Going forward, there will be two core sets released each year – each including an all-new pair of warbands, fresh board designs, universal cards, and more.

And that’s not all! This is all in addition to two further warband releases per season, each with a ready-made Rivals deck, as well as more universal and grand alliance cards to open up even more deck-building opportunities in Championship format. This change gives the design team more opportunities to advance the narrative, introduce different mechanics, and tighten up the core rules to continually improve the game.

Shadespire and Nightvault have 8 total warbands (core box + 6 "loose" warbands)

Beastgrave and Direchasm also had 8 warbands in their season, but technically 10 total warbands were released during their run (because of Dreadfane and the 2021 starter set)

So Harrowdeep onwards sounds like it will be a season of 2x2 core box warbands and 8 loose warbands, for a total of 12.

So potentially the second core box is meant to fill the slot of Dreadfane/2021Starter (but at presumably ~$100 ) however we also don't have any assurance that GW won't release more non-season side warbands as well

 Jack Flask wrote:

deano2099 wrote:
It's actually all starting to make sense now. Whether the new starter is a new season or not is only really relevant for tournament card rotation.

What seems likely is that is the Q2 core forms part of the current season and is the "two extra warbands" - coupled with the fact that the core boxes jumped in price while the warbands didn't, it seems like the extra core box is a way to sell two warbands and two new boards at a higher price. I'd imagine we won't get a board expansion this time around.

I had originally wondered that myself, but GW explicitly said otherwise when they revealed the roadmap. Here's the exact unedited (other than bolding the relevant bits) quote from the community post:

Warhammer Community wrote:Longtime Warhammer Underworlds players may notice that this is a little different from previous seasons. Going forward, there will be two core sets released each year – each including an all-new pair of warbands, fresh board designs, universal cards, and more.

And that’s not all! This is all in addition to two further warband releases per season, each with a ready-made Rivals deck, as well as more universal and grand alliance cards to open up even more deck-building opportunities in Championship format. This change gives the design team more opportunities to advance the narrative, introduce different mechanics, and tighten up the core rules to continually improve the game.

Shadespire and Nightvault have 8 total warbands (core box + 6 "loose" warbands)

Beastgrave and Direchasm also had 8 warbands in their season, but technically 10 total warbands were released during their run (because of Dreadfane and the 2021 starter set)

So Harrowdeep onwards sounds like it will be a season of 2x2 core box warbands and 8 loose warbands, for a total of 12.

So potentially the second core box is meant to fill the slot of Dreadfane/2021Starter (but at presumably ~$100 ) however we also don't have any assurance that GW won't release more non-season side warbands as well

There’s been 3 warbands this season so far (incl Blackpowder’s). Plus 3 for the teased lightning + core box in Q2. I do wonder how they would release the remaining 6 in time before the next season.

More likely, imho, it‘s now 2 seasons per year. Each with a core box plus 2 extra warbands (ie back to 8 warbands per year). And if you read the text carefully, that might be exactly what they said.

Huh, yeah thinking about it, while that's not how anyone read it at the time, that makes perfect sense.

So still 8 warbands per year but faster rotation of core cards in tournaments. And two of your warbands in an expensive box with extra boards. Hopefully there's at least some interesting mechanics in the new core box and it's not just literally the same tokens all over again plus boards and the two warbands...

If this is the case I'd also guess it's one warband from each Grand Alliance per season? Does that scan with what we have so far? It'd be weird if some of the GA cards in Harrowdeep didn't work with any warband that season!

 Jack Flask wrote:

callidusx3 wrote:
The rumor, which has been confirmed by one former playtester, is that the next warband expansion is a Necromancer + Zombies.

Further, the next box will be the starter for season 6, the second in Ulgu. Two season a year now, each year in a new Realm.

That would make absolutely no sense...
If you're talking about the next core box in Q2 then Season 5 would consist of just Harrowdeep, Blackpowder's Buccaneers, a Rivals deck, and the one unteased Q2 warband.

That'd come nowhere near a typical season, much less GW's claim of "two additional warbands per post-Harrowdeep" season.

Perhaps, we will know for sure in the next 2-3 months. But I think that the statement "two additional warbands per post-Harrowdeep" refers to Blackpowder and the unteased Q2 warband.

Though my opinion lines up with the "confirmed" rumor, this does not mean that I think GW will change how it rotates the available card pool in Championship. I still think that (up to) 2 years worth of releases will be viable at a time.

TheGoodGerman wrote:

 Jack Flask wrote:
- Cut for length -

There’s been 3 warbands this season so far (incl Blackpowder’s). Plus 3 for the teased lightning + core box in Q2. I do wonder how they would release the remaining 6 in time before the next season.

More likely, imho, it‘s now 2 seasons per year. Each with a core box plus 2 extra warbands (ie back to 8 warbands per year). And if you read the text carefully, that might be exactly what they said.

The way I had seen it was that Harrowdeep was announced at the end of 2021 and each season has (to my memory) ran about a year long. So I was thinking they'd have 3 warbands in Q3 and 3 in Q4. Packed certainly, however 8 warbands per year is already a pretty constant pace so moving to 12 would certainly feel that way.

After re-reading the Community post probably 3 times, per your prompting, I now understand what you and Callidusx3 mean. Personally, if that is what GW means then I would not have worded/explained it the way they did. Both by referencing previous seasons which followed a consistent pattern of 8 warbands per season and by putting Core Box two into the Harrowdeep roadmap, it makes the additions sound like they apply to the previous concept of a season rather than a new shorter version.

However this is not the first time they've cryptically worded something which should be clear, and it now makes sense why the roadmap doesn't go past Core Box 2.

callidusx3 wrote:

 Jack Flask wrote:

Perhaps, we will know for sure in the next 2-3 months. But I think that the statement "two additional warbands per post-Harrowdeep" refers to Blackpowder and the unteased Q2 warband.

Though my opinion lines up with the "confirmed" rumor, this does not mean that I think GW will change how it rotates the available card pool in Championship. I still think that (up to) 2 years worth of releases will be viable at a time.

Yes, I understand what you were saying now. Apologies for my earlier pointed incredulity.
I've come around to your reading of it since I'd rather they didn't drastically increase the number of things needed to keep a collection for this game...

deano2099 wrote:Huh, yeah thinking about it, while that's not how anyone read it at the time, that makes perfect sense.

So still 8 warbands per year but faster rotation of core cards in tournaments. And two of your warbands in an expensive box with extra boards. Hopefully there's at least some interesting mechanics in the new core box and it's not just literally the same tokens all over again plus boards and the two warbands...

If this is the case I'd also guess it's one warband from each Grand Alliance per season? Does that scan with what we have so far? It'd be weird if some of the GA cards in Harrowdeep didn't work with any warband that season!

Yeah, I think if it keeps to 8 warbands per year (even with 2 slightly more expensive warbands due to the second box contents) then I'll be a lot less irritated.
The other negative beyond just cards rotating faster will be if GW decides to keep their current policy of only selling two seasons at a time.

New Harrowdeep reveal - The Exiled Dead

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2022/02/28/coyl-is-coming-to-claim-harrowdeep-and-will-fight-anyone-with-his-borrowed-arm/

Arcwalker

Coyl is an arcwalker, animated by the Force Dynamic, an arcano-electric force that flows through all things.

Gee, I wonder if the Force Dynamic is a motive force?

Whut

Big hand for Coyl there!

A little plain on his own, but intrigued by the concept.

Ok so how does this work? He’s a zombie so presumably he’s resurrected by death magic. Does he need electricity to use an arm that’s not his? Can necromancy not make a giant composite zombie

Huh. I like this, but steampunk undead are kinda coming out of nowhere?! Won't look that out of place with the new zombies, the Cursed City undertaker dude etc., tho

(I mean, since at least sky dwarves I find it easier to rationalize AoS as a steampunk setting where most factions just decide to *not* use technology because their magic/brute force provides better results, anyway, so why not. Also, looking at Skaven since WHFB, sooo ...)

This isn't steampunk. It's a Frankenstein homage.

Well Frankenstein being a 19th century text and steampunk being generally a homage to 19th century 'futurisms', it's not really a difference, isn't it ^^

Well, yeah. Frankenstein is Gothic horror. Steampunk is goggles, top hats and steam.

I like the model.

 GaroRobe wrote:
Ok so how does this work? He’s a zombie so presumably he’s resurrected by death magic. Does he need electricity to use an arm that’s not his? Can necromancy not make a giant composite zombie

I think necromancy in Warhammer is broad enough to do that, had the designers opted for that. But since they obviously want Frankenstein undead to be a thing in AoS, zappiness has to play into it somehow, for obvious reasons. Might be just a different (sub-)discipline of necromancy, or maybe it comes with the benefit of giving the zombie the equivalent of a power fist.

 Inquisitor Gideon wrote:
Well, yeah. Frankenstein is Gothic horror. Steampunk is goggles, top hats and steam.

Frankesntein is goggles, top hats and lightning

So the rumoured zombie team will be a bit different than the usual zombies. Maybe their 'necromancer' leader is more of a crazy scientist type rather than a sorcerer?

So GW is making Cryx models?

Not gonna lie, I'm intrigued.

Ok so the first guy is named Coyl (coil). Let’s see if we can brainstorm old school electricity words that GW will cleverly name the rest of the group.

Volt
Wyre
Cable
Thomas Deadison

 KidCthulhu wrote:
So GW is making Cryx models?

Not gonna lie, I'm intrigued.

Yeah, that was my thought ad well.

Regarding Frankensteins, that is Gothic Horror and also the first Sci-Fi book.... steampunk is paint it brown, slap some cogs on it and call it a day!

The arm is from another creature of bigger size so he needs electricity to keep that arm going.

Either way I can see this Necromundized into my sci-fi setting.

This looks pretty cool and I would definitely pick up a Frankenstein style warband. That is presuming they don't have to have the Harrowdeep mechanics to be used, because I skipped that (uninspiring and relatively expensive) set. Intrigued to see the starter set after this guy.

 GaroRobe wrote:
Ok so the first guy is named Coyl (coil). Let’s see if we can brainstorm old school electricity words that GW will cleverly name the rest of the group.

Volt
Wyre
Cable
Thomas Deadison

Ohm - because resistance is futile...

It seems the Adeptus Mechanicus have arrived to reclaim the Divine Spark

That's unexpected.
Although I hope the leader isn't just some dude who went the Frankenstein route instead of studying Necromancy for some reason, like an evil Dwarf Engineer or something.

 Kanluwen wrote:

Coyl is an arcwalker, animated by the Force Dynamic, an arcano-electric force that flows through all things.

Gee, I wonder if the Force Dynamic is a motive force?

I was especially glad to see that the new zombie is generating power by the modal interactions of magneto-reluctance and capacitive duractance. I was a bit concerned that they would still be generating power using the relative motion of conductors and fluxes as the previous generation of machines did.

I'm very interested to see the rest of the warband, and how they play!

Please give us a mad scientist necromancer, GW. PLEASE?

 Scottywan82 wrote:
Please give us a mad scientist necromancer, GW. PLEASE?

They better not! That's the concept i've had rattling around for my own master necromancer for ages now. They better not steal it off me!