How to Play

Dune: War for Arrakis

1-4 players 120-120 min 8.5 Board Game Geek Rating

In this asymmetrical strategy game based on Dune, players command different factions battling for control of the desert planet Arrakis and its precious Spice resource. Using an action dice system, players maneuver troops, deploy Spice harvesters, and face dangerous Sandworms. Event cards create varied gameplay experiences. Victory goes to the House that dominates the planet.

Published 2024

Dune: War for Arrakis

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

1
Understand the variant purpose
These changes extend play and increase military flexibility for a more realistic guerrilla war for Arrakis
2
Prepare Ecological Stations
Place Ecological Station markers facedown on the board for Atreides to discover and flip during play
3
Set up Sietches
Position Sietch tokens with values I, II, or III that can be captured by Harkonnen forces
4
Place Wormsign tokens
Distribute Wormsign tokens in desert areas for potential sandworm encounters
5
Prepare Harvesters and Carry-Alls
Position Sand Harvesters with adjacent Carry-Alls available for emergency relocation
6
Shuffle card decks
Prepare Harkonnen and Corino decks, noting that HAWAT'S SCHEMING cards will be removed permanently when decks reshuffle

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

1
Score Prescience cards (Kwisatz Haderach)
Each claimed Prescience card scores 2 Green points, ignoring numbers and colors on the card
2
Score battle victories (Jihad)
Atreides score 1 Red point per 3 hit points (rounded down) when an Atreides battle attack defeats a Harkonnen Legion through retreat or destruction
3
Destroy Harvesters (Jihad)
Atreides score 1 Red point when destroying a Sand Harvester, maximum 1 point per Action die
4
Relocate threatened Harvesters
When Atreides move to or attack an area with a Harvester, Harkonnen may remove an adjacent Carry-All as a free action to relocate the Harvester to any Desert area free of Atreides Legions, Sietches, or Sandworms
5
Discover Ecological Stations (Sand Dwellers)
When Atreides with a Legion occupy a facedown Ecological Station, flip it permanently and score 2 Yellow points
6
Re-occupy Ecological Stations
When Atreides re-occupy a flipped Ecological Station, score 1 Yellow point
7
Capture Sietches (Supremacy)
Harkonnen Capture rather than destroy Sietches; the flipped token stays in place
8
Retake Sietches
Atreides attack (not move) can retake a Sietch to reduce Harkonnen Supremacy by the Sietch's value (I, II, or III)
9
Treat Captured Sietches
Handle Captured Sietch areas as Mountain terrain with Settlement defender benefits for Harkonnen; mark empty Captured Sietches with a spare cone
10
Reduce Green points (Kwisatz Haderach)
Harkonnen reduce 1 Green Atreides point when a battle attack removes at least 1 Atreides leader (max 1 point per battle)
11
Use Stockpile action (Jihad)
Harkonnen Stockpile costs 2 Spice to reduce 1 Red Atreides point instead of adding Supremacy; may occur at any Supremacy level
12
Lose Yellow points (Sand Dwellers)
When an Ecological Station becomes free of Atreides Legions, reduce 1 Yellow Atreides point
13
Spot Worms
A Harkonnen free Scouting action may flip and resolve 1 adjacent Wormsign token instead of an area's Sietch and Deployment tokens
14
Use Battle Command
A Legion may attack and advance without all pieces joining; declare which pieces stay out before revealing tokens or adding cards
15
Reshuffle depleted decks
When Harkonnen or Corino deck runs out, remove discarded HAWAT'S SCHEMING cards from play permanently, then reshuffle remaining used cards

Winning

How to claim victory.

1
Achieve Prescience victory
Atreides win immediately when they reach their Prescience conditions
2
Track multiple scoring paths
Atreides accumulate Green points (Kwisatz Haderach), Red points (Jihad), and Yellow points (Sand Dwellers) toward victory
3
Never reduce below zero
No score category may be reduced below 0 points
4
Maintain territorial control
Harkonnen win by accumulating Supremacy through capturing Sietches while preventing Atreides from reaching victory conditions

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FULL rules

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