Daggok's Stab-Ladz - Warband Review
Introduction
Daggok Finksteala is on a murderous mission to decapitate the realms' brightest fighters. With each head Daggok takes, his kunnin' increases - or so he believes - and he means to gather enough stats to make him a killboss. Jagz da Bleeda and Hurrk da Howla are willing to hedge bets on the boss, using their own kunnin' and brutal tactics. Grakk da Hook plays the part of berserker, but his real job is to snag and drag down shields so his mates can lay into foes.
Fighter Characteristics
Leading the Stab Ladz is Daggok Finksteala. His base stats are strong: Move 3, 1 Block for defence, 4 Wounds, and a 2 Glory bounty. He comes swinging with two melee profiles: one a Range 1 attack hitting on 2 Hammers for 2 Damage, and the other a slightly safer Range 2 attack also on 2 Hammers but for 1 Damage.
However, it’s when Daggok Inspires that things really get nasty. He gains +1 Move and jumps to an impressive 2 Block defence, making him significantly harder to take down. Offensively, both attacks improve to 3 Hammers, giving him fantastic accuracy, and his Range 1 punch now hits for 3 Damage, elevating him from a threat to an outright menace. Few fighters improve this much on Inspiration, and it firmly places Daggok among the most dangerous leaders in the game. Also, note he does not have Grevious (yet!).
Next in the ladz lineup is Hurrk, Da Howla, your classic front-line scrapper. He’s reliable and sturdy with Move 3, 1 Block, 4 Wounds, and a 2 Glory bounty. His single attack is a no-nonsense Range 1 punch, hitting on 2 Hammers for 2 Damage. Upon Inspiration, he gains +1 Move and his attack sharpens to 3 Hammers, improving consistency. While his upgrades are more modest than Daggok’s, the improved mobility and accuracy make Hurrk a dependable fighter.
Grakk, Da Hook brings a trickier, more mobile flavour to the warband. With Move 4, 1 Dodge for defence, 4 Wounds, and a 2 Glory bounty, he’s built for repositioning and disruption. He comes with two attack profiles: a Range 1, 3 Swords for 2 Damage with Grapple, and a Range 2 option at 3 Swords for 1 Damage. After Inspiration, that Range 2 attack becomes 2 Damage and gains Brutal, which not only increases his lethality but also his ability to punch through to enemies on cover hexes or in a crowd. This subtle but tactical boost makes him especially valuable in matchups where positioning and objective control are key.
Finally, we have Jagz, Da Bleeda, the smallest of the crew but far from harmless. He starts with Move 3, 1 Block, 4 Wounds, and a 1 Glory bounty. His lone attack hits at Range 1 with 3 Swords for 1 Damage and comes with Crit Grievous. Once Inspired, Jagz improves to Move 4, gains a strong 2 Block defence, and sees his attack damage climb to 2—still with that deadly Crit Grievous intact, which can spike dangerously. While he’s the least imposing at a glance, the combination of resilience and unpredictable damage makes him an excellent target for early Inspiration.
Together, the Stab Ladz form a balanced warband that thrives on aggressive play and high-value Inspirations. Each fighter brings a distinct role to the battlefield, with Daggok leading the charge as a powerhouse once Inspired, and the rest backing him up with flexibility, mobility, and deadly follow-up.
How do the fighters inspire?
Immediately after inflicting damage on an enemy fighter using the Krule Stab ability. Inspire the fighter.
See below.
Warscoll Abilities
Multi-use abilities
Krule Stab
A friendly fighter with no Charge token can use this immediately after your Action step. Pick an enemy fighter that is not vulnerable that is adjacent to that friendly fighter and roll an attack dice. On a Hammer or a Crit, inflict 1 damage on that enemy fighter. The same fighter can not use this ability more than once per turn. (Add errata)
This is a great ability, just Move your fighters adjacent to the enemy and spend the rest of the round trying to Stab them. With a bit of luck you can quickly bring a number of enemy fighters with one shot range for future battle rounds.
Importantly, this ability is key to inspiring the Stab-Ladz and you do want to inspire them. Particularly Daggok and Jagz, then Grakk and finally Huurk. I build my battle plan around this ability.
Remember, any Stab-Lad adjacent to an enemy fighter, without a Charge token, can Krule Stab. Therefore, you can have multiple Stabs per action step.
When I use this ability, I spend my first round just moving (not charging) my Stab-ladz adjacent to enemy fighters, with the aim of having multiple attempts at the Krule stab ability.
Schemin' Gitz
Instead of playing a Ploy in your opponent's Power step, you can discard Ploys to use the abilities below. The number of Ploys you discard determines which abilities apply in the next turn. The effects are cumulative, and the effect of each ability lasts until the end of your next turn.
- Discard 1: Friendly fighters have +1 Move.
- Discard 2: Enemy fighters are Flanked.
- Discard 3: Friendly fighters' weapons have +1 Attack dice.
One Use Abilities
'Two against one, ya git!'
Use this immediately after your Action step. You can push a friendly fighter 1 hex. You can use this ability once per game.
A built in Side-step is a great ability. I tend to use this early to get more fighters adjacent to enemies for a Krule Stab. Equal, you could use this for a Treasure token grab. Ultimately, it is a useful piece of Push tech.
Thief of Kunnin'
Use this in a Power step. Draw a number of Power cards equal to the number of damaged enemy fighters. You can use this ability once per game.
I normally wait until Round 2 with at least two enemy fighters injured. Drawing at least two cards at the start of round 2 can give your warband a significant power boost. This can be a great ability against hordes if your Krule Stab worked well in the first round.
Nasty Poisons
Use this immediately after an Action step. Roll a dice for each damaged enemy fighter. On a roll of a Crit, inflict 1 damage on that fighter. You can use this ability once per game.
This ability is fairly poor overall, but it can have its moments. It rarely goes off, but when it does, it feels like a bonus rather than a core part of your strategy. It is worth noting that vulnerable fighters can be killed with this ability. I tend to wait until there are at least two injured enemies before triggering it. In all the games I’ve played, it has only worked once, but that one time, it took out the Wielder of the Blade from the Headsman’s Curse, which felt incredibly satisfying (sorry Pete).
Possible Pairing
Playstyle: Flex
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| My Stab Ladz |
Having played a good number of games with the Stab Ladz, I’ve found that they reward a strategy built around push and ping tech, paired with objectives that favour positioning and reliable damage output—rather than trying to hold multiple Treasure tokens or rack up a high body count.
With that in mind, my primary Nemesis deck pairing has been Countdown to Cataclysm, combined either with Wrack and Ruin or Emberstone Sentinels, though there’s also some potential with Blazing Assault depending on your preference.
Countdown to Cataclysm gives the warband a strong baseline. The objective pool is solid and scores consistently: things like Wreckers (damage multiple enemy fighters), Shocking Assault (hold all neutral Treasure tokens), or Collateral Damage (lose a fighter). This variety makes it viable across most matchups. Where the deck really shines is in its support cards: Sunder the Realm and Total Collapse offer valuable ping damage for finishing off injured fighters (especially after a Krule-Stab or two), while Violent Blast and Counter-Charge provide excellent movement tricks to get your ladz into stabbing range. The only real drawback is a slightly underwhelming upgrade suite—but nothing deal-breaking.
Personally, I favour pairing Wrack and Ruin with my Stab Ladz. This lets me lean even harder into the ‘ping and push’ plan. Cards like Ominous Rumblings and Damned If You Do help pile on chip damage, while Sidle-Up and Confusion (technically not a push, but definitely movement tech) give you flexible repositioning tools. The objective pool here is also strong, with Bloodied and Bruised, Ploymaster, and Low on Options being consistently scorable across games.
A more control-leaning option is Emberstone Sentinels, which provides some excellent Ploys and Upgrades. Tools like Sidestep, Settle In, Agile, and Sharp Reflexes offer a blend of movement, Guard tech, and defensive resilience. The objective side leans heavily into positional play, so this deck is perfect if you’re looking to score without necessarily having to kill. That said, you’ll want to be cautious—focusing too much on positioning might delay your ability to inspire fighters early, which is critical for unlocking their full potential (especially Daggok’s).
Conclusion
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| All ratings out of 5 (What do the stats mean?) |
Jagz starts off weak but becomes a real asset once Inspired. Grakk shines in the thick of it; his Range 2 attack becomes a wrecking ball once he’s standing among enemy fighters clustered around Treasure tokens. Most opponents will do everything they can to take out Daggok, and for good reason, he is brutal when Inspired. It’s absolutely worth protecting him; better to lose any of the others before letting Daggok fall. Finally, there’s Hurrk, solid, reliable, and a decent threat, but if you need to sacrifice someone to the meat grinder, he’s your first choice.
I’ve genuinely loved playing this crew of Orruks. They’re surprisingly effective, offer lots of clever play, and, perhaps most importantly, they’re a lot of fun. If you’ve had any encounters with the Stab Ladz, I’d love to hear how they went. Drop a comment below.
What do you think to this warband? Do you use them? If so, what decks do you pair with them?
Checkout my Warhammer Underworlds for more articles.
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