Runewars

Overview

Runewars is a grand strategy board game set in the fantasy realm of Terrinoth, published by Fantasy Flight Games (2010). Players control one of four factions vying for control of the land and its powerful Dragon Runes. The game combines resource management, area control, army building, hero questing, and large-scale battles across a modular board. Players must gather resources, raise armies, recruit heroes, complete quests, and lay siege to fortified cities. The first player to collect a set number of Dragon Runes (typically 6) wins the game.

Components

• Modular game board tiles (hex-based map of Terrinoth)
• 4 Faction sheets (Daqan Lords, Uthuk Y’llan, Latari Elves, Waiqar the Undying)
• Plastic army figures for each faction
• Hero cards and figures
• Season cards (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter decks)
• Order dials (for simultaneous action selection)
• Fate, Quest, Reward, and Tactics card decks
• Dragon Rune tokens and False Rune tokens
• Resource tokens (food, wood, ore)
• Influence tokens
• Development cards
• Objective cards
• Various markers and tokens

Setup

Assemble the modular board by placing territory tiles according to the scenario. Each player selects a faction and takes the corresponding faction sheet, army units, and starting resources. Place Dragon Rune tokens face-down on designated locations. Shuffle Season, Fate, Quest, Hero, Reward, and Tactics decks separately. Each player places starting units in their home territory and draws initial cards.

Turn Structure

The game is played over a series of years, each consisting of four seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter). Each season follows this sequence:

1. Reveal Season Card: Draw the top card of the current season deck, which determines events and available actions for the season.
2. Issue Orders: All players simultaneously set their order dials to choose actions for the season.
3. Resolve Orders: Players reveal and resolve their chosen orders in initiative order.
4. Season Effects: Apply any season card effects, collect resources, and resolve battles.

Order Types

• Mobilize: Move and recruit armies
• Fortify: Build defenses and develop territories
• Quest: Send heroes on quests to gain rewards and Dragon Runes
• Harvest: Collect resources from controlled territories
• Strategize: Draw Tactics cards for combat advantages

Actions

Army Management

Recruit units by spending resources. Different unit types have varying combat strengths. Armies move across the map to control territories and engage in battle.

Hero Quests

Heroes undertake quests by moving to quest locations and resolving quest cards. Successful quests grant powerful rewards including Dragon Runes.

Combat

When armies clash, combat is resolved using unit strength, Tactics cards, and dice. The attacker and defender compare total combat values, with various modifiers from terrain, fortifications, and special abilities.

Resource Collection

Controlled territories produce food, wood, and ore during Harvest orders. Resources are spent to recruit units, build developments, and perform other actions.

Diplomacy and Influence

Players can negotiate, form temporary alliances, and use influence tokens to sway neutral territories.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

The first player to collect 6 Dragon Runes wins the game. Dragon Runes are obtained by:

• Completing hero quests
• Conquering territories that contain Dragon Rune tokens
• Achieving specific objective card conditions

If the game reaches a set number of years without a winner, the player with the most Dragon Runes wins.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• False Runes: Some rune tokens are false and have no value. Players must explore to discover which are genuine.
• Winter Attrition: Armies may suffer losses during Winter if they lack sufficient food.
• Siege Rules: Fortified cities require special siege tactics to conquer; defenders gain significant bonuses.
• Hero Death: If a hero is defeated, they are removed temporarily and return in a future season.
• Neutral Units: Some territories contain neutral defenders that must be defeated before claiming the territory.
• Season Variability: Different season cards create unique situations each game, preventing repetitive strategies.

Player Reference

Order	Primary Effect
Mobilize	Move armies and recruit new units
Fortify	Build defenses and developments
Quest	Send heroes on adventures
Harvest	Collect resources from territories
Strategize	Draw Tactics cards

Victory: Collect 6 Dragon Runes to win.

Resources: Food (feeds armies), Wood (builds structures), Ore (equips units).