How to Play Runewars | Rules & Setup Guide

Get Ready

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

Select starting player

Shuffle the Fate deck and deal one card to each player; the player with the highest number becomes the starting player

Choose factions

Starting with the first player and proceeding clockwise, each player selects a faction and receives all matching components: faction sheet, plastic figures, home realm map tile, activation tokens, stronghold tokens, development tokens, Victory Card, and Order Cards

Distribute starting Quest Cards

Separate all Setup Quest Cards, shuffle them, and deal two face-up to each player

Gather map tiles

Each player receives the map tiles matching the areas shown on their two Quest Cards; assemble any puzzle piece tiles before use

Build the game board

Starting with the first player clockwise, players take turns placing one map tile at a time in the center of the play area until all tiles are placed; each tile must have at least two areas touching two different previously placed tiles

Place starting realm tokens

The starting player places one starting realm token per player along the board edges, each touching at least three uncolored borders with at least three areas between tokens

Place rune tokens

Starting with the first player counterclockwise, each player takes one dragon rune token and one false rune token, views them secretly, then places them face-down on any two areas that do not already contain rune tokens or adjoin starting realms

Place starting realm tiles

Starting with the player to the left of the first player, each selects a starting realm token location and replaces it with their home realm tile in any orientation

Place neutral units

Place neutral unit figures on each area according to the icons printed on the map tiles

Shuffle city tokens

Randomly place one city token face-up on each city area; return unused tokens to the box

Set starting resources

Each player adjusts resource dial arrows on their faction sheet to the red starting values

Place starting stronghold

Beginning with the first player, each places one stronghold token on their home realm

Recruit starting units

Each player recruits units using their three resource types and places them on their home realm area

Draw starting hero

Separate Hero Cards by alignment (good/evil); each player draws one card matching their faction's alignment and places the hero figure on their home realm; shuffle remaining Hero Cards into one deck

Prepare card decks

Shuffle and place the Fate, Quest, Reward, Tactics, Hero, both Objective, and four Season decks near the board; place the three Title Cards face-up beside them

Set aside tokens

Place the battle token, defeated hero tokens, damage tokens, influence tokens, and training tokens within reach of all players

Distribute starting Tactics Cards and influence

Each player receives Tactics Cards and influence tokens equal to the numbers shown on their faction sheet

Draw starting Quests

Each player draws two Quest Cards into their hand

Draw Objective Card

Each player draws one Objective Card from their faction's alignment deck, views it secretly, then places it face-down in their play area

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

Execute Season Card

The first player draws the top card from the current Season deck and all players resolve its primary ability, then its secondary ability in player order

Spring secondary

All players remove their activation tokens from the board, return Order Cards to hand, and stand up all exhausted figures including neutral units and heroes

Summer secondary

Execute the Quest Phase where each hero may heal, train, or move; after moving, heroes may initiate duels or attempt quests

Fall secondary

Shuffle the Fate Card discard pile back into the deck; each player then either gains two influence tokens or draws one Tactics Card

Winter secondary

Reduce maximum units per area to the player's food dial value; destroy excess units of owner's choice; allied neutral units count toward limits but heroes do not; water borders become passable until season ends

Choose Order Card

Each player secretly selects one Order Card from hand and places it face-down in their play area

Reveal Order Cards

All players simultaneously reveal their chosen Order Cards

Execute in order

Players resolve Order Cards starting with the lowest numbered card; ties are broken by most influence tokens, then by highest starting influence

Strategize (#1)

Move any units and/or heroes to adjacent friendly or empty areas; Supremacy Bonus draws Tactics Cards based on resource dial symbols

Mobilize (#2)

Activate one area and move units/heroes from up to two areas away; Supremacy Bonus allows executing this order twice for two separate activations

Conquer (#3)

Activate one area and move units/heroes from up to two areas away; Supremacy Bonus reduces enemy stronghold strength by 3 during battle

Harvest (#4)

Adjust all resource dials to match totals from controlled areas; Supremacy Bonus gains bonuses from developments and allows building one new development for one wood

Recruit (#5)

Choose one resource type and recruit units equal to that dial value into friendly strongholds; Supremacy Bonus allows recruiting from a second resource type

Rally Support (#6)

Gain benefits from each controlled city: neutral units, Tactics Cards, influence tokens, or Quest Cards as shown on city tokens; Supremacy Bonus allows spending up to three influence to draw that many Hero Cards, keep one, and shuffle others back

Acquire Power (#7)

Gain influence tokens based on symbols at or below each resource dial position; Supremacy Bonus allows spending influence to claim a Title Card by placing more influence than currently on it

Fortify (#8)

Perform any or all: build stronghold for one wood and one ore, repair damaged stronghold for one ore, or swap rune tokens between two controlled areas

Check eligibility

If the Order Card being resolved has the highest number among all Order Cards in the player's play area, the Supremacy Bonus may be used after the primary ability

Standard movement

Units may move one area; heroes may move up to two areas

Fast units

Units and heroes with the Fast ability may move up to three areas when using Mobilize or Conquer

Flying figures

Flying units and heroes ignore mountain and water border restrictions

Winter crossing

All figures may cross water borders during winter

Activation tokens

Place an activation token when using Mobilize or Conquer; units cannot leave areas containing friendly activation tokens except through retreat

Hero movement

Heroes may pass through enemy and neutral areas without starting battles; heroes are not restricted by activation tokens

Initiate diplomacy

After moving units to an area with non-allied neutral units, choose diplomacy instead of battle

Spend influence

Spend one to six influence tokens

Draw Fate Cards

Draw Fate Cards equal to influence spent

Select result

Choose one drawn card and resolve based on its fate symbol: sun means neutrals become allied, moon means neutrals retreat and exhaust, crossed swords means player must battle or retreat all units

Place battle token

Place the battle token on the contested area

Arrange units

Both players place their units from the contested area beside their faction sheet in matching initiative rows; exhausted units remain on the area

Designate supporting heroes

Attacker then defender may assign standing heroes to support different unit types

Resolve starting abilities

Attacker then defender may play Tactics Cards or abilities usable "at the start of battle"

Execute combat rounds

Resolve up to five rounds starting with initiative row 1, then 2, and so on

Calculate strength

Each player counts standing units plus exhausted hexagon units; defender adds stronghold strength and development bonuses

Determine winner

Higher total strength wins; defender wins ties

Apply stronghold damage

If attacker wins against stronghold, remove it or flip to damaged side; attacker may place own stronghold (damaged side up)

Heal units

Remove all damage tokens from units

Retreat loser

Losing player retreats all participating units to one adjacent friendly area and exhausts them; units unable to retreat are destroyed

Return winner's units

Place winning player's surviving units back on the contested area

Attacker draws cards

Select one unit type in the current initiative row that hasn't drawn this battle; draw Fate Cards equal to number of that unit type and check matching shape section

Defender draws cards

Select one unit type in the current initiative row that hasn't drawn this battle; draw Fate Cards equal to number of that unit type and check matching shape section

Resolve special abilities

Both players reveal cards showing special ability icons in matching sections; attacker then defender activates unit abilities that many times

Apply exhaustions

Both players reveal cards showing exhaust icons; attacker then defender exhausts that many undamaged standing units

Apply damage

Both players reveal cards showing damage icons; attacker then defender assigns that much damage to opponent's units, prioritizing previously damaged units

Heal hero

Remove all damage from a hero; hero must be on a friendly area

Train hero

Increase two different attributes by one each, or one attribute by two; place or flip training tokens on the Hero Card; maximum one training token per attribute

Move hero

Move hero up to two areas; may then initiate duel or attempt quest

Travel to location

Hero must be on the area matching the Quest Card's identifier

Reveal Quest Card

Show the Quest Card from hand

Make attribute test

Draw Fate Cards equal to the tested attribute value; select one card and compare its fate symbol to Quest Card requirements

Gain reward

If successful, draw a Reward Card and place it face-down under the Hero Card; discard Quest Card and draw a new one

Handle failure

If unsuccessful, follow Quest Card instructions for failure result

Declare defender

Select one enemy hero on the same area to duel

Use starting abilities

Attacker then defender may use "at start of duel" abilities

Execute rounds

Play up to four duel rounds

Draw Fate Card

Each player draws one Fate Card and reveals it

Resolve Fate Cards

Starting with attacker, each player resolves their card's circle section: special ability icon allows using one Reward Card ability or dealing 1 damage; exhaust icon prevents that much incoming damage; damage icon deals that much damage to opponent; blank has no effect

End duel

After four rounds or when a hero is defeated, the duel ends; surviving heroes remain on the area with accumulated damage

Remove defeated hero

Take the hero figure off the board and return Hero Card to the box

Transfer rewards

If defeated in duel, winner takes all Reward Cards; if defeated otherwise, place Reward Cards beside board with defeated hero token on that area

Claim abandoned rewards

Any hero entering an area with a defeated hero token may take those Reward Cards during their turn or Quest Phase

Control allied units

Neutral units on a controlled area become allied and act as faction units for movement and combat

Lose alliance

If allied units end up on an uncontrolled area without friendly faction units, they become neutral again