Root: Underworld Hirelings Pack

Root: Underworld Hirelings Pack – Bring Gold, Gain Power, Rule the Woodland

Gold talks in the Woodland—and with the Root: Underworld Hirelings Pack, it can turn the tide of war. This exciting expansion introduces six new hirelings inspired by the Underworld factions, delivering thrilling tactical depth and new opportunities for cunning players. Whether you're sneaking through the dense woods, commanding ancient orders, or manipulating plots from the shadows, these hirelings add new dynamics to every game.

⚠️ This is an expansion. A copy of the Root board game is required to play.

Need Allies? How Much Gold Do You Have?

Every coin spent in Root is a decision—and with the Underworld Hirelings Pack, that decision might be the one that secures your rule or topples an empire. These new hirelings bring additional forces, abilities, and flexibility to your Root games, allowing you to act effectively no matter which faction you're playing.

• With fewer players, hirelings take to the board, adding more pieces, tension, and interaction to every turn.

• With more players, their cards flip to reveal advanced abilities, offering bold strategies and power shifts that can fuel your ongoing construction or break enemy strongholds.

Whether you command the mighty industrial war machine of the Marquise de Cat or rally behind the alliance’s hopes, these hirelings will force every player to reevaluate their path through the more dangerous woodland paths of Root.

What’s Inside the Root: Underworld Hirelings Pack?

This hireling pack introduces three exciting new pairs—each inspired by the Root: Underworld Expansion—to intensify the game of woodland might with unique powers, versatile presence, and layered interaction.

Furious Protector & Stoic Protector

Defensive titans of the forest, these mighty figures shield key clearings, fortify flanks, and hold territory against the most determined assaults.

• Call on them to reinforce weak fronts or protect ongoing construction.

• Their late-game presence can become a victory point machine if used wisely.

Corvid Spies & Raven Sentinels

Masters of subterfuge, this duo excels in capturing territory and manipulating opponents. Lay traps, stir paranoia, or guard key regions with ruthless efficiency.

• Great for factions like the Woodland Alliance, who rely on hidden movements and covert influence.

• Use their disruptive power to hinder rivals or shield your own secret quests.

Sunward Expedition & Mole Artisans

Drawing from the Underground Duchy, these hirelings combine engine building with tactical mobility. Tap into the ancient birthright of the moles as they forge tools and reclaim the surface.

• Ideal for players who want to build roosts, produce workshops, or control as much territory as possible.

• Adds a powerful mix of offense and support to almost any faction’s gameplan.

Each hireling includes:

• Double-sided hireling cards (standard and advanced)

• Custom meeples

• Easy-to-use rules for integration into all Root board game content

How Hirelings Change the Game

The Underworld Hirelings Pack isn’t just more units—it’s a layer of modular strategy that elevates every game of Root: A Game of Woodland Might and Right. Hirelings act as minor factions, ready to be wielded by any player, traded for, fought over, and even stolen mid-game.

• In low-player games, hirelings provide a truly asymmetric design boost, populating the board with many creatures and unpredictable forces.

• In high-player games, they introduce advanced strategies that deepen the meta, allowing wandering vagabonds, squabbling Eyrie, and even the nefarious Marquise de Cat to act more effectively.

They support:

• Tactical plays from would-be rulers like the Keepers in Iron

• Economic control from trade-savvy factions like the Riverfolk Company

• Stealth and rebellion from the Woodland Alliance and their sympathizers

Perfect for Players Who Want More Depth and Drama

Whether you’re revisiting the base game or expanding your campaign with the Underworld Expansion, the Underworld Hirelings Pack lets you customize your match with precision.

Use hirelings to:

• Strengthen your own gain or sabotage your opponents

• Seize more victory points through clever coordination

• Block crucial paths, making dangerous woodland paths even riskier

• Give your new commander a tactical edge in tight games

• Make the great woodland even more wild, dramatic, and unpredictable

Make Every Match Matter More

With hirelings in play, no strategy is safe from interruption—and no faction can dominate without risk. The Underworld Hirelings Pack ensures that even small player-count games feel tense, competitive, and rich with strategic potential.

Mix and match with other expansions like:

• Root: Riverfolk Hirelings Pack – for more mercantile and cultist allies

• Root: Marauder Expansion – for factional chaos and explosive new power dynamics

• Root: Clockwork Expansion – for AI-driven factions that work seamlessly with hirelings

Rule the Woodland—Or Watch It Burn

With Corvid plots, Mole artisans, and forest guardians by your side, you’ll forge new paths to victory in the Root board game. Whether you're on a mysterious quest, reclaiming ancient birthrights, or just trying to stay one step ahead of the wrong leader, the Root: Underworld Hirelings Pack gives you the power—and the gold—to shape the future of the forest.

How will you use your allies?