It is a time of war. The scribes and sorcerers of the land of Terrinoth, having begun to tap into the power of the mysterious dragon runes, have unwittingly set the wheels of conflict to turning. Though they comprehend only a fraction of the true potential of these artifacts, the rulers of the realm understand all too well that he who controls them controls Terrinoth. Drunk with aspirations of power and covetous of the runes of their neighbors, the leaders of Human, Elf, Undead, and Uthuk raise massive armies and march against each other. At the same time, brave heroes venture forth from their home cities on perilous quests, in the hopes of claiming a dragon rune for their king and eternal glory for themselves.

To make matters worse, the beasts, monsters, and outlaws of the wilderness have grown bolder of late, and are organizing in ways never thought possible. Their numbers swell in the valleys, hills, and mountains that separate the great cities of the realm. These groups roam freely, and swear allegiance to neither king nor country... but perhaps, if they cannot be destroyed, they can be convinced to negotiate a truce. Some rulers will extend an open hand of friendship to the unaligned forces, while others extend a clenched fist of animosity. But they must be dealt with, one way or another, if the dragon runes are to be won.

Runewars is an epic game of conquest, adventure, and fantasy empires for 2-4 players. Set in the Runebound universe, Runewars puts you in control of one of four factions, where you must spread a fledgling empire through the land, conquer territory, recruit heroes, and ultimately acquire enough dragon runes to dominate Terrinoth and claim victory!

From the moment the box is opened, Runewars’ highly detailed components will please your eye and spark your imagination. Nearly two hundred plastic miniatures, and as many tokens and cards, will thoroughly draw you into the action. But perhaps the most impressive component is the board itself, with its rich detail and three-dimensional mountain terrain!

Runewars features a fully customizable board, consisting of a series of pieces (made up of various numbers of attached hexagons) that are randomized and fit together at the start of every game. In addition to determining the position of the rivers, valleys, and mountains that will make up the various battlefields of the game, these modular hexagons beautifully convey the richly-detailed landscape of Terrinoth. Mighty forces will march across the heavily forested hills and valleys of the Latari Elves’ homelands, or through the plains and riverlands of the Daqan Lords. Brave heroes will quest amongst the deserts and crags of the lands of the Uthuk Y’llan, or through the scorched, ruined wastelands of Waiqar the Undying. Every swamp, farm, and forest is masterfully depicted in sharp detail!

What’s more, the mountains are three-dimensional! These stunning peaks tower above the rest of the board, clearly defining impassible borders while contributing to the already amazing aesthetic value of the Runewars experience. The modular map pieces ensure that no two games ever play the same, while immersing you in a perilous world of high fantasy.

After positioning the tiles and forming the map, players will distribute the neutral monsters (who roam the untamed lands between the starting areas) and set up their home cities. Building the map is only one part of beginning Runewars, however. Players will also choose a starting faction. While some factions are counted among the forces of good and others among the forces of evil, these alignments will not ensure anyone’s safety. Old alliances will crumble at the outset of the desperate, greed-driven race for the dragon runes.

The Daqan Lords, a faction made up of humans aligned to the forces of good, has bowmen, knights, and massive siege towers at its disposal. Adaptable and versatile, the Daqan Lords are adept at both military tactics and diplomacy.

Also aligned on the side of good are the Latari Elves. Enigmatic and magically adept, the Elves boast some of the greatest diplomats in the realm. But when diplomacy fails, they are prepared to wield their potent magics against the mightiest foe; formidable Pegasus Riders and powerful Sorceresses are just two of the units they control in battle.

The Uthuk Y’llan were once a band of peaceful nomadic natives, but foul demonic powers corrupted them, twisting their forms and their souls and transforming them into an army of the damned. Now, these evil-aligned barbarians and raiders seek the dragon runes with a blind fury, and should they find them, they’ll use their power to cast the world into an eternal hellish nightmare. Vile Flesh Rippers and terrifying Berserkers bolster the ranks of the Uthuk Y’llan, a faction that delights in battle.

Finally, the loathsome walking dead, usually mindless in their pursuit of destruction, have organized and unified under the evil influence of Waiqar the Undying. Alternately known as Waiqar the Betrayer and Waiqar the Necromancer, this enemy of all who live has sought the power of the dragon runes for decades, and plans to seize this new opportunity to rule Terrinoth forever. His undead armies, including Skeleton Archers and Dark Knights, make a horrific sight in battle... but he is not completely unversed in the ways of diplomacy, and has been known to seduce neutral armies with promises of power.

As the players march their armies across the realm, struggling for control of vital resource points and neutral cities, a second, far more subtle war simultaneously takes place. Heroes can be employed by any player, and once hired, they can be sent on quests across the land, resulting in the acquisition of powerful artifacts... or even dragon runes, used to win the game! These heroes may also meet their enemy counterparts, and engage them in exciting duels to claim their treasure. Has a rival’s hero just finished a quest? Perhaps his reward was a dragon rune... Attack him, and ensure that he never sees his home (and possible victory) again, while claiming his spoils for yourself!

Fans of Runebound and Descent: Journeys in the Dark will be pleased to find many of their favorite heroes have joined the fight for the dragon runes. One Fist, Red Scorpion, Silhouette, and Mad Carthos are just a few of the familiar faces that can be recruited, upgraded, and dueled... and each hero has his own unique powers, lending the same beloved individual character flavor that fans of the Runebound universe have come to love.

The object of the game is be the first player to control six areas (the hexagonal spaces making up the board) containing dragon runes. Dragon runes can be found as the reward for a hero’s quest, can be claimed as the spoils of a successful siege on an enemy’s stronghold, or can be awarded when you meet a secret objective! When combat becomes necessary (as it quickly will) players will find a wealth of strategic options in Runewars’ innovative card-based combat system.

The game is played over a series of rounds, called seasons. Each season ushers in a slightly new set of gameplay variables – for example, in the winter, armies may cross the frozen rivers of Terrinoth – but during each of these rounds every player must choose an order to issue to his or her troops. Players may choose to harvest resources, mobilize their troops, or attack a nearby enemy (indeed there are eight such orders to choose from), but once an order has been issued, it cannot be played again in the same year. Therefore, each player must judiciously select both his year’s orders and the sequence in which he plays them, all while balancing the sizable needs of his empire.

Runewars, designed by Corey Konieczka (Battlestar Galactica, Middle-earth Quest), offers a masterful blend of several game mechanics, coming together in an experience that goes well beyond mere area-control board games. Strategy, conflict, and adventure abound in a rich and vibrant fantasy setting. The epic wars for the dragon runes will see bloodshed the likes of which Terrinoth has never known. Muster your forces and make your claim to power!