For those who like fantasy tabletop miniature games, there's a new kid in town. Fantasy Flight Game's Runewars has 48 miniatures, dice, cards, terrain, rules and lore guide for under $100. It's a big game with amazing components. Strap in, a big game gets a big review.
The Runewars Miniatures Game is designed to cast gamers in the role of a general over a fantasy army. In this base game, two players will go head to head on a battlefield commanding soldiers, heroes and monsters. The goal is to defeat the opponent's units.
One player will control the human forces of the Daqan Lords. This courageous army contains 16 spearmen, four cavalry, one rune golem and the hero Kari Wraithstalker. The second player controls the undead forces of Waiqar the Undying. This army contains 16 skeleton soldiers, eight skeleton archers, one carrion lancer and the undead hero Ardus Ix'Erebus.
Big battles need lots of table space, so before beginning play, scout out an area that can be used for your battles such as a family room floor or kitchen table. After choosing the soldiers of Daqan or Waiqar's undead faction, determine who will start the game. Assemble the units and place them according to the rules of the objective cards.
The basic goal is to destroy as much of the opposing army as possible. After a series of eight rounds, the victor will be determined. In each round there are three phases.
At the start of the game, the Daqan player gets to perform a unique action. They gather a group of cardboard tokens and toss them on the table. These tokens provide a random amount of energy that will be available for this turn for doing things such as using magic.
Phase 1 of every round is the command phase. This is where players make plans for their armies. Should the knights move and attack? Should the skeleton archers retreat? Whatever the choices, players use a unique cardboard command dial that locks in an action and a modifier for every unit in the game. Once commands are locked in, it's time for Phase 2.
In Phase 2, players activate their units and follow the programmed commands they decided on in Phase 1. These actions consist of marching across the ground, shifting a unit to a better position, engaging other units, reforming, rallying and performing skills.
How far a unit moves is based on its speed. The speed of a unit is given on its command dial. The order a unit gets to activate is according to its initiative. Faster units activate more quickly and might be able to eliminate an opponent before its time for his or her turn.
The randomness of battle is represented in the game by boons and banes. Various effects can be given to a unit such as stun, panic, blight or immobilize. Units can also become inspired, allowing that unit to overcome a negative effect.
Combat is the core of a miniatures game and the Runewars Miniatures Game is different from anything on the market. When a unit attacks another unit the type of attack action and modifier is examined (remember this was planned out during Phase 1 of the game). Depending on what was selected, a player may receive a penalty or an advantage such as an extra die in combat.
Looking up a unit's combat details, a player gathers specific dice and rolls an attack. There are three kinds of dice. In addition to accumulating hits against an enemy unit, a unit may trigger a surge which gives it a unique special ability. For example, the Daqan cavalry receive an inspiration token if two surge icons are rolled on the combat dice.
Once the dice are rolled and examined, it is determined how many hits are done to an opposing unit. The opposing unit will have a defense value that might prevent wounds, but if the attack gets through the defense, units are removed. Remember that removing units from an opponent's army is the goal of the game.
Phase 3 is the end phase. Players create a new energy pool to draw from for magic by tossing a set of energy tokens and the round counter is rotated to indicate another round has passed. A new start player is determined and the next command phase begins.
Please note that magic in the game is handled by a pool of five energy tokens, as mentioned above. These tokens depict runes associated with one of three types of magic. There is stable magic, unstable magic and natural magic. Depending on what magic is available in the pool, certain types become more powerful. For example, if a fireball using natural magic causes one damage per token, it will be more powerful depending on how many natural magic tokens are available.
The game ends immediately if all of one player's units are destroyed, and that player loses. In the basic game, if both players have remaining units, the player that has the most trays of units wins. In advanced games, there might be specific objectives that determine victory such as reaching a terrain feature or eliminating a specific foe.
The game comes with a ton of additional rules, objective cards and terrain features. It can be as easy or as complicated as a person likes. For experienced gamers, know that there is a world of detail available in the game.
In addition to the rules, a 30-page full-color lore guide comes in the game adding stories, flavor and creativity to the game. A suspenseful back story was created just for this game and gamers will love the stories that accompany this release.
It should be stated that there is a whole hobby dedicated to miniature gaming. At the heart of this hobby is miniature painting and collecting. Nothing looks as cool as a fully painted army setup for battle on the tabletop. One gamer might choose green and black for their undead armies while another might select purple and orange. Also, players get to choose what units will be part of their armies. With future releases, Runewars will expand and be customized allowing gamers access to more and more armies and units as they become available.
It's important to note some details about the miniatures in this base set for Runewars. It took about 90 minutes to put together all of the miniatures in the game. Most of them snap together quite nicely and are durable. A couple parts here and there would benefit from a dab of glue. Another miniatures game I own from an English manufacturer took the better part of three days to glue, slice and assemble. Fantasy Flight Games should be given credit for the brilliant engineering required to simply snap most of their miniatures together.
Another aspect of miniature gaming is the importance of quality. Do the miniatures in Runewars have excellent details and quality? As mentioned before, these miniatures are of excellent durability. They are more durable than any game I know of on the market. The quality of the detail is excellent. These miniatures are better than most. However, a couple gaming companies on the market have more detailed miniatures but at a higher price.
All in all this is a tremendous release for Fantasy Flight Games. Many of the games most cherished in my collection are produced by Fantasy Flight Games. The quality in both manufacturing and design are consistently stellar. Runewars the Miniatures Game is no different.
It is the hope of this gamer that the gaming community latches onto this product and many more releases in the line come to fruition. For those new to miniature gaming, this set is an excellent place to start. For experienced miniature gamers, this game is worthy of a serious look and might replace a favorite system. There is tremendous potential here. Find out more at Fantasy Flight Games website.
Runewars Miniatures Game
The chill mists have an evil reputation, billowing and moving like a thing alive. But the true terror lies within the mist, a dead kingdom garrisoned by undying legions. These legions now march on the border territory of Roth’s Vale… and all Terrinoth will know war again.
The great powers of Terrinoth have clashed countless times over the ages, spilling the blood of man and beast alike on the battlefields of war. Through innumerable battles, armies have maneuvered and conquered, and legendary commanders have risen from the ashes to lead their warriors to victory and greatness. Now, you can take your place among those hallowed captains with Runewars Miniatures Game, a miniatures game of tactical, rank-and-file warfare, set in the realm of Terrinoth.
Every time you play Runewars Miniatures Game, you’ll have the chance to test your tactical acumen as you lead your chosen army against a single opponent. You will marshal an army and array them for battle, combining solid blocks of infantry, thundering columns of cavalry and mighty siege units like the magically animated rune golems. Then, using innovative command tools, you and your opponent will order your units on the field of battle, carefully maneuvering, shifting position, charging, and locking in brutal melee combat. With intensely customizable deployment and objectives, plenty of ways to upgrade your units, and beautifully sculpted, unpainted miniatures, Runewars offers countless ways to personalize your army, both visually and mechanically.
Take Command, General
At the beginning of a game of Runewars, your army is arrayed before you. Rather than taking command of a small group of single figures, Runewars invites you to experience warfare on an epic scale. You’ll send your figures marching forward in formation, orchestrating grand strategic movements as you battle your opponent for victory.
Figures in the game are deployed in trays, not individually, offering a realistic interpretation of large-scale battles instead of small skirmishes. Multiple trays of figures can interlock to form larger units, and as your units inevitably clash and take damage, figures and trays will be removed. Of course, leading an army composed of multiple units can be difficult, so to accomplish this, Runewars offers innovative command tools that invite you to control your units' every action.
Each unit in Runewars has a command tool, like the one shown above, consisting of two dials: the action dial on the left and the modifier dial on the right. The action dial offers a variety of possible actions, including marching forward, shifting position, rallying your shaken troops, or attacking enemy units. At the beginning of a round, you’ll set command tools for each of your units, carefully deciding what they’ll do during the coming round.
At the same time that you choose your action, you’ll also make a selection on your modifier dial. Modifiers can enhance your actions in different ways and give you ways to adapt to the changing tides of battle. The modifier may turn a forward march into a wheeling maneuver or a deadly charge, boost your damage during an attack, increase your defensive prowess, or even allow you to take an additional action. The only restriction is that your modifier’s color must match the color of your chosen action.
On the dial shown above, the Spearmen will march forward using the “2” speed movement template, while the modifier dial changes this movement into a turn with a different movement template.
Of course, every type of unit in Runewars features a completely unique command tool, giving them access to entirely different combinations of actions and modifiers. You wouldn't expect a block of heavy infantry to react as nimbly as some lightly armed archers, and the unique dials given to each unit reflect this fact.
Selecting an action does more than just determine what your unit will do in the next round; it also determines the order in which your units will act. Each action symbol has a number in the upper-left corner. During the round, these numbers determine the order in which units act, adding another layer to the strategies you must consider.
You may want to order your Oathsworn Cavalry to charge and flank a block of Reanimates, but depending on your initiative numbers, you can’t be certain that the Reanimates will still be there when your Oathsworn Cavalry arrive. To claim victory in Runewars, you won’t just need to predict where your foes will move—you’ll have to foresee when they’re going to move as well.
Forward March
There are six distinct actions that you can choose on your unit’s action wheel, but not every unit has access to every action, and each action’s color and initiative number can vary dramatically from unit to unit. The six actions in Runewars are:
March: This action is the most basic way for your units to move forward on the map. To move a block of units, you’ll simply align the movement template with a front corner of your unit, and slide your unit forward along the movement template until the same corner aligns with the end of the template. You can see an example of movement in the diagram below.
The Reanimates execute a march order, moving along the battlefield using the movement template.
Shift: The shift action is similar to march, but this allows you to extend the movement template off of any corner of your unit. You may use this to slide over to a better position or stage a tactical retreat from a difficult situation.
Reform: By choosing to reform, you can rotate your unit on its center point to face in any other direction. Whether you’re pivoting to face a unit that’s slipped behind you or simply turning to prepare for a flanking assault, using the reform command to change your facing can be incredibly useful.
This Oathsworn Cavalry unit uses a reform action to spin on its center, preparing to face a new threat.
Melee Attack/Ranged Attack: When you reveal one of these actions, you’ll be able to engage enemy units in battle and deal losses to enemy units. Every unit has a unique die pool that’s rolled in combat, whether you’re crossing blades with the enemy or firing arrows and magic from afar. The results you roll can deal damage, trigger special abilities, or panic enemy units, and depending on your units’ formation, you may be able to increase your damage or reroll your dice. Ultimately, the wider your formation, the more damage caused by each hit, and the deeper your formation, the more chances you’ll have to reroll dice.
The Reanimate Archers fire at the oncoming Spearmen.
Rally: Waging war is hard on your warriors, and the rally action allows you to remove harmful bane tokens, such as panic, stun, and blight. What’s more, many upgrade cards attached to your units must be exhausted to trigger. These upgrade cards won’t ready automatically. To ready all of a unit’s upgrade cards, you must order that unit to take a rally action.
Skill: This action has no inherent value, but several units and upgrades feature a special ability that can only be triggered by selecting the skill action on your command tool.
Customize Your Army
The gameplay of Runewars is inherently dynamic, offering you countless ways to shift your units, plan assaults, and react to what your opponents have planned. You’ll quickly learn that the game has a matching depth of customizability as you marshal your forces and create your army before you ever march into battle on the fields of Terrinoth.
There are two distinct factions included in the base set of Runewars, and each offers a completely unique approach to the wars that you’ll fight. On the side of Terrinoth, you’ll find the Daqan Lords, noble human warriors with years of training in battle. Measured ranks of spearmen, armor-clad knights, and monstrous, magically formed rune golems can all be found among the armies of the Daqan Lords.
Opposing these mighty forces, you’ll encounter the undead legions of Waiqar the Undying. Marching out of the noxious Mistlands, Waiqar’s undead are utterly implacable and intent on crushing Terrinoth. As a commander of the undead army, you’ll command hordes of shambling reanimates that can replenish their ranks with corpses from the battlefield. Undead have even been sighted riding on carrion worms — loathsome, maggot-like creatures that spread disease and corruption wherever their writhing path takes them.
Of course, it’s not just your chosen units that open the door for customization in Runewars. You can adjust your unit’s formation by spending different amounts of points, and upgrade cards let you charge individual units with a variety of unique advantages. You may employ Terrifying Heraldry to frighten enemy units who come too close to your position or sound a Metered March, giving you unparalleled control over where your units end their movements. You may even embed a Front Line Rune Golem in the first rank of your unit, supplementing your Spearmen with the power of an enraged Rune Golem. By upgrading your troops and altering their formations, you gain an unbelievable amount of room to customize your army, creating a force that acts and responds exactly the way you want it to.
The beginning of every game offers another opportunity for you to customize the game and make difficult strategic choices. You’ll never be certain exactly how you’re allowed to deploy your units until the game begins, meaning you might have to formulate a new strategy on the fly to adapt to changing conditions. What’s more, your exact objectives can change from game to game. Though you can always earn points by destroying enemy figures, if you haven’t completely annihilated your opponent by the end of eight rounds, the player with the most points will win the game.
Finally, you have another outlet to ensure your army is completely unique in the way you paint and customize your figures. Runewars figures come unpainted, giving you a blank canvas to create an army that truly reflects the style and aesthetic that you want to use. Whether you assemble your figures according to the directions in the rulebook or create bold new modifications and alternate paint schemes, the world of Terrinoth is yours to enter and enjoy when you start painting and creating your army of Runewars figures. We’ll offer a variety of painting tutorials in the support section lower on this page for the game’s release.
Sound the Warhorns
War has come to Terrinoth, and you are in command. Marshal your army, lead your forces in the service of the Daqan Lords or Waiqar the Undying, and carve your name in the annals of Terrinoth forever. The Runewars are about to begin.