Runewars
An epic adventure in the fictional land of Terrinoth.
An older position, but I am very happy to return to it. However, there are fewer and fewer opportunities to play, because the basic disadvantage of this extensive game is the need to play in a permanent lineup. The best experience is achieved by joining the game in three or four people (you need to set yourself up for about 2.5 hours), although in two (1.5-2 hours) you can also have fun.
Who, where and how?
We can choose from four different races, which have completely different units that make up the army, as well as different styles of their conduct. And so we can play peaceful elves or middle-class humans, putting more emphasis on diplomacy, and on the other hand, we have military-oriented undead and a race of beasts, called, if I remember correctly, Daquans. Once we choose a race, we can proceed to the arrangement of the board divided into hexagonal fragments, which means that each time the game takes place in different conditions. On each hex there are visible raw materials that we will collect during the game, and a nice flavor (although only in the older version of Runewars released in a huge, rectangular box) are 3d mountains, which very nicely create the atmosphere of the land of Terrinoth. We add neutral monsters to the board, distribute a lot of markers, cards and we can get started!
Mechanics
There are two layers in the game. The first is area control, where we fight to occupy the fields of land, thanks to which we collect raw materials and drive the economy of our race. The second layer includes actions with heroes, i.e. units independent of the actions of enemy armies, with which players move around the board and perform Quests. All this serves to gain the so-called dragon runes, i.e. victory points.
In each round, actions can be performed using a deck of 8 cards that have unique commands, such as "move the army" or "collect resources". In each round we can play one card, and after 4 rounds (they correspond to the seasons – spring, summer, autumn and winter) the circle closes, and the next year starts. After 6 or 7 years (the choice is up to the players) the game ends and we count the number of dragon runes collected by the players.
A summary of the
In general, the game is complicated, and it can be described as ameritrash – that is, an effective game with figurines, a certain amount of randomness (fights are decided using special cards). There is no shortage of emotions, with an efficient team the game is not long and the fun is excellent. Only this entry threshold… There are really a lot of micro-rules and rules that you have to remember, the instruction itself also belongs to the long ones. However, the visual effect also enhances the gameplay experience – about 200 plastic, detailed figures, the ability to fight interesting duels, betrayals, alliances, exciting fights, heroes with unique skills – this is the best transfer of impressions that I had when as a young player I was sitting at the computer at the PC Heroes of Might and Magic III.
pros ++++++
+ a lot of tactical possibilities
+ additional layer of the game, consisting in questing heroes
+ lots of units, figures, and generally huge content
+ great flavor in the form of 3d
mountains
+ many mechanics that mesh nicely – area control, bidding, hand
management
+ looks great on the table
+ the best, unofficial board version of the computer HOMM3
Cons of —
– a large entry threshold for new players
– a lot of microbases to remember, so mastering all the nuances and possibilities can take time
– you need a lot of space on the table
0
Rating on Board Games Geek
Difficulty
90%
Fun from the game
90%
Infos courtesy of boardgamegeek.com. More Infos.
