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Leder Games | Root: The Underworld Expansion
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Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges
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- Select the return method
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Purchase options and add-ons
Brand | Leder Games |
Material | Cardboard |
Theme | Games |
Genre | Wargame, Strategy |
Number of Players | 6 |
About this item
- Delve deeper into the world of Root with the Underworld Expansion, which adds two new factions and a new board to your Root game!
- You will need the Root base game to play this expansion.
- 1-6 players, ages 10+
- 60-90 minute playing time
Customers usually keep this item
This product has fewer returns than average compared to similar products.
Frequently bought together
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Product information
Product Dimensions | 11.61 x 11.61 x 3.35 inches |
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Item Weight | 3 pounds |
ASIN | B084WYZXHF |
Item model number | LED01002 |
Manufacturer recommended age | 14 years and up |
Best Sellers Rank | #7,088 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games) #129 in PC-compatible Games |
Customer Reviews |
4.8 out of 5 stars |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Release date | January 1, 2020 |
Language | English |
Manufacturer | Leder Games |
Warranty & Support
Feedback
Product Description
Delve deeper into the world of Root with the Underworld Expansion, which adds two new factions and a new board.
Play as the:
Underground Duchy – Sway your ministers to lead a righteous expedition to the Woodland, bringing order to the unending war and chaos above.
You’ll love the Duchy if…
- You like the Eyrie because of their expanding action set, but you want to play a more fluid card drafting game
- You like the Marquise because of their large army, but you want to strike with concentrated, crushing force
- You like the Alliance because they strike from the shadows, but you want more muscle to back it up
Corvid Conspiracy – Use cunning and trickery to hold the Woodland hostage, instigating plots to seize control through terror.
You’ll love the Corvids if…
- You like the Alliance because of their sneaky play style, and you want more room for outright trickery
- You like the Lizard Cultists because battling them can actually help them, but you want more control over your army
- You like the Vagabond because he’s a thorn in everyone’s side, but you want a force of warriors too
The Great Underground Duchy, an ancient kingdom ascending to the surface.
The Duchy can muster a huge army of warriors & become a formidable military power. But the Duchy makes its home in the Burrow, located deep under the Woodland. To establish a foothold in the forest above, they must dig tunnels, which can appear in any clearing on the map. The other factions will never see it coming! They can’t stay passive—only by building Markets & Citadels in the Woodland can they gain enough allies & warriors to pose a threat.
The Duchy is overseen by a council of ministers, fickle politicians who must be swayed to the task of establishing a presence in the Woodland. The Duchy must prove that its mission of conquest is going to plan, revealing cards from their hand that match clearings they have pieces in. The more ministers they sway, the more actions they get per turn. Beware, if any of the Duchy’s buildings are destroyed, there’s a political cost to pay—their minister of highest rank will quit, & they’ll discard a card, making it harder to sway ministers back.
The Corvid Conspiracy, espionage masters and devious plotters.
Criminal syndicate? Machiavellian manipulators? The Corvid Conspiracy is many things, & nothing if not secretive. Like the Alliance, the Corvids are terrifying because you never know their true plans. They operate by hatching plots—raids, bombs, extortion, & snares—which turns the Woodland clearings into minefields, leaving the other factions unsure whether to stay put or run. After all, the bomb is as powerful as an Alliance revolt, destroying everything except the Corvids in its clearing.
But the Corvids are only as powerful as their secrets. If the other players can figure out the Corvids’ plots & guess them correctly, they can expose & remove the plots at no cost to themselves. This makes the Corvids easy targets if their plans are too obvious, so they’ll need to be unpredictable & bully the other players into leaving them be. If their mind games are good enough, the Corvids will snatch victory straight from the hands of their foes.
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Lake MapWhisk yourself across the map by travelling on the ferry, meeting new friends and allies along the way. |
Mountain MapTrek across outcroppings, clear blocked routes, and hold the mountain pass to show you are an effective leader. |
Ride the FerryOnce during a player’s turn, they may take a move from the clearing with the ferry to any other clearing touching the lake, placing the ferry in the destination clearing. |
Rule the PassThe clearing with the tower is called the Pass. At the end of a player’s Evening, if that player rules the Pass, that player scores one victory point. |
Basic Information
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What's in the box
Videos
Videos for this product
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Root. My honest review - likes and dislikes
Gaming Indoors
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1:31
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Review/Quick Look Inside this ROOT Base Game! Worth it?
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0:46
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Check Out What's Inside ROOT the Riverfolk Expansion
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Videos for this product
0:51
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What's Inside this ROOT the Clockwork Expansion Pack
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Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the artwork, theme, and quality of the board game. They mention that it's stunning, adorable, and original. They also say that the game is highly replayable and that the components are good. Customers also like the characters, and symmetry. However, some customers differ on complexity level, and value.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the board game amazing, fun, and well-made. They say it has very good components that keep the game interesting for a long time. They also say it's guaranteed to provide many fun evenings with your friends. Customers also mention that the game is phenomenal, with wonderful art and fantastic gameplay. They describe the game as beautiful, with well-crafted components.
"...They're fast, ruthless and are the strongest military power! They gain VPs by expanding their influence!..." Read more
"...but swapping around and playing different factions keeps the game interesting for a long time." Read more
"...Nonetheless, this faction can be extremely fun to play with the right table...." Read more
"...The board and pieces are well made and pleasant, I should add. Deceptively cute for what is potentially a brutal game...." Read more
Customers find the artwork stunning, fantastic, and adorable. They also say the theme is truly original and cute. Customers also say that the cardboard is thick with vibrant colors and the wooden pieces and tokens are wonderful.
"Root is a truly original game design...." Read more
"...But this is probably the greatest asymmetric game design to date...." Read more
"...The board and pieces are well made and pleasant, I should add. Deceptively cute for what is potentially a brutal game...." Read more
"...Root is a phenomenal war game that has wonderful art, and fantastic gameplay. Players will feel different with each faction played...." Read more
Customers like the symmetry of the board game. They say it's a truly asymmetric game, with an amazing balance.
"...are looking for a game that has great production value, is unbelievably well balanced, offers solid replay-ability and is guaranteed to provide many..." Read more
"...Replay-ability is high due to different factions3. Asymmetrical interesting game-play due to variable factions4...." Read more
"...The expansion factions are fun and balanced and really add to the game...." Read more
"...Amazing balance and replayability." Read more
Customers find the characters in the board game interesting and outstanding. They say the different factions play completely different and add to the game. Customers also say the components of the game are unique and the artwork of the cards is wonderful.
"...card/action selection and part war game with an amazing set of four totally different factions, and I do mean TOTALLY different factions!..." Read more
"...Furthermore, while the new Vagabond variants are decently interesting, I can't quite recommend playing a game with 2 Vagabonds...." Read more
"...There's a ton of replayability between the 2 maps, multiple factions, and how different the characters are." Read more
"...Every game feels different. Each faction has a lot of depth. You find interesting interactions you never seen before constantly...." Read more
Customers find the board game highly replayable, especially when factoring in expansions. They say the game is well-balanced and offers solid replayability. Customers also mention that the gameplay is challenging and can be played multiple times with different outcomes.
"...has great production value, is unbelievably well balanced, offers solid replay-ability and is guaranteed to provide many fun evenings of making your..." Read more
"...you get the expansions, it opens up the possibilities and encourages many replays...." Read more
"Pros:1. Cute artwork, pieces, and theme2. Replay-ability is high due to different factions3...." Read more
"...If you have the patience for that, I think it adds to the replayability of the game, since each playthrough can be quite different." Read more
Customers find the expansion amazing, worth it, and a great addition to any player's board game collection. They also say it's a fantastic entry point for those interested in that.
"Great way to add more layers to a beautiful game" Read more
"...pieces are generally very good quality, so much depth, every expansion is worth it" Read more
"...the deepest and most strategic game on the market, but it is a fantastic entry point for those interested in that side of board gaming...." Read more
"...and every play through will feel different, plus some amazing expansions that will completely change the game all over again in ways that don't feel..." Read more
Customers are mixed about the complexity level of the board game. Some mention that the rules aren't too hard to understand, and the game is pretty easy to learn at the beginning. However, others say that the game play is difficult to learn and can be a little intimidating at first.
"...Combat is super simple: the attacker rolls two dice and takes the higher total, eliminating that many of the defenders units; the defender does the..." Read more
"...The game is tricky to play the first couple times, but swapping around and playing different factions keeps the game interesting for a long time." Read more
"...The fact that each side has different rules isn't too hard to understand, because there are common features like crafting and movement that can help..." Read more
"...Lizards are significantly harder to play and win as, due to their limited ability to move and attack and their reliance on other players' discards..." Read more
Customers are mixed about the value of the board game. Some mention that it's worth the money for anyone who likes to play with different people, while others say that it is pricey.
"...If you are looking for a game that has great production value, is unbelievably well balanced, offers solid replay-ability and is guaranteed to..." Read more
"...For what you get in the box, the price seems high...." Read more
"...Definitely worth the money for anyone who likes to play with different strategies to reach a victory or plays with a tactile group of friends." Read more
"Love this game so much. The expansion is honestly cheap for how much use I get out of it, able to play with all the friends I taught how over the..." Read more
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Top reviews from the United States
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In principle, Root is simple: the first faction to gain 30 victory points wins. The board is a giant forest with several clearings marked by a 'suit' (fox, mouse, bunny, birds). Players compete to control these clearings. Players play suited cards to do actions in said clearings that match the suit of the card they're playing (i.e. need to play a bunny suited card to do an action in a clearing with a bunny suit.). Some cards also can be 'crafted' to gain a special ability, again matching suit of the card to the suit of the clearing where you want to do the action!
Movement is based on area control. You can only move into or from a clearing you control (i.e. having the most units/buildings).
Combat is super simple: the attacker rolls two dice and takes the higher total, eliminating that many of the defenders units; the defender does the same with the lower numbered dice. However, the attacker/defender can never eliminate more units then the size of his attacking/defending force. For example-attacking with 4 units and rolling a '5'. You only get to kill 4 units, not five. The same applies to the defender. Furthermore, there are cards and various faction abilities that can modify battle results in interesting ways.
That in essence is how root plays....simple....but....the factions turn all this on it's head!
At its heart, Root is a war game between the ruthless denezins of a fairy tale-like forest setting:
THE CATS: The Cats run the forest as a vast labor camp. They score victory points by developing structures within the forest clearings and keeping the 'status quo.'
THE BIRDS (EYRIE): The Eyrie used to run things until the cats came along, and they want their power and control back. They're fast, ruthless and are the strongest military power! They gain VPs by expanding their influence! They can spread like wildfire and crush the mightiest of foes! BUT....they have one great flaw: Their government is highly unstable! One wrong move can bring down their entire power structure and thwarting their plans!
THE WOODLAND ALLIANCE: The Alliance represents all the other woodland creatures suffering under the yoke of the cats. They're the rebels! They want the Cats overthrown, and they want the Birds gone too! POWER TO THE PEOPLE! The Woodland alliance fights a guerilla war to free the forest of tyranny! They get VPs by overthrowing the Cats and the Birds.
THE VAGABOND: The shifty Vagabond are the allegedly "neutral" raccoons. They've decided to become the merchants of death and profit from the growing war in the woodlands! They can 'aid' and/or hinder each faction for their own selfish reasons, hoping to become wealthy from the chaos! They can gain VPs by helping the various factions at crucial moments, and even side with a faction and ride their coat tales to victory!
To win, you HAVE to be ruthless! There's no room in this game for care bears! The first faction to get a VP engine going can run away with game if the other players are not careful! Such VP leaders must be crushed! And the asymmetricral design of the game really brings this to life. The factions really to play that differently and have their own special way to victory. No two are even remotely similar!
The game has only two downsides. 1) It's MEAN as heck. You can show no mercy in this game. 2) It's incredibly hard to teach because it is so different. Watching videos is pretty much mandatory.
The game is tricky to play the first couple times, but swapping around and playing different factions keeps the game interesting for a long time.
This expansion introduces two new factions--Riverfolk Traders and Lizard Cult. Both are fairly low-reach (meaning their military presence is weaker and their win conditions are less battle-focused), with Riverfolk focusing on selling services to other players and Lizardfolk focusing on building gardens to perform rituals.
If you love the political and negotiative aspect of Root, I highly recommend this expansion for the new Riverfolk Traders faction alone. It is personally my favorite faction in the game, being highly focused on peddling your services to other players in exchange for warriors from their supply. A lovely consequence of this in-built mechanism of receiving payment is it allows you to design "custom" services not explicitly defined in the rules of the game (e.g. "I'll attack Cats next turn if you buy this placeholder service"), adding dimensionality to negotiations.
Unfortunately, Lizard Cult is slighly lackluster in comparison. Lizards are significantly harder to play and win as, due to their limited ability to move and attack and their reliance on other players' discards to determine where they can perform rituals. For this reason, it is quite a niche pick amongst the community. Nonetheless, this faction can be extremely fun to play with the right table.
Finally, this expansion also introduces some new Vagabonds and a Mechanical Marquise faction for solo/cooperative play. Personally, I think you are better off purchasing the full Clockwork Expansion(s) and/or hirelings if you are interested in NPC factions. Furthermore, while the new Vagabond variants are decently interesting, I can't quite recommend playing a game with 2 Vagabonds. The other factions will essentially be stuck playing whack-a-mole to keep them from running away with the game.
Top reviews from other countries
Ultimately you just can’t go wrong with root so this is an obvious buy for fans of the game who are looking for more variability beyond the base game.