Hrothgorn's Mantrappers - Warband Review

Hrothgorn's Mantrappers – A Warhammer Underworlds Warband Review

Hrothgorn's Mantrappers were one of the standout warbands of Beastgrave. Combining an imposing Ogor hunter, a loyal Frost Sabre and a collection of surprisingly useful Gnoblars, the warband offers a unique mix of aggression, board control and objective play.

At first glance, it is easy to assume this is an aggro warband built around Hrothgorn smashing his way through the opposition. While he is certainly capable of doing that, after several games I have found that the true strength of the warband lies elsewhere. Success with the Mantrappers comes from controlling the battlefield with traps, using the Gnoblars efficiently and forcing your opponent into awkward decisions.

In this review, I'll be looking at how the warband functions, the role each fighter plays and which Rivals decks I have found work best alongside them.

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My Mantrappers

What Does This Warband Do?

Hrothgorn's Mantrappers are best described as a Hold/Flex warband with a strong control element.

While Hrothgorn is your primary damage dealer, the rest of the warband is focused on controlling key areas of the battlefield. The trap mechanic allows you to manipulate enemy movement, punish positioning mistakes and support a Treasure Token-focused game plan.

Rather than charging forwards and trying to table your opponent, the warband usually performs best when it establishes positions around key feature tokens and forces the enemy to come to them.

The Fighters

Hrothgorn, The Ogor Hunter

Hrothgorn is exactly what you would expect from an Ogor hunter: tough, dangerous and surprisingly quick.

With 6 Health and a Move characteristic of 4, he threatens a large portion of the battlefield. His melee attack deals 3 Damage and becomes highly accurate once inspired. He also possesses a useful ranged attack, allowing him to contribute even before entering combat.

When inspired, Hrothgorn improves considerably. His defence improves from 1 Block to 2 Shields and both attacks gain an additional Attack dice. This transforms him into one of the most reliable damage dealers available to the warband.

However, one mistake I see players make is treating Hrothgorn as an unstoppable battering ram. Whilst he is undoubtedly dangerous, he is far from indestructible. Six Health may look impressive, but two successful 3 Damage attacks are enough to take him out of action. If you overcommit him early, many opponents will happily trade resources to remove the biggest threat in your warband.

For that reason, I generally prefer to activate Hrothgorn later in the round whenever possible. As long as he remains unactivated, he projects a significant threat across the battlefield. Opponents know that a fully functioning Hrothgorn can punish any mistake and this often influences where they commit their own fighters. The mere possibility of an Ogor charge can force an opponent into suboptimal positioning.

In many of my games, Hrothgorn's greatest contribution has not been the damage he actually deals, but the pressure he exerts on my opponent's decision-making. Keeping him available as a threat often creates opportunities elsewhere on the battlefield for the Gnoblars to secure objectives and control key positions.

When he does commit, I want it to be on my terms. Hrothgorn works best as a counter-punching piece, punishing enemy fighters that have overextended rather than launching himself into the heart of the enemy warband at the first opportunity.

Bushwakka, Quiv, Luggit and Thwak, The Gnoblars Heroes!

The true stars of the warband are the Gnoblars. While their fighter cards hardly look impressive at first glance, they are the fighters that make the warband's playstyle work. Hrothgorn may provide the muscle, but the Gnoblars are the fighters that score objectives, use the trap and control the battlefield.

Quiv and Bushwakka both begin the game with only 2 Health and a modest 1 Dodge Save. Neither looks particularly threatening and Bushwakka's attack is arguably one of the weakest in the game. However, once inspired they improve significantly. Both increase to Move 4 and gain a 2 Dodge Save, making them surprisingly resilient objective holders.

Quiv's role is generally straightforward. His improved accuracy makes him slightly more reliable in combat, but I usually prefer to use him for holding Treasure tokens and scoring objectives. He is often more valuable alive than fighting.

Bushwakka is a little different. When inspired he gains an extra Attack dice, increases to 2 Damage and gains Ensnare. While he is still not especially accurate, he can become surprisingly dangerous against lightly armoured fighters. Combined with a well-placed trap, he is capable of delivering the occasional nasty surprise. I once killed a 4-Health elf with his attack and a driveback into the trap!

Luggit and Thwak fulfil a slightly different role. While they share the same general purpose as the other Gnoblars, their extra Health makes them considerably more durable. I tend to use them as a utility piece rather than a dedicated objective holder. They are excellent for occupying awkward positions, blocking enemy movement and, if necessary, deliberately triggering one of my own traps so that it can be repositioned elsewhere. Their inspired attack profile is certainly better, but I rarely rely on them to deal meaningful damage.

The key thing with all three Gnoblar fighters is survival. Through a combination of Inspiration, Guard tokens and careful positioning, they can become surprisingly frustrating for an opponent to remove. In many games, these supposedly insignificant fighters do more to secure victory than Hrothgorn himself.

Thrafnir, the Frost Sabre

Thrafnir's profile is straightforward. He has decent mobility, respectable accuracy and enough Health to force an opponent to dedicate resources if they want to remove him.

What makes him interesting is Everwinter Ambush.

Initially, I thought deploying Thrafnir into enemy territory was a terrible idea. A fighter with only 3 Health doesn't seem like a great candidate for solo missions.

After several games, however, I began to appreciate the disruption he can cause.

Against aggressive warbands, placing Thrafnir deep in enemy territory can force an opponent to divert resources away from the main battle. Against five-fighter warbands, I particularly enjoy placing him on the Waystone hex, where the reroll helps make his 2 Dodge defence surprisingly annoying to deal with.

That said, I still deploy him normally in the majority of games.

How Does the Warband Inspire?

The inspiration condition is straightforward:

After an enemy fighter is slain by a melee attack made by your leader, inspire each friendly fighter.

Thankfully, this is a condition Hrothgorn is well equipped to fulfil.

The biggest beneficiaries are Hrothgorn himself, Quiv and Bushwakka. The defensive improvements they receive significantly increase their effectiveness throughout the game.

While Thrafnir and Luggit & Thwak do gain bonuses, I have generally found those improvements less impactful than the defensive boosts gained elsewhere in the warband.

The Trap Game

If there is one thing that defines Hrothgorn's Mantrappers, it is their trap mechanic.

Understanding how to leverage the trap is going to be the key to playing the warband successfully.

Ravenous Traps

At the start of the game, you place a trap in your territory.

Any fighter that enters the trap suffers 2 Damage before the trap is removed.

On paper that might not sound particularly threatening. In practice, it can significantly influence how your opponent (and your fighters) moves around the battlefield.

The trap can block access to Treasure tokens, punish aggressive advances and create areas of the board your opponent would rather avoid. Just be aware, your fighters can also end up in it!

More Traps

Once a trap has been triggered, the warband can deploy another one.

The additional push attached to this ability should not be overlooked. It can reposition your fighters onto objectives or help establish favourable board control.

Many games are won not because the trap dealt damage, but because the associated movement allowed me to score an objective.

Surprising Competence

This is easily my favourite ability in the warband.

Move a Gnoblar adjacent to a trap and you can reposition the trap whilst gaining a Guard token.

The practical result is that your Gnoblars can move onto a Treasure token and immediately gain Guard.

Once inspired, a Guarded Gnoblar with 2 Dodge is surprisingly awkward to remove. Many opponents simply choose to attack something else.

As a result, this ability is central to how I play the warband, the deck pairing I take and often dictates my early game plan.

Recommended Rivals Deck Pairings

Emberstone Sentinels

This is my favourite pairing.

The deck complements the warband's Hold strategy while also improving Hrothgorn's survivability and damaging potential. Cards such as Great Fortitude, Healing Potion, Great Strength and Keen Eye all feel useful here.

Countdown to Cataclysm

Countdown to Cataclysm pairs nicely with a Hold playstyle while providing additional ping damage. The extra damage can make it much easier to finish off enemy fighters with traps or weaker attacks.

Counter-Charge is another excellent tool for repositioning Hrothgorn.

Wrack and Ruin

Wrack and Ruin creates difficult decisions for your opponent.

Do they focus on stopping your objective scoring, or try to stop the Wrack and Ruin end phase cards? In many games they struggle to do both.

Nexus of Power

Since the Mantrappers already want to occupy Treasure tokens, Nexus of Power is a natural pairing.

The ability to increase the Range of melee attacks is particularly useful, allowing Hrothgorn and the Gnoblars to remain on key objectives while continuing to threaten enemy fighters.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

• Excellent objective control.
• Powerful leader fighter.
• Strong access to Guard tokens.
• Flexible deck pairings.
• Interesting positioning and control tools.

Weaknesses

• Requires careful planning and positioning.
• Trap placement can be unforgiving.
• Low-health Gnoblars can leak Glory if exposed.
• Can struggle if Hrothgorn falls early.

Final Thoughts

Hrothgorn's Mantrappers have been one of the most enjoyable warbands I have played recently. While Hrothgorn naturally attracts most of the attention, I believe the real strength of the warband comes from the interaction between the Gnoblars and the trap mechanics.

Players who enjoy careful positioning, objective play and controlling the battlefield will find plenty to like here. The warband rewards planning and punishes mistakes, both yours and your opponent's.

To play the Mantrappers successfully, focus on using your Gnoblars to gain Guard, secure objectives and manipulate the trap. Let Hrothgorn punish anything that gets too close rather than throwing him away in an early charge.

I don't think Hrothgorn's Mantrappers are the easiest warband to master, but they are definiately one of the most interesting. If you enjoy a combination of objective play, board control and selective aggression, then they are well worth trying.

Ultimately, Hrothgorn's Mantrappers are a warband that rewards patience, positioning and planning. Hrothgorn may get all the attention, but more often than not it's the humble Gnoblars that win you the game.

What do you think of Hrothgorn's Mantrappers? Have you found success with the trap mechanics, or do you prefer a more aggressive approach with Hrothgorn? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

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